Mercer Street Friends Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
210733990
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2023
Location
Trenton, NJ, USA
Phone
6093961506
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Neighborhood Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$21,888,144
Expenses
$21,714,797
Assets
$17,638,494
Liabilities
$6,169,171

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • JAMES ALLEN (COO): $158,248 total reported compensation
  • BERNADETTE TRAPP (DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SCHO): $121,510 total reported compensation
  • LISA BRUNO (DIRECTOR OF I.T. & PROJECT MANAGEMENT): $111,766 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

As a multi-faceted human services agency, mercer street friends (msf) dedicated to "nourishing minds and bodies; empowering families and communities," works to reduce hunger and food insecurity, close education gaps, improve the physical and emotional well-being of at-risk populations, and break the cycle of child abuse and neglect in trenton and mercer county. Msf has identified three areas that are core challenges presented by poverty: food, family, and education. As the food bank of mercer county and one of the most well-known New Jersey leaders in the community schools movement, mercer street friends offers families support and guidance away from a life of poverty, into a life of self-sufficiency through comprehensive programming and community partnerships in the greater trenton area and throughout mercer county.

What it reported doing in 2024

Education- mercer street friends has served as the lead agency for the community schools initiative in mercer county since 2015. We're working with parents, teachers, case managers, the trenton school district, and community organizations to support students and help them thrive not just in academics, but all aspects of a healthy life.mercer street friends preschool located at 1201 west state street in trenton has been successful in helping parents prepare their children to transition from preschool to kindergarten for more than 30 years. Each year, 90 children receive academic instruction (including early reading activities) and learn social skills helping them feel confident in their ability to do new things.our adult basic education program empowers individuals to build the skills they need to succeed with the goal of earning a New Jersey state diploma. We focus on student recruitment and retention, test preparation, and measurable academic progress. Along the journey, we proudly celebrate each milestone and every success our adult students accomplish. Expanded services provided by our community schools in trenton, and how we're working every day to support families in the way they need us to.

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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 91
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.8%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 93.4%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $46.63 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.8%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.81; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.2%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.8% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.8% of revenue deployed · 93.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 12 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $20.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $158K · 18 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $286K reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 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.
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 37/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 29/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 41/100.