Denver Rescue Mission
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 846038762
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Aug 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Denver, CO, US
- Phone
- 303.297.1815
- Rating
- 84
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Neighborhood Centers
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $52,957,488
- Expenses
- $51,062,745
- Assets
- $70,152,099
- Liabilities
- $8,824,846
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
26 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- DENNIS D VAN KAMPEN (PRESIDENT/CEO)
- BRAD L MEULI (PRESIDENT/CEO (PART YEAR))
- SETH FORWOOD (VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS - NOCO)
Highest reported compensation
- DENNIS D VAN KAMPEN (PRESIDENT/CEO): $302,705 total reported compensation
- BRAD L MEULI (PRESIDENT/CEO (PART YEAR)): $185,002 total reported compensation
- LILI N TRAN (VP OF HUMAN RESOURCES): $181,748 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Denver Rescue Mission is a Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to helping men, women, and children overcome homelessness and find a path to better lives.
What it reported doing in 2024
The mission's transitional programs help people who are experiencing homelessness despite having a job or steady income, transition into a sustainable, self-sufficient life. From an on-site living program to mentoring and assistance with the first month's rent and deposit on a long-term housing solution, the mission's transitional programs meet the unique needs of working families, the elderly and those with disabilities. The transitional programs include the following: bridge transitional program at the crossing and bridge transitional program youth. Pathway home program serves individuals and families as they transition from homelessness to housing by connecting them with need supports that may be financial or community based.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 76% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 75% for direct work, and 25% for grants.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 75
- Transparency & Controls: 87
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 50
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 80.2%; rating input score 80
- Program expense ratio: 83%; rating input score 83
- Fundraising efficiency: $5.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Pass
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th 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; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 3.6%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.37; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 4.3%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 80.2% of revenue deployed · 83% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $42.4M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $303K · 26 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $6.4M reported
- Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
- Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 14 filed money-flow records
- 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.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 25/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 50/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 50/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 23/100.