Youth First Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
YOUTH FIRST STRENGTHENS YOUTH AND FAMILIES BY DELIVERING EVIDENCE-BASED, SCHOOL-BASED PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS, PROMOTE HEALTHY BEHAVIORS, PREVENT SUBSTANCE USE, AND SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN INDIANA.
- Income
- $9.5 million
- Spending
- $10.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 3.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 38%
- Employees
- 205
- Volunteers
- 150
- Highest pay
- $173,485, past preside
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 46% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 15% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 8% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 21 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 2530 of 30 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)
- $8.6 million spent. YOUTH FIRST OPERATES A COMPREHENSIVE STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT TRANSFORMS SCHOOL SYSTEMS INTO MENTAL HEALTH SAFETY NETS, BYPASSING COMMUNITY WAITLISTS AND REMOVING BARRIERS TO CARE. WE ACHIEVE THIS BY EMBEDDING HIGHLY TRAINED, MASTER'S-LEVEL MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS DIRECTLY WITHIN SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO DELIVER AN EVIDENCE-BASED, MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORT. DURING THE 2024 TO 2025 ACADEMIC YEAR, YOUTH FIRST PARTNERED WITH 119 PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ACROSS 14 INDIANA COUNTIES (DAVIESS, DUBOIS, GIBSON, GREENE, KNOX, LAWRENCE, MARTIN, MORGAN, ORANGE, PERRY, POSEY, SPENCER, VANDERBURGH, AND WARRICK). THIS FOOTPRINT ENSURED THAT 53,510 K-12 STUDENTS HAD DAILY ACCESS TO PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. AT THE UNIVERSAL PREVENTION LEVEL, YOUTH FIRST PROVIDES SCHOOL-WIDE EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS DESIGNED TO BUILD FOUNDATIONAL COPING SKILLS AND RESILIENCE. FOR STUDENTS REQUIRING SELECTIVE INTERVENTION, OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS LEAD EVIDENCE-BASED SMALL GROUPS THAT PROVIDE TARGETED SUPPORT TO YOUTH WITH AN ELEVATED RISK OF SUBSTANCE MISUSE WHILE BUILDING SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS. PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES, INCLUDING REDUCED BINGE DRINKING, REDUCED MARIJUANA AND E- CIGARETTE USE, IMPROVED MOOD AND STRESS MANAGEMENT, STRONGER SCHOOL CONNECTION, AND DECREASED TRUANCY. AT THE INDICATED LEVEL, OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS PROVIDE INTENSIVE, INDIVIDUALIZED CASEWORK TO HIGHLY AT-RISK STUDENTS THROUGH ONGOING ONE-ON- ONE AND FAMILY SESSIONS. MANY OF THESE YOUTH FACE COMPLEX CHALLENGES, INCLUDING ABUSE HISTORY, FAMILY SUBSTANCE MISUSE, OR SUICIDE RISK. INDEPENDENT EVALUATIONS CONFIRM STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN STUDENTS' SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT, RESILIENCE, AND MOOD MANAGEMENT, ALONGSIDE A DECREASE IN PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIORS AND THE INTENSITY OF INDIVIDUAL CONCERNS. IN THE BROADER COMMUNITY, YOUTH FIRST DEPLOYS SOCIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS THAT GENERATE MILLIONS OF DIGITAL AND OUTDOOR MEDIA IMPRESSIONS. BY SHARING ONGOING PREVENTION CONTENT THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, AND REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS, WE NORMALIZE HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIORS AND REINFORCE RESILIENCE MESSAGING THAT STRENGTHENS THE ENTIRE YOUTH ECOSYSTEM. TO SUSTAIN THESE IMPROVEMENTS AT HOME, YOUTH FIRST ENGAGES PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS THROUGH CONSULTATIONS AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION TO STRENGTHEN FAMILY CONNECTIONS AND PROMOTE HEALTHIER, MORE SUPPORTIVE HOME ENVIRONMENTS FOR YOUTH. YOUTH FIRST RECOGNIZES THAT STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH IS ONE OF THE GREATEST PRESSURES FACING SCHOOL LEADERS AND TEACHERS. TO ADDRESS THIS, WE PROVIDE ONGOING CONSULTATIONS THAT EQUIP EDUCATORS WITH TRAUMA-INFORMED STRATEGIES TO NAVIGATE CLASSROOM CHALLENGES AND BETTER SUPPORT STUDENT LEARNING. IN ADDITION TO DAILY ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATIONS, WE PROVIDE ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO TEACHERS AND SCHOOL FACULTY THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR, DELIVERING TRAINING ON SUICIDE PREVENTION (QPR), TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICES, GRIEF SUPPORT, MANDATED REPORTING, AND EDUCATOR SELF-CARE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT. BY EMPOWERING EDUCATORS WITH BEHAVIORAL AND CRISIS RESPONSE TOOLS, YOUTH FIRST HELPS SCHOOLS IDENTIFY STRUGGLING STUDENTS EARLY AND INTERVENE QUICKLY WHILE ENABLING TEACHERS TO RECLAIM INSTRUCTIONAL TIME THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE LOST TO DISCIPLINE AND CLASSROOM DISRUPTIONS. OUTCOMES REMAIN HIGHLY POSITIVE, WITH THE VAST MAJORITY OF FACULTY REPORTING THAT A YOUTH FIRST PARTNERSHIP BENEFITS THEIR SCHOOL. MEASURABLE OUTCOMES CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN STUDENT WELL-BEING, INCLUDING STRONGER ATTENDANCE, INCREASED CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION, AND REDUCED BEHAVIORS SUCH AS AGGRESSION AND POOR ATTENTION SPANS. YOUTH FIRST OPERATES A COMPREHENSIVE STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT TRANSFORMS SCHOOL SYSTEMS INTO MENTAL HEALTH SAFETY NETS, BYPASSING COMMUNITY WAITLISTS AND REMOVING BARRIERS TO CARE. WE ACHIEVE THIS BY EMBEDDING HIGHLY TRAINED, MASTER'S-LEVEL MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS DIRECTLY WITHIN SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO DELIVER AN EVIDENCE-BASED, MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORT. DURING THE 2024 TO 2025 ACADEMIC YEAR, YOUTH FIRST PARTNERED WITH 119 PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ACROSS 14 INDIANA COUNTIES (DAVIESS, DUBOIS, GIBSON, GREENE, KNOX, LAWRENCE, MARTIN, MORGAN, ORANGE, PERRY, POSEY, SPENCER, VANDERBURGH, AND WARRICK). THIS FOOTPRINT ENSURED THAT 53,510 K-12 STUDENTS HAD DAILY ACCESS TO PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. AT THE UNIVERSAL PREVENTION LEVEL, YOUTH FIRST PROVIDES SCHOOL-WIDE EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS DESIGNED TO BUILD FOUNDATIONAL COPING SKILLS AND RESILIENCE. FOR STUDENTS REQUIRING SELECTIVE INTERVENTION, OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS LEAD EVIDENCE-BASED SMALL GROUPS THAT PROVIDE TARGETED SUPPORT TO YOUTH WITH AN ELEVATED RISK OF SUBSTANCE MISUSE WHILE BUILDING SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS. PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES, INCLUDING REDUCED BINGE DRINKING, REDUCED MARIJUANA AND E- CIGARETTE USE, IMPROVED MOOD AND STRESS MANAGEMENT, STRONGER SCHOOL CONNECTION, AND DECREASED TRUANCY. AT THE INDICATED LEVEL, OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS PROVIDE INTENSIVE, INDIVIDUALIZED CASEWORK TO HIGHLY AT-RISK STUDENTS THROUGH ONGOING ONE-ON- ONE AND FAMILY SESSIONS. MANY OF THESE YOUTH FACE COMPLEX CHALLENGES, INCLUDING ABUSE HISTORY, FAMILY SUBSTANCE MISUSE, OR SUICIDE RISK. INDEPENDENT EVALUATIONS CONFIRM STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN STUDENTS' SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT, RESILIENCE, AND MOOD MANAGEMENT, ALONGSIDE A DECREASE IN PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIORS AND THE INTENSITY OF INDIVIDUAL CONCERNS. IN THE BROADER COMMUNITY, YOUTH FIRST DEPLOYS SOCIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS THAT GENERATE MILLIONS OF DIGITAL AND OUTDOOR MEDIA IMPRESSIONS. BY SHARING ONGOING PREVENTION CONTENT THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, AND REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS, WE NORMALIZE HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIORS AND REINFORCE RESILIENCE MESSAGING THAT STRENGTHENS THE ENTIRE YOUTH ECOSYSTEM. TO SUSTAIN THESE IMPROVEMENTS AT HOME, YOUTH FIRST ENGAGES PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS THROUGH CONSULTATIONS AN
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 1998.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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