4th Second
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Grounded in community with a focus on root causes 4th second works to increase access to healthcare, food security, youth opportunity, housing solutions, and environmentl and social justice
- Income
- $1.8 million
- Spending
- $1.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 98%
- Reserves
- -3.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 53%
- Employees
- 33
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $63,592, president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 58 out of 100. Higher than 28% 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
20 of 20It owes 14% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 21% 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 March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 254 of 6 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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 March 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 (3)
- $430,400 spent. 4th Second expanded upon its Youth Empowerment Program which seeks to address trauma, support resilience, and provide opportunities for all youth In 2024, 4th Second continued its work with 149 youth to support resilience building, mental health and to prevent substance abuse among low income youth ages 12-25. Participants attended weekly sessions where they learned stress reduction techniques, financial literacyincluding budgeting, credit management, and understanding taxesand human-centered design principles aimed at creating safe spaces in their community. To mitigate the traumatic impact of economic insecurity and poverty, youth were provided with basic income stipends. As part of their learning, the cohort conducted a Human-Centered Design Project, identifying the urgent need for safe spaces where youth in Vallejo could gather and connect. 4th Second opened its second youth-designed youth center in Vallejo in May 2024 where it was able to 4th Second launched weekly sessions at the newly established Safe Space, expanding its programming to address youth suicide prevention, substance use prevention, environmental health and advocacy, and young womens economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The weekly sessions covered critical topics such as mental health and suicide prevention, where youth participated in self-care activities and co-created a media campaign promoting suicide awareness. Financial literacy and workforce readiness were also key components, with sessions focused on budgeting, understanding credit, managing taxes and paychecks, as well as resume building and mock interviews. Additionally, youth engaged in sessions on environmental health where they examined the significance of safe green spaces, including community gardens, as areas where problem-solving skills and positive coping mechanisms could be developed. Further, youth worked in the newly created community garden to bring their designs to life in the physical space to create a relaxing and welcoming space where regular programming continued throughout 2024 and 2025 In the process the youth also learned about organic gardening techniques, including materials for raised beds and soil amendment practices. Beyond the physical aspects of gardening, youth engaged in self-reflection exercises, using nature-based mindfulness techniques to stay grounded.
- $308,196 spent. 4th Second continued its community development efforts by building upon its work as the Solano County representative of the statewide Community Economic Mobilization Initiative and Up Housing Program to support projects that address food insecurity, healthcare access, recuperative care, shelter, and affordable housing. 4th Second worked extensively on the predevelopment activities for a 25-room recuperative care facility resulting in the submission of a full planning application in the Spring of 2025. 4th Second purchased a property to develop a shared permanent supportive housing model to support individuals experiencing homelessness. 4th Second also expanded the development of the community garden to provide a community serving asset until the site can be further developed into the mixed-use grocery and housing project. Building on designs created by youth in 4th Seconds youth programming, community members, staff, and youth collaborated to bring the garden to life. Beyond beautifying the neighborhood, the inclusion of native plants provides ecological benefits, particularly their ability to attract pollinators, beneficial insects, and other wildlife, aligning with permaculture principles and environmental health initiatives. Fruits, vegetables, and herbs have been integrated within the native plant areas and cultivated in raised beds alongside them, ensuring a sustainable and productive urban green space Through these efforts, 4th Second continues to foster community resilience by promoting food access, environmental stewardship, and inclusive urban development.
- $1.1 million spent. 4th Second continued its medical and care management services under the umbrella of its Whole Person Care program. The Whole Person Care program includes housing navigation, substance use navigation, employment preparation and placement programming, enhanced care management, and street medicine The core of the Whole Person Care work is the provision of Enhanced Care Management(ECM) and Community Supports (CS), which focuses on basic need and medical care coordination to support long term economic and housing stability. This year 4th Second was able to provide this care to 108 individuals. These individuals include people experiencing homelessness and who have been justice impacted or were on parole. Services included connecting people with their benefit entitlements(food stamps, social security, health insurance), coordinating with the patients medical team, and supporting referrals to services such as substance use navigation and housing navigation. Some of the substance use navigation was provided in-house by the Care Manager and Substance Use Navigator, primarily focusing on people experiencing homelessness and those returning home from incarceration Services included referrals to treatment centers, mental health support, and NA and AA meetings to facilitate treatment and recovery This includes permanent supportive housing, affordable housing, and transitional housing units. Additionally, 4th Second was able to support 3 clients with housing deposits and first months rent in their transition into housing. Acknowledging the importance of a Home in any long term stability, the Whole Person Care program also included Housing Navigation The Housing Navigation team assisted 66 clients with identifying and applying for available housing. This includes permanent supportive housing, affordable housing, and transitional housing units Additionally, 4th Second was able to support 3 clients with housing deposits and first months rent in their transition into housing.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 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 November 6, 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 March 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 April 2020.
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 November 4, 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.