Increasing HOPE

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
753070026
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
North Charleston, SC, USA
Phone
8432254343
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Financial Counseling

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,110,655
Expenses
$775,759
Assets
$507,940
Liabilities
$176,807

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Dorthea Bernique (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Dorthea Bernique (Executive Director): $72,469 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of Increasing H.O.P.E financial training center is to create financial freedom and stability for families in South Carolina by building assets through financial education and training.

What it reported doing in 2025

Broad Community Impact Summary Increasing H.O.P.E. Financial Training Center delivers financial education, housing counseling, and small business training to clients across Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties. The organization helps families achieve homeownership, supported small business owners through the I-HOPE Women's Business Center, and provided free tax preparation services to clients. These efforts provides significant economic impact, reflecting our commitment to fostering long-term financial stability and community resilience among low- to moderate-income residents.Focused Program Accomplishments Increasing H.O.P.E. expanded its financial literacy and economic empowerment programs. We supported individuals through financial education and counseling, assisting families in achieving homeownership, and provided small business coaching through our Women's Business Center. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program helps maximize refunds and build financial security to our clients. New ServiceBeginning in February 2026, a collaborative partnership between the City of Charleston and Increasing H.O.P.E. Financial Training Center launched "The Charleston Financial Empowerment Center" (FEC). The FEC provides free, one-on-one professional financial counseling to help individuals and families improve their financial well-being. Through personalized coaching, clients receive guidance on budgeting, debt reduction, credit improvement, savings, banking, and long-term financial goal setting. The FEC empowers residents to build financial stability, increase economic opportunity, and achieve lasting financial independence. This expands the work and reach of Increasing HOPE substantially and supports future sustainability of services within the Tri county.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 71% 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

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 54
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 52.4%; rating input score 52
  • Program expense ratio: 75%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $61.25 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 79; 79th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 30.2%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.65; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.3%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.7% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.7% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17.7% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 52.4% of revenue deployed · 75% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $582K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $72K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2015 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 52/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 39/100.