Mission: Founded in 1984, Voices For Children Foundation raises funds to support the 11th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) Program. Additionally, Voices raises funds ... (More)
Voices For Children Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1987, and donations are tax-deductible.
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Contact Information
601 NW First Court
Tenth Floor
Miami FL 33136
Important note on the timeliness of ratings
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Financial and Accountability & Transparency score for Voices For Children Foundation, Inc. is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
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Star Rating System by Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator evaluates a nonprofit organization’s financial health including measures of stability, efficiency and sustainability. We also track accountability and transparency policies to ensure the good governance and integrity of the organization.
Exceptional
This charity's score is 92.39, earning it a 4-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 89.25 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 100.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2019. More recent filing data is available, but it has not been factored into this score, due to COVID-19's effect on this organization.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Rating update postponed due to COVID-19's impact on this organization. View Voices For Children Foundation, Inc.'s response.
Star Rated Report
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Program Expense Ratio
82.4%
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
Administrative Expenses
10.8%
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
Fundraising Expenses
6.6%
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
Liabilities to Assets Ratio
26.1%
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
Fundraising Efficiency
$0.06
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
Working Capital Ratio
0.47 years
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
Program Expense Growth
21.62%
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
Governance
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Governance: | |
|---|---|
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) | |
| 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:
| |
| 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) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) | |
| Compensates Board ... (More) |
Policies
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
| Policies: | |
|---|---|
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) | |
| 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) |
Transparency
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
| Transparency: | |
|---|---|
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Audited Financial Statements on Website ... (More) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) |
Additional Information
Unscored
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Total Revenue and Expenses
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Salary of Key Persons
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
Nelson Hincapie, CEO
$237,747 (5.41% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
Business Master File Data
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)
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)
Data Sources: IRS Forms 990
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 view this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available).
Pandemic Response
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.
Voices For Children Foundation, Inc. reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Staffing
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
The COVID-19 pandemic affected our organization's fundraising capacity through our inability to hold our highest revenue-generating events. This threatened our ability to raise general operating support needed to continue serving approximately 2,200 children in Miami-Dade County's dependency system. Our organization applied and received the SBA PPP loan as well as generous funding from private organizations. Through these sources of revenue, we were able to sustain our programs, staff, and operations.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
The COVID-19 pandemic affected many aspects of our organization's delivery of programs. There were difficulties created by the pandemic's shutdown of most Dependency Court operations and limitations, leading to our GAL advocates' inabilities to visit children and observe them in their placements. Nevertheless, our GAL advocates and volunteers immediately transitioned from making home visits to children and having live meetings with case workers, educators, doctors, psychologists, and other service providers, to conducting teleconferences, Skype and Zoom meetings, and using other means of telecommunications to connect directly with children. Astoundingly, the COVID-19-related safety precautions and restrictions aided in our program's ability to connect with necessary child welfare system members (including case workers, mental/medical healthcare providers, educators and others) to expedite decision-making on behalf of the dependent children served.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Our organization adapted to the changing conditions caused by COVID-19 by implementing innovative solutions in response to our population's growing needs. Organizationally, the impact of COVID-19 has shifted our collective work into a triage center that is addressing the most basic of necessities and insecurities our population faces surrounding access to food, housing, and transportation. Most notably, the social development of children, once deemed the cornerstone of our Children’s Needs Program to allow children in dependency to carry a “normal” childhood, have all but disappeared. While the long-term impact of COVID-19 on our youth, children, and families continues to unveil, our organization remains steadfast in providing resources to mitigate our population's insecurities.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
Our organization will continue to utilize Zoom, Skype, Facetime and other means of telecommunications to ensure our population's best interests. Through these platforms, we will continue to offer financial assistance, enrichment opportunities, and other educational, social, and health resources/services.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 5/1/2021 | 2019 | 92.39 | |
| 4/1/2021 | 2019 | 89.12 |  |
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. | |||
| 8/1/2019 | 2018 | 90.13 | |
| 10/1/2018 | 2017 | 92.95 | |
| 12/22/2017 | 2016 | 90.17 | |
| 11/1/2016 | 2015 | 90.90 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 92.52 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 11/1/2015 | 2014 | 90.58 | |
| 5/1/2015 | 2013 | 83.86 | |
| 12/20/2013 | 2012 | 82.01 | |
| 12/1/2012 | 2011 | 78.40 |  |
| 12/1/2011 | 2010 | 88.74 | |
| 9/20/2011 | 2010 | 87.71 | |
| Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
| 10/1/2010 | 2009 | 95.04 | |
| 10/1/2009 | 2008 | 92.63 | |
| 4/1/2008 | 2006 | 95.11 | |
| 5/1/2007 | 2005 | 86.72 | |
| 7/1/2006 | 2004 | 82.98 | |
| 3/1/2006 | 2003 | 79.15 | |
Previous: Finance & Accountability / Next: Leadership & Adaptability
Impact & Results
This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Impact & Results Score
Not Currently Scored
Voices For Children Foundation, Inc. cannot currently be evaluated by our Encompass Rating 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.
Do you work at Voices For Children Foundation, Inc.? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
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Largest Programs
Voices For Children Foundation, Inc. reported its two largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
$2,952,005
Spent in most recent FY
80%
Percent of program expenses
Legal Advocacy and Support for Children
$727,252
Spent in most recent FY
19%
Percent of program expenses
Children's Need Program
Previous: Impact & Results / Next: Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
This score 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.
Leadership & Adaptability Score
100
out of 100
The score earned by Voices For Children Foundation, Inc. is a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating.
Encompass Rating V4 provides an evaluation of the organization's Leadership & Adaptability through the nonprofit organization submitting a survey response directly to Charity Navigator.
Leadership & Adaptability Report
100
of 100 points
Mission
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s mission
TO RAISE FUNDS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY ABUSED, ABANDONED, AND NEGLECTED CHILD IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HAS A COURT APPOINTED GUARDIAN AD LITEM ADVOCATE AND THAT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEIR ACCOMPANYING HEALTH, EDUCATIONAL, AND SOCIAL NEEDS.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Voices For Children is a leader among peer organizations concerned with the support and future success of abused, abandoned, or neglected children and youth.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Strategic Goals
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Our goal is to provide Guardian ad Litem representation to every child in Miami-Dade County's dependency system as well as financial and social support to ensure that each child’s voice is heard.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Goal Two: Provide leadership for the child welfare community to improve the overall emotional health of the community while providing support to agencies committed to breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Three: Identify partner organizations and work together to break down existing silos and provide a better system for the children who enter the child welfare system.
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
Voices For Children Foundation is invested in the development of our staff and leaders. Over the past 12-18 months, our organization has implemented staff development incentives, trainings, educational scholarships, and paid opportunities for staff to become members of national associations.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Mobilizing for Mission
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
Our leadership and staff focuses externally on mobilizing our organization's mission through networking, strategic partnerships, policy/advocacy, and awareness. Our organization has established strong relationships with over 30 community organizations/agencies committed to changing the lives of children involved in the child welfare system. Additionally, through the longstanding support and fiscal sponsorship from numerous private sector foundations and corporations, as well as government entities, we continue to advance our mission of providing advocacy and resources to every child in Miami-Dade County's dependency system. Our President and CEO, Nelson Hincapie, and COO, Tania Rodriguez, continue to be involved in civic engagement, conferences, and presentations to bring awareness to the issues surrounding our youth and children. At the legislative level, our organization continues to advocate and engage in policy that supports the best interests of youth involved in child welfare.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Story of Adaptability
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
The inadvertent challenges brought by COVID-19, forced our organization to adapt tremendously in the last year. Our personnel transitioned to working remotely; innovating the capacity of our administrative tasks, fundraising, and programmatic operations to continue to support our staff and services to our population. Unfortunately, our annual fundraising events were cancelled due to the ongoing negative effects of COVID-19, thus forcing us to shift our fundraising strategies to prioritize the identification and cultivation of new donors. We were extremely fortunate to secure private and government funding to maintain our programs and operations. Our GAL Program advocates have and continue to provide uninterrupted remote advocacy via Zoom, Skype, and Facetime. We are pleased to report that despite the lingering effects of COVID-19 on the world in general, and dependent children in particular, Voices For Children and the GAL Program were able to provide representation for nearly 100% of children (ranging from birth to 18 years of age) in Miami-Dade County's dependency system. Remarkably, the COVID-19-related safety precautions and restrictions requiring remote operations helped facilitate our Permanency Specialist's (a position that focuses exclusively on expediting permanent placements for children ages 5 years and under) ability to convene needed case workers, mental/medical healthcare providers, educators and others in “intensive staffings,” which are a prerequisite for achieving child permanency. Traditionally, these staffings have been delayed due to the challenges of coordinating in-person meetings. Virtual meetings are expected to continue post-pandemic so more children can achieve permanency as quickly as possible.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
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Organization Leadership
Nelson F. Hincapie
President & CEO
Vince Castro
Chair
Previous: Leadership & Adaptability
Culture & Community
This score provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves. Learn more about how and why we rate Culture & Community.
Culture & Community Score
Not Currently Scored
Voices For Children Foundation, Inc. is currently not eligible for a Culture & Community score because we have not received its Constituent Feedback or Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion data. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the How We Listen and Equity Practices sections of their Candid profile.
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.
Culture & Community Report
Unscored
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
This organization has not provided information regarding the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Methodology
We are utilizing data collected by Candid to document and assess the DEI practices implemented by the organization. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the Equity Strategies section of their Candid profiles to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Constituent Feedback
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.
Methodology
We've partnered with Candid to survey organizations about their feedback practices. Nonprofit organizations can fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Analysis and Research
Like the overall Encompass Rating System, the Culture & Community Beacon is designed to evolve as metrics are developed and ready for integration. Below you can find more information about the metrics we currently evaluate in this beacon and their relevance to nonprofit performance.
Constituent Feedback
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
