United Hands Multi Purpose Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
823694217
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Compton, CA, USA
Phone
5626569011
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Community, Neighborhood Development

Reported finances

Revenue
$365,500
Expenses
$360,500
Assets
$9,950
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Martha Barajas (President & CEO)
  • Cynthia Vodanovich (Vice President)

People named in this filing

  • Martha Barajas (President & CEO)
  • Cynthia Vodanovich (Vice President)
  • rica Perrodin (BOARD)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The United Hands Multi-Purpose Center non-profit was established to inspire hope and assure the basicneeds are met of low-income families in the City of Compton and surrounding areas. United Hands wasestablished in 2019 by community activist Martha Barajas after she volunteered years in communityservice to help unnder-served Compton residents. Martha Barajas, over the years, with her organizedteam of neighborhood concerned citizens gained a reputation for hosting numerous free food, clothingand holiday giveaways resulting in thousands in need receiving basic help they needed most. WhenMartha Barajas initiated a crusade against brown water in her impacted low-income community, ultimatelyresulting in the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the first time in history ordering a local waterdistrict and agency disbanded after years of unhealthy conditions, Martha Barajas secured nationwidemedia coverage and reputation as a hard-hitting advocate bringing about change. Continuing to ob

What it reported doing in 2024

The United Hands Multi-Purpose Center non-profit was established to inspire hope and assure the basicneeds are met of low-income families in the City of Compton and surrounding areas. United Hands wasestablished in 2019 by community activist Martha Barajas after she volunteered years in communityservice to help unnder-served Compton residents. Martha Barajas, over the years, with her organizedteam of neighborhood concerned citizens gained a reputation for hosting numerous free food, clothingand holiday giveaways resulting in thousands in need receiving basic help they needed most. WhenMartha Barajas initiated a crusade against brown water in her impacted low-income community, ultimatelyresulting in the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the first time in history ordering a local waterdistrict and agency disbanded after years of unhealthy conditions, Martha Barajas secured nationwidemedia coverage and reputation as a hard-hitting advocate bringing about change. Continuing to observefirsthand the enormity and range of economic, financial, educational and psychological needs of theunderprivileged and disadvantaged population of Compton, Martha Barajas and her United HandsMulti-Purpose Center is stepping forward to meet the demand and challenge of improving lives, inspiringhope, and overcoming persistent poverty and hopelessness by assuring basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter become a reality for all in the City of Compton.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 0
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.6%; rating input score 99
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 0%; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 0 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.4%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.03; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -5.4% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4.4% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 67.1% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.6% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 3 board members independent · 0 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $360K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 13 of 13 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 3/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 43/100.