Mission: Covenant House New Jersey (CHNJ) was founded and incorporated in 1989. CHNJ is the largest provider in the state of services to homeless and at-risk adolescents unde ... (More)
Covenant House New Jersey is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1989, 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 As a result, the Financial and Accountability & Transparency score for Covenant House New Jersey is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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 93.10, earning it a 4-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 90.25 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 100.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2019. More recent filing data is available, but it has not been factored into this score, due to COVID-19's effect on this organization.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Rating update postponed due to COVID-19's impact on this organization. View Covenant House New Jersey's response.
Star Rated Report
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Program Expense Ratio
84.7%
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
8.3%
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
6.8%
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
26.6%
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
$0.06
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
1.32 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
4.34%
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:
| |
| 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
James White, Executive Director
$275,751 (2.20% 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:
Care and housing of children (orphanage, etc) (BMF activity code: 326)
Combat juvenile delinquency (BMF activity code: 328)
Other youth organization or activities (BMF activity code: 349)
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
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. 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, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Covenant House New Jersey reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Staffing
Decreased census capacity as we adhered to COVID protocols. Special events and volunteer activities create capacity building for the future and our inability to conduct in person activities and events did effect and will likely continue to effect fundraising capacity as every year builds on the next.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
We applied for and received a PPP loan which allowed us to avoid any reduction in staffing. We had increased personnel spending due to hazard pay and related incentives to keep the programs staffed and operational during the pandemic. Although we don't have a great dependence on government grants, COVID-19's effects on all operations, the timely payments from some funders was delayed due to operational shutdowns; however, the availability of COVID-19 support funds enabled us to afford COVID precautionary supports that we otherwise may not have been able to afford (e.g. on-site COVID-19 testing).
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Covenant House needed to alter the physical layout of programming in order to ensure safe physical distancing. At the same time, our sites needed to accommodate youth who were required to shelter in place and/or quarantine. This lead to an increased need for meal provision among on-site supportive services. In addition, due to widespread job loss at the outset of the pandemic, we helped youth navigate a changing and challenging job market. We supported youth who were enrolled in school by facilitating access to virtual learning and behavioral health treatment.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Covenant House adapted largely through changes in intake, health screening protocols and sample collection for COVID-19 testing in partnership with the NJ Department of Health. Additionally, we had changes in the physical layout of our residential spaces. These changes included some reduction of the number of beds per room in order to accommodate for greater physical distancing, and we also converted office spaces and other communal spaces to allow for isolation and quarantine needs. We evaluated staff and department functions to ensure that we only had essential workers on-site to reduce the risk of transmission, setting up teams and employees to work remotely.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We will continue with offering virtual programming for the young people we serve. Additionally, we will continue to use a virtual platform for all-staff meetings/communications, trainings and recruitment. We will continue the expanded use of an email/text communication tool (Regroup) which enabled us to contact staff quickly and efficiently with up-to-the-minute information no matter their location or their working hours. We installed a handwashing station in the lobby part of our building which we will continue to use to promote good hygiene. We continue to evaluate the need to on-site presence of administrative departments and are evaluating the cost/benefit to our overall operation which may result in the continuation of remote work teams.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 12/1/2020 | 2019 | 93.10 | |
| 11/1/2019 | 2018 | 91.81 | |
| 9/3/2019 | 2018 | 91.34 | |
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. | |||
| 12/1/2018 | 2017 | 91.77 | |
| 12/1/2017 | 2016 | 94.57 | |
| 11/1/2016 | 2015 | 95.00 | |
| 7/1/2016 | 2014 | 94.73 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 94.02 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 11/1/2015 | 2014 | 92.65 | |
| 11/1/2014 | 2013 | 94.51 | |
| 8/1/2013 | 2012 | 92.70 | |
| 7/1/2013 | 2012 | 91.18 | |
| 9/1/2012 | 2011 | 92.52 | |
| 9/20/2011 | 2010 | 91.99 | |
| Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
| 12/1/2010 | 2009 | 95.65 | |
| 3/1/2010 | 2008 | 81.78 |  |
| 4/1/2009 | 2007 | 70.29 |  |
| 10/1/2007 | 2006 | 63.92 |  |
| 10/1/2006 | 2005 | 66.74 | |
| 9/1/2005 | 2004 | 67.28 | |
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
Covenant House New Jersey 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 Covenant House New Jersey? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
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Largest Programs
Covenant House New Jersey reported its three largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
$3,161,514
Spent in most recent FY
30%
Percent of program expenses
Emergency Shelter & Crisis Care
$2,389,541
Spent in most recent FY
22%
Percent of program expenses
Rights of Passage
$1,580,544
Spent in most recent FY
15%
Percent of program expenses
Community Service Center
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 Covenant House New Jersey 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
In 31 cities across six countries, Covenant House builds bridges to hope for young people facing homelessness and survivors of human trafficking, meeting their immediate needs for food, clothing, protection, and medical care, and supporting them to advance their goals of education and employment. Covenant House encompasses a robust network of "houses," with best-in-class services and a shared commitment to unconditional love, absolute respect, and relentless support for each young person who walks through our doors. Founded as a drop-in center in New York City in 1972, Covenant House now serves tens of thousands of children and youth every year in our residential, outreach, and drop-in programs. Our dedicated staff across the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Canada employ a strengths-based, trauma-informed practice model that helps young people discover and develop their resilience to overcome adversity now and into the future.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
We seek to bring high-quality housing and supportive services to youth experiencing homeless and to help to put an end to youth homelessness.
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: Increase capacity to provide the highest quality services by providing trauma-informed, resilience-oriented services through staff training.
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
Goal Two: Improve our intentional messaging to the community to ensure that our internal and external community are connected to the goals, objectives and operations of the organization.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Three: Accelerate the development of our next generation of leaders in order to foster workplace satisfaction and create a sustainable, experienced workforce.
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
Over the last 12-18 months, we have invested in leadership development within the organization. We created a COVID-19 Task Force that meets weekly with representatives across all departments and locations in order to foster community, collaboration and inclusiveness across the strategy and management of all aspects of our organizational response to the global pandemic. Additionally, we created the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force to lead a holistic commitment to racial justice, and proactively promote anti-racism, diversity, equality, and inclusion in our organization and our community. Racism has caused our youth to be routinely marginalized and denied access to quality education, employment, and housing. We are working together to develop concrete outcomes that will provide growth, change, and healing opportunities. Our leadership all participate in our annual supervisor training sessions to ensure quality care of our employees.
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
Community Building
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
Covenant House New Jersey recognizes the importance of its partners in the work that we do. These include partnerships with donors, volunteers, corporations, other service providers, government entities and the young people we serve. We have a robust volunteer program offering both in-person and virtual volunteering opportunities. We focus on corporate engagement to connect corporations with meaningful experiences as they work to make contributions in the community. Our anti-human trafficking work has been published in textbooks and journals. Our leadership our represented on both local and state level collaboratives to ensure that the unique issue of youth homelessness is part of the conversation.
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.
Over the last year Covenant House New Jersey adapted to the changing landscape of the environment within which we operate. In response to the global pandemic we had to adapt aspects of our service delivery to ensure the health and safety of the young people we serve and the staff who serve them . We also had to adapt our fundraising and development strategy and fully embrace the virtual space to connect our supporters to our mission in both our events and individual relationships. We pivoted our Human Resources Department to manage all stages of the recruitment, hiring and onboarding process to be conducted virtually in order to ensure that there was no disruption to any staff needs as we remained operational. Additionally, we created the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force to lead a holistic commitment to racial justice, and proactively promote anti-racism, diversity, equality, and inclusion in our organization and our community. Racism has caused our youth to be routinely marginalized and denied access to quality education, employment, and housing. We are working together to develop concrete outcomes that will provide growth, change, and healing opportunities.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
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Organization Leadership
Jim White
President, CEO
Robert J. Williams
Chair
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
100
out of 100
Covenant House New Jersey has earned a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating. The organization provided data about how it listens to constituents (Constituent Feedback) (see report below).
The Culture & Community Beacon is comprised of the following metrics:
Constituent Feedback: 100/100 (100% of beacon score)
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Not Scored
Culture & Community Report
100
of 100 points
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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
100/100 points
100% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. 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.
View this organization's Constituent Feedback Practices
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
