Refugee Family Services Inc

What it reported doing in 2013

Strengthening families the strengthening families program consists of several components; parents as teachers, a program to ensure success in early learning for refugee and immigrant children, which served 76 families in 2014; and family literacy, which matches community volunteers to teach english to refugee families. Parents receive education on how to become their child's first best teacher. Parent home educators who are culturally and linguistically aligned with refugee parents help them learn about child development, early childhood education, and the benefits of head start programs and other structured learning opportunities. The program is operated based on a nationally developed curriculum, with extensive training for staff. Participating families and their children six and under have strong results. In 2013, 50 clients were matched with tutors and 74 women were enrolled in the family literacy program. Of these matches, 74% completed three months of tutoring. Post-testing showed 88% of clients improved their english literacy skills, with average individual improvement of 21% on the esol oral assessment, and 95% of clients were satisfied with their experience. Many women continue in the program beyond three months in order to achieve individual literacy goals. Sustainable growing sustainable growing engages refugees and other community members in urban growing opportunities to develop livelihoods, skills, and the future potential of urban gardening as a sustainable enterprise. The program creates new opportunities for refugees using a whole-systems approach to producing good food. These activities are conducted by global growers network, which is an independent organization incorporated in Georgia with pending nonprofit status. Refugee family services serves as its fiscal agent. This program was discontinued as of december 31, 2013. Domestic violence this program addresses issues of domestic violence in refugee communities through community education about domestic violence and services available to domestic violence victims, crisis intervention services for battered refugee women and their children, securing refugee women's access to existing mainstream services, and facilitating shelter placement for battered women in the metropolitan atlanta area. Refugee women suffering domestic abuse receive support in finding a safe haven for themselves and their children and also making a safety plan to put the economic, housing, and transportation elements in place they need to escape violence. Caseworkers from the refugee community provide support. More than 55 primary and over 80 secondary victims/survivors of domestic violence received crisis intervention and other support services

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 93.2%; rating input score 93
• Program expense ratio: 74.3%; rating input score 74
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.41 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 36; 36th 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: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • 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: -25.2%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.1%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -17.1% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings