irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $63KBehind the Walls: Over the past fiscal year, Thrive for Life has continued to expand its transformative spiritual and educational outreach within correctional facilities across the New York metropolitan area, including Rikers Island.Through our prison ministry and retreat work, we have reached over 17,000 incarcerated men and women, offering them hope, healing, and spiritual formation grounded in the Ignatian tradition. These retreats provide an opportunity for deep reflection, renewal, and the rediscovery of human dignity amidst the challenges of incarceration.In addition to retreat programming, more than 10,000 individuals behind the walls have received Thrive for Lifes monthly newsletter, which features spiritual exercises, reflections, and messages of encouragement designed to inspire ongoing spiritual growth and resilience. -See continuation in Schedule O
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Bakhita House
Supportive housing and healing community for women survivors of sexual exploitation, offering trauma-informed care, education, employment support, and spiritual formation.
Behind the Walls Retreats
Spiritual retreats grounded in Ignatian tradition offered in correctional facilities across New York State and New Jersey, providing reflection, healing, and spiritual formation for incarcerated individuals.
Monthly Newsletter Distribution
Provides spiritual exercises, reflections, and encouragement to incarcerated individuals and Catholic chaplains in over 35 correctional facilities across the United States.
Onsite Education Programs
Offers courses in financial literacy, technology literacy, ESL, OSHA safety, art expression, and storytelling for reentry populations in New York City.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Spiritual Development & Meditation Programs 1 activity
- Conducts Ignatian spiritual retreats in correctional facilitiesProvides monthly and bi-monthly meditative and reflective retreats based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola for incarcerated individuals in New York and New Jersey correctional facilities, including Rikers Island and Otisville Correctional Facility. Since 2016, these retreats have reached over 3,000 to 17,000 incarcerated individuals across the New York metropolitan area.
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Career and Technical Education Programs 1 activity
- Delivers educational and workforce development programming for returning citizensOffers a comprehensive range of educational and vocational services including GED preparation, ESL instruction, OSHA-certified safety training, CDL programs, personal finance management, digital literacy (in English and Spanish), and professional communication skills. These programs are delivered on-site at residential facilities and support employment placement and career development for justice-impacted individuals.
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Religious Support for Incarcerated Individuals 1 activity
- Distributes spiritual and reflective resources to incarcerated individualsSends monthly newsletters featuring spiritual exercises and reflections to more than 10,000 incarcerated individuals and Catholic chaplains across over 35 correctional facilities in the United States.
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Community Event-Based Giving Programs 1 activity
- Hosts family and holiday outreach events for affected communitiesOrganizes annual Christmas and New Year's celebrations and hosted a retreat for over 300 families affected by incarceration in Corona, Queens. Also distributes holiday cards—such as Christmas and Mother’s Day cards—to incarcerated individuals in partnership with local parishes to support connection with loved ones.
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Operates food pantry managed by justice-impacted individualsRuns a community food pantry in the South Bronx that is entirely operated by individuals impacted by the justice system, serving over 200 families each week.
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Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
- Provides creative and personal development programmingOffers art expression and storytelling workshops designed to foster creativity, self-expression, and interpersonal growth through exploration of artistic mediums and narrative techniques, supporting holistic personal development for resident scholars and justice-impacted individuals.
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Reentry Support Services 1 activity
- Provides transitional housing and reentry support for formerly incarcerated individualsOperates multiple residential reentry facilities—including Ignacio House, Abraham House, Joseph House, and Bakhita House—that offer structured, supportive housing, personalized care plans, job readiness training, educational support, and trauma-informed care for formerly incarcerated men and women pursuing education and reintegration. The program hosts up to 35 residents in New York City and up to 12 in Milwaukee annually, with reported zero recidivism and 100% academic persistence among participants.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.40M
Contributions & grants$2.38M99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$14K
expenses
Total expenses$1.71M
Program expenses68%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising22%
Salaries & benefits$247K
Grants paid out$67K
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$3.36M
Cash$928K
Investments$0
Liabilities$940K
Net assets$2.42M
Liquid reserves6.5 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +29.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 6
- Coss Marte — Founder CONBODY & Coss Athletics
- James Croghan — SuperiorBoston College High School
- Mary Casey — Board Vice President & Secretary
- Mickael Ohana — Board Chair
- Philip Judge — PresidentMcQuaid Jesuit HighSchool
- ZACHARIAH F PRESUTTI — Founder and Executive Director
relationships · 29
Who they work with
- Abraham House Partner — Residential reentry facility operated by Thrive For Life Prison Project Inc.
- Abraham House, Inc. Partner — Merged into Thrive For Life Prison Project, Inc. to expand rehabilitative programming and continuity of care for returning individuals.
- Abraham House, Inc. Partner — Organization acquired by Thrive For Life in 2023 that operates a reentry house in the South Bronx focused on education and employment.
- Archdiocese of New York Network — Partnership network of over 50 parishes supporting retreat programming and mentorship for incarcerated individuals.
- Church of St. Francis Xavier Partner — Collaborated to distribute Christmas cards to incarcerated individuals in New York.
- Church of St. Pius X Partner — Partnered to send Mother's Day cards to incarcerated men in New York.
- City U. of NY Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for Ignacio House resident scholars.
- Columbia Partner — Education partner providing scholarships for resident scholars
- Columbia U. Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for Ignacio House resident scholars.
- Columbia University Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for resident scholars in the New York metropolitan area.
- Cornell U. Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for Ignacio House resident scholars.
- Diocese of Brooklyn Network — Partnership network of over 50 parishes supporting retreat programming and mentorship for incarcerated individuals.
- EXO Partner — Employment partner providing workforce training, mentoring, and job recommendations
- Ignacio House Partner — Partner organization providing library resources and spiritual programming
- Ignacio House Partner — Residential reentry facility operated by Thrive For Life Prison Project Inc.
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for Ignacio House resident scholars.
- Joseph House Partner — Residential reentry facility operated by Thrive For Life Prison Project Inc.
- MHR Partner — Housing partner assisting with transitional and permanent affordable housing
- Manhattan College Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for Ignacio House resident scholars.
- Mercy College Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for Ignacio House resident scholars.
- NYU Partner — Education partner providing scholarships for resident scholars
- NYU Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for Ignacio House resident scholars.
- New York University Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for resident scholars in the New York metropolitan area.
- Our Lady of Sorrows Church Partner — Hosted the Day of Prayer for Our Incarcerated Brothers and Sisters and a retreat for families affected by incarceration in Corona, Queens.
- St. Bakhita House Partner — Integrated into the Thrive For Life network as Bakhita House, the first House of Studies for women.
- St. Francis College Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for Ignacio House resident scholars.
- St. Francis College Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for resident scholars in the New York metropolitan area.
- St. John’s University Partner — Partner university providing educational opportunities for resident scholars in the New York metropolitan area.
- faith community partners Partner — Partners with faith communities to train spiritual mentors and deliver retreat programming in correctional facilities.
strategies · 4
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.
- Education as a Core Mechanism for Reintegrationmethodology: education_as_reentryBy centering higher education and vocational training in reentry programming, the organization prevents recidivism and enables career advancement, because educational attainment builds identity, employability, and long-term stability for justice-impacted individuals.
- Faith-Based Spiritual Discernment for Inner Transformationmethodology: faith_based_ignatianBy using Ignatian spiritual practices, retreats, and guided reflection rooted in faith traditions, the organization fosters deep personal change, because structured spiritual discernment cultivates self-awareness, emotional regulation, and a renewed sense of purpose critical to rehabilitation.
- Four-Pillar Re-Entry Modelmethodology: four_pillar_reentry_modelBy addressing purpose, education, housing, and employment in an integrated framework, the organization supports lasting personal transformation and reduces recidivism, because sustained reintegration requires simultaneous progress across these foundational domains.
- Holistic Personal Transformation Through Integrated Supportmethodology: holistic_reentry_supportBy providing wraparound services that address academic, vocational, wellness, social, and spiritual dimensions together, the organization enables full personal transformation, because healing from incarceration requires more than logistical support—it demands identity-level change.