The Refuge Cleveland

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
451830993
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2020
Forms available
Form 990 2020, Form 990-EZ 2020, Form 990-N 2012
Location
Cleveland, TN, USA
Phone
4235845211
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Community, Neighborhood Development

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$62,731
Expenses
$134,293
Assets
$46,320
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2020. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TERRY JOHNS (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • BRIAN STEWART (COO): $40,000 total reported compensation
  • TERRY JOHNS (PRESIDENT): $29,059 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2020. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The refuge offers access to resources, information and opportunity so that those who find themselves in difficult economic and social situations may move from need to sustainability.

What it reported doing in 2020

Path employment connection is our basic jobs program. Participants are mentored on effectively searching for jobs, completing online applications, writing resumes, and interview skills. Staff support is provided for job searches, contact with hrs, and job interest assessment. Follow up is given until employment is secured. Career connection offers needed skill sets as identified by business and industry in our community. Soft skills such as workplace success strategies, conflict resolution, leadership skills, resume writing, interview skills, interview panels, decision making, financial planning, budgeting, financial simulator, and computer skills are offered. Experts from business and industry have been identified to deliver the curriculum. Career connection advanced is offered in two areas 1. Mig welding via local community college including the certification process through aws 2. Client relations training is offered by the refuge in managing stress, self-esteem, workplace safety, corporate culture, customer service, professionalism, conflict resolution, etc.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 84% 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.

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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 79.2%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • 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: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -114.1%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.34; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 51.4%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -22.7% per year; rating input score 0; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 36.5% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 79.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $106K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $40K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2018 to 2020
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 36/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 6/100.