The Open Link Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 232003150
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2014–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Pennsburg, PA, USA
- Phone
- 2156794112
- Rating
- 84
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,840,193
- Expenses
- $1,723,205
- Assets
- $2,539,164
- Liabilities
- $142,993
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
16 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JOHN BUCKLEY (PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- MARIANNE LYNCH (EXECUTIVE DI): $125,879 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The open link, a multi-service agency serving the greater upper perkiomen valley, provides services and programs that help education and empower, as well as opportunities that promote socialization and volunteerism for people of all ages to lead healthy and productive lives. We accomplish our mission with the belief that there is "no wrong door" to enter the agency, helping the community with services such as a full choice food pantry, food pantry delivery, summer kids' meals, meals on wheels and lunch for seniors over 60. We also provide adult education, transportation for seniors, employment counseling, support for benefits acquisition, emergency funds for utilities and rent, backpacks and holiday gifts for kids, a community garden and operation of the area's code blue shelter. The open link can provide these services thanks to the 301 volunteers who contributed more than 9415 hours of service last year.
What it reported doing in 2024
Through the work of 16 full and part time staff members, the open link provided services to approximately 2500 valley residents this year. The pantry distributed 254,760 pounds of food to an average of 1,035 people each month. 20,012 meals were distributed in five locations throughout the valley to children through the summer kids meals program, a 12% increase over the previous year. 13,271 hot and cold nutritious meals were distributed through meals on wheels and 4,819 community lunches were served to seniors at the center. The pantry also provided 578 people with thanksgiving meals. Benefits acquisition support (including snap, liheap medicaid and unemployment assistance) was provided to 107 households and 37,037 was distributed to 221 people in need of emergency housing and utility assistance. 213 children received backpacks filled with supplies in time for school and 485 children had holiday gifts under the tree this year. 18 adult learners were enrolled in the hse (ged) program and there were 2 graduates. 47 people were helped with employment counseling and 106 people attended the first job fair held in 5 years through a partnership between the chamber of commerce, ymca and the open link. Finally, the code blue shelter was open 91 nights, providing beds for 7 homeless men. All this was possible because of the 9,415 hours of service provided by 301 volunteers.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 64% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 72% for direct work, and 28% for grants.
- 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 73
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 95
- Sustainability: 52
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 76.4%; rating input score 76
- Program expense ratio: 79.7%; rating input score 80
- Fundraising efficiency: $11.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 41; 41st 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
- 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- 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: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 6.4%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.47; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 7.3%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 15.6% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 76.4% of revenue deployed · 79.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.4M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $126K · 16 people listed
- Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
- Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 10 filing years from 2014 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 41/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 53/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 55/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 46/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 50/100.