Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Delaware Valley

What it reported doing in 2024

Financial empowerment (public support): clarifi's financial empowerment program utilizes a relationship-based, case management approach to counseling individuals towards financial resilience. Counselors build long-term relationships with clients based on empathy and trust, helping them set their own financial goals such as reduced debt, improved credit, and increased savings and create a step-by-step action plan for achieving them. During initial appointments, counselors work with their clients to complete an income/expense analysis, identify financial goals, and develop a written action plan for achieving said goals. Counselors also follow up with clients at 30, 60, and 90 days post-appointment to check in on progress, record outcomes, connect the client with additional resources, and schedule further appointments. Services are often provided in community-based locations in partnership with organizations like careerlink and children's hospital of philadelphia. There are no eligibility requirements and no limitations on the volume of service per client. Clients often return for multiple follow-up appointments. This methodology increases the chance that each client makes positive behavioral changes and maintains financially healthy behaviors over time, both of which yield strong, measurable long-term outcomes. In 2024, clarifi provided 3,742 financial empowerment counseling sessions to 2,255 unique clients. Of those clients, 261 reduced use of short-term credit, 604 established emergency savings, 71 established a credit profile, 276 increased their credit score by 35+ points, and 850 achieved and maintained capacity to meet basic needs for 90 days.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 78.5%; rating input score 78
• Program expense ratio: 80.6%; rating input score 81
• Fundraising efficiency: $25.16 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • 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: No; rating input score 0

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 4.3%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.61; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.37; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 9.3%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -1.3% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -0.9% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings