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THE RIGHT PLACE INC

EIN 38-3262801 GRAND RAPIDS, MI

Revenue 2025
$14,514,652
Expenses 2025
$13,923,261

Program services were 85.4% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
06
Classification
1000
Street
25 OTTAWA AVE SW STE 400

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

THE RIGHT PLACE IS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION THAT DRIVES CURRENT AND LONG-TERM ECONOMIC PROSPERITY IN WEST MICHIGAN.

  • PLACE - ASPIRE TO BE A REGION OF CHOICE, WHERE PEOPLE CHOOSE TO VISIT, LOCATE, AND STAY. THE RIGHT PLACE TEAM WORKS TOWARD THIS ASPIRATION BY FOCUSING ON STRATEGIES RELATED TO PLACEMAKING, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, CATALYZING DEVELOPMENT, AND ENHANCING OUTDOOR SPACES.

    Expenses $6,775,643 · Grants $5,491,802 · Revenue $921,699

  • PROSPERITY / BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT - PERFORMS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORK FOR A REGIONAL COLLABORATIVE OF EIGHT COUNTIES IN THE GREATER GRAND RAPIDS REGION. THE TEAM DRIVES STRATEGIC, LONG TERM ECONOMIC PROSPERITY FOR THE REGION THROUGH BUSINESS RETENTION, EXPANSION AND ATTRACTION EFFORTS.

    Expenses $2,173,236 · Revenue $681,899

  • PROSPERITY / MICHIGAN MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTER - WEST: THROUGH CONSULTING, USER GROUPS, COUNCILS AND TRAINING, THE CENTER - WEST WORKS TO ASSIST MANUFACTURERS TO IMPROVE THE WAY THEY WORK, IMPROVE, AND GROW THROUGH ASSISTING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEADERSHIP, PROCESSES, SYSTEMS, AND THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY.

    Expenses $2,120,264 · Grants $313,013 · Revenue $2,086,701

  • PEOPLE - ASPIRE TO BE A REGION WHERE EVERYONE CAN ACHIEVE THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL. THE RIGHT PLACE TEAM WORKS TOWARD THIS ASPIRATION BY STRATEGIZING WITH REGIONAL TALENT PARTNERS, LEVERAGING OUR BUSINESS NETWORK TO AMPLIFY BEST PRACTICES, AND BENCHMARK AREA TALENT DEVELOPMENT, RETENTION, AND ATTRACTION EFFORTS.

    Expenses $824,176 · Grants $140,000 · Revenue $395,965

As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2025

As listed in Part VII of the 2025 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • RANDY THELEN

    PRESIDENT & CEO

    Total calculated
    $637,046
    From this org
    $579,914
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $57,132
    Hours/week
    36.4 + 1.1 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $479,914
    Bonus
    $100,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $46,500
    Nontaxable benefits
    $10,632
    Filer's total
    $637,046

  • TINA FREESE DECKER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.2 related

  • BILL PINK

    VICE CHAIR / TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.2 related

  • STEVE DOWNING

    CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.2 related

  • SARA ARMBRUSTER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • RICK BAKER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • MATT BIERSACK MD

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • LUKE CHERVENY

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • MICHAEL DAVENPORT

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • RONALD G DEWAARD

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • KATIE FERRIS

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • NICK HRNYAK

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • JOSHUA HULST

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.2 related

  • JOHN KENNEDY

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • CHARLES W LOTT

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • PHILOMENA MANTELLA

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.2 related

  • ANDI OWEN

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • RICHARD J PAPPAS EDD

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • JULIE RIETBERG

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • GARRICK J ROCHOW

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • TONY SARSAM

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • RENEE C TABBEN

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • DAVID VAN ANDEL

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • AL VANDERBERG

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

  • MIKE VANGESSEL

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.2 + 0.1 related

The first 25 listed. 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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2025
    Revenue
    $14,514,652
    Expenses
    $13,923,261
    Contributions
    $10,221,728
    Grants paid
    $5,944,815
  • 2024
    Revenue
    $33,920,441
    Expenses
    $33,581,705
    Contributions
    $29,446,131
    Grants paid
    $25,400,946
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $9,225,403
    Expenses
    $10,225,956
    Contributions
    $4,571,737
    Grants paid
    $1,509,496
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $6,457,185
    Expenses
    $8,304,149
    Contributions
    $2,924,602
    Grants paid
    $338,457

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $14,178,677
    Expenses
    $12,371,245
    Assets (EOY)
    $10,135,241

  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $16,982,064
    Expenses
    $16,627,414
    Assets (EOY)
    $8,197,204

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $8,469,231
    Expenses
    $8,463,415
    Assets (EOY)
    $7,527,576

  • 2018 · 990

    Revenue
    $9,502,475
    Expenses
    $7,569,622
    Assets (EOY)
    $7,936,775

  • 2017 · 990

    Revenue
    $6,013,788
    Expenses
    $6,634,171
    Assets (EOY)
    $5,632,253

  • 2016 · 990

    Revenue
    $7,219,755
    Expenses
    $6,242,802
    Assets (EOY)
    $6,195,847

  • 2015 · 990

    Revenue
    $6,246,432
    Expenses
    $4,910,861
    Assets (EOY)
    $5,229,674

  • 2014 · 990

    Revenue
    $5,413,158
    Expenses
    $4,436,127
    Assets (EOY)
    $4,082,908

  • 2013 · 990

    Revenue
    $2,957,891
    Expenses
    $4,238,560
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,200,995

  • 2012 · 990

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    $3,895,053
    Assets (EOY)
    $3,479,164

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

Related organizations

From Schedule R Part II, where a filer lists the tax-exempt organizations it is related to by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Declared on its 2025 return

Declared as related by

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Not present in the most recent drop.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 29 October 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2025, the newest we have parsed for this organization.