Strength in Peers Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
811604006
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2016
Location
New Market, VA, USA
Phone
5402170869
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, Prevention Only

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,938,961
Expenses
$1,797,838
Assets
$1,541,640
Liabilities
$916,667

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • NATALIE GAZZARA (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • LISA FADLEY (EXECUTIVE DI): $87,923 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Strength in peers, inc. Is a nonprofit organization of people who have lived-experience recovering from mental health challenges and/or substance abuse. The organization strives to empower individuals during recovery by offering services that encourage connection, access to resources, and self- sufficiency. The organization believes community members can help one another access services and advocate for changes that better meet their needs.

What it reported doing in 2024

From 7/2024 to 6/2025, strength in peers served 1,148 individuals. It targets populations disproportionately impacted by behavioral health challenges that face barriers to treatment, including individuals who are homeless, have experienced incarceration, and live in rural communities. Outreach programs develop relationships with at-risk individuals and connect them to community services. The street outreach team reached 111 individuals through homeless street outreach. The jail outreach team served 228 individuals in local jails through 1,066 group sessions and reentry workshops, helping participants plan their transitions from incarceration to the community. The community resource center provided 592 individuals assistance connecting to community services, obtaining vital records, applying for jobs and housing, and enrolling in public benefits, including 1,096 food pantry encounters. The comprehensive harm reduction program served 196 individuals with syringe exchange (57,861 sterile syringes distributed and 40,251 collected), naloxone distribution (803 kits), fentanyl and other drug test strips, harm reduction education, and assistance connecting to recovery and medical services. The HIV and hepatitis c testing program provided 75 individuals rapid HIV testing and 74 individuals hepatitis c testing, along with risk reduction education and referrals to treatment. The safe and secure medical respite home served 52 individuals experiencing homelessness with short-term shelter, 24/7 peer support, and resource connection following an inpatient hospitalization, with 20 individuals transitioning to shelter or housing support upon discharge. Recovery programs lead with peer support and case management and integrate counseling and telepsychiatry provided by partners. The recovery programs served 252 participants through 1,787 peer support sessions, connecting 47 individuals to behavioral health counseling and 15 to psychiatry. Certified recovery residences provided 20 individuals safe, sober, and supportive transitional housing, with participants engaging in 2,512 recovery-oriented activities. The organization also delivered statewide virtual programming including crisis services training for 70 peer recovery specialists across Virginia and a problem gambling program serving 19 participants.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 95% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.4%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 87.7%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $185.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st 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: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 7.3%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.86; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.59; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.9%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 34.8% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.4% of revenue deployed · 87.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $88K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 56/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 38/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 13/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 53/100.