Commonspace

Overview

Mission

Commonspace creates shared spaces of care, justice, and recovery in all its forms.

What it reported doing in 2024

Lincoln county recovery community center (newcastle): provides recovery coaching, groups, and community support for adults in lincoln county who are challenged by substance use disorders. Recovery-centered housing programs: 28 beds in four separate houses (patty's place, beacon house, brackett st., and nye st.) supporting men and women emerging from homelessness and complex substance use disorders. Freedom place at 66 state street: 38-unit permanent supported housing program, with a recovery focus, for women who have experienced chronic homelessness, complex substance abuse, and legal system involvement. Emergency food and shelter program: provides cooked meals and emergency shelter. Current food and shelter operation is in portland, for asylum-seeking families at our family shelter. Housing supports: supports chronically unhoused portlanders with securing housing and needed items and resources to maintain housing. Project re-entry: a partnership with the cumberland county jail and several partners. Commonspace supports two recovery coaches who work with individuals currently incarcerated and post-discharge from the cumberland county jail. Harm reduction: syringe service program in portland, in partnership with the Maine centers for disease control.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 68% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
010500860
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Portland, ME, USA
Phone
2077731956
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Health - General and Rehabilitative N.E.C.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 15
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 95.6%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 85.6%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -11.6%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.16; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.6; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.7% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.6% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.2% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 95.6% of revenue deployed · 85.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $3.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $131K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 annual filings from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • BRIAN TOWNSEND (EXECUTIVE DI): $131,065 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.