Giving Words Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
823581429
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2023, Form 990-N 2019
Location
Gordonsville, VA, USA
Phone
5402200934
Rating
63
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and Fund Distribution

Reported finances

Revenue
$236,393
Expenses
$179,274
Assets
$153,776
Liabilities
$1,178

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • SAMUEL E BROWN III (EXECUTIVE DI): $70,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Assisting young or single mothers as well as the elderly

What it reported doing in 2025

Student give back program 2025: since this program started, we have been able to give back to the school systems that serve our single mothers. In 2025, we gave away 6 tool kits to outstanding students in the louisa county high school automotive program. Responses from our mothers 1. "wow, where can i begin? Well, i have been really going through tough times because my husband of 23 years walked away and left us to fend for ourselves with one income and a car that needed repairs, bills that needed to be paid, and responsibilities that could not be ignored god surely showed up in every circumstance and continues to show up daily. God sent a group of people into my life during such a tremendous storm, and they (giving words) helped me when no one else could or seemed to care to my car is up and running, i did not lose my job, and my bills are coming along life is still a song and dance every day, but giving words made the song so much sweeter and the dance a lot less strenuous i am truly blessed, and this has given me the ability to take a few more steps towards better days thank you so very much giving words keep doing what you all are doing because so many of us (single parents) out here just need one "yes" of love, kindness and support to make it to the next day (literally)" 2. "i am so excited to have my own vehicle. I feel like i finally have independence. Now, i don't have to wait for a long time for somebody to take me everywhere. I am thankful for everyone who helped me. God has been so faithful to me. I also want to give out a shout out to the giving words team for helping me find a vehicle and everyone else who donated. My heart goes to you all." 3. That first drive home isn't just a trip-it's a fresh start. It means getting to work with confidence, taking children where they need to go, and no longer worrying about how to get through the day.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 39
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 37.4%; rating input score 37
  • Program expense ratio: 47%; rating input score 47
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 24.2%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.86; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 39%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -18.4% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 29.6% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 29.3% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 37.4% of revenue deployed · 47% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $84K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $70K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 37/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 47/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 22/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 37/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 6/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 41/100.