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PO BOX 3631
Reston VA 20195-1631
Reston VA | IRS ruling year: 2007 | EIN: 20-5997764
HELPING OTHERS TO "BE THE CHANGE THEY WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD" BY PROVIDING COUNSELING AND RESOURCES.WE WORK WITH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL ORGANIZATIONS TO HE ... (More)
HELPING OTHERS TO "BE THE CHANGE THEY WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD" BY PROVIDING COUNSELING AND RESOURCES.WE WORK WITH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. WE PROVIDE COUNSEL AND RESOURCES TO HELP INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS PLAN, BUILD AND EXECUTE ON THEIR VISION. (Less)
Great
This charity's score is 91%, 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: 35% Accountability & Finance, 60% Impact & Results, 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!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Core Foundation is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
Core Foundation has earned a 73% 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 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
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Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 9/9 - 35/35 ptsBoard Composition - 9/9 - 35/35 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 - N/A - 0/0 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - N/A - 0/0 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 - 5/5 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 5/5 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 - 5/5 ptsBoard Meeting Minutes - Documented - 5/5 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 - 5/5 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Listed - 5/5 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 - 5/5 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Listed - 5/5 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 - 5/5 ptsWebsite - Listed - 5/5 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 - 60.56% - 0/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 60.56% - 0/15 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 - 61.05% - 13/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 61.05% - 13/25 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:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
Foundation Status:
Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) (BMF foundation code: 16)
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 (Core Foundation) or EIN (205997764) 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.
Core Foundation reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
We applied and received a PPE loan which assisted in ensuring business continuity. Due to COVID-19 restrictions we were unable to hold our fundraising gala in 2020 which impacted revenue. We also use triathlon as a means for fundraising. Our triathlon, the Reston Sprint Triathlon was a sell out at 1000 athletes, but COVID-19 changed this. Our registration numbers are rising but still down 25%. A number of our long time partners also experienced business downturn during the pandemic. Because of this we had to find new partners to replace those revenue streams.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
As a charity incubator, the needs in our community rose and community members looked to CORE for solutions. We took on a number of pop up projects. Highlights include putting over 4000 desks in the homes of our youth during distant learning. We also had a number of food insecurity projects which increased in scope.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
We offered a virtual option for our triathlon. We also had a virtual gala in January 2021. These events allowed our partner, donors and supporters to feel connected.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
The slowness of the pandemic allowed us to take a step back and review our policies and procedures for sustainability and scalability. We made some changes to our CORE Cause handbook and onboarding processes for our process which will help us be more efficient moving forward.
Core Foundation has earned a 100% for the Impact & Results beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon estimates the actual impact a charity has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
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Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot Applicable
Program
Helping Hungry Kids of Northern Virginia
Activities
The nonprofit prepares and serves meals to beneficiaries.
Program Type
Food Distribution
Beneficiaries Served
Program Geography
Time Period of Data
1/1/21 to 12/31/21
Outcomes: Changes in the lives of those served by a nonprofit. They can be caused by the nonprofit.
Costs: The money spent by a nonprofit and its partners and beneficiaries.
Impact: Outcome caused by a nonprofit relative to its cost.
Cost-effectiveness: A judgment as to whether the cost was a good use of resources to cause the outcome.
Outcome Metric
A meal provided to a person in need
Outcome Data Source
Ratings are based on data the nonprofit itself collects on its work. We use the most recent year with sufficient data. Typically, this data allows us to calculate direct changes in participants' lives, such as increased income.
Outcome data collected during the program. The nonprofit submitted data on the amount of food it provides.
Method for Attributing Outcomes
We don't know if the observed changes were caused by the nonprofit's program or something else happening at the same time (e.g., a participant got a raise). To determine causation, we take the outcomes we observe and subtract an estimate of the outcomes that would have happened even without the program (i.e., counterfactual outcomes).
We assume that the distribution of a meal from one nonprofit's food distribution program does not diminish the amount of food distributed by any other (neighboring) food distribution program. This “counterfactual” assumption about the amount of food distributed in the absence of the nonprofit’s food distribution program implies that the benefit of a meal to a beneficiary in need constitutes a net gain; the gain is not offset by reductions in food provided to other beneficiaries in need. We therefore set the counterfactual to zero.
Cost Data Source
After estimating the program's outcomes, we need to determine how much it cost to achieve those outcomes. All monetary costs are counted, whether they are borne by a nonprofit service deliverer or by the nonprofit’s public and private partners.
Program cost data reported by the nonprofit. Partner and beneficiary costs reported by the nonprofit or estimated by Charity Navigator.
Cost Calculation
$31,000 program costs + $3,519 partner costs + $0 beneficiary costs = $34,519 total costs
We calculate impact, defined as the change in outcomes attributable to a program divided by the cost to achieve those outcomes.
Impact Calculation
$34,519 total costs / 20,000 meals provided = roughly $2 provides a meal to a person in need.
Benchmark for Rating
Impact & Results scores of food distribution programs are based on the cost of a meal relative to the cost that a food-secure person incurs to buy a meal in that county. Programs receive an Impact & Results score of 100 if they are less than 75% the cost of a meal and a score of 80 if they are less than 125%. If a nonprofit reports impact but doesn't meet the benchmark for cost-effectiveness, it earns a score of 65.
Determination
Highly cost-effective
Core Foundation reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
SUPPORT TO CORNERSTONES A 501(C)(3) EXEMPT ORGANIZATION TO RAISE MONEY, SETUP INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROVIDE LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR RESTON SPRINT TRIATHLON.
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
SUPPORT TO CHILDHOOD BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION A 501(C)(3) EXEMPT ORGANIZATION TO RAISE MONEY, SETUP INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROVIDE LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR RESTON YOUTH TRIATHLON.
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
SUPPORT TO CORNERSTONES A 501(C)(3) EXEMPT ORGANIZATION TO RAISE MONEY, SETUP INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROVIDE LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR RU BROTHERS BY THE WAYSIDE.
Core Foundation 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.
CORE Foundation projects serve a variety of demographics including at risk families, children on reduced lunch programs, students, athletes, historical sites, specialized populations, LGBTQIA+ families, seniors, and veterans. We also have the ability to pivot quickly to address health and human rights issues both domestically and internationally.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), 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 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?
CORE Foundation is committed to continuous improvement. For the Reston Sprint Triathlon, the people we serve have learned to trust and confide in us because they recognize that we listen to their feedback and react in favor of their wishes. RST athletes and volunteers reach out individually and are pleased how we respond to their emails quickly and accommodate their needs to the best of our ability.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
In March 2020, COVID-19 forced changes to the plans for the Reston Sprint Triathlon in-person charity event scheduled for May 31st. The almost 1,100 athletes were emailed a survey to help us determine what changes would best serve them. About 750 responded and the majority of responses favored a virtual event. Although we had never ventured into virtual, we quickly pivoted and managed to produce an event so successful that we converted our two kids events as well. Three virtual races are planned for 2021.
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.
Core Foundation cannot currently be evaluated by our Leadership & Adaptability methodology because we have not received data from the charity regarding its leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes.
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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Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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