Compass House

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237363167
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Buffalo, NY, USA
Phone
7168861351
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Children's, Youth Services

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,385,597
Expenses
$2,338,498
Assets
$2,392,192
Liabilities
$36,832

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARISSA A COHELEY (PRESIDENT)
  • TIFFANY BELL (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LISA FREEMAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • LISA FREEMAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $83,205 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To provide safe shelter and services for runaway and homeless youth in an atmosphere supporting the dignity, respect and self-sufficiency of each youth.

What it reported doing in 2025

We provide shelter and services to both male and female youth ages 12-17. It is a 13 bed shelter and each resident is assigned a case manager to work on their case with them. The shelter is free and voluntary and is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Our safe place program enables youth to access services throughout erie county at all tops markets as well as any nfta buses. The number of clients served was 241.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 79% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 78% for direct work, and 22% for 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 total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 42
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 87.3%; rating input score 87
  • Program expense ratio: 88.9%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $72.64 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 85; 85th 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: 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: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.02; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.6%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 87.3% of revenue deployed · 88.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $83K · 20 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 33/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.