Dignity Grows Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
852708901
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
Hartford, CT, USA
Phone
8607275713
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and Fund Distribution

Reported finances

Revenue
$865,607
Expenses
$703,178
Assets
$531,273
Liabilities
$133,132

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Jennifer Tolman (President & COO)
  • Jessica Zachs (Board Chair/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • Jennifer Tolman (President & COO): $86,400 total reported compensation
  • Jessica Zachs (Board Chair/CEO): $1 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Dignity Grows is at the forefront of the response to the skyrocketing rate of Period Poverty through groundbreaking national research in partnership with top academic institutions, data-driven social policy change fostered by an extensive collaborative network, and national assemblies of powerhouse philanthropic, industry, and community change-makers. As the nonprofit leader in systemic change to end Period Poverty in the USA, the Dignity Grows model ensures direct hygiene support for tens of thousands of women and girls each year through the Hope in a Bag and Hope in a Backpack programs, powered by a collaborative, curated nexus of 60+ metro-area communities. Dignity Grows is the only national movement supplying menstrual hygiene necessities paired with comprehensive hygiene products for individuals and families to access in their own homes.

What it reported doing in 2024

Dignity Grows launched the Period Poverty Institute of America in 2024, establishing the nation's first clearinghouse for research, educational materials, and action-focused collaboration dedicated to this critical public health issue. The Institute provides a virtual home for evidence-based resources and data-driven strategies, elevating Period Poverty from an often overlooked challenge to a recognized determinant of health and opportunity. Dignity Grows' ongoing National Research Initiative on Period Poverty focuses on the prevalence and lived experience of Period Poverty, in conjunction with the Institute. By fostering innovation and access to menstrual equity education, the Institute positions Dignity Grows at the forefront of systemic solutions to end Period Poverty in America.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 91% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 71
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.1%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 81.4%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $9.82 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 86.2%; rating input score 86; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 18.8%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.76; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.25; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.3%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 48.8% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 48.5% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 59.8% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 66.1% of revenue deployed · 81.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 7 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $572K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $86K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 40 of 41 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 37/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 28/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 30/100.