Mercyfirst
80% goes to programs $30 to raise $100 Thin reserves Growing revenue
Mercyfirst is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Syosset, New York, registered in 1946, with $61,767,364 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B, and it directs about 80% of spending to programs.
525 Convent Rd, Syosset, NY, 11791 EIN 11-1635089 Since 1946
Revenue (FY2024)
$61.8M
▲ 9.6% vs prior year
Human Services median: $293K
Expenses (FY2024)
$61.3M
Net assets
$2.7M
Employees
660
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B
CProgram efficiency40% of the rating80% to programs · $30 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Mercyfirst: 80% to programs · $30 to raise $100 earns a C on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
C+Financial health25% of the rating1 mo reserves · +1% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Mercyfirst: 1 mo reserves · +1% margin earns a C+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Mercyfirst: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Mercyfirst: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Mercyfirst is a not-for-profit child and family services agency providing community-based prevention and family foster care services, residential services for children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and short-term shelter services for unaccompanied migrant children.
What they do
Family foster care and adoption programs provide foster care children with a safe and loving home that promotes growth and development, enabling children to reach their fullest potential with the goal of providing each child permanency via reunification with a birth parent or adoption with a foster parent.
Start with hope program provides short-term shelter to unaccompanied refugee children (minors who arrive in the us without a parent or guardian, and who are fleeing areas of extreme poverty, violence, sexual exploitation, drug related gang activity, and human trafficking) until they are unified with a sponsor family.
Family support and prevention services programs provide community-based services that assist and support parents and other caregivers so that they develop the tools they need to raise their children in a safe and nurturing environment and prevent them from entering foster care.
Contact & location
- Address
- 525 Convent Rd, Syosset, NY, 11791
- City
- Syosset
- State
- New York
- Category
- Human Services
- Subcategory
- Children & Youth Services
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $42.2M (FY2013) to $61.8M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $23.3MNet assets $2.7M
Operating margin
0.8%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$26.0M
Total liabilities
$23.3M
Net assets
$2.7M
Salaries & benefits
$37.4M
61% of expenses
Board members
15
15 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $61,767,364▲9.6% | $61,299,187▲7.2% | $2,705,762▲22.6% | $26,046,936▼7.2% | 990 |
| 2023 | $56,343,392▲16.8% | $57,198,345▲7.6% | $2,206,815▼27.5% | $28,055,328▼4.9% | 990 |
| 2022 | $48,253,088▼8.3% | $53,137,329▲13.1% | $3,043,742▼61.6% | $29,507,862▲21.8% | 990 |
| 2021 | $52,605,241▲13.3% | $46,995,529▼6.2% | $7,927,870▲234% | $24,220,982▼1.7% | 990 |
| 2020 | $46,422,164▼0.5% | $50,086,594▲6.8% | $2,372,439▼60.5% | $24,629,062 | 990 |
| 2019 | $46,641,212▼0.3% | $46,910,747▲3.0% | $6,008,817▼4.3% | $24,635,936▲17.9% | 990 |
| 2018 | $46,781,747▲0.1% | $45,536,254▼2.3% | $6,281,697▲24.9% | $20,895,061▲9.9% | 990 |
| 2017 | $46,728,398▲0.3% | $46,613,088▲0.5% | $5,027,569▲2.1% | $19,020,849▼5.6% | 990 |
| 2016 | $46,596,524▲3.1% | $46,360,008▲2.0% | $4,923,406▲5.3% | $20,154,239▲4.7% | 990 |
| 2015 | $45,213,531▲4.3% | $45,429,523▲4.9% | $4,676,231▼4.4% | $19,243,396▼2.3% | 990 |
| 2014 | $43,332,774▲2.8% | $43,304,910▲2.3% | $4,892,223▲0.6% | $19,690,956▲7.8% | 990 |
| 2013 | $42,156,018 | $42,339,294▼5.5% | $4,864,359▼3.6% | $18,273,114▼10.4% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $44,825,549▼1.8% | $5,047,635▼6.4% | $20,401,762▼0.4% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $45,641,855▲3.7% | $5,392,926▼9.7% | $20,484,524▼6.8% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $44,022,044▼5.7% | $5,974,641▲42.0% | $21,970,413▼5.2% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $46,664,186 | $4,207,140 | $23,183,290 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Renee Skolaski — $290,631 (0.47% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renee Skolaski | President/ceo | 35 | $290,631 |
| Sakina Hayden Hidalgo | Nurse Psychiatric Practitioner | 35 | $164,809 |
| Achim Kretschmer | Chief Technology Officer | 35 | $155,836 |
| Joanne Cordaro | Chief Administration Officer | 35 | $150,983 |
| Talya Gilaad | Psychiatrist | 35 | $144,398 |
| Floaria Ladja | Executive Vp of Pqi | 35 | $140,443 |
| Erica S Mattar | Svp - Li Residential Services | 35 | $123,197 |
| Harlean A Dennis | Svp - Effc | 35 | $122,680 |
| Brian J Hecker | Chair | 3 | — |
| Darcy Belyea | Trustee | 3 | — |
| Elizabeth Venuti | Secretary | 3 | — |
| Harold Thomas | Trustee | 3 | — |
| James Jewett | Trustee | 3 | — |
| Keith Little | Trustee | 3 | — |
| Ken Male | Trustee | 3 | — |
| Kevin J Shine | Vice Chair | 3 | — |
| Paul Travers | Trustee | 3 | — |
| Photeine Anagnostopoulos | Trustee | 3 | — |
| Scott Gildea | Treasurer | 3 | — |
| Sr Alicia Zapata | Trustee | 3 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Btq Financialconsero Global Solutions | Financial Consulting Services | $1,821,625 |
| Whitsons Food Service Corp | Food Catering Services | $646,960 |
| Bdo USA LLP | Audit and Tax Services | $497,657 |
| Accumedic Computer Systems Inc | Data & Processing Services | $198,940 |
| Carey & Co | Financial Consulting Services | $157,411 |
Grants received · $359K total
21 grants to Mercyfirst totaling $359K, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption | Wendy's wonderful kids grants | 2024 | $30,000 |
| Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption | Wendy's wonderful kids grants | 2023 | $30,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $9,900 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $8,000 |
| Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption | Wendy's wonderful kids grants | 2022 | $30,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2022 | $5,500 |
| Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption | Wendy's wonderful kids grants | 2021 | $29,412 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2021 | $25,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $10,300 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $10,300 |
| Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption | Wendy's wonderful kids grants | 2020 | $31,617 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2020 | $19,750 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Human services | 2020 | $9,650 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Human services | 2020 | $9,650 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2020 | $6,500 |
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Compare Mercyfirst
Frequently asked questions
- Is Mercyfirst a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Mercyfirst is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 11-1635089, based in Syosset, New York. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Mercyfirst's EIN?
- Mercyfirst's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 11-1635089.
- How much revenue does Mercyfirst report?
- Mercyfirst reported $61,767,364 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Mercyfirst's spending goes to programs?
- Mercyfirst spends about 80% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Mercyfirst have?
- CharityIndex grades Mercyfirst B, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Mercyfirst's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Mercyfirst's latest Form 990 is $290,631, paid to Renee Skolaski (President/ceo).
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Data for Mercyfirst (EIN 11-1635089) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.