Connect the Hearts

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
933137844
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2023
Location
Mission Viejo, CA, USA
Phone
7146206484
Rating
39
Verdict
REVIEW
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Service Organizations
Affiliation
Christianity

Reported finances

Revenue
$87,970
Expenses
$57,043
Assets
$32,466
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

2 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHAEL SAVAGE (President)

People named in this filing

  • GINA WERNER (Secretary)
  • MICHAEL SAVAGE (President)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

We lift up those in need, help restore dignity to every life, and are a bridge for love and hope to those who may have temporarily found themselves without resources. Our goal is to allow Christ to work through us, and more importantly, through you.

What it reported doing in 2025

Guatemalan EffortsIn 2025, Connect the Hearts helped 166 families in three remote mountain communities in need: Las Pen~as, Alcoba and Los Cebollines near Jalapa. The residents of these communities suffer from stomach issues due to contaminated water, as well as respiratory illnesses from exposure to smoke from unvented, wood-burning stoves. We traveled to Guatemala in August 2025 to inspect previously installed water filters and stoves, making sure all is functioning properly. We also began planning stages for new projects: engineering study and materials required for 26,000 gallon water storage tank, road repairs and widening, pit toilet installation, water distribution system, engineering study to bring three phase electrical system for well/pump, annual replacement of water filters, weatherproofing for schoolhouse, maintenance of mental health program. We visited two additional communities, Las Marias and Concepcion de Maria (110 families in all) who need water filtration buckets and smokeless stoves in the future. Connect the Hearts held a fund raising dinner on October 4, 2025 to raise money for these projects. We flew in and hosted Padre Ilcear Lopez (Priest of the Diocese of Jalapa Guatemala) as keynote speaker for the fund raiser.Mexico OutreachConnect the Hearts continued to aid God's children in Mexico through Corazn. In 2025, we built 5 houses and attended one Electrical Installation Training event. Connect the Hearts made a Corazn Fund raising Presentation at Indio California Rotary Club. Connect the Hearts continues to support International Network of Hearts, the charity that runs Casa de Jardin. Casa de Jardin is a group home in Mexico that provides comprehensive residential services and optimal care to survivors of human trafficking. Every month, Connect the Hearts helps to financially support these children (between the ages of 5-17) who are rescued and cared for by this wonderful organization.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 100% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

REVIEW - Revenue has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 44
  • Transparency & Controls: 47
  • Accountability: 6
  • Sustainability: 58
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 40.8%; rating input score 41
  • Program expense ratio: 62.9%; rating input score 63
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 72.7%; rating input score 73; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 0%; rating input score 0; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 35.2%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.57; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -12.5% per year; rating input score 0; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 70.4% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 181.9% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 40.8% of revenue deployed · 62.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 2 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $36K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 2 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 20 current checks pass · 3 findings to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 41/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grants require schedule f did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.