Abby Kelley Foster House Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

Program summary: shelter, housing, and women's services programs operate year-round, seven days per week and 24 hours per day. We have an on-call system in place to address any issues that may arise during non-traditional office hours.overnight shelter: staffed by an associate director of shelter operations, a dedicated shelter advocate, and overnight staff, abby's house's overnight shelter provides women, with and without children, with safe shelter. Operations are also supported by a team of regular volunteers. Intensive case management is provided by the shelter advocate which focuses on helping guests, build a plan to address their immediate needs. We assist them in finding and securing long-term, stable housing-either in abby's house supportive housing or elsewhere; this may include helping them to access residential programs, such as inpatient substance abuse treatment programs, when further stabilization is required in transitioning towards permanent housing.abby's house completed the renovation of the shelter building in 2024 at 21-23 crown street in worcester; this began in july of 2023. The renovation improved the structural integrity of the building, making it fully accessible and expanded the shelter from a congregate setting with 5 rooms and 9 beds to a non-congregate shelter with 13 rooms and 18 beds. Increased living spaces, a dedicated staff office, and two apartments enhanced the capacity to meet the needs of the community that we serve.supportive housing: abby's house is worcester's largest provider of supportive housing specifically designed to meet the needs of women and children. We meet the needs of working women who cannot afford market-rate rent and our options also allow those who are on ssi or ssdi to live safely and comfortably. Abby's house has 3 buildings, which collectively provide seven two-bedroom apartments and 72 single room occupancy housing units. In 2019, abby's house completed the renovation of 52 high street, a century-old building, and our largest property of supportive housing. The renovation added two units of housing, bringing the total count to 56. Our hvac, electrical, plumbing, and security systems were updated and increased accessibility was made possible by a reconfigured entrance, elevator, and accessible kitchens and bedrooms. The renovation preserved this critically needed housing for decades to come.women's services: the women's services team is supported by frontline advocates/case managers who empower women to identify realistic goals and provide the tools needed to achieve them. Individualized services allow us to work with each woman, given her own specific set of circumstances. Advocates help our shelter guests and residents access the services and resources they need to survive and thrive by working consistently with local social service and government agencies. Our goal is to create a system of seamless service provision, support women with the sometimes-daunting task of matching needs with existing resources and assist them with accessing those services. In 2023 we added a women's services clinician to our team to better address the mental health needs of our residents and guests; the clinician offers individual support sessions, clinical care coordination, as well as therapeutic group programming in our women's empowerment center.referral services: we receive a minimum of 20 - 25 calls, emails, or in-person visits per week from women seeking help and provide them with education that empowers them to access needed resources. We provide information and referrals to external agencies that offer a range of supports, including but not limited to domestic violence services, nutrition and income assistance, education, employment, financial literacy, parenting supports, medical services, government-assisted permanent housing, and legal assistance. Developing and maintaining positive working relationships with local professionals and organizations in other areas of human serv

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 99.7%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 82.8%; rating input score 83
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.9 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• 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: 9 of 9 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: 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: -17.8%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.38; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 11.8%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 8.7% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.5% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.6% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings