Mission: Girls Inc. of Worcester inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. We put our mission into practice through The Girls Inc. Experience, which equips girls to navigate gender, economic and social barriers and grow into healthy, educated and independent adults.
Girls Inc. of Worcester began changing the lives of girls and young women 100 years ago in 1916. The Worcester Girls Club was formed by a small and dedicated group of community members with a purpose to give ethical, educational and social advantages to girls of lower incomes families.
As we proudly celebrate a century of growth and services in 2016, we continue to meet the ever-changing needs of girls. We reach more than 1,400 girls each year on site at our Providence Street facility and Camp Kinneywood lakefront summer camp, in the schools and on college campuses, and through our community partners.
Girls Inc. of Worcester is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1943, and donations are tax-deductible.
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Important note on the timeliness of ratings
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Financial and Accountability & Transparency score for Girls Inc. of Worcester is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
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Star Rating System by Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator evaluates a nonprofit organization’s financial health including measures of stability, efficiency and sustainability. We also track accountability and transparency policies to ensure the good governance and integrity of the organization.
Exceptional
This charity's score is 94.20, earning it a 4-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 91.80 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 100.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2019, the latest year published by the IRS.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Star Rated Report
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Program Expense Ratio
73.8%
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expenses
14.0%
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expenses
12.1%
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Liabilities to Assets Ratio
1.4%
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency
$0.14
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio
6.57 years
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth
9.19%
We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
Governance
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Governance: | |
|---|---|
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
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| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) | |
| Compensates Board ... (More) |
Policies
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Policies: | |
|---|---|
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) |
Transparency
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Transparency: | |
|---|---|
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Audited Financial Statements on Website ... (More) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) |
Additional Information
Unscored
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Total Revenue and Expenses
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Salary of Key Persons
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Victoria Waterman, CEO
$122,935 (6.80% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
Business Master File Data
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Camp (BMF activity code: 325)
Other school related activities (BMF activity code: 059)
Other recreational activities (BMF activity code: 318)
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
Data Sources: IRS Forms 990
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to view this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available).
Pandemic Response
Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Girls Inc. of Worcester reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Thanks to an outpouring of support from funders and community partners, Girls Inc. of Worcester has been in a stable financial situation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 emergency grants as well as the PPP loan allowed us to maintain staffing levels and offer all our programs for free or at drastically reduced cost to participants.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Girls Inc. of Worcester was able to serve 350 participants in FY 2020-2021, and continued to deliver impactful programs to girls who needed them the most. Our full day, low-cost Learning Hub, for example, provided girls with access to reliable internet, laptops, and the social-emotional support they needed to succeed in a remote learning setting. We also offered a variety of virtual programs such as panel discussions, hands-on STEM activities, and “A Day in the Life Of” events, that allowed our participants to connect with adult mentors, corporate volunteers, and our trained staff. Eureka! This summer, Eureka! participants also completed virtual internships with our corporate partners. We are also excited to report that in cooperation with the South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Girls Inc. of Worcester is expanding its Eureka! and Eureka!JV programs into Framingham. This expansion will allow us to serve an additional 140 girls over the course of five years.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
When schools went remote we created a full day, on site environment for our girls to learn. Our 'Learning Hub' provided girls with access to reliable internet, laptops, and the social-emotional support they needed to succeed in a remote learning setting. We also offered a variety of virtual programs such as panel discussions, hands-on STEM activities, and “A Day in the Life Of” events, that allowed our participants to connect with adult mentors, corporate volunteers, and our trained staff. Eureka! This summer, Eureka! participants also completed virtual internships with our corporate partners. We are also excited to report that in cooperation with the South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Girls Inc. of Worcester is expanding its Eureka! and Eureka!JV programs into Framingham. This expansion will allow us to serve an additional 140 girls over the course of five years.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We will continue to take advantage of video and remote opportunities to give our girls greater access to a diverse group of volunteers and working professionals.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 2/1/2021 | 2019 | 94.20 | |
| 11/1/2019 | 2018 | 91.57 | |
| 8/1/2019 | 2018 | 88.88 |  |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 7/1/2018 | 2017 | 90.50 | |
| 7/1/2017 | 2016 | 91.39 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2015 | 88.69 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 3/1/2016 | 2015 | 89.25 | |
| 3/1/2015 | 2014 | 88.19 | |
Previous: Finance & Accountability / Next: Leadership & Adaptability
Impact & Results
This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Impact & Results Score
Not Currently Scored
Girls Inc. of Worcester cannot currently be evaluated by our Encompass Rating Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Do you work at Girls Inc. of Worcester? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
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Largest Programs
Girls Inc. of Worcester reported its largest program on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
$1,379,634
Spent in most recent FY
100%
Percent of program expenses
Programming and Mentoring
Previous: Impact & Results / Next: Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
This score provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Leadership & Adaptability Score
100
out of 100
The score earned by Girls Inc. of Worcester is a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating.
Encompass Rating V4 provides an evaluation of the organization's Leadership & Adaptability through the nonprofit organization submitting a survey response directly to Charity Navigator.
Leadership & Adaptability Report
100
of 100 points
Mission
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s mission
INSPIRING ALL GIRLS TO BE STRONG, SMART, AND BOLD.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
After 100 years, Girls Inc. of Worcester continues to inspire all girls to be strong (healthy), smart (educated), and bold (independent). We put our mission into practice through the Girls Inc. Experience- consisting of the people, place and programming that, together, empower girls to succeed. As the oldest and only facility-based, girl-centered organization in Central Massachusetts, the Girls Inc. Experience is what makes us unique among organizations serving youth. Girls Inc. provides more than 1,000 girls in Greater Worcester with life-changing experiences and real solutions to the unique challenges girls face. By offering researched-based programming, girls learn to set and achieve goals, overcome obstacles, resist peer pressure, see college as attainable, and explore nontraditional fields such as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Strategic Goals
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Introduce new and innovative programming and adapt curriculum to new delivery models
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Goal Two: Develop more targeted short term engagements with girls and families with family needs in mind and a focus on mental and physical health.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Goal Three: Expand site and program delivery beyond Worcester.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
As an organization we have made training and development on the topic of racial equity and diversity a top priority. Training was provided for Board members, management, and frontline staff.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Mobilizing for Mission
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Policy Advocacy
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
Girls Inc. of Worcester is an active member of a network of affiliates across the United States and Canada that has recently reinvigorated its commitment to gender and racial equality through Project Accelerate which was one of the awardees of the 2021 Equality Can’t Wait Challenge. Girls Inc. of Worcester engages in advocacy work on the national, state, and local level to support social and racial equity, and comprehensive sex education in schools. In addition, Girls Inc. of Worcester has long-standing connections in the youth service landscape of the Worcester area. We are part of YouthConnect, a collaboration between eight youth serving agencies in Worcester County. Among our collaborators are the Boys & Girls Club, Friendly House, the YMCA, the Worcester Youth Center, You Inc. and United Way of Central Massachusetts. We recently expanded our STEM and Leadership program to Framingham.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Story of Adaptability
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continued into the second year, Girls Inc. of Worcester continued to adapt its programming to meet the needs of our participants. During the first half of 2021, Girls Inc. of Worcester supported girls in the community through a full-day low-cost Learning Hub that provided 50 under-resourced girls with access to laptops, WiFi a safe place to learn, and the social-emotional support they needed while Worcester Public Schools operated remotely. Most of our regular school year programs such as our STEM and Leadership programs Eureka! (for girls in grades 8-12) and its sister program Eureka!JV (for girls in grades 6 and 7) were delivered in hybrid modality to ensure that these programs continued without interruption while also ensuring that girls and staff stayed safe. In the summer of 2021, Girls Inc. of Worcester resumed its in-person summer camp at our center in Worcester and at Camp Kinneywood on the Worcester/Holden line. While still following strict COVID-19 guidelines, the summer camp provided 65 girls with access to a variety of enrichment activities including arts and crafts, outdoor sports (swimming, ball games, kayaking), and literacy support in a healthy and supportive outdoor environment.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
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Organization Leadership
Victoria Waterman
Chief Executive Officer
Pam Daly
President
Previous: Leadership & Adaptability
Culture & Community
This score provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves. Learn more about how and why we rate Culture & Community.
Culture & Community Score
Not Currently Scored
Girls Inc. of Worcester is currently not eligible for a Culture & Community score because we have not received its Constituent Feedback or Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion data. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the How We Listen and Equity Practices sections of their Candid profile.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Culture & Community Report
Unscored
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
This organization has not provided information regarding the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Methodology
We are utilizing data collected by Candid to document and assess the DEI practices implemented by the organization. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the Equity Strategies section of their Candid profiles to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Constituent Feedback
Constituent Feedback and Listening Practice data are not available for this organization. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Methodology
We've partnered with Candid to survey organizations about their feedback practices. Nonprofit organizations can fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Analysis and Research
Like the overall Encompass Rating System, the Culture & Community Beacon is designed to evolve as metrics are developed and ready for integration. Below you can find more information about the metrics we currently evaluate in this beacon and their relevance to nonprofit performance.
Constituent Feedback
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
