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HELEN'S HOPE CHEST

MESA, AZ · EIN 464747933 · Form 990 · FY2021 · NTEE T70 · Philanthropy & Grantmaking · Medium ($1M-$10M) · www.helenshopechest.org
revenue
$1.6M
expenses
$1.6M
net assets
$887K
employees
31
volunteers
120
program ratio
85%
mission · from form 990

UNITING COMMUNITY. INSPIRING DONORS. IMPROVING LIVES.

profile · synthesized from sources

Helen's Hope Chest is a nonprofit organization based in Arizona that provides essential items to foster children and their families. Founded in 2009, it operates a facility in Downtown Mesa where it offers clothing, hygiene products, books, and school supplies at no cost to families, aiming to alleviate the financial burden on foster and kinship caregivers.

named programs · 6 · from sources

what they call their work

Back to School
Distributes essential school supplies, uniforms, and backpacks to children and youths to prepare for the school year.
Book Nook
Enables children to select books during each visit, promoting reading and literacy development.
Clothing Boutique
Provides children, youth, and teens with new or like-new outfits, shoes, and accessories every 3 months at no cost.
Essential Needs
Provides families with full-sized hygiene products, diapers, and other critical infant supplies at no cost.
Jakelle's Christmas Box
Offers new gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts to children and teens at no cost during the holiday season.
John's Room Birthday Gifts
Allows children and teens in foster care to select gifts for their birthdays, ensuring they can celebrate their special day.
activities · 9 groups

what they do

  • Basic Needs Provision for Youth and Families 6 activities
    • Distribution of Hygiene Products and Infant Supplies
      Distributes full-sized hygiene products, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, shaving sets, diapers, and critical infant supplies to families at no cost. In the past year, 34,615 diapers and 3,594 hygiene sets were distributed.
    • Distribution of Hygiene Products and Infant Supplies
      Distributes full-sized hygiene products, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, shaving sets, diapers, and critical infant supplies like wipes, at no cost to families. In the past year, 34,615 diapers were distributed.
    • Providing quarterly clothing and personal items to children in foster and kinship care
      Provides children, youth, and teens in foster or kinship care with new or like-new clothing, shoes, hygiene products, diapers, and accessories every three months at no cost. Each distribution includes 5 outfits, 1 pair of shoes, pajamas, undergarments, socks, and accessories.
    • Provision of Clothing and Accessories
      Provides children, youth, and teens in foster or kinship care with new or like-new clothing, shoes, undergarments, socks, and accessories every three months at no cost. In the past year, 52,521 clothing items were distributed.
    • Provision of Clothing and Accessories
      Provides children, youth, and teens in foster or kinship care with new or like-new clothing, shoes, undergarments, socks, and accessories every three months at no cost. In the past year, 52,521 clothing items were distributed.
    • Support for Biological and Adopted Children of Foster Families
      Provides one outfit, books, and gifts for biological and adopted children of families with a current foster placement.
  • Back-to-School Supplies Distribution 5 activities
    • Back-to-School Supply Distribution
      Distributes essential school supplies, school uniforms, and backpacks annually to children and youths to prepare for the school year. 1,013 school backpacks were distributed in the past year, and the organization hosted a Back to School Drive in July 2024.
    • Back-to-School Supply Distribution
      Distributes essential school supplies, school uniforms, and backpacks annually to children and youths to prepare for the school year. This includes hosting Back to School Drives and events, with 1,013 school backpacks distributed in the past year.
    • Back-to-School Supply Distribution
      Distributes essential school supplies, school uniforms, and backpacks annually to children and youths to prepare for the school year. This includes hosting Back to School Drives and events, with 1,013 school backpacks distributed in the past year.
    • Distributing essential non-clothing items annually
      Distributes books, hygiene sets, birthday gifts, school backpacks, and other essential items annually to children in foster and kinship care. In the past year, distributed 13,671 books, 3,594 hygiene sets, 1,174 birthday gifts, and 1,013 school backpacks.
    • School Supply and Uniform Distribution
      Distributes essential school supplies, school uniforms, and backpacks annually to children and youths to prepare for the school year. 1,013 school backpacks were distributed in the past year, and the organization hosted a Back to School Drive in July 2024.
  • Holiday Gift and Family Support Programs 5 activities
    • Holiday Gift Distribution Event
      Hosts a week-long holiday event, "Jakelle's Christmas Box," providing new gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts annually to thousands of children and teens in foster or kinship care at no cost to their families. Over 2,000 children were assisted at the event.
    • Holiday Gift Distribution Event (Jakelle's Christmas Box)
      Hosts a week-long holiday event, "Jakelle's Christmas Box," annually to provide new gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts to thousands of children and teens in foster or kinship care at no cost to their families. Over 2,000 children were assisted at this event.
    • Holiday Gift Distribution Event (Jakelle's Christmas Box)
      Hosts a week-long holiday event, "Jakelle's Christmas Box," annually to provide new gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts to thousands of children and teens in foster or kinship care at no cost to their families. In the past year, volunteers assisted over 2,000 children at this event.
    • Holiday Gift Distribution Event (Jakelle's Christmas Box)
      Hosts an annual week-long holiday event, "Jakelle's Christmas Box," providing new gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts to thousands of children and teens in foster or kinship care at no cost to their families. Over 2,000 children were assisted at the event.
    • Hosting annual holiday and back-to-school events
      Hosts a week-long holiday event ("Jakelle's Christmas Box") providing gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts to thousands of children in foster and kinship care, and conducts an annual Back to School Drive and event to distribute supplies and uniforms.
  • Library and Donated Goods Volunteer Coordination 5 activities
    • Laundry Services
      Volunteers provide laundry services, washing, drying, sorting, and storing over 5,000 loads of laundry in 2024.
    • Offering laundry services for families in need
      Volunteers washed, dried, sorted, and stored over 5,000 loads of laundry in 2024 to support families and children in foster care.
    • Volunteer Laundry and Sorting Services
      Engages volunteers to wash, dry, sort, and store over 5,000 loads of laundry and sort and organize over 9,000 books annually to support the distribution programs.
    • Volunteer Management for Sorting and Organizing
      Engages volunteers to sort and organize donated items. In 2024, volunteers washed, dried, sorted, and stored over 5,000 loads of laundry and sorted and organized over 9,000 books.
    • Volunteer Management for Sorting and Organizing Donations
      Manages volunteers who sort and organize donated items. In 2024, volunteers washed, dried, sorted, and stored over 5,000 loads of laundry and sorted and organized over 9,000 books.
  • Foster Youth Birthday & Celebration Events 3 activities
    • Birthday Celebration Program
      Operates a dedicated space where children and teens in foster or kinship care can celebrate their birthdays, engage in play, and select a gift. 1,174 birthday gifts were distributed in the past year.
    • Birthday Celebrations and Gift Provision
      Operates a dedicated space where children and teens in foster or kinship care can celebrate their birthdays, engage in play, and select a gift. 1,174 birthday gifts were distributed in the past year.
    • Providing dedicated space for birthday celebrations
      Operates a dedicated space where children and teens in foster or kinship care can celebrate their birthdays, engage in play, and select a gift.
  • Children's Book Distribution & Reading Spaces 2 activities
    • Book Nook Program and Book Distribution
      Operates a book nook program where children can select free books to take home, with monthly themes to promote reading engagement. Books are offered during every visit, and 13,671 books were distributed in the past year.
    • Book Nook Program and Book Distribution
      Operates a book nook program where children can select free books to take home, with monthly themes to promote reading engagement. Books are offered during every visit, and 13,671 books were distributed in the past year.
  • Supervised Family Visitation Services 1 activity
    • Operating a facility for ongoing programs and community access
      Operates an 8,000 square-foot facility in Downtown Mesa where all programs and services are conducted, offering a shopping-style experience for children and families.
  • Foster and Kinship Family Support Services 1 activity
    • Providing services to children in licensed and unlicensed care arrangements
      Serves children in licensed foster or group homes with an active Department of Child Safety case, as well as those in unlicensed kinship care without a DCS case, and families with court-issued guardianship.
  • Uncategorized 3 activities
    • Distribution of Hygiene Products and Infant Supplies
      Distributes full-sized hygiene products, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, shaving sets, diapers, and critical infant supplies (like wipes) at no cost to families. In the past year, 34,615 diapers were distributed.
    • Operating a book nook program to promote literacy
      Operates a book nook program where children can select free books during every visit, with monthly themes to encourage reading engagement and literacy development.
    • Support for Foster and Kinship Families
      Provides support to children in foster care with a case with the Department of Child Safety, children in unlicensed kinship care, and families with court-issued guardianship. Also provides one outfit, books, and gifts for biological and adopted children of families with a current foster placement.
financials · form 990 · fy2021
revenue
Total revenue$1.55M
Contributions & grants$1.52M98%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$29K2%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.61M
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead7%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$562K
Grants paid out$644K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$911K
Cash$368K
Investments$490K
Liabilities$24K
Net assets$887K
Liquid reserves6.4 mo
3 years on record · 2019–2021 · YoY revenue +20.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021

who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MARK YOUNG PRESIDENT & CEO 20 $110K
ALLISON JOHNSON VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE 6 $68K
board members · 8
  • CHRISTOPER JONES — MEMBER
  • KEISHA MCKINNOR — VICE CHAIR
  • LYNN WESTERGARD — PAST CHAIR
  • PAUL ANDERSON — CHAIR
  • SETH MARTY — AUDIT COMMITTEE CHAIR
  • SPENCER DICKSON — SECRETARY
  • THOMAS BROWN — TREASURER
  • VERONICA LEWIS — PAST CHAIR
relationships · 4

who they work with

  • Azura Solution Partner — Helen's Hope Chest is an Azura Solution.
  • Family of John Partner — Proposed and helped establish John's Room as a memorial program for children and teens in foster care.
  • Foster 360 Partner — Partnered for a Back to School event in 2018.
  • Westergard family Partner — Initiated and supports Jakelle's Christmas Box, a gift donation program in memory of Jakelle Westergard to benefit children served by Helen's Hope Chest.