Charity Navigator's ratings previously did not consider Leadership & Adaptability, Culture & Community, or Impact & Measurement. The historic rating mainly reflects a version of today’s Accountability and Finance score. More information on our previous rating methodologies can be found on our rating methodology page.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
Majority Independent Board Members - 83% independent members
10 out of 10 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. We check to see that a majority of board members are identified as independent on their tax form.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Board Size - 5 independent members
10 out of 10 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. For most organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least three independent board members. For large, donor-funded organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least five independent board members
Source: IRS Form 990
Material Diversion of Assets - None
10 out of 10 points
A diversion of assets — any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft — also can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We review the charity's most recent IRS Form 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets.
Source: IRS Form 990
Tax Form Disclosures and Policies
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Website Listed on Tax Form - Listed
3 out of 3 points
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Missing
0 out of 7 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Missing
0 out of 7 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Missing
0 out of 7 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Documents Board Meeting Minutes - Yes
3 out of 3 points
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the IRS Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Website Disclosures
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Form 990 indicates tax form is available on nonprofit's website - No
0 out of 3 points
For almost all charities, we check the charity's IRS Form 990 to see if it discloses that the Form 990 is available on the charity's website. As with the audited financial statement, donors need easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well.
Source: IRS Form 990
Financial Metrics
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Liabilities to Assets Ratio: 0.03%
15 out of 15 points
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent IRS Form 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization's solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio: 75.19%
25 out of 25 points
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three IRS Forms 990). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
Source: IRS Form 990
Additional Information
Total Revenue and Expenses - Data Available
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Click or hover over the bar to see exact $ amount
Salary of Key Persons - Data Available
The compensation data below shows the five highest paid individuals at this charity. The amount includes salary, cash bonuses, and compensation from related organizations. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2.
Ross Dessert, President
$60,300
Michael Bartowski, Board Chair
$0
Jim Schmidt, Vice President Of Internal Operations
$0
Andre Logan, Treasurer
$0
Dan Schipfer, Director
$0
Additionally, we highlight the ratio between the highest-paid employee and the average compensation across the nonprofit to determine whether compensation practices reflect industry standards while supporting the nonprofit's mission.
The compensation ratio for this nonprofit is -1675 which indicates the highest paid employee earns -1675 times more than the average staff member. Our data show the high-average compensation ratio for medium to super-sized charities is expected to fall between 1 and 24.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2023
IRS Published Data (Business Master File) - Data Available
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)
Data Sources (IRS Forms 990) - Data Available
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage accountability and finance 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 (Uplift Organization Inc.) or EIN (431571915) in the 'Search Term' field.
Impact & Measurement
Score
100
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.
$304,691 total costs / $1,547,154 worth of goods distributed = roughly $0.20 provides a dollar's worth of essential goods to someone in need [2021 USD]
Program Context
Uplift Homeless Outreach: This program directly distributes goods that fulfill the basic needs of its beneficiaries.
Data Time Period
1/1/22 to 12/31/22
Benchmark for Scoring
Impact scores of goods provision programs are based on comparing the cost to distribute the goods against the market value of those goods. Programs receive an Impact score of 100 if the cost to distribute goods is less than 75% of the value of those goods and a score of 80 if it is less than 125%. If a nonprofit reports impact but doesn't meet the benchmark for cost-effectiveness, it earns a score of 65. This program provides goods for less than 75% the market value of the goods.
Methodology
This impact score was determined through the Goods Provision methodology which is fully detailed in the Charity Navigator Guide to Ratings. Analysis conducted in 2024 by Charity Navigator using data submitted by the nonprofit, theory and evidence from scientific research studies, and public datasets.
Data Source
The nonprofit submitted data on the composition and market value of the goods it distributed.
Measurement
Unscored
0% of Impact & Measurement score
Culture & Community
Score
100
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
This assessment, developed by the Irritants for Change, evaluates how a charity listens to and uses feedback from the people meant to ultimately benefit from its mission. Seeking feedback from the people a charity serves makes the nonprofit more responsive and effective.
Collects Feedback
25 out of 25 points
Does your organization collect feedback (i.e., perceptions, opinions, concerns) from the people meant to ultimately benefit from your mission?
Yes
Uses Feedback
25 out of 25 points
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 across demographic groups
To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
To understand client needs and how we can help them achieve their desired outcomes
Implements Quality Feedback Practices
25 out of 25 points
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible
We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us
We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.)
We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.)
We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response
We act on the feedback we receive
We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
Experiences Feedback Challenges
25 out of 25 points
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
It is difficult to get people to respond to requests for feedback
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Leadership & Adaptability
Score
100
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.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission.
We who acknowledge God’s providence and fidelity to his people, especially those in poverty, do dedicate our efforts toward the support of those who are homeless. Our goal is to deliver those basic human needs, care and compassion that are not usually received from other organizations.
Vision Statement
10 out of 10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's vision.
That all persons experiencing homelessness may experience care and compassion through our work.
Strategic Goals
20 out of 20 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Expand our program to add more vans and routes to serve the homeless in areas of the city that we currently do not serve.
Goal Two: Focus internally on our organization's operational stability and sustainability - as an all-volunteer organization.
Goal Three: Continue our all-volunteer organizational design and strategies to increase our capacity and ability to scale to meet the growing needs of the homeless.
Leadership
30 out of 30 points
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Investment in Leadership Development
15 out of 15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development.
Our board completed a 6 month strategic planning effort with the help of an outside consulting firm.
We have invested in training and professional development of our key volunteer leaders in areas such as inclusion & equity, strategic communications & framing, accounting & financial planning.
External Focus on Mobilizing Mission
15 out of 15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Collaborative Engagement
Thought Leadership
Social Promotion
Adaptability
30 out of 30 points
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Adaptability Practices
30 out of 30 points
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic have continued to bring immense challenges to our work, which is front-facing and high-contact with the homeless out on the streets.
As an all-volunteer organization, we depend on volunteers for everything we do. We have no paid staff. During this year of 2021, we have felt the effects of the decline in the public's rates of volunteerism. To adapt to this reduced participation, we have redesigned our organization, its structure, our shifts, roles, functions, and tasks. We have moved to a more distributed model of leadership and created a "teams" approach to all of our roles. As a result, we are seeing deeper engagement in our work by those who join us in our mission. This deeper engagement has had an offsetting effect on the changes in volunteerism. Those who are engaging are more satisfied and more connected to Uplift and to our work.