Community Service Alliance

“Prior to filing with the irs, the form 990 (as completed by the organization's certified public accountant) is presented to the treasurer and executive director for review and approval. The form 990 is then distributed to the full board of directors electronically for review. The directors are provided with at least five business days to review the form, with any comments and questions addressed as needed. A board officer then authorizes the final filing of the 990 by signing form 8879-eo and the 990 is electronically submitted to the irs.”

“Each year, the board members are asked to review the organization's conflict of interest policy. Among other things, the policy makes clear that all decisions of the board, officers, and employees of the organization are made solely on the basis of a desire to promote the best interest of the organization and the public good. The conflict of interest statement requests board members to identify to the best of their knowledge affiliations with organizations that may be potentially related to the financials or other substantive operations of the organization. They are also asked to identify circumstances involving either themselves, or a member of their extended family, that may be construed as a conflict of interest. At the staff level, the organization's personnel also ensure that there are no conflicts of interest when considering the engagement of a new vendor. If a potential conflict is identified, appropriate steps are taken to both assess the nature of the potential conflict and, subsequently, to ensure that the possibility of an actual conflict is mitigated. Such mitigation is managed and the letter and spirit of the conflicts policy are upheld.”

“The executive committee annually evaluates the performance of the executive director. Compensation is based on performance and compared to other area mission-comparable organizations of similar size. The board has adopted the irs-written "rebuttable presumption" checklist which is completed contemporaneous with the performance review.”

“Compensation for staff within the organization is determined by the executive director. The level of compensation is set based on performance and in relation to other area mission-comparable organizations of similar size. This compensation is a component of the budget, which is reviewed and approved by the finance committee and also by the board as a whole.”

“The organization's governing documents, form 1023, form 990 conflict of interest policy and financial statements are made available to the public upon request. The form 990, without schedule b) can also be found on several publicly-accessible websites.”

“Indeed, the world we are living in is quite different now than it was just a short two years ago. Every organization - every individual - has been impacted by the covid-19 pandemic, and the new reality - the "new normal" - is still unfolding. At csa, we haven't yet found the crystal ball to predict what the future holds and what, if any, additional changes are in store. However, what we have found is a stronger sense of purpose and resolve than we have ever had before. Our response to any continued impact on our operations will be immediate, aggressive and mission-driven, just as it was in the early part of 2020. Our primary goal will always be the safety and cleanliness of our houses, and the health, well-being and sobriety of the men we serve. During the most recent public health crisis, csa responded to the pandemic not with closed doors or shuttered programs, but with open minds, open arms and open hearts. We never closed our doors and we never ceased any programming. And most importantly, we did not experience one outbreak of covid-19 and only very few csa residents relapsed during the months of quarantine and community shutdown - something for which we are very proud. In fact, we actually enhanced the programs we offer to the men we serve. Our homeward program was started in 2021 to assist men moving on from csa with the essentials to help set up their new apartment. Working in partnership with the cleveland furniture bank, csa works closely with residents who are prepared to move on to independent housing and assists with securing furniture for their new home. In addition, through a well- coordinated volunteer effort, the homeward program also secures general household items and kitchen supplies so that their move into a new place is not as daunting or expensive. In just a few short months, we have been able to help resettle five men into new homes thanks to the homeward program. Our new educational mentorship program being done in conjunction with tri-c is assisting some residents with returning to school, specifically in high-tech areas of study. It is also providing shorter-term training to help develop the skills for men to return to the workforce more quickly. This relationship with tri-c has, more recently, expanded into capacity- building efforts for csa, as we are utilizing a group of marketing students through an internship program at the college to complete an audit and strategic plan for our digital and social media platforms. When complete, csa will be much better positioned to tell our story in more effective ways and to larger audiences. In regard to our job assistance efforts, we've worked in collaboration with buckeye business products in their efforts to hire unprecedented numbers of employees from economically-disadvantaged areas and put them to work in well-paying jobs. We've also worked cooperatively with true freedom ministries and woodpecker industries to enhance job opportunities for csa residents. In summary, rather than view the pandemic as a threat or a possibility of loss, csa looked at it as an opportunity ~ an opportunity to stay mission- focused and tailor our efforts to meet the changing needs of residents, referral sources, employers, and other nonprofit organizations. At csa, we believe we are well prepared to move into the future with the same level of confidence, creativity and compassion as we've operated with throughout our 17 year history. However, doing so will continue to require increased short-term support of foundations, corporations, faith communities, and individuals to help us replace the lost income of the past year, help to sustain our programs and services, and allow us to continue to thrive in whatever new realities lie ahead.”