Homefront Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
223165145
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
Phone
6099899417
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Parent/Teacher Group

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$20,061,478
Expenses
$20,507,754
Assets
$24,328,664
Liabilities
$1,874,159

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

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SARAH STEWARD (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
  • CONSTANCE MERCER-MYERS (FOUNDER AND FORMER CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARAH STEWARD (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $217,664 total reported compensation
  • CONSTANCE MERCER-MYERS (FOUNDER AND FORMER CEO): $207,333 total reported compensation
  • MEGHAN CUBANO (CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER): $157,323 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Homefront's mission is to end homelessness in central New Jersey by harnessing the caring, resources, and expertise of the community. We lessen the immediate pain of homelessness and help families become self-sufficient. We work to give our clients the skills and opportunities to ensure adequate incomes, and we work to increase the availability of adequate, affordable housing. We help homeless families advocate for themselves individually and collectively.

What it reported doing in 2024

Tools for self-sufficiencyhomefront believes that with the right tools, all families can succeed. For families to becomeand, more importantly, remainstable, they need the tools, skills and opportunities to keep them on track and build self-sufficiency. Life skills are interwoven throughout all that we do, but we also have formal programming for: - educational support (high school equivalency tutoring/testing)- job training (job training, job placement, and career certification programming)personal wellnesswe believe that personal wellness whether physical, mental, or emotional is critical to ensuring thriving families. Homefront strives to increase accessibility to health services, both physical and mental, to enhance the well-being of families and children. We also recognize the importance of healing and growth through art. - formal life skills (teaching kitchen, health and wellness education, parenting workshops, etc.)- life enhancement (therapeutic art and sewing, music, performing arts, yoga, etc.)children once under homefront's care are now leaders in their classrooms, professionals in healthcare and business, and independent adults pursuing their dreams. Parents, with a little help in tough times, built sustaining careers and secured homes of their own. As the cost of living continues to rise, homefront remains committed to meeting the evolving needs of families until every individual possesses the tools and has the opportunity for success.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 66% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 73% for direct work, and 27% for grants.
  • 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: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.8%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 89%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.21 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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; 66th 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: -2.2%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.19; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.3%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.2% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.8% of revenue deployed · 89% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $18.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $218K · 20 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $775K reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 53/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 23/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 42/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 40/100.