Court Appointed Special Advocates of Morris and Sussex Counties Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Casa is the only court-authorized advocacyy program for children and youth in foster care in morris and sussex counties. We provide the following programs and services to bring children better tomorrows: child advocacy: in this core program, children who are victims of abuse, neglect, and abandonment, and living in foster homes, or residential centers are assigned to trained volunteers for advocacy in the family court system. The colunteer advocates play a critical role in gathering information on each child, organizing it for the court, and making informed recommendations to the court on the next steps necessary to ensure successful outcomes. The volunteers work to provide a strong foundation for each child with educational, medicalm and psychological supports, resources, and services to ensure that each chil is in a safe, nurturing, and permanent home as soon as possible. Throughout each case, volunteers are supervised by casa staff.volunteer recruitment and training: this program's purpose is to provide a steady stream of committed citizens from our community to act as advocates within the family court system for the best interest of children and youth in foster care. Potential volunteers attend information sessions to hear about the plight of abused and neglected children, and the casa mission. The candidates continue through the process of interviews, background checks, volunteer selection, 36 hours of training, and swearing-in ceremonies that are presided over by family court judges. Once sworin, each trainee is approved to receive a case assignment.fostering futures (ff): the ff program's goal is to offer mentoring and advocacy services while empowering youth, ages 14 to 21, to transform their lives beyond the foster care system. Since 2014 this has been an essential program where specially trained volunteer mentors work with youth to investigate their needs, identify aspirations, and develop a plan to acheive goals and skills for independent living. Each mentor is supervised by staff ff program case supervisors for the duration of each case.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 63.5%; rating input score 63
• Program expense ratio: 73.3%; rating input score 73
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.97 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • 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: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 16.1%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.75; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 19.5%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.5% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 17.7% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings