Solace Friends Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
831754134
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2021, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Madison, WI, USA
Phone
6082166610
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Hospices

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$938,124
Expenses
$505,824
Assets
$1,295,918
Liabilities
$28,793

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Kendra Deja (Executive Director)
  • Katherine Kamp (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Kendra Deja (Executive Director): $99,500 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Provide a place of compassionate, safe, comfortable presence and caregiving to our community's most vulnerable people as they prepare for the end of their lives.

What it reported doing in 2024

Solace Home was established as a place where terminally ill homeless or housing-insecure individuals could receive housing and 24/7 end-of-life caregiving. After entering into provider contracts with five certified hospice agencies, Solace Home welcomed its first residents in May, 2024. From that date forward, with the help of more than 100 volunteers, programming at the 4-bedroom Adult Family Home grew until the home was consistently full and a waiting list was established. Solace was able to pay off the mortgage on its home in December, 2024

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 77% 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 most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 51
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 73
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 39.1%; rating input score 39
  • Program expense ratio: 70.5%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $16.86 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: 46.1%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.56; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 19.7%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 99.3% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 53.8% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 45% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 39.1% of revenue deployed · 70.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $357K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 39/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 15/100.