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Philadelphia PA | IRS ruling year: 1998 | EIN: 23-2936437
To cultivate a neighborhood and a world where all belong and thrive together by encouraging people to come alive in their gifts and purpose, building beloved communi ... (More)
To cultivate a neighborhood and a world where all belong and thrive together by encouraging people to come alive in their gifts and purpose, building beloved community across all dividing lines, and advocating for justice. (Less)
Good
This charity's score is 88%, earning it a Three-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: 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 Simple Way has earned a 85% 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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Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 5/5 - 35/35 ptsBoard Composition - 5/5 - 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 - Missing - 0/5 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Missing - 0/5 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 - Missing - 0/5 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Missing - 0/5 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 - Missing - 0/5 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Missing - 0/5 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 - 0.96% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 0.96% - 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 - 81.99% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 81.99% - 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
No Data Available
Revenue and expense data is not available 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.
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)
Community center (BMF activity code: 296)
Other activity aimed t combating community deterioration (BMF activity code: 402)
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 (The Simple Way) or EIN (232936437) 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.
The Simple Way reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Staffing
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Initially, our organization received increased donations during the pandemic. However, as time went on and the pandemic continued, donations declined due to donor job loss and other uncertainties faced by our constituents.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Our delivery of programs were severely affected during the pandemic, since we run a food choice pantry that is in-person.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
As the pandemic has progressed, we have adapted the way we interact with guests who come in for food. We have established social distancing protocols and have instituted requirements for staff and guests to wear PPE when interacting with others in our facility.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We have partnered with a local organization to provide COVID testing and vaccinations, and we plan to continue offering that as long as needed.
Not Currently Scored
The Simple Way 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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No 990 Program Data Found
The Simple Way 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.
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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.
People most impacted by our work are representative of the demographics of the neighborhood. About 40% Latinx, 40% African American, 15% White, and 5% Asian and other. They are poor and working class people living in the 19134 zip code. We see seniors, married couples with children, single parents, individuals, and those experiencing homelessness coming to our food distribution and neighborhood celebrations. We don’t gather other specific demographic information from people as they come in, but speculatively the majority of folks we see participating in our food distribution have not received higher education, and many of them are unemployed or underemployed.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
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, 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?
Asking for feedback allows us to hear what our neighbors actually need and want, rather than leadership of the organization just assuming that our ideas are the best. There have been times where we came up with ideas that we thought our neighbors would love, but the feedback they gave us allowed us to see where we needed to go in a different direction.
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, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
When elderly people waited in line for their turn in the food choice pantry, they let us know that they would get tired from standing for so long. They also told us that it can be difficult to take their carts full of food out of the door when they're done shopping. In response, we created an additional day for our food choice pantry that is open only to those aged 65 and older and has appointment times available, we installed benches outside so people could sit if they have to wait, and we installed a ramp to make it easier for people to take their carts out after they finish shopping.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 pts
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 100 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 12 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 (7/7) | |
|---|---|
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 (5/7) | |
|---|---|
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. | |
The Simple Way 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
We are a small organization supporting neighbors in building a neighborhood where we all belong and thrive. We do this by encouraging people to come alive in their gifts and purpose, building beloved community across all dividing lines, and advocating for justice. We desire to care, support and bolster our immediate neighbors in Kensington through listening, learning and invitation, knowing that the story of our work locally necessitates us to equip and active others to become compassionately involved in neighborhoods and communities across the country and world.
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 cultivate a neighborhood and a world where all belong and thrive together.
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: We want to continue to improve our food choice pantry, adding space to accommodate people with different abilities, and innovating the use of our limited space.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Two: We want to increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables we offer in our food choice pantry and create more beautiful green spaces in our neighborhood by cultivating our garden spaces.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: We want to offer more resources to our community as we continue to listen to what they need, whether it's through our Christmas Toy Store, back-to-school supplies, or Thanksgiving meals.
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
We have recently been able to hire some members of our community who had been volunteers in our food choice pantry. Moving them from volunteers to employees has given us more of an opportunity to walk alongside them as they develop workplace skills that they can carry on to future employment opportunities.
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
Raising Awareness
Community Building
We are partnered with several local organizations doing similar work, and continue to share best practices so we can learn from each other. We are in relationship with organizations that can provide resources our neighbors need that we do not provide, like healthcare or housing services. We invite our neighbors to volunteer in our work, and have hired some on our staff. We are active on social media, and are intentional about letting our audience know about the challenges and celebrations happening in our community.
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.
The past year continued to bring challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal and state protocol regarding mask-wearing and vaccinations were continually shifting, and we had to adapt to those changes both with our staff and with the guests who come to our food pantry. We also faced a decline in giving this past year, and have adapted by trying to cut our expenses as much as possible so that we can continue to offer the same needed services to our neighbors.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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