Franciscan Outreach

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
362928835
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
7732786724
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$7,037,782
Expenses
$6,732,742
Assets
$5,684,890
Liabilities
$1,004,877

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

Leadership & pay

22 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBRET SIMPSON (PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ROBRET SIMPSON (PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $162,620 total reported compensation
  • SHARON NELSON (TREASURER & DIRECTOR OF FINANCE): $137,173 total reported compensation
  • LUWANA JOHNSON (SR DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS): $115,570 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Franciscan outreach provides people who are marginalized and homeless with shelter, food, and help in building a better life, while affirming the human dignity of people in need in the chicago area.

What it reported doing in 2024

Sparc: the shelter placement and resource center (sparc) is a physical access point where individuals experiencing homelessness can receive support with shelter requests, shelter transportation, and essential services 24/7. These services include meals, showers, and temporary sleeping arrangements, based on available space. Sparc can accommodate up to 200 individuals at any given time (160 males and 40 females).sparc serves single adults who are at least 18 years old or older. Families who need shelter assistance should go directly to eharc or wait at sparc for transportation pick up from the salvation army (tsa). Through its emergency services and shelter placement coordination with tsa, sparc staff support individuals and families experiencing homelessness by offering immediate relief and connecting them to shelter, where they can receive case management and additional support to gain permanent housing. With a focus on trauma-informed care and harm reduction, the center aims to reduce harm, provide a safe and welcoming environment, and empower clients to take steps towards stability, dignity, and access to the resources they need to rebuild their lives.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 65% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 98% 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.
  • 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. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 42
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78.7%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 82%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $18.35 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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; 63rd 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: 4.3%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.84; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.9%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.7% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.6% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78.7% of revenue deployed · 82% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $5.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $163K · 22 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $245K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 57/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 49/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 47/100.