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Phoenix Employment Services of Wilmington Inc

EIN 54-2074778 · Wilmington, NC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak40 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Phoenix Employment Services, Inc. (dba StepUp Wilmington) seeks to empower individuals to reach their potential and lead stable lives through satisfying work. StepUp Wilmington's vision is to create a community of prosperity and hope.

Income
$938,806
Spending
$1.3 million
Spent on programs
70%
Reserves
2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 58%
Employees
0
Volunteers
0
Highest pay
$105,867, executive 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

Weak: 40 out of 100. Higher than 11% of charities in its peer group (employment, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 2.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 49% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 37% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 21% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    70% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 34 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 94% of charities in its peer group (employment, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    9 of 9 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 (1)
  1. $895,106 spent. In fiscal year 2024/25, StepUp Wilmington served more than 400 individuals and places 263 jobs. StepUp's operations returned to fully in-person training for its Job and Step2 programs, the latter of which was rebranded to CareerUp during the fiscal year, focusing more on developing careers for StepUp candidates. In FY 2024/25, StepUp continued to build and grow Beyond Talent, its social enterprise staffing initiative acting as the primary job placement division for StepUp's "job ready" candidates. Beyond Talent maintains 30 contracts in the Cape Fear region and placed 24 candidates into jobs with an average wage of over $15/hour. In addition, the placements generated an employer-paid fee for the organization. Beyond Talent leverages the organization's existing base of business partners and strong workforce services to provide opportunities for its program participants in the broader jobs market. FY 2024/25 was the second year of operations for its Restorative Opportunity Internships (ROI) program. This initiative focuses on internships for teens.

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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since February 2003.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 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.