Advocacy Unlimited Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Advocacy Unlimited is a CT based peer-led organization providing education, advocacy, and support to promote individual growth, human rights, and systems transformation in areas of mental health, addiction, and trauma.
- Income
- $2.4 million
- Spending
- $2.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 92%
- Reserves
- -3.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 37
- Highest pay
- $125,869, exec director
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: 50 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 56% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 9% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1592% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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 (1)
- $2.0 million spent. AU provides holistic, peer led education, support, and advocacy in the areas of mental health, addiction, and trauma recovery. Programming is organized into four major initiatives, including young adult services, advocacy and education, peer support, and wellness. AU has operated for over three decades as a peer run organization - delivering high quality and impactful recovery resources as part of the continuum of care across CT. Within the past year, AU served a total of 13,634 community members. This includes 1,376 attendees for peer delivered education at 104 trainings, including 58 young adult recovery workshops were facilitated 1 to 1 peer support was provided to 96 clients and 75 admissions for individual advocacy support 451 people participated in social rehabilitation programming 1,248 support groups were held with 4,062 people, including 73 groups held specific to suicide prevention with 431 attendees 898 holistic stress management classes were held with 5,403 people 2,839 phone-based peer support calls were responded to, including 1,409 calls received on the dedicated young adult line and 157 general advocacy calls and a total of 89 were certified as recovery support specialists.
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 October 1999.
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.