Reform It Now, Inc.
Because everyone with autism is a citizen.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Every day we see people on the autism spectrum abused in business, government, and society in general. They are mistreated, misunderstood, physically harmed or killed, often out of neglect or ignorance. Our goal is to protect, eliminate the ignorance and educate those who should be responsible for those in this at-risk population.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Legal Referral Guide
The Legal Referral Guide at Reform It Now consists of lawyers in a wide variety of fields who have registered as willing to assist autistic persons or their families and caregivers with legal matters. It also contains those certified by Reform It Now as properly trained in dealing with autism.
Autism in the Law
This online education course provides on-demand training for corporate executives, government leadership and managers, attorneys, judges and others in the legal system. The program offers information, tools and resources to help learners understand the dynamics and commonalities of autism in the law. It shows, for example, how an attorney should interview a prospective client, or how a corporation should treat an autistic client to avoid an emotional meltdown. We teach government workers how to prevent miscommunication with autistic clients, and judges how to notice the truthfulness of an autistic witness. All of this in the relentless pursuit of recognizing that those with autism are citizens with equal rights and not a separate class.
The Kids Grow Up
A program dedicated to advancing the causes and needs of teens, young adults and others on the autism spectrum, building a better future, increasing job opportunities and career potential and advocating for the rights of the individual autistic citizen.
Where we work
Awards
Top-Rated Nonprofit 2018
Great Nonprofits
Top-rated Nonprofit 2019
Great Nonprofits
Top-rated Nonprofit 2020
Great Nonprofits
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Family relationships, Health
Related Program
Autism in the Law
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Clients making direct inquiries for specific help, guidance, or resources.
Number of requests for advocate products or information, including downloads or page views of online material
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Seniors, Family relationships, Social and economic status
Related Program
Autism in the Law
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
People find our ads on Google and visit our website to read material on autism, free of charge.
Number of lessons taught
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Autism in the Law
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We base this on the number of professionals we have advised, taught, and consulted about autism.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Autism awareness isn't enough. It's merely a marketing campaign to raise funds. We're after full acceptance because the autistic are being included in mainstream life and need acceptance. About 99% of Americans are aware of autism, but that hasn't ended bullying or crimes against the autistic. With acceptance, we can make life for the autistic far greater, safer and more secure than ever before.
When the autistic find meaningful employment and acceptance by their neighbors and others in the community, the high number of crimes against them will reduce dramatically. The key to this is education; teaching companies how to understand the autistic, and to understand the condition itself.
People are shocked at how few lawyers, and even doctors, really know about autism, and how few companies are willing to hire autistic employees out of fear and ignorance of the condition. We can change that by creating compelling learning programs that benefit the learners and the autistic.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategy is simple. Create education opportunities about autism that may be provided to business leadership, supervision and employees; to lawyers, judges, prosecutors and public defenders; to doctors and dentists, opticians and ophthalmic specialists; to government employees and leadership, that they may better understand the condition and the people who live with it.
When the learners complete these courses, some of them short, others in great depth, they will have a far greater understanding and will spread the word about acceptance, reducing intolerance, prejudice and fear, but mostly, creating a world in which harm to autistic people, and crimes against them will be intolerable.
Providing direct advocacy for those in difficulty is critical for us, and we believe finding the 'right' help is important for the autistic citizen. Remember, everyone with autism is a citizen.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our business learning team includes several significant business leaders who not only will help us build the courses, but will help us bring them to the attention of businesses.
We're building a website to deliver some of the best online education tools, making enjoyable, rewarding courses that will be available to a very broad audience.
We are presently working to develop new trainings for courts, medical personnel and getting requirements for them in law.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have already made major changes in law and the way society treats autism. In NY, legislation is currently getting underway to train hospital emergency room personnel. In Ohio, we're under discussion for mental health courts and improved rights for the developmentally disabled. In NJ we helped craft a bill Gov. Chris Christie into law providing for prison terms up to 10 years for endangering the welfare of developmentally disabled persons.
The business course is 92% completed. The introductory and advanced legal education courses are 80% completed, and the courses for medical professionals are 63% complete.
We have already assisted in a number of civil and criminal cases involving autistic victims of crimes as advocates and advocated in more than 100 cases in less than 9 months of operations.
Presently, we're advising a county prosecutor's office about autism and an autistic individual who was the victim of a malicious crime. We are helping the prosecutor understand the nature of the young man's condition and how two alleged 'friends' lured him onto a stone jetty in winter and convinced this young man to jump into the freezing Atlantic Ocean, where he nearly drowned. The story made national news in USA Today. Additionally, we were requested to provide information to two legislators who are crafting anti-bullying legislation in New Jersey, specifically for the protection of those with autism.
We have developed Chefs4Autism, a campaign and group of 535 chefs from around the world, some of them major celebrities, who are supporting our acceptance learning programs.
We've obtained an ad grant from Google, $10,000 from Salesforce, and smaller grants from Microsoft, and other major benefactors.
Our Twitter feed has nearly 3,000 followers developed in a matter of 8 weeks online. Combined, our social media reach touches more than 300,000 world-wide.
We deliver advertising online to over 60,000 people who view our website for additional information about autism. More than 700,000 see our ads.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Reform It Now, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 12/14/2020
Mr. Robert Angelone
Reform It Now, Inc.
Term: 2014 - 2018
Barbara Anelle
Businesswoman
David C Kush
Private Consultancy
Fern Berman
Fern Berman Communications
Lorna P Phillipson
The Phillipson Institute
Andrea Siragusa
Electrician, IBEW
Robert Angelone
Epicurus Publishing
Mark Manginelli
Financial Advisor
Justin Pizzuli
Realtor
Scott Krees
Insurance Consultant
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/14/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.