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BUFFALO NY | IRS ruling year: 1946 | EIN: 16-0743251
Catholic Charities of Buffalo is a Catholic sponsored human service agency serving anyone in need in the eight counties of Western New York. Believing all persons are created by God, we advocate for equity and justice for all people and empower individuals, children and families to achieve and maintain meaningful, healthy and productive lives.
Our mission-focused services include counseling for all ages, basic emergency assistance, behavioral health, relationship and substance use counseling, educational and job readiness, older adult programs, parish outreach, and programs that address prevention and treatment of a number of family issues. In 2021, Catholic Charities served 125,000 WNYers without regard to age, race or religion. The agency is an accredited charity of the Better Business Bureau Foundation of Upstate New York.
Great
This charity's score is 90%, 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: 90% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability. 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.
Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
11/1/2022 | 2021 | 88.64 | |
10/1/2021 | 2020 | 87.13 | |
9/1/2020 | 2019 | 89.35 | |
9/1/2020 | 2018 | 90.23 | |
8/1/2018 | 2017 | 91.01 | |
11/1/2017 | 2016 | 95.72 | |
10/1/2016 | 2015 | 94.69 | |
6/1/2016 | 2014 | 94.49 | |
Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
12/1/2015 | 2014 | 91.07 | |
11/1/2015 | 2014 | 90.63 | |
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. | |||
12/1/2014 | 2013 | 87.32 | |
11/1/2013 | 2012 | 94.61 | |
8/1/2012 | 2011 | 96.85 | |
2/1/2012 | 2010 | 93.28 | |
9/20/2011 | 2010 | 91.22 | |
Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
8/1/2010 | 2009 | 98.09 | |
11/1/2009 | 2008 | 92.54 | |
3/1/2009 | 2007 | 72.42 | |
6/1/2007 | 2006 | 69.05 | |
5/1/2006 | 2005 | 75.15 | |
3/1/2005 | 2004 | 86.92 | |
3/1/2004 | 2003 | 89.65 | |
4/15/2003 | 2002 | 86.82 | |
10/15/2002 | 2001 | 86.20 |
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Catholic Charities of Buffalo 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.
Catholic Charities of Buffalo has earned a 89% 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.
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Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) 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. Our analysts check the Form 990 to determine if the independent Board members are a voting majority and also at least five in number. (Less) | |
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) Making loans to related parties such as key officers, staff, or Board members, is not standard practice in the sector as it may divert the charity's funds away from its charitable mission and can lead to real and perceived conflict-of-interest problems. This practice is discouraged by sector trade groups which point to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act when they call for charities to refrain from making loans to directors and executives. And the IRS is concerned enough with the practice that it requires charities to disclose on their Form 990 any loans to or from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and other "disqualified persons." Furthermore, some state laws go so far as to prohibit loans to board members and officers. And although employees and trustees are permitted to make loans to charities, this practice can also result in real and/or perceived conflict of interest problems for the charity. Furthermore, it is problematic because it is an indicator that the organization is not financially secure. (Less) | |
Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference. Charities are not required to make their Board meeting minutes available to the public. As such, we are not able to review and critique their minutes. For this performance metric, we are checking to see if the charity reports on its Form 990 that it does keep those minutes. In the future, we will also track and rate whether or not a charity keeps minutes for its committee meetings. (Less) | |
Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) Providing copies of the Form to the governing body in advance of filing is considered a best practice, as it allows for thorough review by the individuals charged with overseeing the organization. The Form 990 asks the charity to disclose whether or not it has followed this best practice. If the charity has not distributed its Form 990 to the board before filing, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
Does not Compensate Board Members ... (More) The IRS requires that any compensation paid to members of the charity's governing body be listed on the Form 990. Furthermore, all members of the governing body need to be listed whether or not they are compensated. It is not unusual for some members of the board to have compensation listed. The executive director of the organization frequently has a seat on the board, for instance, and is compensated for being a full time staff member. However, it is rare for a charity to compensate individuals only for serving on its Board of Directors. Although this sort of board compensation is not illegal, it is not considered a best practice. (Less) |
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
Conflict of Interest ... (More) Such a 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 or director of the organization. Charities are not required to share their conflict of interest policies with the public. Although we can not evaluate the substance of its policy, we can tell you if the charity has one in place based on the information it reports on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Conflict of Interest policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
Whistleblower ... (More) This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report any financial mismanagement. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. (Less) | |
Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) Such a policy establishes guidelines for handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promotes data integrity. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Records Retention and Destruction Policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
CEO Compensation Process ... (More) This process indicates that the organization has a documented policy that it follows year after year. The policy should indicate that an objective and independent review process of the CEO's compensation has been conducted which includes benchmarking against comparable organizations. We check to be sure that the charity has reported on its Form 990 its process for determining its CEO pay. (Less) | |
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) |
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
CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) Charities are required to list their CEO's name and compensation on the Form 990. Our analysts check to be sure that the charities complied with the Form 990 instructions and included this information in their filing. (Less) | |
Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) Our analysts check to see if the charity lists Board members on its website. Publishing this information enables donors and other stakeholders to ascertain the make up of the charity's governing body. This enables stakeholders to report concerns to the Board. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the Board members listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990, because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's Board members may have changed, and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. (Less) | |
Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) It is important for donors and other stakeholders to know who runs the organization day-to-day. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the leadership listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990 because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's leadership may have changed and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. In other words, since the Form 990 isn't especially timely, it can not be used to verify the leadership information published on the charity's site. (Less) | |
Audited Financial Statements Listed on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its audited financial statements for the fiscal year represented by the most recently filed IRS Form 990. It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. We currently rate charities on whether or not they publish their audit on their website. (Less) | |
Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its most recently filed IRS Form 990 (a direct link to the charity's 990 on an external site is sufficient). It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. (Less) |
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
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
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
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
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
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
Organizations that demonstrate consistent annual growth in program expenses are able to outpace inflation and thus sustain their programs year to year. These organizations also supply givers with greater confidence by maintaining broad public support for their programs. 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
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
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
Deacon Steve Schumer, Chief Executive Officer
$149,115 (0.51% 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
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:
Special school for the blind, handicapped, etc (BMF activity code: 031)
Hospital (BMF activity code: 150)
Publishing activities (BMF activity code: 120)
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:
Subordinate - the organization is a subordinate in a group ruling. (BMF affiliation code: 9)
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 (Catholic Charities of Buffalo) or EIN (160743251) 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.
Catholic Charities of Buffalo reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
The fundraising efforts for our annual appeal decreased from $9.3 million in 2019 to $8.4 million in 2020 and only rebounded to $9 million in 2021, largely driven by the disruption of the pandemic and the impact of COVID on the donor base. The annual appeal provides resources to under funded program and covers administrative expenses, so it is critical for financial success. The year over year fundraising drop from 2019 to 2020 was 9.7% and 2021 figures were still down 3.2% from 2019 levels, plus the impact of pandemic driven inflation (~7% in 2021). Pandemic driven turnover and the Agency's efforts to combat that turnover also had a substantial financial impact and made it harder to operate financially and administratively. Employee turnover was 20% in 2020 and a breathtaking 31% in 2021. In addition to the cost of backfilling those positions (~30-50% of the role's annual salary), the Agency needed to invest $2.3 million in bonuses and wage increases to try and combat the turnover.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
COVID-19 simultaneously disrupted our ability to deliver services and limited access to critical resources (such as food bank goods and capital) while drastically increasing the demand for many programs. For example, demand for in school social work programs decreased by up to 95%, with most schools going virtual, while the economic burdens of COVID contributed directly to a 21.4% increase in emergency financial assistance intakes. Meanwhile, pandemic driven employee turnover has negatively impacted our ability to deliver every service (e.g., nearly 25% of needed mental health counseling positions are unfilled due to increased demand and staff burnout and, as a result, there is a more than a two-month delay for scheduling new patients). Turnover in some areas was so severe that it effectively eliminated our ability to staff certain programs, leading to the sunset of our OASAS substance abuse counseling services, for example. The pandemic made every aspect of our operations harder.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
In addition to density reduction efforts, PPE and sanitation changes, and remote services that became a necessity for many organizations, the biggest decision made by the Agency during the pandemic was to require the COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment and volunteering. Our leadership made the moral decision to require vaccines for all employees and volunteers as an affirmative action to protect both the people that work for our organization and our clients, many of whom are part of some of the most vulnerable populations (the sick, the elderly, refugees, people suffering from mental illness, the homeless, etc.).
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
The Agency will maintain remote work and hybrid work options for positions that can accommodate that structure. That offers multiple benefits beyond the density reduction and social distancing required by the ongoing COVID-19 threat; these benefits include but are not limited to improved work life balances for employees (to help reduce burnout and turnover), lower building and utility overhead costs (allowing the Agency to run more efficiently), and fewer cars on the road (which helps the environment and cuts down on car accidents).
Not Currently Scored
Catholic Charities of Buffalo 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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Catholic Charities of Buffalo reported its two largest programs on its FY 2021 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Family and Community Services
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Payments to Affiliates
Catholic Charities of Buffalo cannot currently be evaluated by our Culture & Community methodology because we have not received data from the charity regarding its Constituent Feedback or Equity Practices strategies.
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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Catholic Charities of Buffalo 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.
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The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Catholic Charities of Buffalo is a Catholic sponsored human service agency serving anyone in need in the eight counties of Western New York. Believing all persons are created by God, we advocate for equity and justice for all people and empower individuals, children and families to achieve and maintain meaningful, healthy and productive lives.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Catholic Charities will be a community leader in providing quality, effective and efficient human services. We will be the premier agency of choice for clients, donors, employees and volunteers. We will be the beacon of hope for those in need.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Increase Financial / Economic Stability (e.g. analyze existing services for impact, effectiveness, and efficiency; evaluate community need and alternate providers to identify program future)
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
Goal Two: Improve Mental Wellness (e.g. evaluate accessibility to behavioral health services; action plan targeting quality & integrated services; reengineer clinical services for financial sustainability)
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Strengthen Individual and Family Stability and Connectedness (e.g. develop existing and potential partners to collaborate on services; align services to meet immigrant / refugee needs)
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Agency Leadership initiated an employee engagement program as part of our three-year strategic plan. The program included a voluntary survey that secured an outstanding 82% response rate. Feedback from the survey allowed leadership to identify "Enhancing Training & Development" as a top five recommendation from staff. In response, the Agency is rolling out a comprehensive training & development initiative with a preliminary foundational focus on 1) leadership tools and 2) safety. Training already in place includes but is not limited to a keynote address to the entire management team at a recent Quarterly Leadership meeting on the topic of servant leadership, training on de-escalation techniques for client facing staff, and NARCAN certification training. The next phase of the training includes a full supervisory skill curriculum (e.g., mentoring, interviewing, time management, etc.) for all managers and additional safety training on topics such as Active Shooter Response.
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 Agency engages in multiple strategic partnerships with local nonprofits; for example, the Agency is part of the Western New York Refugee and Asylum Consortium with the other resettlement agencies to ensure the organizations work together in service delivery. The Agency participates in collective clinical networks such as the Western New York Integrated Care Collaborative and the Value Network to ensure compliance with HIPAA requirements, to share benchmark data, and to implement healthcare best practices at our mental health clinics. Agency leadership routinely participates in group discussions at national conferences such as CCUSA. External training efforts include but are not limited to high school equivalency and job training for clients and ESL training for refugees. Marketing efforts to raise awareness of Agency services include regular press releases, community events, parish outreach, and social media messaging through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other channels.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
The most salient example of effective change management is our leadership's response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. COVID had a profound impact on our organization as it contributed to cumulative fundraising drop of over 10% from previous baselines (9.7% in 2020 and 3.2% in 2021) while driving unsustainable employee turnover rates (20% in 2020 and 31% in 2021). Meanwhile, COVID disrupted our ability to deliver services and limited access to critical resources while drastically increasing the demand for many programs. For example, the economic burdens of COVID contributed directly to a 21.4% increase in emergency financial assistance intakes. It was a crisis in every sense. In response, Agency leadership implemented and maintains an aggressive COVID response. We invested in our people to counter turnover, including a $2.3 million increase in payroll through a 5% increase to base wages. We implemented remote work where possible to reduce population density across our 50+ service sites. Administrative resources went 100% remote and service delivery switched to hybrid models where practical. We invested in systems and tools designed to facilitate remote work and our team stepped up to avoid any major disruptions to our ability to serve clients. Additionally, the biggest adaptation made during the pandemic was to require the COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment and volunteering. This decision was made as a moral and affirmative action to protect both our workers and our clients, many of whom are part of the most vulnerable populations. These collective changes were designed to ensure operational sustainability. The maintenance of the hybrid work model has allowed us to reduce our physical footprint while investments and changes to systems and processes allowed us to deliver services more efficiently. As a result, despite all the disruptions and challenges of COVID, the Agency was able to meet our obligations while achieving a financial surplus.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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