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KNOWLEDGE-FIRST

EIN 20-4908341 HOUSTON, TX

Revenue 2024
$140,950
Expenses 2024
$137,600

Program services were 19.6% of total expenses calculated — Part III's total program service expenses over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
B90
Classification
2000
Street
PO BOX 31695

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 · 2024

Primary exempt purpose

We provide Dropout Prevention Program to low income and homeless individuals who have experienced "personal hardships". We served 345 students an opportunity to obtain their High School Diploma so that they can become employable and/or earn a higher salary. This educational component is essential to them gaining needed skills that will allow them to be self-sufficient. These individuals become contributors to society. We also certified by the Texas Workforce Commission. We provided 185 low income individuals vocational training that allowed them to obtain a skill where they became self-sufficient and were able to earn employment.

  • Knowledge-First Empowerment Center provides educational services that inspire exceptionality while providing for the attainment of proficiencies that lead to lifelong resiliency. We provide various opportunities for learners to engage and contribute in higher level thinking activities as we fashion our academic and enrichment components to inspire critical and diverse thinking. These educational components augment the reasoning capability and maximize the unique potential of all learners. The Knowledge-First Empowerment Center's accredited high school program addresses the need of all learners, but most especially those who have experienced *personal hardship and who are NOW ready to maximize their potential! Our educational services fulfill course requirements and will enable our learners to earn a high school diploma or complete an alternative path to college by demonstrating college readiness. Any student who are between the ages of 16 and 65 qualify. As a member of the National Dropout Prevention Network, we provide maximum flexibility to meet individual student needs, including open entry to and open exit from program, a variety of instructional programming, including small group, online courses and multiple scheduling options, including weekend and evening classes. In addition to their classroom assignments, students devote at least four hours per month on volunteer community service opportunities and/or educational endeavors. In addition to helping students fulfill graduation requirements our program will expand our community's tax base by raising the standard of living of our dropout population, reduce the health costs that we all have to share, reduce the crime rate, reduce the drain on our public assistance program and increase voter participation. In meeting the needs of our learners, we offer instruction that combines both academic skills and vocational skills. Our model seeks to integrate academic and career-based skills and, thus, raise academic standards for all students. The goal is to improve student learning, keep students in school until they graduated, and to provide relevant experiences that integrate school-based and work-based learning. This provides the impetus for our school and the business community to collaborate in providing real world experiences.

    Expenses $12,000 · Grants $36,400

  • Since 2001, the Knowledge-First Empowerment Center has been specializing in preparing today's learners to meet today's educational and employment demands and the systemic challenges of tomorrow. Accredited by SACS and Advanc-ED in 2013, our High School Diploma/Dropout Prevention Project serves the community and students as: (1) Students fulfill graduation requirements and raise their standard of living and self-fulfillment, (2) School districts obtain a lower dropout rate, better disciplinary results and better test scores (3) Knowledge-First helps the community by providing a more educated and community-minded group of individuals (4) expanding our community's tax base by raising their standard of living, (5) reduce the health costs and (6) reduce the drain on our public assistance programs and (7) reduces the crime rate. In addition to classroom assignments, students devote at least four hours per month on volunteer community service opportunities and/or educational endeavors. Our team not only addresses the intellectual capacities, but moreover create an environment where education is characterize by the attainment of a variety of proficiencies that lead to lifelong resiliency. Each instructor are highly dedicated and committed to the effort of reducing the dropout rate by assisting our learners maximize their potential.

    Expenses $15,000 · Grants $50,000

As filed on the 2024 return.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • ROBERT FORD

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    25

  • MARYANN ALLEN

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    20

  • LISA ACOGNY

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    25

  • JAMES H ALLEN

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $36,000
    Compensation
    $36,000
    Benefit plans
    $0
    Expense account
    $0
    Hours/week
    60

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $140,950
    Expenses
    $137,600
    Contributions
    $86,400
    Grants paid
    $0
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $194,250
    Expenses
    $189,500
    Contributions
    $128,000
    Grants paid
    $0
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $189,900
    Expenses
    $183,400
    Contributions
    $116,500
    Grants paid
    $0

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-EZ

    Revenue
    $174,000
    Expenses
    $172,700
    Assets (EOY)
    $53,090

  • 2020 · 990-EZ

    Revenue
    $166,000
    Expenses
    $163,000
    Assets (EOY)
    $51,790

  • 2017 · 990-EZ

    Revenue
    $112,700
    Expenses
    $108,120
    Assets (EOY)
    $44,460

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.

Form 990-N e-Postcard, tax year 2012

Tax period
1 September 2012 to 31 August 2013
Principal officer
JAMES H ALLEN
Mailing address
2651 CARTWRIGHT RD SUITE-CMISSOURI CITY TX 77459
Website
www.knowledge-first.org
Doing business as
KNOWLEDGE-FIRST EMPOWERMENT CENTER

As filed, from the IRS e-Postcard file of 26 October 2026. The IRS publishes only each organization's most recent postcard, so earlier years are not shown. A 990-N carries no financial detail. The postcard also gives the principal officer's address, which is not shown here.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

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

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

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 26 October 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.