Women Aware Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
222374378
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Phone
7322494900
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Family Violence Shelters

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,827,625
Expenses
$3,852,051
Assets
$3,550,312
Liabilities
$959,649

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DIANE PALMER (PRESIDENT)
  • SIYAN BRADLEY (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • PHYLLIS YONTA (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • PHYLLIS YONTA (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $244,424 total reported compensation
  • MARIA BETANZOS (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $171,232 total reported compensation
  • JOSEPHINE MINGIONE (EXECUTIVE MANAGER): $121,333 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Women aware envisions a society where individuals can live free from violence and injustice. Our mission is to promote the safety and self-sufficiency of individuals and families affected by domestic violence in middlesex county, New Jersey.

What it reported doing in 2024

Women aware is the state designated lead domestic violence agency for middlesex county, nj. Our mission is to promote the safety and self-sufficiency of individuals and families affected by domestic violence. We serve all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, or military status. Each year, women aware provides emergency shelter to 200 victims and their children facing imminent danger. In addition, 3,000 individuals benefit from our safety net programs. These include legal advocacy, counseling, support groups, and trauma reduction services for children. Our 24-hour crisis hotline serves as the first point of contact for most victims seeking support in the county, reaffirming our role as the county's primary domestic violence service provider. Women aware is the lead agency of the middlesex county family justice center (fjc)a centralized hub offering coordinated services, in partnership with 20 agencies, for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, child abuse, human trafficking and elder abuse. Through the fjc, advocates guide survivors in understanding and accessing their legal rights and protections. Survivors are connected to a network of community partners for legal assistance, housing, financial support, mental health care, childcare, and more. Services are survivor-driven, allowing clients to choose the support that best meets their needs.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 85% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 94% 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 31
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 87.4%; rating input score 87
  • Program expense ratio: 86.5%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $26.26 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • 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: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.6%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.92; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.27; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.8%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 87.4% of revenue deployed · 86.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $3.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $244K · 15 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $231K reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 31/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Audit committee oversight not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 16/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 37/100.