irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $1.03MGRACE's Site-Based Respite Sessions includes Friday Night (Club Life), Your Choice, Summer Stock, Summer Respite, Performing Arts, Creative Arts, and Baseball.GRACE's Recreation Sessions included Gym, Dinner Club, and bowling.---The Baseball Session is a weekly instructional session (April October), in the community, designed to teach all aspects of game play, with a strong emphasis on Teamwork and Social Skills. ---The Bowling Session is designed to encourage a positive atmosphere in the community (October May). Participants enjoy developing their bowling abilities, with a strong emphasis on building Social Skills and Teamwork. ---The GRACE Foundation PS 55 Gym Session is designed to address Physical Strengthening, Increased Mobility, Advanced Social Skills, and Teamwork. Individuals participate in Stretching, Arm Exercises, Ball Play: (Catch, Basketball, Soccer, Pitching, etc.), along with Aerobic Movement to Music. _____________________________________________________________________________Friday Night Teen Sessions - Club L.I.F.E. (Learning, Independence, Fun, and Empower) are sessions designed to encourage decision making, socialization, creativity, and friendship building for teens and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Participants will plan a weekly schedule of activities under the supervision of trained staff. The activities include but are not limited to social interaction, on-site movies, video games, seasonal activities, community service and daily living skills. ___________________________________________________________________________________Your Choice - Sessions for teens and young adults focusing on health and wellness, creative art design and hands-on food. ____________________________________________________________________________________Dinner Club - A session designed for Teens/Young Adults to enhance and improve social/communication skills and money management in a dining setting that provides positive, productive community inclusion. ___________________________________________________________________________________Performing Arts - Sessions designed to introduce song structure, pitch, tone, harmony, movement and team spirit with a strong emphasis on effective communication and performance value. These sessions include Grace-ful GLEE and Summer Stock. ____________________________________________________________________________________Creative Arts Sessions - A weekly session for teens and young adults that focuses on artists and painting techniques programs. ____________________________________________________________________________________A total of 220 individuals participated in the company's Respite program with a total of 32,188 program hours for the year ended June 30, 2025.
- #2 $185KCommunity Habilitation - Community Habilitation is a Medicaid-funded program operated under OPWDD to provide one-to-one training to people with intellectual/developmental disabilities to develop or enhance the skills needed to live more independently in their homes or in the community.A total of 16 individuals participated during the year with 2,975.50 program hours provided for the year ended June 30, 2025.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Community Habilitation
Medicaid-funded one-to-one training program that helps individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities build skills in job readiness, money management, independent living, travel training, and social communication.
Day Habilitation Without Walls
Community-based day program focusing on independent living, workforce skills, community volunteering (e.g., Snug Harbor, Meals on Wheels), and financial responsibility through dining and shopping outings.
Recreation Programs
Weekly activities including baseball, bowling, gym sessions at PS 55, and seasonal events to promote teamwork, physical strengthening, and social skills.
Site-Based Respite Programs
Includes Club L.I.F.E. and Club L.I.F.E. Too! for teens and young adults, offering socialization, creative arts, movies, video games, and community service in a supervised setting.
Your Choice
Program for teens and young adults focusing on health and wellness, creative art design, and hands-on food preparation.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Day Habilitation Services 2 activities
- Facilitating community integration and life skills trainingConducts community dining, supermarket visits, travel training using public transit (Staten Island Rail, Ferry, MTA Bus), leisure field trips, and volunteer placements at locations like Meals on Wheels and Snug Harbor to build financial literacy, independent decision-making, workplace skills, and community navigation abilities.
- Providing Day Habilitation services for individuals with ASDProvides Day Habilitation, including a "Day Habilitation without Walls" program, offering structured community-based activities focused on social skills, health, wellness, creative arts, and food preparation for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
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Autism Awareness and Acceptance Initiatives 1 activity
- Creating media content to raise autism awarenessProduces webseries and podcasts to raise public awareness about autism spectrum disorder and highlight the experiences and achievements of participants.
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Respite Care for Developmental Disabilities 1 activity
- Delivering Community and Site-Based Respite programsProvides Community Habilitation and Site-Based Respite services, including one-to-one or small group support delivered by Direct Support Professionals, focusing on social skills development, independent living, and community engagement for individuals with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Nonprofit-Operated Cafés and Social Enterprises 1 activity
- Operating food truck for skills training and fundraisingOperates a food truck that provides participants with training in cooking skills, work ethic, and independent living skills, while generating funds for programs through food sales and private events.
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Community Event Fundraising 1 activity
- Organizing community events and fundraising activitiesOrganizes raffles, special events, and community programming to support individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families, while raising funds for foundation initiatives.
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Inclusive Social & Recreational Events 1 activity
- Organizing recreational and social skill-building activitiesRuns weekly and seasonal recreational programs including baseball (April–October), bowling (October–May), gym sessions at PS 55, Friday night socials, music and movement, performing arts, and summer activities to promote teamwork, physical health, and social skill development for individuals with ASD.
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Animal Welfare Fundraising through Retail and Sales 1 activity
- Producing and selling participant-made goods for fundraisingProduces and sells handcrafted candles and dog treats ("GRACEful Bites & Bark") made by participants, using proceeds to support foundation programming.
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Specialized Therapy for Children with Disabilities 1 activity
- Providing therapeutic and educational programming for childrenOffers speech therapy, occupational therapy, academic readiness, after-school activities, and summer camp programs for children, particularly those affected by autism spectrum disorder.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Developing inclusive community spacesIs developing an all-inclusive kitchen space named "Nicky's Kitchen" designed to serve individuals of all abilities as part of expanded programming.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$4.04M
Contributions & grants$362K9%
Program service revenue$3.37M83%
Investment income$81K2%
Other revenue$234K
expenses
Total expenses$3.30M
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$2.08M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5.08M
Cash$2.47M
Investments$1.11M
Liabilities$467K
Net assets$4.62M
Liquid reserves13.0 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +9.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathy Delpriore | Executive Director | 40 | $180K |
board members · 8
- Barbara D'Amora — Director
- Diane Peruggia — Director
- Diane Rodriguez — Director
- John Caresscia — Director
- John Merlino — Director
- Joseph Miller — Director
- Joseph Paradise — Director
- Michelle DeSantis — Director
relationships · 12
Who they work with
- Celebrity Chefs Partner — Collaborates with celebrity chefs to feature their cuisine on the food truck.
- Eggers Ice Cream Parlor Partner — Provides workforce skill development opportunities in edible arrangements, inventory, and fine motor skills for participants.
- Fort Wadsworth Partner — Hosts participants for horticulture and organizational tasks to foster engagement with historical community sites.
- Founding Parents Partner — Original founders who remain involved and provide financial support through events and activities.
- GRACEful Bites & Bark Dog Treats Partner — Collaborates on the production and sale of dog treats as part of vocational programming.
- Grace Foundation Partner — Creating a bridge from Where Little Minds Grow to the Grace Foundation to ensure continued support into adolescence and adulthood.
- I Can Candles Partner — Collaborates on the production and sale of candles as part of vocational programming.
- Katherine Modena Partner — Contact person for inquiries about the Site-Based Respite program
- Meals on Wheels Partner — Collaborates with the organization to enable participants to deliver meals and support elderly and disabled community members.
- OPWDD Government — Operates the Community Habilitation program under OPWDD oversight and Medicaid funding.
- OPWDD Government — Operates the Community Habilitation program under OPWDD oversight.
- Snug Harbor Partner — Hosts volunteer activities for participants to develop workplace skills in horticulture, inventory, maintenance, and admissions.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Amplifying Non-Speaking Voices Through Communication Accessmethodology: Spelling to CommunicateBy using Spelling to Communicate and digital storytelling, the organization amplifies the voices of non-speaking individuals with autism, because accessible communication methods enable self-expression, dignity, and public awareness that challenge misconceptions.
- Client-Directed Programming for Autonomymethodology: client-directed-programmingBy empowering teens and young adults to lead their own weekly programming, the organization builds independence and decision-making capacity, because self-direction fosters ownership, motivation, and real-world readiness.
- Community Integration Through Real-World Engagementmethodology: community-integrationBy delivering services in community-based settings and promoting public awareness, the organization fosters social inclusion, independence, and acceptance for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, because real-world contexts enhance generalization of skills and reduce stigma.
- Individualized, Strengths-Based Developmentmethodology: individualized-supportBy tailoring support to individual strengths and challenges and reinforcing natural abilities, the organization builds confidence, engagement, and cognitive growth in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, because personalized approaches respect neurodiversity and promote meaningful skill acquisition.
- Vocational and Reciprocal Skill-Building Modelmethodology: integrated-vocational-training-and-awarenessBy engaging individuals in vocational training, participant-led production, and reciprocal learning, the organization supports independent living and decision-making skills, because hands-on, co-created experiences reinforce autonomy and practical competence.