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CENTER FOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES INC

NEW YORK, NY · EIN 133843322 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE J20 · Employment · Very Large (>$50M)
revenue
$116.3M
expenses
$124.4M
net assets
$47.5M
employees
9,294
volunteers
192
program ratio
88%
mission · from form 990

WE PROVIDE EFFECTIVE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS RECENTLY RELEASED FROM INCARCERATION.

profile · synthesized from sources

Provides employment services to individuals recently released from incarceration, helping them secure and retain full-time jobs. Offers transitional work, vocational training, job coaching, and post-placement retention support. Operates nationally with a focus on workforce reintegration for formerly incarcerated people.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $47.93M
    SEE SCHEDULE O
  2. #2 $1.15M
    SEE SCHEDULE O
named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Job Placement Services
Business Account Managers match job-ready participants with employers in industries such as food service, retail, manufacturing, and construction.
Job Retention Support
Retention specialists provide one year of post-placement support including workplace counseling, crisis management, and career planning; includes incentive-based retention rewards.
Transitional Work and Job Readiness
Provides paid transitional work crews combined with classroom-based vocational training and weekly job coaching to build workplace skills and behaviors.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Workforce Readiness Training 2 activities
    • Employment programs for justice-impacted individuals
      Operates employment programs in 30 cities that provide vocational training, job coaching, transitional work assignments, and full-time job placement for formerly incarcerated individuals. The organization has placed over 53,000 individuals into full-time jobs since inception, including 2,383 placements in fiscal year 2020 across multiple industries.
    • Needs-based financial assistance for education and training
      Provides needs-based cash assistance through the CA HIRE program to support justice-impacted individuals pursuing education and career training, helping to reduce economic barriers to workforce entry.
  • Reentry Support Services 2 activities
    • Post-placement retention and reintegration support
      Provides one year of post-job placement support including workplace counseling, crisis management, career planning, and retention checks to help formerly incarcerated individuals maintain stable employment and rebuild their lives. Services also address financial and familial challenges associated with reentry.
    • Transitional work crews and community beautification programs
      Operates transitional work crews in cities such as San Diego and Fresno where participants engage in city beautification projects involving equipment preparation, safety procedures, and physically demanding outdoor work. These crew-based assignments are part of broader reentry programming.
  • Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
    • Leadership development and paid internship programs
      Runs the Emerging Leaders Program, a 12-week paid internship that helps justice-impacted individuals develop leadership skills and access long-term career pathways. Also provides cognitive behavioral training and resume assistance as part of holistic participant development.
  • Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
    • Policy advocacy for criminal justice and workforce reform
      Advocates for policy changes to remove systemic barriers to employment and Medicaid access for individuals with criminal records, particularly in California. Uses organizational scale, participant-informed data, and demonstrated outcomes to influence government investment in criminal justice and workforce development.
  • Program Evaluation and Impact Research 1 activity
    • Research and evaluation of reentry programs
      Conducts research and program evaluations, including an assessment of the Returning Citizen Stimulus Program and a report on improving long-term employment outcomes. Its Philadelphia program received the highest evidence rating from the Department of Labor’s CLEAR Database.
  • Union-Affiliated Trade Apprenticeship & Training 1 activity
    • Vocational training and occupational certification
      Offers pre-apprenticeship and vocational training programs, including OSHA safety certification and forklift operations, often in partnership with unions. Pays for participants to earn occupational credentials and supports job readiness through mock interviews and job search assistance on platforms like Indeed.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$116.32M
Contributions & grants$116.08M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$102K0%
Other revenue$141K
expenses
Total expenses$124.38M
Program expenses88%
Admin / overhead8%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$88.88M
Grants paid out$2.73M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$85.75M
Cash$28.46M
Investments$0
Liabilities$38.21M
Net assets$47.54M
Liquid reserves2.8 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -13.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 11
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
SAMUEL SCHAEFFER CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 35 $502K
SAMRA HAIDER PRESIDENT 35 $332K
CHRISTOPHER WATLER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT 35 $326K
ERIC WALKER CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER 35 $298K
YURI OKUMURA CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER 35 $290K
SHIH-CHANG LU CFAO (THRU 08/2024) 35 $255K
JESSICA ALICEA VP VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS 35 $221K
PAMELA LACHMAN CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER 35 $219K
MARY BEDEAU VP NYC PROGRAM 35 $201K
JOHANNA KING AULISA DIRECTOR III, PROGRAM SVCS 35 $199K
JULIA BURNS CFO (AS OF 12/2024) 35 $6K
board members · 14
  • ABD'ALLAH LATEEF — TRUSTEE
  • ANDREW VAN DER VORD — TREASURER
  • BRANDON BELFORD — TRUSTEE
  • BRUCE EVANS — TRUSTEE
  • CRISTINE SOTO DEBERRY — TRUSTEE (THRU 01/2025)
  • DAVID I MOSKOVITZ — CHAIRMAN
  • ELIZABETH BALFOUR — TRUSTEE
  • ELLEN V HOLLOMAN — TRUSTEE
  • EMARY ARONSON — SECRETARY
  • JOLI COOPER — TRUSTEE
  • KATHRYN JO MANNES — TRUSTEE
  • KATIE BEIRNE FALLON — TRUSTEE (THRU 01/2025)
  • KHALIL CUMBERBATCH — TRUSTEE
  • MELANCA CLARK — TRUSTEE
relationships · 10

Who they work with

  • Anti-Recidivism Coalition Partner — Partner organization collaborating with CEO to support reentry through the CA HIRE program.
  • California Department of Transportation Partner — Employer partner where CEO participants secure long-term government jobs.
  • Center for Employment Opportunities in Oklahoma City Partner — Local site providing employment support services to justice-impacted individuals in Oklahoma City.
  • Fresno City College Partner — Partner organization where CEO participants enroll in vocational training programs such as welding certification.
  • JustLeadership USA Partner — Collaborates with JustLeadership USA to support leadership development and advocacy training for justice-impacted staff.
  • Parole Officer Partner — Refers individuals to CEO for employment support following incarceration.
  • Union Pre-apprenticeship Program Partner — Partnership to deliver pre-apprenticeship training and OSHA safety certification in Buffalo.
  • Union Pre-apprenticeship Program Partner — Partnership with CEO to deliver pre-apprenticeship training in Buffalo.
  • Vera Institute of Justice Network — CEO began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s.
  • investinreentry.org Partner — Collaborates on the 'At What Cost?' campaign to advocate for investment in reentry services.
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.

  • Employer-Aligned Job Placement
    methodology: employer-aligned-job-placement
    By aligning participant readiness with employer needs through business account managers, we produce higher-quality job placements and retention, because matching is based on demonstrated workplace performance rather than background history.
  • Employment-First Reentry Model
    methodology: employment-first reentry
    By providing immediate transitional employment and comprehensive support, we produce long-term workforce attachment and reduce recidivism, because stable employment is foundational to successful reintegration and personal transformation.
  • Immediate Economic and Health Support for Reentry
    methodology: immediate-income-support
    By providing immediate income, cash assistance, and Medicaid enrollment, we reduce survival pressures and improve health outcomes, because economic and medical stability are prerequisites for sustained reintegration and employment success.
  • Participant-Driven Support with Accountability
    methodology: participant-driven-support
    By emphasizing personal responsibility and active engagement in services, we produce sustained program participation and long-term success, because participant ownership and mindset change are critical to overcoming systemic barriers post-incarceration.