Creative Alternatives
Creative Alternatives reported $17.5 million in revenue and $16.9 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $86.38 went to program services, $13.62 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 53.7% of the total. Government grants made up 53.6%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $181,471 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 6 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 19% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $17MFor context, the median across 3,614 covered human services charities: $88.27 programs, $11.52 management, $0.21 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $17MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 86.4% | 87.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 53.7% | 20.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 53.6% | 2.4% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 30.7% | 70.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $181,471 | $274,992 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.07% | 1.18% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 11.1 | 6.9 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 3 of 3 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseCreative Alternatives operates fourteen short term residential therapeutic program (strtp) homes in stanislaus and merced counties.our strtp home environment is designed to prepare emotionally fragile youth for the transition from strtp living to reunification with their natural family, foster care, or in some cases, emancipation. In a nurturing environment, our children are taught independent living skills which range from basic daily functioning tasks to money management and job training. Youth are empowered, on an individualized basis, by learning appropriate communication and…
Creative Alternatives foster family agency's mission is to deliver comprehensive therapeutic services in a nurturing environment to youth and young adults. Our view is that once a child's chaotic beginning has been stabilized, positive changes and healthy development can occur. When children are placed with our agency for the purpose of reunification, adoption or emancipation, we gear treatment plans toward the specific needs of the child. Our goal is to place all children in our care into home environments that encourage and allow them to develop healthy, positive social attachments
Reyn franca school (stanislaus county), reyn franca annex (stanislaus county), grace bishop school (merced county) and Creative Alternatives school (fresno county) are nonpublic schools designed to meet the special and unique needs of every student. The majority of the students we serve have a variety of emotional, social, and behavioral problems. We serve grades k-12 with the majority of placements in grades 3-12. Emphasis is placed on improving social skills by requiring students to be held accountable for their actions. A system of rewards and consequences is used to assist in improving…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $163,021 | $0 | $18,450 | $181,471 |
| HUMAN RESOURCE/COMPLIANCE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $113,713 | $0 | $18,164 | $131,877 |
| ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $116,942 | $0 | $11,455 | $128,397 |
| MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $109,280 | $0 | $14,742 | $124,022 |
| THP-NMD DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $106,178 | $0 | $17,637 | $123,815 |
| STRTP DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $111,579 | $0 | $11,080 | $122,659 |
6 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Creative Alternatives (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $182K (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b3 · 3 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14No
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5227
Private foundation grants it received
1 private foundation reported grants to Creative Alternatives totaling $78 on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Creative Alternatives's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Creative Alternatives, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Creative Alternatives spent in FY2025, $86.38 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All human services charities · Largest charities in California
Questions people ask
How much of Creative Alternatives's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Creative Alternatives reported that 86.4% of its $16.9 million in expenses went to program services, 13.6% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Creative Alternatives pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Creative Alternatives reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $181,471, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Creative Alternatives get its money?
Of $17.5 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 53.7% came from contributions and grants (including 53.6% from government grants) and 30.7% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Creative Alternatives a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 94-2378380 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202631339349307413 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202521359349308077 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202411289349303736 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311159349301226 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202240459349300949 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202110439349302181 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 94-2378380: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.