Salem Dream Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
463830031
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2015
Location
Salem, OR, USA
Phone
5034363070
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Food Programs

Reported finances

Revenue
$598,700
Expenses
$612,643
Assets
$122,201
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • CRAIG OVIATT (Executive Dir.): $36,072 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To transform our community one life at a time through relationship. Relationship is the key to reaching someone who has been hurt by the harsh effects of poverty. We build this through: education, mentorship and food sufficiency.

What it reported doing in 2024

During the 20242025 fiscal year, Salem Dream Center continued serving children, families, and individuals in our community through programs focused on food support, mentorship, education, and relationship building. Across all programs, we served more than 430 people through eight programs and provided over 220 hours of direct programming.Salem Dream Center provided more than 4,000 meals to children and families experiencing food insecurity. During the holiday season, we distributed 421 food boxes to help families celebrate with dignity and stability. We also distributed more than 1,380 Christmas gifts to 152 children in the community.Our youth development and mentorship efforts continued to grow. We took 81 children to Summer Camp, and 53 of them made a decision to accept Christ. In April 2025, we launched Boys United, a new program designed to support boys through mentorship, character development, and positive peer relationships. Participation was strong, and the boys responded very positively to the program.To support education and school readiness, we provided school supplies to 178 children, helping them begin the school year prepared and confident.During this fiscal year, we added two part-time staff members, a Program Developer and a Youth Engagement Coordinator. Both staff members played a key role in creating and leading our two newest programs, Boys United and the DREAM Mentorship Program. Their work expanded our capacity to support youth through consistent mentorship and meaningful relationships.Salem Dream Center continues to grow as a trusted presence in the community, meeting practical needs while building hope and long-term stability for families in Salem.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 69
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 69.9%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 68.2%; rating input score 68
  • Fundraising efficiency: $32.1 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 19th 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; 63rd 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: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -2.3%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.2; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.9%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 12% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.2% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 69.9% of revenue deployed · 68.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $418K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $36K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 27 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • 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.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 9/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 51/100.