Wisconsin Association for Runaway Services Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

A runaway service facility provides temporary shelter and crisis intervention counseling services to runaways and other youth in crisis. Crisis intervention counseling is also provided for parents and families. Agencies make every effort to encourage family members to participate with youth in counseling.runaway programs accept self-referrals and voluntary referrals from youth, caregivers, families, and agencies with youth free to discontinue use of service to any time. Crisis intervention services are available to any youth or parent requesting assistance. All services are free of charge and available on a 24 hour basis. Runaway programs act to prevent runaway episodes by follow up, aftercare, and preventative activities. Programs involve service linkages with youth serving public and private sector agencies, insuring cooperative relations and effective referrals. The runaway program must have plans for meeting the best interests of the youth involving, whenever possible, both the youth and caregivers. In runaway programs, a unique counselor-client relationship is established, which stresses the qualities of trust and confidentiality. Youth make their own decisions in a supportive environment with appropriate advice as to their alternatives.job training and counseling programs include the Wisconsin transitional living programs and americorps program.transitional living programs are aimed to provide longer term residential services to homeless youth ages 16-21 for up to 18 months. These services are designed to help youth who are homeless make a successful transition to self-sufficient living. The following services are provided through the transitional living program: safe, stable living accommodations; basic life-skill building, including consumer education and instruction in budgeting, using credit, housekeeping, menu planning, food preparation, and parenting skills; interpersonal skill building, including enhancing young people's abilities to establish positive relationships with peers and adults, make decisions, and manage stress; educational opportunities, such as ged preparation, postsecondary training, or vocational education; assistance in job preparation and attainment, such as career counseling and job placement; education, information, and counseling to prevent, treat, and reduce substance abuse; mental health care, including individual and group counseling; physical health care, including routine physicals, health assessments, and emergency treatment.runaway programs have seen major increases in homeless youth. These youth, who live on the street, are in very high risk situations, with few resources and virtually no support system. As a response to this phenomenon, the Wisconsin association for runaway services, in collaboration with the Wisconsin board for national and community service, provides a team of americorps members to provide street outreach services and mobile response teams for referrals from police departments, schools, and other youth serving agencies. The americorps members are available to youth who are homeless, runaways, or in crisis and are therefore on the street. Members frequent areas in the community where youth congregate, such as parks, malls, convenience stores, etc. Youth are provided with hygiene packets, food vouchers, transportation vouchers, clothes, educational materials, and, most importantly, referral services to provide them with safe alternatives to the street. The members also are available to police and school personnel, by responding directly to referrals. Twenty-five americorps members are providing these outreach services in 36 counties, ensuring runaway, homeless, and youth in crisis have a strong support system and alternatives to the street.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 91%; rating input score 91
• Program expense ratio: 89.3%; rating input score 89
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
  • 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 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.59; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 16.2%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -6.4% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -3.1% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings