Hands of Peace
Hands of Peace
1000 ELM ST
Glenview IL 60025-2806
Glenview IL | IRS ruling year: 2006 | EIN: 59-3806403
HANDS OF PEACE EMPOWERS AMERICAN, ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN YOUTH TO BECOME AGENTS OF CHANGE.
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1000 ELM ST
Glenview IL 60025-2806
Glenview IL | IRS ruling year: 2006 | EIN: 59-3806403
HANDS OF PEACE EMPOWERS AMERICAN, ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN YOUTH TO BECOME AGENTS OF CHANGE.
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This charity's score is 87%, 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: 85% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 5% 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!
Hands of Peace 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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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
---|---|
70% or higher | Full Credit |
60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
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:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
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 (Hands of Peace) or EIN (593806403) 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.
Hands of Peace reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
Grants Received
Balance Sheet
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Fundraising revenue dropped almost 30% during COVID because we were not able to hold our Summer Program, which drives a lot of funding. In year two, we held a virtual version of the program. We were able, however, to save on staff and program costs, and pivot to a virtual Benefit, so we have actually added to our balance sheet in each of the last two years. Now that programming is scaling up to meet our ambitious plan for a full Summer Program and full alumni program schedule in 2023, we will need to increase donation revenue dramatically to return to our pre-pandemic revenue levels.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Because our programs involve face-to-face dialogue, we have had to drop or adapt many of our programs. Our core Summer Program in 2019 was cancelled, and alumni could not cross the Israel/Palestine border for alumni programs to take place in person. "Zoom fatigue" was a real factor in attracting young people to virtual programming, especially those who were studying online.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Just before COVID hit, we had already begun a year-long review of all of our programs. "Reimagining Hands of Peace" was designed by our Board, including alumni of the program, as a five-stage exploration including extensive focus groups, surveys and working groups with alumni all over the world, as well as donors and volunteers. This led to a focus on offering expanded virtual alumni programs and regular community circle events for education and networking. We were also able to take our two major fundraising and program sharing events online, and they exceeded our expectations.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
By giving us time without our usual programming, the pandemic allowed us to address with creativity and intention what we learned through the Reimagining process. We have hired staff with more experience in program design, created a long-term plan for alumni skill building, are building a mentoring program, and have included more alumni on all decision making bodies including the Board.
Not Currently Scored
Hands of Peace 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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Hands of Peace reported its three largest programs on its FY 2021 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
SUMMER PROGRAM - THE FLAGSHIP SUMMER PROGRAM IS A POWERFUL, UNIFYING EXPERIENCE THAT STARTS YOUNG "HANDS" AGES 14-16 ON THEIR JOURNEY TO BECOMING AGENTS OF CHANGE. FOR THREE WEEKS EACH SUMMER, HANDS O ... (More)
SUMMER PROGRAM - THE FLAGSHIP SUMMER PROGRAM IS A POWERFUL, UNIFYING EXPERIENCE THAT STARTS YOUNG "HANDS" AGES 14-16 ON THEIR JOURNEY TO BECOMING AGENTS OF CHANGE. FOR THREE WEEKS EACH SUMMER, HANDS OF PEACE BRINGS ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN TEENS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST TO CONCURRENT PROGRAMS IN CHICAGO AND SAN DIEGO, WHERE THEY ARE HOSTED IN AMERICAN HOMES AND TAKE PART IN DAILY DIALOGUE AND ACTIVITIES WITH AMERICAN TEENS. IN DIALOGUE GROUPS, LED BY PAIRS OF ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN PROFESSIONAL FACILITATORS, THE TEENS GET TO KNOW PEOPLE FROM "THE OTHER SIDE," LEARN HOW TO LISTEN DEEPLY TO WIDELY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, SHARE THEIR PERSONAL AND SOMETIMES PAINFUL NARRATIVES, AND EXPLORE NONVIOLENT APPROACHES TO FOSTER PEACE, JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND EQUALITY FOR ALL. IN LIGHT OF THE CORONAVIRUS TRANSMISSION, THE HANDS OF PEACE BOARD MADE THE PRUDENT DECISION NOT TO HOLD AN IN-PERSON SUMMER PROGRAM IN 2020 AND 2021. YOUTH WHO WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE ARE AUTOMATICALLY ACCEPTED FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
ALUMNI PROGRAMS - FOLLOWING THE INITIAL SUMMER PROGRAM, HANDS OF PEACE NURTURES IMPACTFUL LEADERS BY DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEACEBUILDING SKILLS IN OUR ALUMNI, WHO NOW N ... (More)
ALUMNI PROGRAMS - FOLLOWING THE INITIAL SUMMER PROGRAM, HANDS OF PEACE NURTURES IMPACTFUL LEADERS BY DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEACEBUILDING SKILLS IN OUR ALUMNI, WHO NOW NUMBER APPROXIMATELY 700 YOUTH AGES 16-32. RECOGNIZING TH (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
RAISING YOUTH VOICES - RAISING YOUTH VOICES BRINGS THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF THE SUMMER PROGRAM TO LOCAL YOUTH IN SAN DIEGO. RAISING YOUTH VOICES OFFERS FACILITATION TRAINING WORKSHOPS TO UNDERS ... (More)
RAISING YOUTH VOICES - RAISING YOUTH VOICES BRINGS THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF THE SUMMER PROGRAM TO LOCAL YOUTH IN SAN DIEGO. RAISING YOUTH VOICES OFFERS FACILITATION TRAINING WORKSHOPS TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, RECRUITING REFUGEES, IMMIGRANTS AND L (Less)
Hands of Peace 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
100% 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.
We serve American, Israeli and Palestinian youth, beginning with their participation in our Summer Program at ages 15-17 and continuing with alumni programming as they age. We also serve community members who support these youth as host families, volunteers and donors.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Paper surveys, Community meetings or town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees
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 funders, Our community partners, Other means
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?
Yes, as mentioned above, we are now asking alumni to participate in or take the lead in planning alumni programming so that it meets their needs and so that they can gain leadership experience in the process. As an example, with two alumni on our Community Circles Committee, and one of them as chair, our community education events have been rescheduled to make it easier for alumni to attend virtually and we always look for ways to have alumni serve as group moderators, presenters or interviewers.
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, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is difficult to get honest feedback from our clients, Other means
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
We specifically solicited and used feedback in 2020 to drive a Reimagining process. Based on the feedback, we are shifting the emphasis of our older alumni programming to include more skills-based programs rather than simply continuing dialogue. We also implemented an Alumni Advisory Council, and have invited alumni to become a part of all decision-making committees and our Board.
This organization has not provided information regarding the Equity Practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Hands of Peace 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
HANDS OF PEACE EMPOWERS YOUNG ISRAELIS, PALESTINIANS, AND AMERICANS AS TO BECOME AGENTS OF CHANGE. THE FOUNDATION OF OUR PROGRAM IS A COMPREHENSIVE GROUP DIALOGUE PROCESS, STRUCTURED TO TAKE INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANTS ON A JOURNEY THAT INCLUDES: 1) EXPLORING THE CONFLICT TOGETHER, 2) EXPOSURE TO EACH OTHER'S NARRATIVES, 3) SHARING OF PERSONAL STORIES FOR GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND COMMON HUMANITY, 4) IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN AS ENGAGED LEADERS.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
WE ENVISION: An interconnected network of youth leaders who contribute to more peaceful communities through: 1) Dialogue across cultures, sides and nations provides the catalyst for individuals to change. Through dialogue, our youth challenge stereotypes, explore identities and confront complex conflicts while learning to listen and communicate to amplify their influence with compassion and understanding. 2) Education for young leaders to learn about diverse narratives, grow knowledge through role models and mentors, awaken what they care about and design their lives as agents of change. 3) Action to take initiative at the grassroots level with the skills to organize, strategize and cultivate resources for the most impact.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Post-COVID: Return to a full Summer Program running concurrently in Chicago and San Diego with for teens who have demonstrated their commitment to becoming agents of change.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Develop a sequence of alumni programs that provide skills and networks that support them as agents of change on the community, regional and international level.
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Goal Three: Expand our fundraising capacity and outreach to diversify our fundraising base and grow giving from current donors.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Hands of Peace invested over 60 team hours to working with a Spark Team from San Diego Social Venture Partners (SVP) so that the Executive Director, Site Director and Development Director could define and refine our Theory of Change. Hands of Peace turned to SVP at a pivotal point in its organizational growth as it began the shift from an established summer peacebuilding program to a robust alumni action network of engaged global citizens advocating for social change. The close relationship between SVP and the organization enabled work to continue despite the disruptions caused by the resurgence of conflict in the Middle East this May. The Hands of Peace team learned a lot from the Partners, and they also learned a lot about working as a team, with several new staff learning about the organization's history, programs, past evaluations, and how to use these materials to develop a cohesive Theory of change.
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
In order to "Grow a Thriving Network of Young Agents of Change," Hands of Peace relies on hundreds of host family and volunteers each year in the U.S., plus partnerships in the U.S. and Middle East. We also need to educate the American hosts and volunteers on the topics of youth leadership, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and dialogue processes so that they can support the youth. We accomplish this by "Serving as a hub for intercultural exchange and education, for a vibrant, international community." Monthly Community Circles include panels, readings, films, and interactive dialogue that reflects our youth programming. Alumni are featured in media and public events. Youth speak at faith congregations during the Summer Program. Staff and alumni speak at national and international conferences as well as to local groups and schools. We have an outstanding Marketing and Communications Specialist to spread our mission and stories through e-newsletters, media and social media, and events.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
When we realized that COVID was going to extend into a second year with continued travel restrictions, barriers to face-to-face meetings and reduced funding, we pivoted quickly to online programs by enhancing our tech capacity, staff training and partnerships. Instead of a three-week in person Summer Program with American, Israeli and Palestinian youth, we offered a four-week eight-session online program that allowed each delegation to meet separately (our research indicated that it could be harmful to connect them online for their first encounter). We conducted Resilience Training for our Middle East alumni to manage stress due to conflict, COVID and other factors. We partnered with another Middle East organization that already has a Negotiations Training program and interactive platform to offer a virtual training for alumni. Fundraising events went virtual with great success, reminding supporters that also it was less visible, their impact is continuing. Last, but perhaps most importantly, we managed to rebuild our staff from four back to 9 people living in 7 different cities in three countries, and create a strong cohesive team.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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