Forbes House

“Prior to filing, the form 990 is presented to the finance committee, finance staff, and the executive director for review and approval. Any modifications to the draft 990 are made prior to presentation to the board, after which the 990 is filed.”

“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 personnel 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.”

“Compensation for key employees, if any, is determined by the executive director. The level of compensation is set based on performance and in 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 990 conflict of interest policy and financial statements are made available to the public upon request. The form 990 can also be found on several publically-accessible websites.”

“The mission of forbes house is to relieve the trauma resulting from domestic violence, to assure access to safe and caring environments for its victims, and to foster an end to domestic violence through education, prevention and advocacy. Forbes house works to end the cycle of violence for families experiencing emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Nationally, domestic violence is the single major cause of injury to women - more than by car accidents, rapes and muggings combined. Forbes house is a shelter home for battered men, women and their children. It is a safe place for women who choose to leave abusive homes while working toward solutions.”

“The organization operates forbes house, a temporary residential shelter for victims of domestic violence. Forbes house services and programs include: "sheltersafe - forbes house provides safe, supportive shelter 24/7 and can house 30 survivors and their children, as well as providing shelter to physically challenged adults or children. - helpline - around-the-clock helpline for crisis intervention, support, information, and referral. - advocacy - our legal and family advocates assist victimized men, women and their children by acting as liaisons with any agencies they must come in contact with. Advocates also assist victims in establishing their goals, facilitating referrals to other agencies, and accompanying them through the legal system. - children's program - counselors address the needs of children, work with mothers or fathers to develop and enhance parenting skills, and facilitate referrals to other agencies. - support group-outreach - provide non-residents and former-residents with emotional and psychological support from peers, staff members, or trained volunteers. - community outreach - the community outreach advocate of forbes house speaks to many different schools, jails, juvenile institutions, rehabilitation centers, community groups, and many other organizations on issues relating to domestic violence and dating violence. Domestic violence can happen to anyone at any time in life. It is a matter that is very close to home. As lake countys only domestic violence shelter, forbes house raises awareness to the community about the resources that are available to them. - aftercare - volunteers and evening staff use mail and phones to keep in touch with those who have left the shelter.our goal is to help women who have left the shelter remain in healthy, nonviolent relationships. .”