Samaritan Center Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 161328786
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Syracuse, NY, USA
- Phone
- 3154720650
- Rating
- 79
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,935,856
- Expenses
- $1,170,475
- Assets
- $7,577,390
- Liabilities
- $37,085
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
16 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- AMY RHONE (VICE PRESIDENT)
- CRAIG BREED (PRESIDENT)
- MARY BETH FREY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- MARY BETH FREY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $128,638 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 coordinate efforts of volunteers to serve food to those in need and to educate the public about the needs of the poor and hungry in the city of syracuse.
What it reported doing in 2024
During 2024-2025 fiscal year, samaritan served almost 123,000 meals for those in need. This number represents an approximate 13% increase from the previous fiscal year. This work is accomplished through the dedication of 9 staff and the assistance of approximately 1500 community volunteers a month, including over 100 community groups assisting in meal service. Meals continue to be provided twice a day, without questions or pre-conditions. We continue to provide additional take-home food resources for guests as they become available- fresh produce, and canned goods especially, providing increased food resources for our guests and their families. In addition to meals, almost 100 individuals were assisted through our case management services with issues related to substance misuse, housing, employment, benefits, and mental health support. Samaritan developed new office space in 2024 to support expansion of its case management program during 2025-2026, allowing us to provide additional support in our guests' journies toward self-sufficiency. An msw program director has been hired and plans are in place to bring on student interns to assist in the work, as well as support the development of community social service workers. During the fiscal year, over 1000 individuals were assisted through community agency outreach on site, easing access to and linking guests with necessary supports and services. This approach allows us to coordinate with rather than duplicate services already existing in the community. Almost 12,000 individuals were assisted through our basic needs closet with items such as shampoo, soap and toilet paper, over 1200 children were provided with free diapers through our monthly diaper distribution in partnership with the cny diaper bank and more than 40 individuals or families were provided with my place boxes- providing essential household goods for those moving into apartments from shelter or unfit housing. We continue to see an increase in the number of individuals seeking assistance for the first time as price inflation negatively impacts purchasing power, for our guests and for the organization. The impact of federal funding cuts have also made affordable food procurement more expensive and challenging.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 75% 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 60
- Transparency & Controls: 87
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 80
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 53.2%; rating input score 53
- Program expense ratio: 73.8%; rating input score 74
- Fundraising efficiency: $15.79 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 24th 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: 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: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 39.5%; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.47; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 11%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 16% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 53.2% of revenue deployed · 73.8% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $864K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $129K · 16 people listed
- Consistency: 31 of 32 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 53/100.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 52/100.
- Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 34/100.