Inspirica Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
061172535
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Stamford, CT, USA
Phone
2033880119
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$9,242,793
Expenses
$9,916,435
Assets
$35,277,887
Liabilities
$7,798,540

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

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROSALBA MESSINA (CEO)
  • BRET NELSON (VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS)
  • DENISE DURHAM WILLIAMS (FORMER CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • BRET NELSON (VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS): $178,730 total reported compensation
  • DENISE DURHAM WILLIAMS (FORMER CEO): $160,719 total reported compensation
  • LUCY FREEMAN (VP OF HOUSING & PROGRAM SERVICES): $137,542 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Inspirica is one of the largest providers of emergency housing, permanent supportive housing and support services in Connecticut. Each night, we house over 500 people including children. We operate 12 facilities in stamford and provide an extensive array of support services, including case management; housing placement; employment, education, and financial empowerment programming; vocational training; job placement; children's service; early childhood and parenting programming; and senior services. Through a network of community partnerships, we also ensure access to medical care, mental health services, dental care, substance abuse treatment, and other essential resources to assist those in need of care.

What it reported doing in 2024

Education, employment, and financial empowerment program (eefe): at inspirica, we empower people by equipping them with the skills, resources, and support needed to thrive in their careers, education, and financial lives. Inspirica provides holistic support to guide people towards personal growth and long-term success.educational opportunities: our l.i.f.e project is a comprehensive three-week program designed to equip individuals with essential life skills, financial literacy, and educational knowledge. It empowers participants to enhance personal growth, improve job readiness, and learn about housing and government programs.employment services: we offer personalized guidance in crafting effective resumes and excelling in interviews, along with logistical planning to assist with interview attire and transportation. We also provide strategies and resources to help clients advance their earning potential, ensuring they are well-equipped to achieve career growth and success.government benefits assistance (Connecticut government programs): we facilitate our clients' applications for vital programs such as food stamps, cash assistance, medicaid, unemployment, ssi, and ssdi.financial management training: inspirica helps clients manage their finances effectively by creating tailored expense sheets and budgets. We also provide strategies for rebuilding credit health and empower clients to make informed and beneficial financial decisions, laying the groundwork for long-term financial stability.vocational training: we also offer vocational training to help individuals acquire in-demand skills. We provide support for enrolling in vocational courses such as certified nursing assistant (cna), phlebotomy, and security guard certification, empowering individuals to enter the workforce and achieve financial stability.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 98% 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 - 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: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 42
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.3%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 84.5%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 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; 63rd 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: -7.3%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.56; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.6%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.3% of revenue deployed · 84.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $8.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $179K · 23 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $486K reported
  • Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 4 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 17/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 42/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 49/100.