Free From Hardship LA
Legal name: Free From Hardship La Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 851064249
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2023–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2022
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA, US
- Phone
- +1-310-345-0313
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Homeless Shelters
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $559,799
- Expenses
- $498,541
- Assets
- $121,271
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
4 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- CELESTIAL SCOTT (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
- DIANA SAUNDERS (PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- CELESTIAL SCOTT (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $74,627 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Our goal is to help individuals break the cycle of incarceration and lead productive lives.
What it reported doing in 2024
Housing Support: Served 1850 people.Created supportive environment for individuals in recovery addressing the need for a safe and structured space during the crucial phase of sobriety. With 24 7 staff support evidence-based therapies and a strong sense of community our safe and sober home offers a haven for those seeking to rebuild their lives free from substance abuse.Career Development: Our workforce readiness services in an atmosphere of dignity that enhances the lives of those seeking to become self-sufficient. We help individuals feel empowered to enter the workforce with confidence through multifaceted training connections and interview preparation to jobs that match their skills and interests. Housing for Woman: FHHLA provides support for women and families struggling with trauma domestic violence and substance abuse as well as re-entry into society after incarceration. Our wrap-around services provide comprehensive care to each individual and their family. We help them redefine their futures and build a foundation of stability for themselves and their families.Behavioral Health Program: We partner with treatment programs using cognitive behavior approaches coupled with more traditional twelve-step and relapse prevention services that are helping break the cycles of recidivism. Programs are provided for both individuals and women parenting children as well as for youth referred by the criminal justice system. Total 40 permanent housing facility provided and 4 communities served.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 65% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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
STRONG - 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 total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 82
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 70
- Sustainability: 46
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 79.1%; rating input score 79
- Program expense ratio: 88.9%; rating input score 89
- Fundraising efficiency: $58.46 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 75%; rating input score 75; 16th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 10.9%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.24; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 15%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 116% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 94.3% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 58.3% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 7 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 79.1% of revenue deployed · 88.9% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $443K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $75K · 4 people listed
- Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
- 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: 2 of 7 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 23/100.