United Way of Greater Chattanooga

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
620565962
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Chattanooga, TN, USA
Phone
4237520300
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Federated Giving Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,141,832
Expenses
$11,922,849
Assets
$32,913,063
Liabilities
$6,703,700

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LESLEY SCEARCE (PRESIDENT & CEO)
  • ABBY GARRISON (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • TERRAN ANDERSON (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • LESLEY SCEARCE (PRESIDENT & CEO): $249,233 total reported compensation
  • ABBY GARRISON (VICE PRESIDENT): $189,357 total reported compensation
  • SUZY ANTHONY (VP FINANCE & OPERATIONS): $182,696 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Uniting people and resources in building a stronger, healthier community

What it reported doing in 2024

Family stability: initiatives and program services in 16 county region with the goal of helping families/individuals reach stability and become more self-sufficient. 211 information and referral program operated by uwgc connects people to community agencies and organizations that provide services to address critical needs and helps deter reliance on the social service system. 211 is the entry point for community members in need, operating crisis services and funds, ochs community fund processing and monitors all calls through a community database. In fy25, 2-1-1 specialists answered over 57,000 requests. Bridge fund, ochs community fund, warm neighbors, project water power share and water quality fee assistance provided direct assistance to individuals. Programs also address the root causes of family instability through a coaching model to help families/individuals in lower income neighborhoods become more economically and socially independent. Uwgc 211 now also operates 211 services for another united way's 42 county service area. Net management fee revenues from that agreement help fund our 211 services for our uwgc region.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 49% for direct work, and 51% for grants.
  • 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.5%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 77.7%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.21 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.8%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.76; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.2; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.6%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.4% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.4% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 80.5% of revenue deployed · 77.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $9.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $249K · 21 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 82 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 78 filed related-organization links
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 29/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 41/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 58/100.