Guardian Group
Guardian Group
Bend OR | IRS ruling year: 2007 | EIN: 72-1613750
Guardian Group's mission is to prevent and disrupt the sex trafficking of women and children in the United States.
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Bend OR | IRS ruling year: 2007 | EIN: 72-1613750
Guardian Group's mission is to prevent and disrupt the sex trafficking of women and children in the United States.
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This charity's score is 100%, 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: 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!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Guardian Group is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
Guardian Group has earned a 100% 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 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
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
No Data Available
Revenue and expense data is not available for this organization. This data is only available if this charity has at least one year of electronically-filed Form 990 data filed within the last six years.
No Data Available
Key Persons data is currently unavailable for this organization. This data is only available if this charity has at least one year of electronically-filed Form 990 data filed within the last six years.
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
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 (Guardian Group) or EIN (721613750) 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.
Guardian Group reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Administrative Capacity
Grants Received
Balance Sheet
Increase in program requests
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Donations to our organization declined immediately. There were a few donors who had pledged to give a larger End of Year donation were unable to fulfill those pledges. However, we continued to focus on our donor cultivation and made it our focus to stay in touch with donors conveying our concern for them as individuals. We were forced to cancel all in-person fundraisers.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
As law enforcement and other public service agencies continue to be overextended in order to handle the impact of COVID-19, the need for and value of our support and services are amplified. Guardian Group is being asked to support law enforcement, hotels and community partners at a much higher capacity as a result of the crisis and the increased risk to sex trafficking victims. Guardian Group remains committed to protecting our most vulnerable and to looking for those who are lost and caught in exploitation. The main objective of this immediate support work is to enable law enforcement and other public service agencies to protect vulnerable youth who are being recruited and sexually exploited.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
• Created our own Learning Management System (LMS) to allow for customization, timely adjustments and scalability • Built online Law Enforcement training • Moving into GSA Advantage (online shopping and ordering system that provides access to thousands of contractors) • Created a Podcast to reach more community members • Participated in 13 different webinars or podcast Training Awareness Events • Published a 4-part series examining the effects of COVID 19 on the Underground Commercial Sex Economy
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
Due to the long-term ramifications of COVID-19 and in-person gatherings still unknown, Guardian Group had to pivot very quickly and bring its training materials to an online learning system. This move ensures that communities and industries have access to this crucial training. The need for online training is critical as the COVID-19 crisis is creating vulnerabilities in already vulnerable populations, as many children are out of school and home with unlimited online access, and as the normal safeguards for children (teachers, school systems, after-school programs) are not available.
Not Currently Scored
Guardian Group cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
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No 990 Program Data Found
Guardian Group 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.
1) victims of sexual violence in the U.S. who are often minors; 2) law enforcement agencies that have limited resources; 3) community members, industry professionals & businesses who struggle to identify trafficking.
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), Case management notes, Community meetings or town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email
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
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Guardian Group prides itself on keeping current and up-to-date on the problem of human trafficking in the US, as well as best practices and solutions to deter it. We invite, and even require feedback during our in-person and online trainings, which have been integrated into the updates sent to those we serve as well as into newer versions of Guardian Group trainings.
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.
Guardian Group 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
Guardian Group's mission is to prevent and disrupt the sex trafficking of women and children while enabling partners to identify victims and predators in the United States.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Guardian Group's vision is that every child in the United States would live free from this form of slavery and the threat of it, where the innocence of children is reclaimed and restored, and where Guardian Group is the most trusted and effective resource in the fight against human trafficking in the United States.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Increasing child sex trafficking victim identification to law enforcement.
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Goal Two: Scaling Guardian Group’s sector-specific training for healthcare, law enforcement, and hospitality professionals to successfully identify victims nationwide.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Growing our team and improving our infrastructure are critical to expanding the innovative ways we bring the full fight to sex trafficking.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
We invest in our team through an annual strategy and leadership retreat and through identifying with each team member during performance evaluations goals for and progress on professional and leadership development.
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
Policy Advocacy
Since our formation, we have valued the team of teams approach to proactively solving this problem. We have formed task forces and collaborations, assisted in the development of councils and sit on numerous advisory teams focused on the issue of human trafficking. Guardian Group is purpose-built to be a force multiplier for Law Enforcement agencies across the United States. We provide free training to law enforcement and first responders in order to ensure they have the most up to date techniques used by sex traffickers. Further, we provide training to the hospitality industry, the health care community, and other community venues in order to inoculate communities against sex trafficking. Our work with renowned higher education institutions, companies and thought leaders across the nation is proving to be an incomparable collaboration.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
The year of 2020 has been historical in countless ways and many of us were forced to pivot and adapt throughout the year. The fight against sex trafficking was no different. Predators ramped up the recruitment of victims the moment schools closed. Children were given the stay- at-home order and suddenly online at a much higher volume allowing traffickers to recruit from the safety of their own living room couches. Alongside the recruitment of children, many young adults lost jobs and fell into a state of vulnerability created by a lack of income making them prime targets for traffickers as well. Simultaneously, there was a drastic decline in law enforcement’s ability to interact with victims due to the pandemic and the events thereafter. Second only to friends and family, law enforcement is the most likely place for victims of sex trafficking to find help. This combination of events has only increased the complexities associated with combating domestic sex trafficking. Without the ability to travel and provide in-person training Guardian Group developed an online course exclusively for law enforcement. This course, along with our revamped hotel and community courses, have been a great avenue for providing training during the year despite the restrictions. As law enforcement and other public service agencies continue to be overextended in order to handle the impact of COVID-19, requests for Guardian Group's support did not slow down but, instead slightly increased. Throughout the year the PURSUIT™ team has been tirelessly fielding requests for support from law enforcement agencies and community members across the country, while simultaneously developing out new leads daily.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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