Heart of West Michigan United Way

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
381360923
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2023
Location
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Phone
6164596281
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Federated Giving Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,930,042
Expenses
$14,213,732
Assets
$33,715,985
Liabilities
$2,348,372

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

Leadership & pay

33 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHELLE VANDYKE (PRESIDENT/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • MICHELLE VANDYKE (PRESIDENT/CEO): $300,846 total reported compensation
  • REBECCA POSTMA (CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER): $175,553 total reported compensation
  • GAIL MONTGOMERY (CFO): $155,577 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We unite community resources to invest in solutions that reduce poverty in west Michigan.

What it reported doing in 2024

Internal community service programs include 2-1-1, volunteer income tax assistance program (vita), volunteer center, eviction program, women united and emerging leaders. United way 2-1-1 is a free health and human services "hotline" that connects callers to more than 8,000 distinct services in 15 western and northern Michigan counties 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is staffed and managed by extensively trained and certified united way staff members. United way's 211 service supported Michigan residents by taking over 55,000 calls during the year. United way vita engages over 200 volunteers to help working individuals and families gain economic stability with free income tax return preparation, ensuring that the earned income tax credit is received by those who are eligible. The eviction prevention program supported 106 families with flexible financial assistance and/or housing case management, providing for housing stability for those families.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 65% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 45% for direct work, 54% for grants, and 1% for affiliated organizations.
  • 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 97
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.3%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 84.7%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.16 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 81.6%; rating input score 82; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 95.2%; rating input score 95; 29th 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: -9.9%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.37; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.5%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.3% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96.3% of revenue deployed · 84.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 21 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $12M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $301K · 33 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 38 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 123 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 117 filed related-organization links
  • 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 33/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 10/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.