The Sub Zero Mission
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 454386322
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2018–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2017
- Location
- Painesville, OH, USA
- Phone
- 4408672626
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Emergency Assistance
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $820,672
- Expenses
- $715,533
- Assets
- $1,164,529
- Liabilities
- $22,764
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
9 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- AL RADDATZ (CEO)
Highest reported compensation
- AL RADDATZ (CEO): $37,542 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
To prevent the freezing and injury caused by extreme weather exposure to the homeless and financially destitute americans.
What it reported doing in 2025
Re-empower a homeless veteran re-empowering veterans our mission goes far beyond providing warm clothing or simply referring individuals to the va. At the sub zero mission, we are committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness by delivering long-term solutions, rather than temporary relief. While we've successfully helped house 31 individuals, we've also seen the impact of mental health challenges, addiction, and isolation-issues that often lead to veterans returning to the streets. It's clear that lasting change requires addressing these deeper challenges and helping individuals break free from the cycle of homelessness. This year marked a significant step forward with the homeless veteran re- empowerment program (hvrp), officially inaugurated on veterans day. This wasn't by chance-veterans day symbolizes honor and gratitude, making it the perfect occasion to launch a program designed to serve and uplift those who've served us. A dream realized the hvrp has been a dream in the making-16 years of dedicated work, intensified focus, and planning over the last 18 months. Hundreds of hours were spent meeting with potential partners, consulting subject matter experts, drafting documentation, conducting legal reviews, delivering training, and refining processes. Now, the sub zero mission has taken the next step in our journey: a program that doesn't just keep veterans off the streets but empowers them to truly rebuild their lives-if they are willing to take that first step alongside us. This milestone represents my favorite chapter in this mission's journey-a season of transformation, and a powerful step toward helping those who have sacrificed so much. What we know the va offers excellent programs for veterans, supported by dedicated employees with unparalleled expertise. However, its large bureaucracy often alienates and overwhelms some veterans seeking help. The system can also be slow, and what it lacks is a consistent, direct outreach presence that brings resources to veterans where they are. Many veterans struggle with self-care, navigating repetitive paperwork, or attending appointments that may interfere with their work. The veterans we encounter on the streets have often given up on the va, bristling at its mere mention. For these individuals, stepping onto the path of va assistance requires encouragement and dedicated support. In the past, we tried to bring veterans off the streets, and while many successes were initially achieved, they often returned to their prior circumstances. Hard lessons were learned-but they laid the foundation for this program. The plan as we entered the season, we carefully defined our objectives and crafted an execution plan based on hud data. Knowing there was an increasing homeless population but a decreasing number of homeless veterans, we anticipated that finding veterans for the program would be more challenging. Our approach involved phased outreach during the sub zero mission's season: 1.initial phase: during the first part of the season, we focused on finding veterans in the streets, woods, bridges, and alleys. 2.second phase: if this approach didn't result, we searched intake shelters like 2100 lakeside or valor home after mid-season (around february). These shelters evaluate individuals and attempt to connect veterans with resources. Through partnerships, we also welcomed referrals for evaluation. Execution objectives first objective: identify veterans among the homeless population and confirm their veteran status using the squares system. If qualified, offer the program and bring them back after the outreach mission to enroll in the homeless veteran re-empowerment program. Second objective: if a veteran cannot be confirmed, refuses the program, or does not qualify, enroll them in the constant contact process, managed by the veteran operations team. Third objective: through constant contact, work toward betterment: "if dependent on the veteran, assist them in completing the task. "if r
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 94% 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
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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 72
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 89
- Sustainability: 58
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 73.4%; rating input score 73
- Program expense ratio: 83.9%; rating input score 84
- Fundraising efficiency: $9.85 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th 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: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 25th 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: 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: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 12.8%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.63; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 5.2%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 21.6% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 23.6% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 73.4% of revenue deployed · 83.9% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 8 of 9 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $600K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $38K · 9 people listed
- Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 8 filing years from 2018 to 2025
- 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 34/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 50/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 54/100.