Take Charge America
Overview
Nonprofit financial counseling agency providing credit counseling, debt-management, housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling, student-loan counseling, and financial education. The organization states that it began in 1987. [2][3]
Tax Status & Ownership
| Entity type | Nonprofit, 501(c)(3) |
| Legal name | Take Charge America, Inc. [1][3] |
| EIN | 86-0593598 [1] |
| Headquarters | 20430 N 19th Avenue, Suite B155, Phoenix, AZ 85027 [2][3] |
Public Financials — Year ended June 30, 2025 [cite:1]
| Total revenue | $8,711,057 |
| Total expenses | 6,847,347 |
| Net assets, year end | 32,997,982 |
| Program service revenue | 79% |
| Contributions and grants | 12% |
IRS-derived Form 990 data reports $6,838,235 in program-service revenue and $1,028,081 in contributions for fiscal 2025. Program Service Revenue % is presented only as a general reliance-on-fees proxy; it is not the IRC §501(q) fair-share cap. The 2025 filing also reports $834,149 investment income and $10,592 other revenue. [1]
Published Fee Schedule
| Structure | flat |
| One-time setup fee | $50 initial fee in Michigan; otherwise not stated as a single nationwide fee by the provider. [2] |
| Monthly fee | State-specific; provider does not publish one nationwide monthly fee in the reviewed sources. An older provider annual report describes a small monthly state-based fee. [5] |
| Directory summary | Nonprofit debt management plan with a setup fee and monthly fee, usually around $30–50 but varying by state. Setup amount not found. |
The $39 figure is from a secondary review published approximately five years ago and is not treated as current or nationwide. The provider’s current state page is more authoritative but does not disclose a complete nationwide fee schedule. [2][4]
Coverage
Geographical coverage is not directly comparable: Take Charge America’s state-disclosures page enumerates state licensing/disclosure entries, while BBB displays a service-area function without publishing a state list or count. The difference reflects methodology rather than a confirmed contradiction. [2][3]
Accreditation & Licensing
BBB independently lists Take Charge America as accredited and A+ rated. COA accreditation is provider-published and was not independently verified in the reviewed sources. [2][3]
Regulatory & Complaint History
| CFPB complaints | |
| BBB complaints closed, 3 yr | |
| Figures as of | September 18, 2026 |
BBB’s profile states that its business profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, but the accessible profile did not display a complaint total. CFPB complaint count was not located in the reviewed sources. [3]
Cited Sources
- Take Charge America official website — Take Charge America (September 14, 2026) — First-party provider website.
- Take Charge America Inc — Form 990 / nonprofit filing data, fiscal year ended June 2025 — IRS data reproduced by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (September 14, 2026) — Reports EIN, 501(c)(3) classification, fiscal-2025 revenue, expenses, net assets, program-service revenue, and named compensated personnel; ProPublica identifies the underlying data as IRS Form 990 data.
- About Us — Take Charge America — Take Charge America (September 14, 2026) — First-party source for stated nonprofit status, founding history, services, mission, current leadership, and provider-claimed accreditations.
- State Disclosures & Legal Info — Take Charge America (September 14, 2026) — First-party state-by-state licensing and disclosure page; includes NMLS ID 922697 for Maryland and the Michigan initial-fee disclosure.
- Take Charge America — BBB Business Profile — Better Business Bureau (September 14, 2026) — Independent BBB profile for accreditation date, A+ rating, incorporation/start dates, entity description, alternate name, and complaint-period limitation.
- Take Charge America Review — Bills.com — Bills.com (September 14, 2026) — Secondary fee source reporting a $39 debt-management setup fee; older and not treated as controlling over current provider disclosures.
- Take Charge America Annual Report 2018–2019 — Take Charge America (September 14, 2026) — Older provider publication stating that debt-management plans carry a small monthly fee based on state of residence; used only as supplementary fee evidence.