Form 990 for tax year 2022

Totals

Total revenue

$33,814,848

Total expenses

$32,108,839

Contributions and grants received

$34,375,404

Grants paid

$198,667

Program service revenue

$670,043

Investment income

$348,826

Other revenue

-$1,579,425

Total assets, end of year

$37,490,914

Total liabilities, end of year

$5,100,624

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$32,390,290

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$25,931,940

Management and general expenses

$1,859,413

Fundraising expenses

$4,317,486

Program service expenses (Part III)

$25,931,940

Program services were 80.8% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2022

• The Best Buddies International friendship programs match volunteers with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in one-to-one friendship matches through five unique programs: Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Citizens, and e-Buddies. Best Buddies has grown from a single college program, started at Georgetown University in 1989, and has grown to 3,387 global chapters, including elementary schools, and is active in 48 countries. In 2022, Best Buddies programs had almost 122,000 members participating in programs around the globe which represents a 36% increase from the previous program year. Over the last two years, global membership numbers have bounced back to about 94% of pre-pandemic levels. School programs were hit especially hard by the pandemic, so it remains encouraging that school membership totals continue to trend in the right direction. Globally, school membership has risen in each of the last two years and is currently back to approximately 89% of pre-pandemic totals. Best Buddies Citizens Throughout 2022, the Citizens program maintained 9,415 memberships globally, engaging adults with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities in both one-to-one friendships and group activities that foster belonging within the community. Through a combination of in-person activities and virtual events, staff members and volunteer leads were able to provide ongoing connections and social opportunities for those facing isolation. Online events that were developed during the height of the pandemic were continued to engage individuals who may have limited access to transportation to attend in-person events. These virtual events also continued to provide an opportunity for cross-country friendships as state offices collaborated on these initiatives and engaged their members together. This program continues to have tremendous potential to grow as we engage the corporate and civic community in developing their own citizens chapters and work closely with our college chapter leaders to help bridge their members to the Citizens program.Best Buddies CollegesIn 2022, Best Buddies' College program engaged 528 colleges and universities worldwide. This founding Best Buddies program maintained nearly 24,000 members this year. The College program model relies on partnerships with campus and community organizations who act as service providers for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These Host Site partners, as they are known, provide chapters with an added layer of support and expertise as they engage individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities within their chapter. Host Sites also offer ongoing recruitment opportunities to onboard additional buddies into the program and allow members to explore career opportunities within the disability services field. As more colleges and universities offer continuing education options and programs that engage individuals with disabilities, partnerships with our college chapters are a natural fit, helping to provide on-campus connections and a well-rounded college experience for all students. Best Buddies High Schools High Schools continue to serve as the largest Best Buddies school program with 1,535 chapters and 56,855 members globally in 2022, which is a 10,000-member increase from 2021. At this program level, student officers play a more prominent role in the planning and execution of activities and management of members with guiding support from faculty advisors. Leaders gain valuable skills in collaborating with their peers and delegating tasks to achieve desired outcomes for their chapter. Best Buddies staff worked closely with chapter leaders this year to help build back memberships and in-person engagements to pre-pandemic levels and adapt to the evolving landscape of the post-pandemic education system in school communities across the US and around the world. Despite challenges presented by school staffing shortages and turnover, the emphasis on student leadership allowed our High School chapters to continue to thrive and expand, creating countless opportunities for lifechanging social connections at a time when they were needed most. Best Buddies Middle Schools In 2022, there were 600 Middle School chapters participating in Best Buddies with 11,896 members engaged worldwide. The Best Buddies Middle School program has maintained growth throughout the year and has positively benefitted from expansion efforts at the elementary school level which increase the pipeline of volunteers moving into middle school. Supported by chapter advisors, every school club is led by two students one with a disability and one without a disability and all members are invited to participate in planning and executing events. Staff and chapter advisors continue to use creative, engaging methods to increase engagements and opportunities for chapter members, including the Harmony SEL program kits that foster connections with buddy up and meet up activities.

  Expenses $19,118,026 · Grants $198,667 · Revenue $352,556

• E-Buddiese-Buddies creates social inclusion and friendships for people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in a virtual space. Members can attend virtual social events and participate in an e-Buddies community platform that will expand friendships and create shared experiences all through using technology! e-Buddies members take active leadership roles to help steer this vibrant community's virtual events and development. They are instrumental in creating interactive discussion posts and leading peer groups. Our members are engaged, connected, and excited about the opportunities that e-Buddies offers. e-Buddies by the numbers: Over 1,500 members involved on our community platform Nearly 1,700 e-Buddies matches Over 4,700 members involved in e-Buddies worldwideBy participating in e-Buddies, members develop technology literacy skills and become more confident communicating online. This allows our participants to become more well-versed in this ever-changing mode of communication and socialization, which in turn, will help them to be better prepared for what the future brings.

  Expenses $249,486

• Best Buddies AmbassadorsBest Buddies Ambassadors offers people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities training to gain the public speaking skills, self-esteem, and confidence needed to successfully advocate for themselves, their peers, and the Best Buddies mission of inclusion in schools, communities, and workplaces. Members participated in a variety of in-person and online training experiences. On average there are 10 ambassadors per training with additional attendees participating in speech coach or facilitator roles. The number of training courses offered per year have increased to 4 or more. We have seen an increase in trainings being offered on a global level for our international program members, as well as trainings in our school programs. Every Best Buddies State office works to support recruitment and training efforts for the State Ambassadors program, increasing opportunities in their chapters, communities, and states to share their stories and become more involved and empowered citizens. The Global Ambassadors program continues to thrive through monthly meetings, trainings and speaking opportunities, with 15 individuals selected to lead the program during the 2022-2023 academic year. Best Buddies PromotersThe Best Buddies Promoters program continues to see tremendous interest, especially at the elementary school level, as more school communities are looking to expand social impact opportunities for students in rural and urban communities. The elementary school level makes up over half of the chapters involved in the program, with 316 of the 605 chapters happening in the K-6 school environment. The addition of elementary school programs provides a direct feeder into existing middle school chapters, which bridges a significant community gap that often occurs when students transition into the middle school level.Transition Services ProgramTransition Programs help prepare young adults with IDD for independence and inclusion in their communities as they move from school into adulthood. Best Buddies International currently supports Project SEARCH & Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) in select US Markets as part of our enhanced Leadership Development opportunities for transition-aged individuals with disabilities. Best Buddies currently supports Project SEARCH sites in California, Florida, and New Mexico. Project SEARCH provides real-life work experience, in the form of a nine-month, three-rotation internship program combined with training in employability and independent-living skills to help young people with significant disabilities make successful transitions to productive adult life. Best Buddies provides job coaching and job development support throughout the duration of the internship rotations to ensure student placement in competitive integrated employment upon successful completion of the program. Best Buddies Pre-Employment Transition Services (pre-ETS) combines classroom-based employment training workshops (virtually and in-person), experiential learning opportunities, and corporate mentorship to help students identify and develop their career ambitions as they prepare to enter the workforce. Designed for students aged 14-21, workshops and activities focus on self-advocacy and leadership skill development for the workplace, exploration of work interests and relevant employment opportunities, and engagement in critical job readiness skills. Together, these experiences will increase the likelihood of long-term successful employment for people with IDD.In 2022, Best Buddies provided 498 workshops to 460 students in the following markets across the United States including: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. As a result of the project, it is the organization's goal that youth with IDD will have greater awareness of available career opportunities and be better equipped to find and secure meaningful integrated, competitive employment in a contracted, highly competitive job market.

  Expenses $5,918,841

• Best Buddies LivingThe Best Buddies Living program fosters an integrated experience for people with and without IDD to become active, contributing citizens who live independently in a dynamic environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive. Best Buddies is currently operating two Living residences in Washington, D.C., one in Miami FL, and one in Los Angeles with an additional program location opening in August in Atlanta GA. Best Buddies Living has continued to grow and thrive despite the huge challenge presented by Covid and we will continue to explore expansion opportunities throughout the country to bring inclusive living to more communities.Residents grow and change immensely as part of their connection to the mission of Best Buddies. Living and learning with their peers is a major component of this growth. By creating a mutually enriching housing model, we have made this journey even more meaningful by creating a truly one-of-a-kind inclusive residential experience for our Best Buddies participants.

  Expenses $645,587 · Revenue $317,487

As filed on the 2022 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2022

Filed

19 September 2023

IRS schema version

2022v5.0

Source object

202312649349301806

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