Breaking Ground

What it reported doing in 2024

Street to home outreach program founded on the premise that housing is the essential first step to addressing the complex issues faced by chronically homeless individuals. Street to home is a systematic method of identifying and prioritizing for housing those who have been outdoors the longest and who have the highest risk of premature death on the streets.the chronically homeless are sometimes referred to as "hard to house" due to their non-responsiveness to traditional outreach efforts (e.g., offers of a night in the shelter or a warm meal) and the challenges to stability posed by severe and persistent mental illness, chronic health conditions and alcohol and substance abuse. By taking the time to gain the trust of chronically homeless individuals gradually over time, and offering housing without conditions (e.g., sobriety), street to home demonstrates that these individuals do want a home and can successfully secure and maintain permanent housing.the street to home model was pioneered by breaking ground in 2004 and adopted by the nyc department of homeless services as a citywide strategy in 2007. Through our street to home program, breaking ground makes contact with an average of 1,000 street homeless individuals and connects more than 300 individuals to housing, medical and mental health services, substance abuse counseling, and other essentials supports each year.the caring, individually tailored attention clients receive at each stage of their journey from street to home ensures that more than 90% of people who breaking ground places remain stably housed. Breaking ground and its partners are responsible for covering the entireboroughs of brooklyn and queens, and one-third of manhattan.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 64.1%; rating input score 64
• Program expense ratio: 90.3%; rating input score 90
• Fundraising efficiency: $27.15 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 2nd 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: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 27th 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: 29.6%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.82; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.29; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0.3%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 1.3% per year; rating input score 100; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings