National Cares Mentoring Movement Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

The rising: elevating education, expectations and self-esteemin place-based settings, during school hours, young people are led through an interactive curriculum by facilitators who are psychologists, counselors, and social workers. Community volunteers and skills-based mentors provide additional supports. The students learn to unearth their innate power to make positive life-propelling choices. The interactive activities build social-emotional skills, self-confidence, critical thinking skills and self-efficacy. Our model blends a holistic approach to self-efficacy with workforce readiness and career exploration activities that meet young people where they are without judgment. In wellness mentoring circles (wmc), cares facilitators lead students through a curriculum designed to help middle- and high-school participants identify their stressors and prepare for post-secondary success. The students learn coping strategies, self-regulation, how to soothe anxiety and unearth self-awareness and critical thinking. Our curriculum is comprised of ten pillars that include stress management, wellness and financial education. Wmcs are compassionate spaces, they are safe and intimate groups where mutual trust and community are established. Our program brings a culturally rich curriculum and wellness professionals into the lives of children, who do not have access to them in their communities, and mentors who provide support, guidance and love. The rising program (ojjdp) operates in-person and virtual sessions at sites across the united states. Wellness circles has served (in-person, virtually, and hybrid) over 3,240 children in denver, dallas, seattle, detroit, south Florida, los angeles, new orleans, nyc, san jose, omaha, and durham. Facilitators and parents reported to national cares the immediate change in children's psychological attitudes. Eager to join wellness circles, children were able to connect with one another and override their feelings of isolation. While in this second year of a three-year federal grant from the office of juvenile justice and deliquency prevention, we were able to expand our rising program services reach to support more children in chicago, detroit, the greater los angeles area (compton), New York city, seattle, and south Florida.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 58.7%; rating input score 59
• Program expense ratio: 66.7%; rating input score 67
• Fundraising efficiency: $10.22 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • 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: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 19th 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: 15.8%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.92; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 32.8%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 9.7% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 18.3% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings