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493 NOSTRAND AVE STE 3
Brooklyn NY 11216-5118
Brooklyn NY | IRS ruling year: 1997 | EIN: 13-3910716
The Family Center provides comprehensive social, legal and mental health services to families affected by parental illness, crisis or loss.
Great
This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 85% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 5% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
Family Center Inc. has earned a 100% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2021, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 19/19 - 25/25 ptsBoard Composition - 19/19 - 25/25 pts
Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 pts
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
| Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
|---|---|
| $1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
| $500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
| Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Board Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 ptsBoard Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Website - Listed - 3/3 ptsWebsite - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 26.31% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 26.31% - 15/15 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
| Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| Less than 50% | Full Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
| 60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 74.86% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 74.86% - 25/25 pts
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.
| Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| 70% or higher | Full Credit |
| 60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
| Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
No Data Available
Key Persons data is currently unavailable for this organization. This data is only available if this charity has at least one year of electronically-filed Form 990 data filed within the last six years.
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:
Described in section 170(b)1)(a)(vi) of the Code (BMF activity code: 994)
Family planning (BMF activity code: 564)
Referral service (social agencies) (BMF activity code: 569)
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)
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 search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Family Center Inc.) or EIN (133910716) in the 'Search Term' field.
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.
Family Center Inc. reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Administrative Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
The pandemic created much financial uncertainty, in particular for the New York State budget and private fundraising. Some funding sources were temporarily reduced and decisions on some grants and state contracts were delayed. However, The Family Center has been fortunate to have maintained most of our government and foundation funding, and took full advantage of other opportunities, including two rounds of PPP loans, to ensure that we have been able to continue our important work. We are confident in The Family Center’s financial position moving forward, thanks in large part to the strategic vision of our Board of Directors and executive staff leadership on issues like revenue diversification and service integration.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
As an essential business, The Family Center continued serving clients throughout the entirety of the Covid pandemic. We upgraded technology hardware and purchased multiple telehealth subscriptions to enable our staff to work with clients in safe, secure, HIPAA-compliant, virtual spaces. Agency clients experienced a myriad of technological barriers to staying connected to care. Addressing these barriers involved: securing hardware for clients, training by our staff to ensure that clients could use the hardware, and ensuring that clients had internet access. This focus on addressing both our agency’s capacity and our clients’ technological challenges allowed TFC to continue serving clients throughout all of NYS on PAUSE. Direct service staff also hosted multiple virtual support groups for clients, including monolingual Spanish-speaking clients. Finally, we provided concrete emergency assistance to clients in the form of care packages containing household essentials as well as PPE.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, The Family Center remains committed to serving New Yorkers while keeping them safe. While our offices reopened to clients in January 2021, we continue to offer clients both HIPAA-compliant virtual services and in-person services to choose from, based on their comfort level and health status. Clients receiving services in person and all staff working in the field, or The Family Center office, must complete a Covid prescreen form and submit to temperature taking. Staff are also connecting clients to vaccination appointments and transportation to these appointments. In response to clients’ need for information during this pandemic, The Family Center created an anonymized master client email list and now communicates with clients en masse during critical moments that impact our entire community.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
The Family Center remains committed to offering our clients the option of telehealth services, as we have recorded increased rates of client engagement -especially for those who have mobility challenges or are raising multiple children who have differently-timed appointments with staff. In addition, The Family Center plans to continue communicating with clients en masse via our anonymized master email list.
Not Currently Scored
Family Center Inc. cannot currently be evaluated by our 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.
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Family Center Inc. reported its three largest programs on its FY 2021 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
The Irene LeeKong Health and Wellness Institute at The Family Center is a full service mental health clinic providing counseling,psychological and psychiatric services. The Institute specializes in se ... (More)
The Irene LeeKong Health and Wellness Institute at The Family Center is a full service mental health clinic providing counseling,psychological and psychiatric services. The Institute specializes in serving children, adolescents and teens with mental illness and assists in the positive growth of the entire family. (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Social Services:Permanency Planning and Disclosure Support TFC assist ill parents with creating a sound future care plan for his/her children. Helping a parent or caregiver develop a viable plan for t ... (More)
Social Services:Permanency Planning and Disclosure Support TFC assist ill parents with creating a sound future care plan for his/her children. Helping a parent or caregiver develop a viable plan for the future care of his/her children is a complicated task (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Legal Services:TFC provides a range of legal services for terminally-ill parents and new caregivers including non-contested custody and guardianship proceedings, advanced directives and entitlements a ... (More)
Legal Services:TFC provides a range of legal services for terminally-ill parents and new caregivers including non-contested custody and guardianship proceedings, advanced directives and entitlements advocacy. For HIV+ individuals, TFC's legal department ad (Less)
Family Center Inc. has earned a 100% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 ptsConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 pts
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.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
The Family Center's typical client family consists of a single woman—mother, grandmother, or female relative—with two or more underage children, very limited income and no family safety net, minimal education, with or at high risk for serious chronic health conditions (including HIV), high levels of traumatic stress, substance use, depression, and legal system involvement often related to child welfare issues and/ or housing/ benefit/ entitlements access. The constant stress of insufficient income, unstable housing, court involvement, and burdens of poor health exacerbate and are exacerbated by the woman’s untreated serious mental illness/ substance use disorder/ co-occurring disorder and children’s behavioral and trauma-related problems.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
SMS text surveys, Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Paper surveys, Case management notes, Community meetings or town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
Since our inception, The Family Center has deeply valued client voice and choice. Our Board of Directors has always included two clients, and our Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic is only one of many programs designed in response to feedback from, and in conjunction with, our client leaders. While The Family Center has always worked to embrace equity and inclusion, recent initiatives have successfully shifted even more decision-making power to our clients. Our Trauma-Informed Care initiatives includes TWO Consumer Driven Care Committees -one for English-speaking clients and another for monolingual Spanish-speaking clients. Along with our CAC and YAB, these groups are driving changes in Family Center programming, policies, communications and strategic planning.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
TFC’s Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) has been active since our inception and provides feedback about programs, opportunities, and community needs. Their identification of inadequate substance use disorder services in Central Brooklyn played a large role in our decision to open our Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic. Three years ago TFC launched the Youth Advisory Board (YAB), of clients age 13-18, who meet regularly to inform and guide the agency’s youth programming. Both the CAC and the YAB have designed TFC programs, developed client recruitment strategies, promoted new services, designed website and social media messaging for specific initiatives, and hosted open houses publicizing TFC programs and services.
Equity Practices - No Data Available - UnscoredEquity Practices - No Data Available - Unscored
This organization has not provided information regarding the Equity Practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Family Center Inc. has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon 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.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
The Family Center’s mission is to strengthen families affected by crisis, illness or loss to create a healthier and more secure present and future for their children. Improving child and family outcomes through programs that address the behavioral and social determinants of health is the focus of our work keeping vulnerable New Yorkers stronger, longer. The Family Center has served vulnerable New Yorkers and their families since 1994. TFC’s signature interdisciplinary model includes social, legal, behavioral health and mental health services that address vulnerable New Yorker’s needs in multiple ways. Individuals with HIV, diabetes, and cancer, are provided with counseling, education, behavioral self-management support and help maintaining optimal health. Services for children and parents address children’s mental and behavioral health needs, and provide parenting and caregiver support and skill building. Coping with illness and addressing grief and loss are central to our work.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Well-known and highly respected within NYC's human services field, The Family Center (TFC) has attracted a community of passionate and dedicated staff who implement an innovative family-centered model of high impact, cross-disciplinary services to families throughout the city. TFC, which has a history of producing powerful outcomes that reach beyond the bounds of its consumer community, also seeks to maximize its mission impact through strategic partnerships and research-driven advocacy efforts.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Address the social determinants of health in concert with continued expansion of direct provision of a wider menu of mental health services as well as preparations for co-location of medical care
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Goal Two: Increase capacity for delivery of Medicaid-reimbursed behavioral health treatment services for impoverished New Yorkers with complex co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Bring all agency procedures and practices into alignment with the principles of trauma informed care. We strive to ensure that our work respects historical, gender and cultural differences.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
In the past 18 months, The Family Center has convened regular meetings of executive and senior management with a consultant hired to support agency leadership in developing core values to guide staff evaluation and growth. The Family Center has also convened regular full staff meetings with a consultant to explore elevating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in our work and all aspects of agency culture, including staff and leadership development.
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
The Family Center partners with both public and private entities across sectors in order to achieve our mission of strengthening New Yorkers and their families. Our expert staff participate in various coalitions and networks to represent our work and interests, e.g. NYC Community Board 3 and the NYC HIV Planning Council. Family Center staff have published extensively in peer review journals on research findings and outcomes of our work. In addition to providing various community groups with trainings on everything from legal to health matters, The Family Center also maintains a strong social media presence across platforms in order to promote our mission and work.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
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 continues, The Family Center remains committed to serving New Yorkers while keeping them safe. While our offices have reopened to clients, we continue to offer clients both HIPAA-compliant virtual services and in-person services to choose from, based on their comfort level and health status. The Family Center has been working ardently to connect clients to Covid vaccines, including staff scheduling appointments for clients and arranging free transportation to these vaccine appointments. In response to clients’ need for information during this pandemic, The Family Center created an anonymized master client email list and now communicates with clients en masse during critical moments that impact our entire community. The pandemic also created much financial uncertainty, in particular for the New York State budget and private fundraising. Some funding sources were temporarily reduced and decisions on some grants and state contracts were delayed. However, The Family Center has been fortunate to have maintained most of our government and foundation funding, and took full advantage of other opportunities, including two rounds of PPP loans, to ensure that we have been able to continue our important work. We are confident in The Family Center’s financial position moving forward, thanks in large part to the strategic vision of our Board of Directors and executive staff leadership on issues like revenue diversification and service integration.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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