Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
133217805
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2126207310
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$19,729,697
Expenses
$18,210,301
Assets
$30,474,653
Liabilities
$2,670,208

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

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Carla Smith (Chief Executive Officer)
  • ALLYN SHAW (PRESIDENT)
  • Pauline Sobelman (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Carla Smith (Chief Executive Officer): $305,357 total reported compensation
  • Jeffrey Klein (Chief Operating Officer): $299,815 total reported compensation
  • Cristina Jones (Chief People & Equity Officer): $264,389 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

EMPOWERING LGBT PEOPLE, BUILDING STRONG COMMUNITY. NEW YORK CITY'S LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER EMPOWERS PEOPLE TO LEAD HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL LIVES. The Center celebrates our community and advocates for justice and opportunity.

What it reported doing in 2024

Advocacy, government affairs and arts and culture: the advocacy and government affairs department advances equitable and affirming policies, protections and opportunities for all lgbtq people across New York state by leading mobilization efforts built on deep community engagement and strategic coalition building. The center leads a statewide advocacy initiative that seeks to create lasting change for the civil rights of the lgbtq community of New York state. As part of this initiative, the center supports the diverse intersections of our community to enforce, protect and advance lgbtq+ rights through proactive policy and legislative work and also by educating, empowering and mobilizing our community members via the provision of civic engagement tools and trainings that incubate and develop the emerging leaders and activists across New York state. The center is also a founding member and current administrator of the nys lgbt hhs network, a coalition of lgbtq+ non-profit organizations that provide holistic health care, education, legal and social services to lgbtq+ communities in New York. As administrator, the center works with network member and community members to increase access to a diverse range of high-quality services and resources., as well as increasing recognition of and funding for the continuum of health care needs in the lgbtq communities across New York. The center is the backbone of our community, and our dedicated information and referral staff help thousands of visitors navigate the center and all of New York city every week. Combine our services and programming with our role in the community, then place all of this in a facility like ours, and what you get is a one of a kind lgbt center with a special purpose. Our function is to provide a place in which lgbt people can meet, seek services and find support. What truly differentiates the center is the sense of home that we provide for the more than 6,000 people who visit us each week. In addition to offering affordable meetings rooms and event spaces for rent, the center is a resource and information hub. Our information and referral staff coordinate thousands of activities each year on behalf of the lgbt organizations, individuals and nonprofits who host their functions in our building. Also a home for the arts and education since its inception, the center is at the heart of lgbt culture in New York city. From the famous keith haring mural to other permanent and rotating art installations, the center provides a forum for artists, authors and performers to create, celebrate and connect. The center is also home to the pat parker/vito russo center library and the lgbt community center national history archives. Open by appointment, the center's archive collection has grown to include thousands of papers, periodicals, correspondence and photographs donated by lgbt community members and organizations. Lgbt community members and organizations.

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 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.
  • 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 total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 89
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 74.2%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 79.7%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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; 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: 7.7%; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.67; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.8%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.3% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 74.2% of revenue deployed · 79.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $14.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $305K · 31 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $252K reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 13 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 26/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 55/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.