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482 CENTRE ST
Trenton NJ 08611-2332
Trenton NJ | IRS ruling year: 1983 | EIN: 22-2229995
Organization Mission
Anchor House Inc.'s mission is to provide a safe haven where abused, runaway, homeless and at-risk youth and their families are empowered to succeed and thrive.
Great
This charity's score is 99%, 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: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% 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 As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Anchor House Inc. is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
Anchor House 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 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 8/8 - 25/25 ptsBoard Composition - 8/8 - 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 - 7.67% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 7.67% - 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 - 87.64% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 87.64% - 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.
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. 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
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
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 (Anchor House Inc.) or EIN (222229995) 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.
Anchor House Inc. reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
Balance Sheet
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Donations increased due to applying and receiving pandemic relief and emergency funds.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
All operations and programs remained open throughout the pandemic. Our staff is considered essential services and we adhered to all NJ State Health guidelines.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
We received a state budget cut for our emergency youth shelter and shifted resources to continue the program. We also offered virtual services when and if necessary.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We will continue to offer case management and counseling groups virtually. We will also continue to partner with a local church to provide meals to the homeless.
Not Currently Scored
Anchor House 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.
Learn More
Anchor House Inc. reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
The Anchor House Shelter provides safe shelter and crisis intervention services for abused, runaway and homeless youth ages 12 to 17. Residential services include shelter, food, clothing, medical, den ... (More)
The Anchor House Shelter provides safe shelter and crisis intervention services for abused, runaway and homeless youth ages 12 to 17. Residential services include shelter, food, clothing, medical, dental and mental health care. Residents and outclients received individual, family and group counseling, life skills education, educational preparation, job readiness skills, substance abuse prevention and counseling, transportation, recreation, and service linkages. Aftercare counseling and support groups are available to residents, at-risk community youth and their families. A total of 45 youth resided in the Shelter this fiscal year. The School Outreach Program provided 81 group sessions to students in schools throughout Mercer County and 52 individual sessions to students at these schools and Shelter residents. (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
The Anchorage Transitional Living Program provides shelter, food, clothing, medical attention, psychological evaluations, therapy, individual and group counseling, life skills training, employment and ... (More)
The Anchorage Transitional Living Program provides shelter, food, clothing, medical attention, psychological evaluations, therapy, individual and group counseling, life skills training, employment and educations services to homeless youth ages 18-21 to ens (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Youth in the Connect to Home Program are aging out of the child welfare system or may have been previously involved in the system and have experienced homelessness. Connect to Home provided supportive ... (More)
Youth in the Connect to Home Program are aging out of the child welfare system or may have been previously involved in the system and have experienced homelessness. Connect to Home provided supportive services and apartments through Housing Choice Vouchers (Less)
Anchor House Inc. has earned a 90% 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
30% 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.
Anchor House provides services to a diverse population of youth, young people and families, mostly low income and from distinct racial/ethnic backgrounds. Our target population is runaway, homeless and vulnerable youth, ages 12 - 24, many who have experiences in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Over 90% of clients are black with 10% hispanic, multiracial and white. 100% of the youth we serve are from households in Mercer County, with 95% primarily from Trenton.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), 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
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?
By asking and listening to feedback our youth feel more respected and engaged.
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, We don't have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to get honest feedback from our clients
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
We recently moved the Youth Advisory Group meeting to later in the evening to allow time for youth to attend after school or work. We have also listened to preferences in the way youth communicate with our clients responding more to texts. The text communications have increased engagement between youth and street outreach staff. In response to street outreach youth asking for basic cleaning supplies to keep their apartments clean we have established a partnership with a local organization to provide supplies and other basic needs through their food pantry. For our Connect to Home outings, staff gathers feedback on programs, preferred communication style and timing of meetings/groups. We recently completed group sessions in anger management and sexual health based on feedback.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 85/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 85/100 pts
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 85 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 5 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (1/7) | |
|---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Equity Policies and Procedures (4/7) | |
|---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Anchor House 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
Anchor House Inc.'s mission is to provide a safe haven where abused, runaway, homeless and at-risk youth and their families are empowered to succeed and thrive.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Our vision is to be recognized as New Jersey’s preeminent advocate for abused, runaway, homeless, ageing out and at-risk youth and their families, and a model of trauma-informed best practices in the field?
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: Strengthen internal resources
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Two: Increase and improve stakeholder communications
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Three: Strengthen external resources and relationships
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
We regularly send staff to professional development training and opportunities to participate in community and nationwide committees and events. This past year, our Executive Director participated in the Executive Director Peer Circle through NonprofitConnect and our Board Chair participated in the Board Peer Circle.
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
Policy Advocacy
Anchor House has built meaningful partnerships with other social service agencies, state and local governments to help solve and end the issue of youth homelessness. As a member of the Trenton/Mercer Continuum of Care (CoC) we are part of a community wide effort to end homelessness. We are also involved in many local, county, state and national organizations to further our mission and advocate for our children and youth which agency staff are active participants. Organizations include National Network for Youth, Child Welfare League of America, NJ Office of Adolescent Services , NJ Division of Child Protection and Permanency, Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, Mercer County Youth Service Commission and the NJ Alliance for Children, Youth and Families.
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.
During the past year and a half our staff have been resilient, navigating virtual platforms when necessary to conduct sessions with clients and demonstrate flexibility with adapting to new scheduling and staffing patterns. With the added stressors of this time, we secured PPE and adhered to NJ health guidelines and safety procedures. Our shelter staff conducted more aftercare calls to support clients’ health and well-being and offered up to four aftercare counseling sessions. We also hired outreach staff to help monitor the streets of Trenton/Mercer County and identify, encourage and help vulnerable youth experiencing homelessness gain access to services. During these challenging times, our staff helped clients access basics needs including food, clothing, hygiene items along with assistance with housing and medical needs.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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