Building Changes

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
911410450
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
Phone
2068056100
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
AIDS

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$7,741,301
Expenses
$8,687,132
Assets
$7,587,049
Liabilities
$279,134

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DANIEL ZAVALA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • JUDGE WESLEY SAINT CLAIR (PRESIDENT, CO-CHAIR)
  • SENATOR T'WINA NOBLES (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • DANIEL ZAVALA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $173,760 total reported compensation
  • MEHRET TEKLE-AWARUN (MANAGING DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND PAR): $133,793 total reported compensation
  • NATASHA WEST-BAKER (DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE & CULTURE): $131,865 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Building changes advances equitable responses to homelessness in Washington state, with a focus on children, youth, and families. We work at the intersection of housing, education, and health systems, partnering with communities and public systems to promote racial equity and lasting solutions to homelessness through grantmaking, capacity building, research, and advocacy.

What it reported doing in 2024

Housing crisis: to create stable foundations for individuals experiencing homelessness, our housing initiative advances policy change, advocates for sustainable resources, and holds housing systems accountable. From july 2023 to june 2024, we supported seven community organizations and two tribes, impacting 146 households, including 212 individuals, through the Washington youth & families fund (wyff). We launched three-year wyff projects with eight new grantees and provided direct financial aid to 394 predominantly bipoc households via the centralized diversion fund. Since inception, we've distributed $66.675 million through wyff, supporting 130 grantees across 26 counties and helping thousands transition to stable housing. Our culturally responsive, data-informed, and tailored approach ensures partners receive the support they need.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 72% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 72% of its reported program spending out as grants.

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 revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 91
  • Transparency & Controls: 72
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.3%; rating input score 98
  • Program expense ratio: 85.6%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $28.61 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 96.9%; rating input score 97; 32nd 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: -12.2%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.87; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5.6% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.3% of revenue deployed · 85.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $7.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $174K · 18 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $234K reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 37 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 34 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 29 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.