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3501 S LAKE DR
Milwaukee WI 53235-0900
Mail donations to:
P.O. Box 070912
Milwaukee WI 53207
Milwaukee WI | IRS ruling year: 1940 | EIN: 39-0806321
Inspired by Christ's call to serve, our mission is to provide services to those in need, to advocate for justice and to call upon others to do the same.
Since 1920, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has been helping people of all faiths throughout the ten counties of Southeast Wisconsin, providing compassionate and competent human services to people in need. The majority of our clients are low-income individuals and families, many living under the national poverty level. To date in 2015, we have served over 35,000 individuals. Our programs help individuals and families in crisis situations, addressing personal needs and aiding clients on the road to self-sufficiency and wellness.
Our programs include: Community Outreach & Case Management, Behavioral Health Counseling, Pregnancy Support Coordination, Adoption, Supported Parenting Services, In-Home Support, Adult Day Services, Refugee Resettlement, and Legal Services for Immigrants..
As a non-profit, we have an ethical obligation to our constituents and the public to conduct our activities with accountability and transparency. We wish to regularly and openly convey information to the public about our mission, activities, accomplishments and decision-making processes. Because we want this information to be easily accessible to the public with external visibility, important documentation regarding our agency's functions is shared on our website. It is listed under the Get To Know Us tab/Agency Transparency.
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: 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.
Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
9/1/2021 | 2019 | 88.50 | |
4/1/2020 | 2018 | 87.62 | |
12/1/2018 | 2017 | 90.64 | |
2/1/2018 | 2016 | 94.69 | |
2/1/2017 | 2015 | 89.64 | |
6/1/2016 | 2014 | 92.73 | |
Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
12/22/2015 | 2014 | 91.93 | |
12/1/2015 | 2014 | 91.45 | |
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. | |||
11/1/2015 | 2013 | 85.38 | |
4/1/2015 | 2013 | 84.56 | |
12/1/2013 | 2012 | 84.93 | |
2/1/2013 | 2011 | 78.71 | |
2/1/2012 | 2010 | 80.80 | |
9/20/2011 | 2009 | 80.56 | |
Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
12/22/2010 | 2009 | 71.23 | |
4/1/2010 | 2008 | 72.60 | |
2/1/2009 | 2007 | 70.97 | |
2/1/2008 | 2006 | 74.04 | |
2/1/2007 | 2005 | 68.54 | |
1/1/2006 | 2004 | 68.08 | |
2/1/2005 | 2003 | 67.54 |
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee 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 the Archdiocese of Milwaukee 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 2019, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
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
Ricardo Cisneros, Chief Operating Officer
$94,408 (1.91% of Total Expenses)
Plus $10,490 of Compensation from Affliates
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2019
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:
Gifts, grants, or loans to other organizations (BMF activity code: 602)
Gifts or grants to individuals (other than scholarships) (BMF activity code: 561)
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 (Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee) or EIN (390806321) 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 the Archdiocese of Milwaukee reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Revenue
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Program fees where applicable were impacted. We applied and received the PPP loan and were able to retain and employ full staff.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Catholic Charities offices remained open throughout the pandemic to continue providing human services. For the period of March-July 2020, our Adult Day Center programming was temporarily suspended for the safety of members. ADC staff were retained to assist with pandemic related services and make home visits to ADC members for wellness checks.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
We began a temporary, supplemental service to provide food and wellness visits for isolated seniors and populations that could not access local resources including food pantries that stopped operation. We provided more than $200,000 in direct aid to families who lost jobs and did not have access to federal benefits. Our family support workers assisted parents with intellectual disabilities with online schooling for their children. We began providing virtual options for counseling services, legal services for refugees and immigrants, and volunteer tutoring services. People impacted by poverty often do not have either the means for virtual sessions or privacy for sensitive conversations. For in-person services, we implemented safety measures such as social distancing, wearing masks, making hand sanitizer available, daily temperatures of staff and clients, and reminders to clients to call ahead to reschedule appointments if they or family members were feeling ill.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We continue to offer virtual sessions for counseling to meet the needs of clients. We continue to provide up-to-date legal information online to assist refugees and immigrants. All programs continue to operate at full capacity.
Not Currently Scored
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee 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
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee reported its three largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Behavioral Health and Counseling Services
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Refugee Integration Services
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
In-Home Support Services
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee 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
Constituent Feedback and Listening Practice data are not available for this organization. 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.
100% 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 (5/7) | |
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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 (7/7) | |
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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. |
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee 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
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Inspired by Christ's call to serve, our mission is to provide service to those in need, to advocate for justice and to call upon others to do the same. Guided by the values of Catholic social teaching, we prioritize the needs of people affected by poverty.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Our vision is to improve the lives of those we serve, to empower the most vulnerable, and to help reduce poverty through quality, compassionate, and effective human services.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Our goal is to meet unmet needs of people impacted by poverty who live in the ten counties of southeastern Wisconsin and have barriers and challenges to receiving human services.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Our goal is to provide linguistically and culturally competent human services with compassion, dignity, and respect for families and individuals affected by poverty.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Goal Three: Our goal is to expand volunteer opportunities, community partnerships, and parish relations to increase support through both human and financial resources to support our mission.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Through an analysis of local nonprofit employment trends, salaries have been adjusted to retain and recruit staff including management leadership. We have recruited from within for leadership roles. Staff are provided with continuous education opportunities through a variety of sources.
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
Catholic Charities is a United Way partner agency since 1926 with Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, in addition to United Ways of Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Dodge, Washington, Kenosha, and Walworth counties. Staff have designed a model for Hoarding Intervention and Treatment which they use and have presented to various partners in service of adults and seniors. Attorneys in our Refugee and Immigration Services program are recognized leaders in the field and regularly provide both in-service training and external up-to-date information. Brand and marketing efforts are ongoing and the mission is reflected online through regular postings on social media and direct mail fundraising campaigns.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
Catholic Charities expanded Community Counseling services in Kenosha following social unrest that made national news. In partnership with the local Catholic parishes in Waukesha whose parishioners and neighbors were affected by the tragic holiday parade incident that also made national news, staff are assisting with distribution of funds to families impacted physically and emotionally by the event. As a result of the parade incident, staff in Waukesha are providing services to anyone who needs help accessing services including counseling services. In response to a dramatic increase in calls for mental health services in Washington County, we have partnered with the local United Way to increase access to counseling services provided in the county. When Afghan evacuees were temporarily housed in Wisconsin, we partnered with other Catholic Charities agencies in Wisconsin to provide volunteer support. Through our RIS program, we established a pro bono program to recruit and train attorneys to assist the hundreds of Afghan evacuees resettled in Wisconsin apply for asylum in the U.S. Leadership of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is adept at responding and collaborating to meet emerging and urgent needs of people affected by poverty.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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