The Opportunity Alliance
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To build better lives and stronger communities across Maine, The Opportunity Alliance supports people with the programs and resources they need to improve their health, safety, and stability.
- Income
- $40.3 million
- Spending
- $39.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 1.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 54%
- Employees
- 667
- Volunteers
- 150
- Highest pay
- $201,858, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 51% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.3 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 43% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $6.8 million spent. Childcare & Early Childhood Education- A collection of programs working in partnership with families and the community to ensure children are ready for school.- Early Childhood Education: TOA believes that the pathway to school success begins even before a child is born. Staff work with families to support the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of their children at all ages, in classrooms and at home, to prepare them for their later transition into kindergarten. All TOA Early Childhood Education programs meet the comprehensive Head Start Performance Standards to ensure the highest quality of services for children and families across Cumberland County. Programs include: - Early Head Start: A free family visiting program for qualifying families. "Parent Partners" make weekly home visits to pregnant mothers and children aged 0-3 and their families. - Head Start: A program that provides all children with a safe nurturing environment while supporting parents as they identify and meet their own goals and nurture the development of their children. Head Start sites are located throughout Cumberland County and are free to qualifying families. - Public Pre-K Partnerships: Head Start partners with the Public School System. Head Start and Department of Education funds are used to deliver this model. In these classrooms, transportation is provided by the school districts. - Childcare: Offered full day/full year. TOA serves children 6 weeks to 5 years old. Subsidized childcare fees are on a sliding scale and are based on household income and family size.- Parent Education: Evidence- and strength-based parenting education classes that provide parents and caregivers an opportunity to develop and strengthen their parenting skills.- Whole Families/ TogetherWeWork: Coaching services provided to low-income families emphasizing education, economic support, social capital, and health and well-being for both children and parents. - Maine Families: Works in partnership with expectant parents and parents of babies and toddlers to ensure safe home environments, promote healthy growth and development for babies and young children, and provide key connections to needed services.- Women, Infants and Children (WIC): WIC is a nutritional education program which provides supplemental foods to promote good health for pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, and infants and children up to age 5.- SNAP-Ed provides nutrition education classes for low-income children and families.
- $20.3 million spent. Behavioral Health & Wellness- A continuum of community and residential mental health and substance use disorder services for children and adults.Community Mental HealthBehavioral Health Home (BHH): Delivers integrated care to people who struggle with mental health. BHH care coordinators, in collaboration with the program nurse care manager, help clients consider their needs around housing, health care, finances, work, education, social and recreation time, and other areas that are important to them. Together, clients and care coordinators use this information to develop a treatment plan made up of individual goals and preferences.Broadway Crossings Adult Crisis Stabilization Unit: With a capacity of eight adult beds, this short-term crisis stabilization unit provides an alternative to hospitalization that allows people to remain connected to their support networks in the community.Children's Behavioral Health Home: An integrated approach working to meet the physical and mental health needs of children and young adults with developmental, behavioral, or mental health concerns.Mobile Crisis Response Services-Mobile Outreach: Available 24- hours a day, 365 days a year, individuals and families experiencing a behavioral health crisis have immediate and free access to a team of trained professionals.High Fidelity Wraparound: This program offers a family-centered, community-oriented, strengths-based, individualized planning process that relies on a balance of formal and informal supports to help children and families achieve their goals.Homeless Youth Services: Community-based case management services for youth and families at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness in southern Maine.The Maine Crisis Line Statewide Crisis Telephone Response: The Maine Crisis Line (MCL) is the state's crisis telephone response service for individuals or families experiencing a behavioral health crisis or having thoughts of suicide and/or self-harm. Trained crisis call specialists answer the line and provide free and confidential telephone support and stabilization 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. MCL is the single point of entry to Maine's Behavioral Health Crisis Services System through the toll-free number: 1-888-568-1112. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a new three-digit dialing code available nationwide as an easy-to-remember connection to help for anyone experiencing a suicidal or mental health crisis. In Maine, calls to 988 are routed to The Maine Crisis Line, operated by TOA.The Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH): Outreach, engagement, and referral services for people with mental illness and those with co-occurring substance use disorders who are experiencing homelessness in York and Cumberland County.Residential ServicesGordon Green: An eight-bed permanent residence providing intensive treatment and support for elderly adults under guardianship with a combination of challenges including mental illness and disabilities related to age or physical impairments.Helen Winslow Ray House: With a capacity of eight residents, this program provides trauma-informed treatment and support services to adults living with mental illness. Often clients have co-occurring conditions, such as chronic health problems and/or substance use disorders.Morrison Place: A 12-bed treatment facility offering intensive individualized treatment of homeless adults with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse issues. The program helps clients to achieve recovery and lead sober, stable lives through education and group and individual counseling. Throughout their time at Morrison Place, clients learn to build strong relationships with peers, family and friends, and other individuals throughout the community.The Ocean Street Residential Program: Provides trauma-informed treatment and support services to eight adults living with mental illness complicated by co-occurring chronic health conditions as well as a potential substance use disorder.The Bridge: A 12-bed short-term residential treatment program for homeless adults with a major mental illness, provides a comprehensive treatment program that assists residents with securing long-term housing while stabilizing their mental health and connecting them to community resources and supports.
- $7.7 million spent. Poverty & Economic Supports- A collection of programs and services designed to increase income, and basic needs by ensuring access to food, safe and stable shelter, utilities, as well as volunteer opportunities.Cumberland County Homeless Prevention Program: Assists families and individuals who live in Cumberland County (excluding Portland, Brunswick and Frye Island) in finding, securing, and/or maintaining housing.Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP): For urgent situations, this program provides emergency fuel assistance to HEAP eligible households in Cumberland County. A household may be eligible for up to $400 in emergency funds (or 100 gallons) to avert an energy crisis. Those in danger of a utility disconnect that directly affects their ability to heat the home, who do not have the financial resources to pay utility providers, may also receive ECIP benefits.Keep ME Warm: Fuel assistance distributed to Mainers by 211.Wrap Funds: Discretionary grant funds available to meet urgent needs of adults with severe and persistent mental illness.Foster Grandparent Program: Provides an opportunity for volunteers aged 55 and older to stay active by providing 10-40 hours a week of emotional and educational support to children in the classroom.Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP): To help Mainers stay safe and warm, HEAP provides money to help eligible homeowners and renters in Cumberland County pay for a portion of their annual heating expenses. The program provides a one-time, per-season, direct payment to heat vendors for homes heated with oil, kerosene, wood, propane, natural gas, electricity, and other fuels. Senior Companion Program: A volunteer opportunity for adults over the age of 55, interested in sharing their time to help homebound elders remain living independently in their own home and/or provide respite for family caregivers.211 Maine: In partnership with Maine United Ways, TOA runs the statewide 211 call center, where specialists can be reached via phone, text, or email 24/7 to provide free and confidential information and connect callers to local programs. You can also search our online directory, then call us to discuss the options that are best for you. Resources include aging and disability, basic needs, crisis, education, family, food, health, housing, jobs, substance use, and more.
- Community Well-Being- A collection of programs working with youth, families, neighbors, and partner organizations to build strong networks and healthy neighborhoods.Lakes Region Collective Action Network (LRCAN): An open meeting for community service providers in the Lakes Region to come together to network, share resources, and collaborate on addressing community challenges.Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN): MYAN is a statewide network of committed adults and passionate young people who believe in the transformative power of youth leadership. MYAN encourages prevention-focused, youth-centric social change through programming and technical assistance for young people and adults.Community Building: A place-based initiative that helps transform target neighborhoods into communities where people know each other and take care of each other. TOA Community Builders are on the ground in the target communities (South Portland, and Bridgton/ Lakes Region) to support residents in creating long-term, systemic change. Community School Development Project at South Portland Middle School: Community Schools are public schools that provide services and support, created and run by people who know the community best.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 1965.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.