Mesa United Way Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Founded in 1966, Mesa United Way operates as a nonprofit philanthropic corporation under the State of Arizona laws. Historically a staunch supporter of addressing the poverty challenges faced by vulnerable populations, Mesa United Way continues to enhance community partnerships which align with this goal. In particular, Mesa United Way focuses on funding solutions related to the day-to-day needs of foster/kinship children, housing and self-sufficiency for youth aging out of foster care, free tax assistance and financial literacy for low- and moderate-income households, affordable housing for the chronically disabled and working poor, and the critically important work of improving childhood literacy. To do all this, Mesa United Way depends on individual and corporate contributions. Launched by Mesa United Way in 2009, the Helens Hope Chest program focused on the needs of foster and kinship children from infancy through early childhood. In 2014, Helens Hope Chest became a legal entity of its own but operated as a subsidiary under Mesa United Way. Never sitting on its laurels, Mesa United Way continued creating more programs that filled more gapsVITA, Foster360, 12Books and the Mesa Veterans Resource Center. In 2023, once it became evident that the community members served by these necessary programs had grown well beyond the geographic boundaries of the City of Mesa, Mesa United Way created a new nonprofit corporation, Azura Inc., and placed these direct-service programming beneath that umbrella. This included Helens Hope Chest and Foster360, now a legal entity as well. The purpose of these organizational changes furthered Mesa United Ways goal of launching sustainable programming that directly improves the lives of our community members while also allowing the new Azura family of solutions to flourish and grow without the limitations of the United Way structure that governs Mesa United Way. Whether through its traditional United Way workplace campaigns or finding the next gap in services that needs a solution, Mesa United Way remains committed to both supporting the work of its progeny while also remaining even more closely focused on its core mission of fighting for the health, education and financial stability of every person in Mesa.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 55.9%; rating input score 56
• Program expense ratio: 70.7%; rating input score 71
• Fundraising efficiency: $36.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 96.4%; rating input score 96; 43rd 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: 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: 20.9%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.7; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5.5%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -6.1% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -5.8% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -1.9% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings