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1807 South Washington Street
Suite 110, #359
Naperville IL 60565
Naperville IL | IRS ruling year: 2006 | EIN: 20-4275756
Organization Mission
Founded in 2003, Operation Support Our Troops - America (formerly Operation Support Our Troops - Illinois) has been a grassroots effort that's blossomed into one of ... (More)
Founded in 2003, Operation Support Our Troops - America (formerly Operation Support Our Troops - Illinois) has been a grassroots effort that's blossomed into one of the largest volunteer based military support organizations in the country. Our mission is to support the morale and wellbeing of American forces by providing comfort, resources and education to them and their families both while they are deployed in harm's way and after their return. We accomplish this by providing a link between the citizens and military personnel so that everyone has the opportunity to express their support. This allows us to send comfort packages of items that are not readily available to our troops in their deployed locations, along with personal letters, cards and notes of support from the community at large. (Less)
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, weighted as follows: 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.
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 7/1/2021 | 2019 | 93.74 | |
| 5/1/2020 | 2018 | 95.53 | |
| 4/1/2019 | 2017 | 94.47 | |
| 6/1/2018 | 2016 | 95.24 | |
| 5/1/2017 | 2015 | 93.81 | |
| 7/1/2016 | 2014 | 91.16 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 90.71 | |
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. | |||
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 2/1/2016 | 2014 | 83.07 |  |
| 3/1/2015 | 2013 | 91.57 | |
| 11/1/2013 | 2012 | 83.32 | |
| 4/1/2013 | 2011 | 94.45 | |
| 10/1/2012 | 2010 | 95.45 | |
Score
Most Recent Fiscal Year:
FY 2021
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No CreditMajority Independent Board Members - 100% independent members8 out of 8 points Majority Independent Board Members - 100% independent members8 out of 8 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. We check to see if at least 50% of board members are indentified as independent on their tax form.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Board Size - 8 independent members7 out of 7 points Independent Board Size - 8 independent members7 out of 7 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. For most organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least three board members. For large, donor-funded organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least five independent board members
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Audit or Financial Review - Yes15 out of 15 points Independent Audit or Financial Review - Yes15 out of 15 points
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 |
| $2 million or higher and 40% or higher donor support | Expected to complete an audit and have an audit oversight committee |
| $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
Material Diversion of Assets - None10 out of 10 points Material Diversion of Assets - None10 out of 10 points
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 — also can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We review the charity's most recent IRS Form 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditWebsite Listed on Tax Form - Listed2 out of 2 points Website Listed on Tax Form - Listed2 out of 2 points
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the IRS 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
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the IRS 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
Whistleblower Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points Whistleblower Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the IRS 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
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed4 out of 4 points Document Retention and Destruction - Listed4 out of 4 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the IRS 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
Documents Board Meeting Minutes - Yes2 out of 2 points Documents Board Meeting Minutes - Yes2 out of 2 points
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the IRS 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
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditTax Form Posted on Nonprofit's Website - Listed4 out of 4 points Tax Form Posted on Nonprofit's Website - Listed4 out of 4 points
For almost all charities, we check the charity's IRS Form 990 to see if it discloses that the Form 990 is available on the charity's website. As with the audited financial statement, donors need easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditLiabilities to Assets: Ratio - 0.53%15 out of 15 points Liabilities to Assets: Ratio - 0.53%15 out of 15 points
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent IRS Form 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization's solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense: Ratio - 86.77%25 out of 25 points Program Expense: Ratio - 86.77%25 out of 25 points
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three IRS Forms 990). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
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
Salary data is coming soon.
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
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 (Operation Support Our Troops-America) or EIN (204275756) in the 'Search Term' field.
Not Currently Scored
Operation Support Our Troops-America 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.
Score
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditConstituent Feedback - Data Available100/100 points Constituent Feedback - Data Available100/100 points
100% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. The methodology leveraged for Constituent Feedback is based on The Core Principles of Constituent Feedback, which describes listening and responding well to feedback. Charity Navigator participates in a consortium with other feedback experts and leading nonprofit infrastructure platforms to drive Constituent Feedback's advancement, promotion, and data collection.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
We serve active duty military members through our Comfort and Care Package Program, we send 25 pound boxes filled with hygiene items, protein sources, treats and touches from home to those serving in dangerous places around the world. Through our Leap of Faith Program we serve Gold Star Familes with our three day seminar that is meant to be transformational for families of fallen service members to help them move foward in their 'new normal' that honors the sacrifice of their family and loved one. We serve Veterans through our Veteran's Assistance Program to help provide a hand up and not a hand out to those experiencing a financial crisis. Our G.I. Yoga Programs supports the local military community and their family members through gentle yoga practices to help relieve stress.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Paper surveys, Case management notes, Community meetings or town halls, Suggestion box/email, Other means
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
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?
Our volunteers, board, and staff are always receptive to feedback as we all strive to do better to serve our military community as we are very team oriented to get the best end result as possible.
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, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
During the Holiday Stocking season for our troops we split the volunteer day into two shifts to reduce the amount of people there at one time and to make more room in the space we have to work with. This suggestion was presented by a few volunteers and we have incorporated it very successfully. Volunteers are happy and we are able to better accomodate groups volunteering. We include a request for feedback with every box we send to deployed military members and they told us the chocolate we send was melting and packaging opening up so we started bagging it to protect it and added a question on the form to reqeust a box asking if they are deploying to warm temperatures so we can pack the box appropriately. Troops also told us they do not need batteries so we stopped sending them.
Equity Practices - No Data AvailableUnscored Equity Practices - No Data AvailableUnscored
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. This assessment demonstrates the importance of implementing practices that contribute positively to an organization's overall culture, both internally and with respect to community engagement. Furthermore, equity centered frameworks and similar approaches have drawn much attention from donors, experts, and sector leaders who underscore its value to the nonprofit's overall health and capacity for mission success. Currently, the Equity Strategies Checklist assessment consists of practices and policies that promote racial equity in their operations and programs (per the Equity Strategies checklist administered by Candid). As we refine our DEI assessment, Charity Navigator partners with DEI consultants and field experts to broaden and deepen this work.
Score
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 CreditMission 10/10 points Mission 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Note: The organization did not respond to this question.
Vision 10/10 points Vision 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
We endeavor to provide services to our the many stages of a military member with programs for active
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals 20/20 points Goals 20/20 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Continue sending 25 pound Comfort and Care Packages filled with hygiene items, protein sources, treats, and touches from home to deployed troops serving in dangerous places around the world.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Continue supporting our Leap of Faith Program to help Families of the Fallen learn new ways to process grief and embrace their “new normal” in a way that honors the sacrifice of their their loved one.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Leadership Development 15/15 points Leadership Development 15/15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
Our leadership team is encouraged to utlize all opportunities to learn and grow through valuable free webinars, seminars and other training as well as paid opporutnities that are considered to have an impact. There are many leadership development events through the local chamber, and other nonprofit organizations that provide resources and support as well as participate in networking events.
Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Raising Awareness
Community Building
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
We work with many schools and businesses to share our mission and provide opportunities on how the community can help and support our programs. Many organizations reach out to us to request us to speak at their event or they would like to come to volunteer and learn more about what we do. Many groups volunteer with us to learn about how they can help and support our mission and enjoy participating and then spread the word to their community groups, business, Church, school, or family and friends.
Adaptability Story 30/30 points Adaptability Story 30/30 points
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
Since the pandemic hit, many things changed for our organization, we have had to refine how many volunteers we could have in the warehouse at one time, scale back our collection drives, and our big fundraisers were cancelled due to the unpredictability and concern over COVID variants. We had a reduced number of volunteers in to allow for social distancing, instead of having offsite colletion drives we hosted donation drop off events at our warehouse to get needed items for troops. We tried smaller fundraisers like online trivia night, restaurant charity nights, and mini-golf outings to continue to keep our community aware of our organization.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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