Greater Lowell Health Alliance

What it reported doing in 2024

1. Completed the 2025 community health needs assessment (chna)-in 2025, glha completed the greater lowell community health needs assessment in partnership with umass lowell and regional community partners. The assessment engaged more than 3,200 residents through surveys, conducted 27 focus groups in multiple languages, and incorporated input from hundreds of community stakeholders. Findings socio economic barriers to health and care, as the region's top health priority and will guide the development of the next community health improvement plan (chip) and future community health investments.2. Secured major funding to expand community health initiatives-glha secured significant grant funding in 2025 to advance health equity and improve access to community-based services across greater lowell. This included implementation funding for the healthy youth and parents through partnership & empowerment (hyppe) initiative, as well as additional support for medicaid outreach, perinatal health, and community engagement efforts. These investments strengthened glha's capacity to coordinate regional partnerships and expand programs serving youth, families, and underserved populations.3. Strengthened regional collaboration through community events and task forces-throughout 2025, glha continued to convene partners through its health equity, behavioral health, substance use prevention, maternal and child health, wellness and chronic disease, older adult, and youth working groups. Glha also led community engagement efforts through regional events, including greater lowell pride and other culturally responsive outreach activities.in addition, glha hosted its annual merrimack valley substance use disorder conference and merrimack valley perinatal health summit, providing workforce development and continuing education opportunities for professionals and community-based providers working on the front lines of these critical health issues. Conference topics and educational offerings were informed by needs identified through glha's community health needs assessment and other community engagement efforts, ensuring that participants received relevant training and continuing education in areas identified as regional health priorities. These events strengthened the capacity of the local health and human services workforce, facilitated cross-sector learning and networking, and supported the sharing of evidence-informed practices across the greater lowell region.together, these collaborations, workforce development efforts, and community engagement activities enhanced communication among organizations, elevated community voices, strengthened the capacity of frontline professionals, and advanced coordinated strategies to address priority health needs across the greater lowell region.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 84.4%; rating input score 84
• Program expense ratio: 87.1%; rating input score 87
• Fundraising efficiency: $27.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 40th 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: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 3.2%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.42; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.4%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 13.1% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 13.1% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings