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Preventionfirst Inc

EIN 31-1474841 · Norwood, OH

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair67 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Mission: PreventionFIRST! implements best practice strategies to reduce the risk of behavioral health disorders. Vision: All communities apply prevention strategies in every stage of life.

Income
$2.9 million
Spending
$2.8 million
Spent on programs
94%
Reserves
3.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 93%
Employees
12
Volunteers
100
Highest pay
$84,422, 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: 67 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 34% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 5% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    94% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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 69% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    16 of 16 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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)
  1. $2.0 million spent. Workforce Development focuses on an expanded infrastructure of coaching and mentoring. It is designed to increase workforce capacity which will lead to an increased use of evidence based practice and ensure that populations have equitable access to culturally competent prevention services.
  2. $329,859 spent. Center for Prevention Action - The purpose of this program is to provide a comprehensive approach to substance abuse prevention requiring coordination of all programs, best practices, and policies across multiple community sectors related to the identified local conditions that are targeted for change. Activities include logic models for each identified substance use/misuse problem; environmental strategies that provide information, education and support as well as modify access, consequences, physical design, and policy; and evaluating the effectiveness of Action Team strategies.
  3. $241,804 spent. Center for Community Engagement- The purpose of this program is to build and strengthen the capacity of local neighborhoods to engage in prevention. This is done primarily through training, technical assistance and mini-grants. Activities included assessing and monitoring the level of development among member coalitions across the region, building awareness, readiness and capacity of community constituents to participate in a local neighborhood anti-drug coalition, identifying and pursuing opportunities to address the identified gaps in development among member coalitions, leveraging state and national resources for use on the regional level and through the local member coalitions, and evaluating the effectiveness of local member coalitions to impact community change.
  4. $116,508 spent. Center for Prevention Science - The purpose of this program is to increase data driven decision making for effective prevention programs. Activities included review of comprehensive assessments of youth substance use/misuse in the region, monitoring biennial PreventionFIRST! Student Survey process and findings, review of evaluation on the effectiveness of PreventionFIRST! to bring about community level change related to the identified youth substance use/misuse problems, and identifying and supporting research and publication opportunities related to longitudinal PreventionFIRST! Student Survey data.

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

  1. 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 September 7, 2026.

  2. 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 September 30, 2026.

  3. 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. 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 September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since November 1996.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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 7, 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.