Families Forward

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
330086043
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Irvine, CA, USA
Phone
9495522727
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,712,817
Expenses
$10,805,236
Assets
$33,884,290
Liabilities
$4,256,991

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

Leadership & pay

33 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CAO VICTOR (DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT)
  • HIRNEISE MADELYNN (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • HIRNEISE MADELYNN (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $222,438 total reported compensation
  • SILVA MICHELE (CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER): $201,006 total reported compensation
  • MOHENDRA NISHTHA (CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER): $171,998 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of families forward is to prevent and end family homelessness by providing access to housing and resources that create lasting stability. In fy25, we provided housing, food, and supportive services to more than 17,836 unduplicated individuals.

What it reported doing in 2024

The families forward housing program offers housing and supportive services to families at risk of or experiencing homelessness, giving families stability and the opportunity to thrive. Our housing program provides families with a wide range of housing solutions, including homeless prevention services, emergency motel stays, interim housing, rapid rehousing, rental assistance, and affordable housing opportunities. Personalized supportive services include career coaching, mental health counseling, financial literacy, case management, and housing navigation. Families forward prevented or ended homelessness for 671 families (2,289 children and their parents). During the same time, 95% of graduating families remained stably housed one year after completing its housing program.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 68% for direct work, and 32% 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 reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 70
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 89.7%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.89 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • 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; 72nd 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; 66th 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: 15%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.14; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.9% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 79% of revenue deployed · 89.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 29 of 29 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $9.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $222K · 33 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 36/100.