Mercy's Gate

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
841093341
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Phone
7192777470
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Service Organizations
Affiliation
Christianity

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,541,708
Expenses
$1,474,738
Assets
$1,756,040
Liabilities
$237,432

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Jason Dilger (Exec Director (Thru 5/30/25)): $134,426 total reported compensation
  • John Serio (Exec Director (as of 6/1/25)): $84,171 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

For people in crisis, we offer relief, the hope of the Gospel, and a vision for restoration.

What it reported doing in 2025

Mercy's Gate serves anyone living in EL Paso County who's facing a financial or life crisis. We offer short-term relief to stabilize their circumstances. Our services are practical housing assistance, utilities assistance, food, etc. A neighbor meets one-on-one with a volunteer advocate, who can give them a full range of services. This assistance often opens a door to share the gospel of Jesus and gives neighbors a hope and vision for a restored future.(Continued on Schedule O)Mercy's Gate Mission: For people in crisis, we offer relief, the hope of the gospel, and vision for restoration. In 2025 we fulfilled this mission, serving 17,940 people and providing 41,722 points of service to our Neighbors in El Paso County.Mercy's Gate Services: I. Financial Assistance - 2,748 Neighbors received assistance in 2025a. Housing Assistance: Mercy's Gate provides help with rent or mortgage one time per year.b. Utility Assistance: Mercy's Gate administers the Utility Company grant to pay the neghbors utility bill one time per year. 2. Food Pantry - 16,803 Neighbors received assistance in 2025a. Food Pantry: Mercy's Gate provides a three day supply of food for the household. Open 5 days, weekly.3. Vouchers - 7,045 Neighbors received assistance in 2025a. Medical: Mercy's Gate provides vouchers to help with Medical Expenses, Medical Needs and Vision Assistance.b. Clothing and Household: Mercy's Gate provides ARC or Goodwill Vouchers. c. Transportation: Mercy's Gate provides Bus Tokens and Gas Vouchers. 4. Compassion Services - 4,267 Neighbors received assistance in 2025a. Prayer and Counselingb. Hope of the Gospel c. Community Referrals to meet Neighbors' needs5. Seasonal Services - 10,859 Neighbors received assistance in 2025a. VITA: Volunteer Income Tax Assistanceb. Backpack Bash: Facilitate new backpacks & resource distribution to students from local school districtsc. Thanksgiving Baskets: Facilitate Thanksgiving meal distribution to families in need through local churches

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 66% of its reported program spending out as 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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 81
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.3%; rating input score 76
  • Program expense ratio: 79.4%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $9.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 33; 33rd 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 4.3%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.19; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14.8%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76.3% of revenue deployed · 79.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 7 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $134K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 33/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 43/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 48/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 31/100.