Project Ezrah Needs Inc.

“The executive director reviews the form 990. A draft of the form 990 is distributed to all board members via email or at a board meeting. If there are any comments or concerns they are to be addressed by the executive director, who shall then consult with the trustees on resolution of such comments or concerns.”

“The conflict of interest policy is regularly circulated, conspicuously posted and all prospective candidates are cleared for compliance. Members of the board or committee and officers must disclose their relationship to any director, principal officer, or member of a committee with governing board delegated powers, who has a direct or indirect financial interest. At each meeting if a member feels they have a conflict with the agenda the member must abstain from voting.”

“The compensation committee meets yearly and decides the appropriate compensation for the executive director based on the the salaries of executive directors of similar organizations. Once approved by the compensation committee it reports to the executive board. Total compensation and budget are approved and ratified by the board. This process was last conducted on 12/31/15.”

“Policies are private internal policies and are not made available to the general public, but are available to contributors upon request. Financial statements are available upon request. Governing documents are available upon request.”

“Project ezrah needs, inc. Founded in 2005, utilizing a specifically developed multi-faceted program, guides and assists each client family in creating a lifestyle that enables them to be financially and emotionally self-sufficient as well as productive members of their community. There are many avenues that are traversed to reach these specific goals; therefore, a project ezrah guide stands by and assists throughout the process and continues to work with and mentor the family until the identified goals have been reached. Case workers, financial counselors and employment counselors create individualized programs for client families. Each unique program is based on specific needs and identifies attainable goals. Helping the client navigate through the family's financial situation is addressed first. Clients are then taught fiscal responsibility and appropriate management and budgeting skills; all with the ultimate goal of building up self-esteem, mending and rebuilding the marriage and, lastly, the client's employment status and capabilities are assessed and addressed so that appropriate and meaningful employment is within reach. Incorporated into the program are various paths which may include: personal job search strategies, career counseling and support for job placement, fiscal planning, budget management training and financial assistance for critical living expenses and food, yearly school supplies for client's children and health and mental health care intervention. Project ezrah has also designed a module specifically developed to help client families better differentiate between necessary and discretionary expenditures: counselors review, analyze and then, using the family's income, make the appropriate disbursement for payment of bills. Though the process is very detailed and time consuming, it has proven to be enormously beneficial to the client families' understanding and utilization of appropriate financial management and budgeting techniques. This has accounted for approximately $1.1 million of client funds administered by project ezrah during the year ended december 31, 2016. Interaction between client and case workers/staff is never limited to the pre-determined weekly meetings. Within all programs and options, clients are encouraged to reach out to and sustain an on-going dialogue with their project ezrah liaison. Professionals and staff members work in unison toward the family's ultimate goal. At the same time, each concentrates on specific areas. Numerous hours are dedicated to helping each family work toward a sustainable lifestyle.”

“Project ezrah administers two programs within this category: managed salary and as-need. Hours of preparations for a client family begin even before the client is accepted into either of the financial assistance programs: analysis of required financial documents, review and verification of financial need, evaluation of probable compliance to the program's principles and, finally, the creation of a unique-to-that-family path toward success. An extended initial meeting acquaints the new client family with the program, sets the family's goals, outlines their individual course of action and reviews in detail the family's financial assistance package. The family's first month in the program usually requires extended interaction hours so that both spouses, and even children when appropriate, are fully comfortable with and possess an understanding of the program. Throughout the course of a family's program, case workers, mental health professionals and health care professionals work in areas as needed, when needed. Additionally, staff members are available to assist clients with bookkeeping, financial planning, in finding appropriate and meaningful employment, computer-training, school supplies before the beginning of each year as well as planning appropriate simchas. The managed salary program assists client families with critical living expenses, medical bills, approved invoices as well as a cash allowance for food and weekly incidentals. In 2016, the managed salary program assisted 34 families; by year's end, approximately 32% of these families either graduated out of the program or, with minimal assistance from project ezrah, managed on their own. The as-need program works with families who have graduated out of the managed salary program and now need only minimal project ezrah assistance. Additionally, this program assists families who look to project ezrah for pre-approved, singular needs assistance, and/or pro-bono services. There were 87 additional families who received this type of financial aid in 2016; approximately 70% was also able to graduate out of the program by year's end (the 2016 managed-salary graduated families are not included in the 2016 as-need families' percentage data).”

“The employment department connects candidates with appropriate employment opportunities. After a specific in-take process, an initial meeting allows counselors to assess a candidate's job readiness and make suggestions for targeted area improvements; resumes are reviewed and revised, interview skills are evaluated, job-search strategies are analyzed and appropriate goals are set. Candidates continue to work directly with their employment counselor until they have found meaningful and appropriate employment. In 2016, the employment team worked directly with 452 in-house candidates and was instrumental in placing 205 candidates (45%). Additional and complimentary services have been implemented to augment the job-search experience: (1) an interactive job board, hosted 1683 candidates and listed over 480 employment opportunities in 2016. The job board's administrator contacts job board candidates to review their individual postings and resumes and, whenever possible, connects these candidates with potential employers. Toward that end, he spends many hours cultivating potential employers in order to develop a broader spectrum of available employment opportunities for the project ezrah client. (2) a linkedin group promotes networking. Approximately 1,100 candidates and community members use this format to expand each candidate's own network of contacts and answer appropriate industry-specific questions. (3) seminars are held to assist, encourage, enlighten and broaden a candidate's knowledge in a variety of subjects. 2016's seminars were: google workshop, networking lunch”

“The process has not changed since the prior year.”