Community Awareness Resource Entity of Arizona

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
831628498
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2018
Location
Saint Johns, AZ, USA
Phone
9283374000
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alcohol, Drug and Substance Abuse, Dependency Prevention and Treatment

Reported finances

Revenue
$917,430
Expenses
$910,133
Assets
$136,646
Liabilities
$64,858

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOSHUA DICKERSON (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • REBECCA STINSON (MANAGEMENT): $135,960 total reported compensation
  • DONNA HAUSER (Executive Dir.): $128,640 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Community Awareness Resource Entity of Arizona (CareAz) is a community-based organization dedicated to reducing the harmful effects of substance use disorder through comprehensive prevention, treatment, recovery, and reentry support. CareAz recognizes that substance use disorder is deeply interconnected with justice involvement, trauma, and systemic barriers, and works to address these challenges through compassionate, coordinated, and community-driven solutions. Through prevention, CareAz provides education, early intervention, and community outreach initiatives that raise awareness of substance use risks, reduce stigma, and promote healthy decision-making. These efforts focus on strengthening protective factors, supporting families, and empowering individuals with the tools needed to prevent substance misuse before it begins. In its treatment efforts, CareAz connects individuals to evidence-based, culturally responsive services that support stabilization and healing. By collabora

What it reported doing in 2024

Housing and Transportation-The CareAz Housing and Transportation Programs are designed to address two of the most critical barriers faced by individuals impacted by substance use disorder and justice involvement: stable housing and reliable transportation. These programs support individuals and families as they work toward recovery, stability, and successful community reintegration, recognizing that basic needs must be met in order for long-term change to occur. CareAzs Housing Support Program assists individuals transitioning from incarceration, treatment, or crisis situations in securing safe, stable, and supportive housing. The program prioritizes justice-involved individuals and those in recovery who are at heightened risk of homelessness due to limited income, criminal history, or lack of rental references. Through individualized case management, CareAz helps participants navigate housing applications, connect with transitional and permanent housing options, understand tenant responsibilities, and address barriers such as prior evictions or legal restrictions. When available, CareAz also assists with short-term housing stabilization supports and referrals to community partners, shelters, sober living environments, and housing authorities. The program emphasizes housing stability as a foundation for recovery, employment success, and reduced recidivism. By coordinating housing with recovery services, employment support, and behavioral health resources, CareAz helps individuals establish a safe and stable living environment that supports long-term wellness. CareAzs Transportation Support Program ensures individuals have reliable access to essential services and opportunities that are often limited in rural and underserved areas of Apache County. Lack of transportation is a significant barrier to employment, treatment, court compliance, and family reunificationparticularly for justice-involved individuals and those in recovery. The program provides transportation assistance and coordination to help participants attend substance use treatment, behavioral health appointments, court obligations, probation or parole meetings, employment interviews, job sites, educational programs, and essential medical appointments. CareAz works closely with community partners and service providers to coordinate transportation in a way that is efficient, timely, and responsive to individual needs. By removing transportation barriers, CareAz increases participant engagement in services, supports accountability, and improves outcomes related to recovery, employment, and reentry success. Together, the Housing and Transportation Programs create a stabilizing support system that enables individuals to focus on recovery, employment, and personal growth. By addressing these foundational needs through compassionate, coordinated, and community-based solutions, CareAz helps individuals and families move toward independence, reduce crisis-driven service use, and build healthier, more resilient communities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 79% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 90
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 23
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90.2%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 90.9%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $166.44 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.8%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.15; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.47; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 29.1%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.2% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.1% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 30.5% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 90.2% of revenue deployed · 90.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $827K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $136K · 8 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $265K reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 38/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.