Action for Boston Community Development
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ABCD'S MISSION IS TO EMPOWER DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE BY PROVIDING THEM WITH THE TOOLS TO OVERCOME POVERTY, LIVE WITH DIGNITY AND ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
- Income
- $446.1 million
- Spending
- $410.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 98%
- Reserves
- 1.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 52%
- Employees
- 1,402
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $403,788, president/ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 60 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (human services, over $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.4 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 69% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 18% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1598% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (human services, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2543 of 43 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 August 31, 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 (5)
- $139.7 million spent. ABCD'S CHILD CARE CHOICES OF BOSTON (CCCB) SERVES AS THE CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL AGENCY FOR ARLINGTON, BOSTON, BROOKLINE, CAMBRIDGE, CHELSEA, EVERETT, REVERE, SOMERVILLE AND WINTHROP. CCCB PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN MAKING CHILD CARE WORK FOR EVERYONE BY PROVIDING SUPPORT, RESOURCES, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAINING AND CHILD CARE EXPERTISE TO A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY. IN FY2025, CCCB DISTRIBUTED APPROXIMATELY $137 MILLION IN STATE-FUNDED CHILD CARE VOUCHERS TO NEARLY 7,990 FAMILIES WITH MORE THAN 11,628 CHILDREN. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O). TRAINING IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE PROVIDERS AND THEIR STAFF IN FIVE LANGUAGES. AND SUPPORT SERVICES ASSIST FAMILIES AND PROVIDERS IN CARING FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES. CCCB ALSO CONNECTS THESE FAMILIES TO OTHER SERVICES, SUCH AS FOOD STAMPS, HOUSING ASSISTANCE, FUEL ASSISTANCE AND HEALTH SERVICES.
- $48.9 million spent. ABCD'S HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS HELPED OVER 1,902 CHILDREN PREPARE FOR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL AND LIFE BY PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE. HEAD START SERVES AS A MODEL FOR EARLY EDUCATION INITIATIVES NATIONALLY, PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES - EDUCATION, HEALTH, NUTRITION, FAMILY SERVICES AND INTENSIVE PARENT ENGAGEMENT, AND ADVOCATES FOR THE NEEDS OF YOUNG CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.
- $182.0 million spent. ABCD'S ENERGY PROGRAM MADE PAYMENTS TO LOCAL VENDORS TO KEEP MORE THAN 15,000 HOUSEHOLDS WARM THIS YEAR. THE ABCD ENERGY CONSERVATION SERVICES PROVIDE VULNERABLE BOSTON HOUSEHOLDS WITH HEATING SYSTEM AND APPLIANCE REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS, WEATHERIZATION, LIGHTING, AND MORE. AS ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF LEAN (LOW-INCOME ENERGY AFFORDABILITY NETWORK) AND THE LEAD VENDOR FOR EVERSOURCE, ABCD HELPED TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT STATEWIDE PROGRAMS FOR 45,000 LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS UNDER THE MASSACHUSETTS GREEN COMMUNITIES ACT. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O). ABCD MANAGES ROUGHLY $226 MILLION OF SUPPORT FROM NATIONAL GRID, EVERSOURCE GAS, AND EVERSOURCE ELECTRIC TO IMPROVE THE HEATING SYSTEMS IN MULTI-FAMILY APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND COMPLEXES ACROSS THE STATE. ABCD ALSO PROVIDES REFERRAL AND ADVOCACY FOR ELIGIBLE CLIENTS INTERESTED IN REDUCING THEIR ARREARAGES. THE MAJOR UTILITIES SERVING ABCD'S GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OFFER ARREARAGE MANAGEMENT PLANS AND ABCD ASSISTS ELIGIBLE CLIENTS TO HAVE A PORTION OF THEIR DEBT FORGIVEN WHILE ADHERING TO A STRUCTURED PAYMENT PLAN.
- $30.5 million spent. ABCD PROVIDES A VARIETY OF SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AT ITS CENTRAL OFFICES AND THROUGH A NETWORK OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTERS. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE HEALTH SERVICES, HOUSING AND HOMELESS PREVENTION, SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT, FINANCIAL LITERACY, ELDER SERVICES, FOOD PANTRIES, ADULT EDUCATION, FORECLOSURE PREVENTION, TAX PREPARATION AND DROP-IN SERVICES. HEALTH SERVICES REACHED OVER 17,106 INDIVIDUALS WITH DISEASE PREVENTION AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE AND PROVIDED TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR 40 CLINICS AND 140 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. HOUSING AND HOMELESS PREVENTION HELPS FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR HOMES TO MAINTAIN OR OBTAIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IN FY2025, ABCD HELPED 677 FAMILIES HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME. ABCD-TRAINED VOLUNTEER TAX PREPARERS HELPED 3,593 FAMILIES AND BROUGHT $7 MILLION INTO LOCAL HOUSEHOLDS THROUGH FEDERAL TAX REFUNDS AND TAX CREDITS. ON AVERAGE, FOSTER GRANDPARENTS SPEND 38 HOURS A WEEK SHARING THEIR COMPASSION AND WISDOM WITH CHILDREN FACING EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGES INCLUDING POVERTY, LEARNING DISABILITIES, AND EVEN HOMELESSNESS. SUMMERWORKS, ABCD'S SUMMER JOBS PROGRAM, PLACES UNDER-RESOURCED BOSTON AREA YOUTH IN PAID POSITIONS AT NONPROFIT EMPLOYER SITES. IN FY2025, 242 YOUTH WERE PLACED AT A WORKSITE OVER A SIX-WEEK PERIOD. IN ADDITION, ABCD HELD WORKSHOPS ON INTERVIEWING, BUDGETING, AND OTHER JOB READINESS SKILLS. ABCD OPERATES TWO ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOLS. OSTIGUY HIGH IS A "RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOL" SERVING YOUNG PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE. UNIVERSITY HIGH IS AN ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS STRUGGLING IN TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BOTH SCHOOLS OFFER STUDENTS A CHALLENGING EDUCATION AND A CARING ENVIRONMENT WITH SMALL CLASSES AND INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTS.
- (Expenses $ 30,485,903 including grants of $ 159,172)(Revenue $ 71,066) ABCD PROVIDES A VARIETY OF SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AT ITS CENTRAL OFFICES AND THROUGH A NETWORK OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTERS. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE HEALTH SERVICES, HOUSING AND HOMELESS PREVENTION, SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT, FINANCIAL LITERACY, ELDER SERVICES, FOOD PANTRIES, ADULT EDUCATION, FORECLOSURE PREVENTION, TAX PREPARATION AND DROP-IN SERVICES. HEALTH SERVICES REACHED OVER 17,106 INDIVIDUALS WITH DISEASE PREVENTION AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE AND PROVIDED TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR 40 CLINICS AND 140 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. HOUSING AND HOMELESS PREVENTION HELPS FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR HOMES TO MAINTAIN OR OBTAIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IN FY2025, ABCD HELPED 677 FAMILIES HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME. ABCD-TRAINED VOLUNTEER TAX PREPARERS HELPED 3,593 FAMILIES AND BROUGHT $7 MILLION INTO LOCAL HOUSEHOLDS THROUGH FEDERAL TAX REFUNDS AND TAX CREDITS. ON AVERAGE, FOSTER GRANDPARENTS SPEND 38 HOURS A WEEK SHARING THEIR COMPASSION AND WISDOM WITH CHILDREN FACING EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGES INCLUDING POVERTY, LEARNING DISABILITIES, AND EVEN HOMELESSNESS. SUMMERWORKS, ABCD'S SUMMER JOBS PROGRAM, PLACES UNDER-RESOURCED BOSTON AREA YOUTH IN PAID POSITIONS AT NONPROFIT EMPLOYER SITES. IN FY2025, 242 YOUTH WERE PLACED AT A WORKSITE OVER A SIX-WEEK PERIOD. IN ADDITION, ABCD HELD WORKSHOPS ON INTERVIEWING, BUDGETING, AND OTHER JOB READINESS SKILLS. ABCD OPERATES TWO ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOLS. OSTIGUY HIGH IS A "RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOL" SERVING YOUNG PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE. UNIVERSITY HIGH IS AN ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS STRUGGLING IN TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BOTH SCHOOLS OFFER STUDENTS A CHALLENGING EDUCATION AND A CARING ENVIRONMENT WITH SMALL CLASSES AND INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 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 August 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 February 1964.
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.