Safe Space Nyc Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
111711014
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2016
Forms available
Form 990 2016
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2126751000
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Child Abuse, Prevention

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,683,728
Expenses
$6,673,029
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2016. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KENNETH KRAMER (CHAIR/PRESIDENT)
  • ELIZABETH MCCARTHY (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • ELIZABETH MCCARTHY (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $317,616 total reported compensation
  • O'BRIEN CAROLYN (VP - MENTAL HEALTH & COMMU): $134,400 total reported compensation
  • ATANDA-OGUNLEYE OLUTUNDE (VP - CHILDREN & YOUTH SERV): $112,813 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2016. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Safe space's mission has remained the same for almost a century: to protect kids, keep them safe, and help them grow. Safe space strives to support and strengthen families by preventing child abuse and neglect, helping teenagers grow into self-sufficient adults, and improving overall health and well-being for individuals and the southeast queens community at large. Jamaica, far rockaway, and richmond hill (including the surrounding areas of ozone park and howard beach) are the primary neighborhoods served by safe space.on december 19, 2016, safe space merged into sheltering arms children and family services, inc.which is continuing to provide these services.

What it reported doing in 2016

Young adult services- these services provide young people with safe and productive alternatives to street culture and give them the skills, knowledge, guidance, and experience to become self-sufficient adults. Services include case management and counseling, educational workshops, job readiness training, college discovery programs, art activities, and opportunities for socializing and recreation. Safe space also operates two 12-bed transitional residences for homeless and runaway youths, one of which exclusively serves HIV positive youths.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 89% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 94
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 23
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.9%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 94%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1,279.19 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: 0.2%; rating input score 36; 36th 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: 4.2%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -14.5% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4.4% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 93.9% of revenue deployed · 94% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $6.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $318K · 10 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $125K reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2009 to 2016
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 36/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Document-retention policy not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 55/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Federal audit findings: this organization reported findings in its latest federal Single Audit.