Ampersand Families

What it reported doing in 2024

Youth department: our youth department works to support youth in foster care in need of an adoptive family, in fy25 we supported a total of 51 youth through our child specific recruitment. These services are youth centered and focused on finding families for youth based on their specific needs and desires; 7 of these cases closed with an adoption plan. Our myvoice program provides peer support and youth leadership opportunities for young people throughout Minnesota ages 12-22 who have lived experience in the foster care/adoption system. In fy25, we provided 97 opportunities/events for youth to participate in; engaged 104 individual youth; who participated in myvoice programming 762 times. See schedule o for additional program language.we provide clinical supports to families, to help support permanency placements, prevent disruptions, and support the mental health needs of the youth and families we work with. In fy25, we provided 30 clinical assessments and provided recommendations to families based on those assessments. The Minnesota heart gallery helps youth waiting for adoptive families with a photo session provided by volunteer photographers. These photos are used to help recruit adoptive families also provides youth in foster care an opportunity to see themselves as they never have before. In fy25, we provided 53 youth with professional photo sessions. Kin link department: our kin link department provides relative search and engagement services to identify relatives and kin willing to provide placement and support for youth in order to keep kids connected to family, community, and culture. In fy25 we expanded our programing by adding 7 counties. We served 83 youth at the initial point of children entering foster care through our 30 days to family programming; we served 54 youth who have been in the foster care system for some time through our relative search and engagement services. Family department: the family department partners with relative and non-relative families in the child welfare system and provides individualized support and coordination through the child foster care and adoption licensing process, match services for non-relative families seeking to adopt a youth from Minnesota's foster care system, placement support, advocacy, case management, communication and partnership with counties and other community partners and resources, training, and support services and resources. In fy25, ampersand's family department completed 30 home study assessments, required for child foster care/adoption. All of these families also received training provided through ampersand families, specific to the needs of youth in foster care, trauma-informed parenting, the child welfare system and processes, parenting in a diverse society, supporting and affirming a youth's whole identity, etc. To support families, mitigate barriers, and prevent disruption, the family department held monthly support groups, completed three family retreats, and provided many referrals to community resources and provided financial assistance for housing, child care, basic needs, transportation, etc.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 88.3%; rating input score 88
• Program expense ratio: 75.6%; rating input score 76
• Fundraising efficiency: $15.24 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

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: 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: -16.8%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.39; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.65; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.3%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 13.8% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings