Heart of Maine United Way

Overview

Mission

Since 1937, heart of Maine united way (homeuw) has been mobilizing the caring power of people and communities throughout hancock, penobscot, piscataquis, somerset, waldo, and Washington counties to provide essential services and identify solutions aimed at creating lasting changes to the root causes of the community's most pressing needs. Homeuw is focused on improving basic needs, substance use disorder and early childhood development. We accomplish our results by bringing together subject experts, business leaders, donors, neighborhoods, and members of local nonprofit agencies. These community members help identify our community's most critical social issues. In forming these partnerships, we are better able to address the underlying causes of problems in our community and prevent them from happening. Homeuw raises funds from the community to address the underlying root cause of the community's most pressing issues. In the past year more than 134,000 individuals were supported throug

What it reported doing in 2024

Others - neighbors united - this initiative leverages homeuw's connections in the business and nonprofit sectors to help provide needed supplies to residents across our six-counties. Homeuw works with nonprofits and businesses to connect those in need of supplies with those willing to donate the needed items through our neighbors united drives. In the last year, homeuw helped our neighbors in need obtain over 152,000 worth of goods (diapers, socks, toothbrushes, school supplies etc.) via donations and neighbors united drives. Fuel assistance fund -this initiative provides small grants that help families stay safe through the winter by providing funds for emergency heating assistance, energy audits, winterization, weatherization, and hands-on training in energy savings methods. In the past year, this program provided 17,452 in grants to non-profits in homeuw's service area to help local families and individuals in need of emergency assistance. Food security - homeuw has had a long-standing focus on food security through programs like the fema emergency food & shelter program (efsp), the national association of letter carriers (nalc) food drive, and homeuw's food drives. Homeuw is committed to raising the resources necessary to meet the immediate food security needs for the region while addressing the underlying causes of hunger and working with partners to strengthen the food security network. Over the past 10 years our local nalc food drive has generated over 1 million pounds of food, translating into nearly 825,000 meals valued over 1.9 million dollars. The bundle project -bundle is a collaborative community-based project dedicated to connecting and supporting families in the Maine highlands and focused on the well-being of young children, expecting parents, and caregivers. This project combines a user-friendly website with a community-based effort, making it easier for families to access the support they need. As part of the bundle project, every newborn and their caregiver across the Maine highlands will receive 4 bundle boxes at their healthcare provider. Each bundle box contains carefully selected items that cater to the age-appropriate developmental needs of the child, and the wellbeing of the caregiver. Homeuw is expanding bundle to serve families in hancock, waldo, and Washington counties.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 78% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 68% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
010211478
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Bangor, ME, USA
Phone
2079412800
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Federated Giving Programs

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 96
  • Sustainability: 76
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 51.1%; rating input score 51
  • Program expense ratio: 74.9%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.11 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 71%; rating input score 71; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 39.3%; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.08; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.3%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.2% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.7% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 51.1% of revenue deployed · 74.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 17 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $127K · 17 people listed
  • Consistency: 36 of 37 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 15 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 38 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 37 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • SHIRAR PATTERSON (PRESIDENT &): $127,138 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.