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Human Services : Social Services

The Cara Program

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Impact Information is available from our partner, Classy

four stars

90.78

237 South Desplaines Street Chicago, IL 60661
tel: (312) 798-3300   Web Site
EIN: 36-4268095

Board Leadership
Bill Conroy
Chairman

CEO
Maria Kim
President & CEO

 
 
  Score
(out of 100) 		Rating
Overall Score & Rating 90.78 four stars
  Financial 86.97 three stars
  Accountability & Transparency 100.00 four stars
This rating was published 06/01/2019 and includes data from FY2018, the most recent 990 received at that time.
Why isn't this based on more recent data?

Cara mission is to unlock the power and purpose within our communities and ourselves to achieve real and lasting success. Through our personal and professional skills training and access to employment opportunities, Cara serves as a leader in poverty alleviation in Chicago and beyond. Since 1991, we have placed more than 6,500 individuals into more than 10,000 jobs at one-year retention rates of 70% or better, catalyzing the same number of families to stop the transfer of poverty from one generation to the next. Additionally, Cara leverages a social enterprise model in which we create or provide access to transitional or temporary jobs in the private sector through our businesses: Cleanslate, a neighborhood beautification business, and Cara Connects, a mission-driven staffing firm.

Cara mission is to unlock the power and purpose within our communities and ourselves to achieve real and lasting success. Through our personal and professional skills training and access to employment opportunities, Cara serves as a leader in poverty alleviation in Chicago and beyond. Since 1991, we have placed more than 6,500 individuals into more than 10,000 jobs at one-year retention rates of 70% or better, catalyzing the same number of families to stop the transfer of poverty from one generation to the next. Additionally, Cara leverages a social enterprise model in which we create or provide access to transitional or temporary jobs in the private sector through our businesses: Cleanslate, a neighborhood beautification business, and Cara Connects, a mission-driven staffing firm.

Impact Information

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Classy created Progress to help nonprofits and social enterprises articulate their performance by combining qualitative insights on program strategies and beneficiaries, with quantitative metrics on social problems, short term outputs and long term intended outcomes.  Learn More about Impact Information.
Program Name: Cara - Hope, Jobs, & Opportunity
Problem

According to Heartland Alliance’s 2015 Report on Illinois Poverty, a staggering 24% of Chicagoans currently live at/below the federal poverty level. An additional 22% live on the precipice of poverty, often one illness or accident away from plunging into homelessness. Despite the overall drop in Chicago’s unemployment rate, some of the city’s most impoverished communities are still facing 20% unemployment. Permanent, quality employment is needed to break the cycles of poverty and homelessness.

Strategy

Cara provides life- and career-skills training, transitional employment, permanent job placement, employment retention support, and career advancement services on an ongoing basis. Former students on staff help inform the program design, as well as ongoing student feedback. The Downtown Campus accepts 10 classes a year with an average of 30-50 students who will complete a minimum of four weeks of training. Our Quad Communities Campus holds two orientations per month to recruit for core services.

IF:THEN

IF Cara sustains its resources...

THEN Individuals affected by poverty can access a comprehensive workforce development program

IF Cara students participate Cara's life- and career-skills training...

THEN those students will become send-out-eligible

IF Cara students become send-out eligible...

THEN They can gain quality employment through Cara's businesses or corporate employment partners

IF Cara students gain quality employment...

THEN they will secure housing, establish a savings, and reunite with families

IF Cara students become economically self sufficient and examples of change in their communities...

THEN the cycle of poverty will be broken
Classy Awards: The Classy Awards recognize the innovative work of nonprofits around the world. Classy Award nominees articulate the impact of their programs through a data driven framework which combines qualitative insights with quantitative metrics.
This impact information is current as of October 2018, when it was provided to us by Classy. At this time, Impact information published on this organization's page has no effect on its rating per our methodology.

Learn more about how we calculate the overall score and rating.

Financial

three stars

86.97

Accountability & Transparency

four stars

100.00

This rating was published 06/01/2019 and includes data from FY2018, the most recent 990 received at that time.
Why isn't this based on more recent data?
Overall Rating Chart
  Program Expenses
(Percent of the charity's total expenses spent on the programs
and services it delivers)		 74.4%
  Administrative Expenses 14.0%
  Fundraising Expenses 11.4%
  Fundraising Efficiency $0.18
  Working Capital Ratio (years) 1.03
  Program Expenses Growth 12.5%
  Liabilities to Assets 29.5%
All data for Financial Performance Metrics calculations was provided by The Cara Program on recent 990s filed with the IRS.
All data for Financial Performance Metrics calculations was provided by The Cara Program on recent 990s filed with the IRS.
Information Provided on the Form 990  
  Independent Voting Board Members
  No Material diversion of assets
  Audited financials prepared by independent accountant
  Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From related parties
  Documents Board Meeting Minutes
  Provided copy of Form 990 to organization's governing body in advance of filing
  Conflict of Interest Policy
  Whistleblower Policy
  Records Retention and Destruction Policy
  CEO listed with salary
  Process for determining CEO compensation
  Board Listed / Board Members Not Compensated
Is the following information easily accessible on the charity's website?  
  Donor Privacy Policy
  Board Members Listed
  Audited Financials
  Form 990
  Key staff listed

Highly Rated

Charity Name & State Overall Score Overall Rating
The Cara Program (IL) 90.78 four stars
New Memphis Institute (TN) 88.98 three stars
East Bay Alliance for A Sustainable Economy (CA) 91.25 four stars
Cincinnati Works (OH) 90.28 four stars
FareStart (WA) 92.91 four stars

Compare These Charities (Highly Rated)

REVENUE  
Contributions  
   Contributions, Gifts & Grants $3,684,690
   Federated Campaigns $120,000
   Membership Dues $580
   Fundraising Events $656,222
   Related Organizations $0
   Government Grants $1,090,693
Total Contributions $5,552,185
   Program Service Revenue $4,252,054
Total Primary Revenue $9,804,239
   Other Revenue $107,176
TOTAL REVENUE $9,911,415
   
EXPENSES  
   Program Expenses $7,165,699
   Administrative Expenses $1,183,165
   Fundraising Expenses $954,756
TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES $9,303,620
   
Payments to Affiliates $0
Excess (or Deficit) for the year $607,795
   
Net Assets $8,457,968

Program names and associated costs are listed for the top programs as reported on the charity's most recently filed Form 990. The top programs displayed will include the largest three programs, or those programs covering at least 60% of the charity's total expenses, whichever comes first.

Program Name Amount Spent % of Program Expenses
TCP Staffing $2,307,620 32.2%
Clean Slate $1,914,105 26.7%
Traditional Training & Placement Program $1,668,198 23.3%

Ratings History

Form 990 FYE Date Published Overall Score Overall Rating
CN 2.1
2018-06 06/01/2019 90.78 four stars
2017-06 11/01/2018 89.59 three stars
2017-06 07/01/2018 88.48 three stars
2016-06 08/01/2017 85.80 three stars
2015-06 08/01/2016 84.33 three stars
2014-06 06/01/2016 86.32 three stars
 
CN 2.0
2014-06 08/01/2015 90.18 four stars
2014-06 07/01/2015 89.78 three stars
2013-06 08/01/2014 83.64 three stars
2013-06 07/01/2014 82.11 three stars
2011-12 02/01/2013 90.52 four stars
2010-12 12/01/2011 92.46 four stars
2009-12 09/20/2011 96.80 four stars
 
CN 1.0
2009-12 12/22/2010 97.89 four stars
2008-12 11/01/2010 90.62 four stars

The data displayed on this tab is provided by the IRS in the form of Publication 78 and the Business Master File (BMF).

EIN 36-4268095
Name in IRS Master File CARA PROGRAM
NTEE Code J20
NTEE Classification Employment Procurement Assistance, Job Training
NTEE Type Employment, Job-Related
Classification Educational Organization
Subsection 501(c)(3)  (View the list of codes)
Activities
Foundation Status Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public   170(b)(1)(A)(vi)
Deductibility Contributions are deductible
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).
Group Name [Not Applicable]
Ruling Date March, 1999
Filing Requirement 990 (all other) or 990EZ return
Fiscal Year End June
IRS Forms 990
(provided courtesy of Foundation Center)		 (Log In or Register Now to View Forms 990!)
  • June, 2018
  • June, 2017
  • June, 2016
  • June, 2015
  • June, 2014
Compensation % of Expenses Paid to Title
$182,300 1.95% Maria Kim President, CEO

Highly Rated

Charity Name & State Overall Score Overall Rating
The Cara Program (IL) 90.78 four stars
Goodwill Industries of Denver (CO) 87.36 three stars
Goodwill Industries of Houston (TX) 87.28 three stars
Nontraditional Employment for Women (NY) 86.96 three stars
Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) (NY) 85.90 three stars

Compare These Charities (Highly Rated)

This charity has an official representative registered with Charity Navigator.

Charity Contact Info

The Cara Program
237 South Desplaines Street
Chicago, IL 60661
tel: (312) 798-3300
EIN: 36-4268095

Visit Web Site

Board Leadership

Bill Conroy
Chairman

CEO

Maria Kim
President & CEO

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