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PHOENIX GOSPEL MISSION
PHOENIX, AZ · EIN 866057771 · Form 990 · FY2021 · NTEE X21Z · Religion-Related · Large ($10M-$50M) · www.phoenixrescuemission.org
revenue
$31.6M
expenses
$25.1M
net assets
$39.5M
employees
153
volunteers
1,252
program ratio
75%
mission · from form 990

PROVIDE CHRIST-CENTERED, LIFE-TRANSFORMING SOLUTIONS TO PERSONS FACING HUNGER, HOMELESSNESS, ADDICTION, AND TRAUMA

profile · synthesized from sources

Phoenix Rescue Mission is a Christian nonprofit that provides Christ-centered, life-transforming solutions to individuals facing hunger, homelessness, addiction, and trauma. The organization offers immediate relief services, residential recovery programs, and community outreach in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2021

what they reported doing

Program narrative the organization filed with the IRS. Ordered by program spending.

  1. #1 primary $3.58M
    2. CHANGING LIVES CENTER FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN - TRANSFORMATIONS IS OUR TOTAL PERSON RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS, OR NEAR HOMELESS WOMEN AND WOMEN WITH CHILDREN. IT OFFERS A BLEND OF DISCIPLESHIP, RECOVERY SERVICES, GROUP THERAPY, AND VOCATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES. WE HOUSE UP TO 175 WOMEN AND CHILDREN, WHETHER BATTLING ADDICTION, ESCAPING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, OR SUFFERING TRAUMA. THEY LIVE IN A SECURE, APARTMENT-STYLE HOUSING WITH ACCESS TO CHILDCARE AS THEY RECEIVE COUNSELING, LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION, AND CAREER ASSISTANCE. THE DEMAND FOR SERVICES TO WOMEN AND CHILDREN IS GROWING RAPIDLY. WE'VE GONE FROM SERVING APPROXIMATELY 40 WOMEN AND CHILDREN PER DAY IN 2011 WHEN THE CHANGING LIVES CENTER FIRST OPENED, TO NEARLY 86 WOMEN AND CHILDREN PER DAY IN THE PAST YEAR.
  2. #2 $2.98M
    3. TRANSFORMING LIVES CENTER FOR MEN - THE TRANSFORMING LIVES CENTER (TLC) SERVES HOMELESS MEN AND MEN IN POVERTY. CURRENTLY, IT HOUSES UP TO 360 MEN WITH LIFE-CONTROLLING PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT VARIOUS STAGES OF RECOVERY. THE TLC OFFERS BOTH LONG-TERM, AS WELL AS SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS. CLIENTS PARTICIPATE IN DISCIPLESHIP INCLUDING CLASS WORK, RECOVERY MEETINGS, WORK THERAPY, MENTORING, GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, AND VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THE PROGRAM FOCUSES ON HEALING THE TOTAL PERSON. THE TLC ENDED THE YEAR WITH 392 INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM.
named programs · 12 · from sources

what they call their work

Addiction Recovery
Services focused on helping individuals overcome addiction.
Code:Red
Summer street outreach program providing life-saving water, hygiene kits, and critical care to homeless individuals during extreme heat; includes mobile distribution and case management
Community Engagement Programs
Programs designed to engage the community.
Hope Coach
Mobile outreach program.
Hope Coach Mobile Outreach
Mobile outreach unit connecting homeless individuals to short-term resources and long-term recovery services
Hope for Hunger Food Bank
Food distribution program in Glendale, AZ that packs and delivers emergency food boxes to individuals and families in need
Job and Life Skills Training
Training to equip individuals with skills for employment and independent living.
Mobile Pantries
Mobile food distribution service bringing groceries to hundreds of families at community outreach events across the Valley
Residential Recovery Program
Year-long, Christ-centered program for men, women, and women with children addressing addiction, trauma, and homelessness through comprehensive services including counseling, job training, and spiritual development
Shelter
Provision of shelter for those in need.
Solutions Program
Program connecting individuals to short-term resources.
Spiritual Recovery / Christian Counseling
Counseling and support for spiritual healing.
activities · 7 groups

what they do

  • Basic Needs Provision for Youth and Families 9 activities
    • Emergency Food and Basic Needs Distribution
      Provides emergency food boxes, meals, nonperishable food, frozen turkeys, water, toiletries, socks, shoes, and other essential items to individuals and families experiencing hunger and homelessness through direct distribution and mobile outreach, including over 1 million water bottles distributed in 2025.
    • Emergency Shelter and Basic Needs Services
      Provides emergency shelter, meals, food boxes, and essential items such as water, non-perishable food, socks, shoes, and toiletries to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and hunger across the Phoenix area.
    • Mobile Outreach Services (Hope Coach)
      Operates a mobile outreach unit called the Hope Coach that conducts street outreach to connect individuals in need with essential services, rescuing 1,363 people from the streets in 2025 and distributing water, food, and supplies across the Valley.
    • Mobile Outreach and Street Engagement
      Operates the Hope Coach mobile unit and conducts street outreach efforts to distribute water, food, and essential supplies, rescuing and connecting vulnerable individuals with services; distributed over 1 million water bottles and reached 1,363 people in 2025.
    • Mobile and Street Outreach Services
      Operates the Hope Coach mobile outreach unit and conducts street outreach efforts to distribute water, food, clothing, toiletries, and other essentials, rescuing 1,363 individuals from the streets in 2025 and providing direct support to people experiencing homelessness and hardship in the community.
    • Street Outreach and Essential Item Distribution
      Conducts street outreach efforts, including operating a mobile outreach unit (Hope Coach), to rescue individuals from the streets and distribute essential items such as water, non-perishable food, socks, shoes, and toiletries to struggling individuals and families. In 2025, rescued 1,363 people and distributed over 1,000,000 water bottles.
    • Street Outreach and Essential Item Distribution
      Conducts street outreach efforts, including operating a mobile outreach unit called Hope Coach, to rescue individuals from the streets and distribute essential items such as water, non-perishable food, socks, shoes, toiletries, and Hope Totes to struggling individuals and families in the Valley, including specific summer heat relief efforts.
    • Street Outreach and Essential Item Distribution
      Conducts street outreach efforts, including operating a mobile outreach unit called Hope Coach, to rescue individuals from the streets and distribute essential items such as water, non-perishable food, socks, shoes, toiletries, and Hope Totes to struggling individuals and families. In 2025, rescued 1,363 people and distributed over 1,000,000 water bottles.
    • Street Outreach and Mobile Services
      Operates a mobile outreach unit called Hope Coach and conducts street outreach efforts to rescue individuals from the streets, providing essential items like water, non-perishable food, socks, shoes, and toiletries. In 2025, rescued 1,363 people and distributed over 1,000,000 water bottles.
  • Youth Food Drive Coordination 7 activities
    • Community Engagement and Donation Drives
      Hosts annual donation drives in collaboration with businesses, churches, and community groups to collect goods, resources, and funds. Operates a "Fill a Bag" program for nonperishable food donations and runs community engagement programs to involve the public in mission activities, including customizable service experiences for business partners.
    • Community Engagement and Donation Drives
      Runs community engagement programs, including annual donation drives in collaboration with businesses, churches, and community groups to collect goods, resources, and funds. Also operates a "Fill a Bag" program for nonperishable food donations.
    • Donation Drives and Community Engagement
      Hosts annual donation drives in partnership with businesses, churches, and community groups, including the “Fill a Bag” program for nonperishable food and other essential goods, and creates customizable volunteer experiences for business partners to engage employees in supporting neighbors in need.
    • Donation Drives and Programs
      Hosts annual donation drives in collaboration with businesses, churches, and community groups to collect goods, resources, and funds, and operates a "Fill a Bag" program for nonperishable food donations.
    • Donation Drives and Public Engagement Initiatives
      Hosts annual donation drives and the “Fill a Bag” program in partnership with businesses, churches, and community groups to collect nonperishable food and essential goods; also creates customizable volunteer experiences for business partners.
    • Donation Drives and Volunteer Engagement
      Hosts annual donation drives in collaboration with businesses, churches, and community groups to collect goods, resources, and funds, including a "Fill a Bag" program for nonperishable food. Engages volunteers in activities like packing food boxes and sorting donations.
    • Donation Drives and Volunteer Engagement Programs
      Hosts annual donation drives with businesses, churches, and community groups, and operates the "Fill a Bag" program for nonperishable food donations; engages volunteers in food packing, sorting, and distribution at the Donations Warehouse and food bank.
  • Transitional Housing for Recovery 7 activities
    • Recovery and Personal Development Services
      Provides addiction recovery, spiritual counseling, job training, and life skills development to support personal growth, self-sufficiency, and long-term stability for individuals overcoming trauma and homelessness.
    • Residential Recovery Program
      Operates a residential recovery program for men, women, and women with children experiencing life-controlling crises such as addiction, homelessness, and trauma, offering long-term comprehensive services including spiritual recovery, Christian counseling, job and life skills training.
    • Residential Recovery Program
      Operates a long-term residential recovery program for men, women, and women with children experiencing life-controlling crises such as addiction, homelessness, and trauma, providing comprehensive support for sustained recovery and stability.
    • Residential Recovery Program
      Operates a residential recovery program for men, women, and women with children experiencing life-controlling crises such as addiction, homelessness, and trauma, offering long-term comprehensive services including spiritual recovery, Christian counseling, job and life skills training, and employment preparation.
    • Residential Recovery Program
      Operates a long-term residential recovery program for men, women, and women with children experiencing life-controlling crises such as addiction, homelessness, and trauma, providing comprehensive services including shelter, spiritual recovery, counseling, and life skills training to support sustained stability and self-sufficiency.
    • Residential Recovery Programs
      Operates residential recovery programs for men, women, and women with children experiencing life-controlling crises such as addiction, homelessness, and trauma, offering long-term comprehensive services including spiritual recovery, Christian counseling, and job/life skills training.
    • Residential Recovery Programs
      Operates residential recovery programs for men, women, and women with children experiencing life-controlling crises such as addiction, homelessness, and trauma, offering long-term comprehensive services including addiction recovery, spiritual recovery, Christian counseling, job and life skills training, and housing and employment preparation.
  • Holiday Gift and Family Support Programs 7 activities
    • Seasonal Community Outreach Events
      Hosts seasonal community outreach events to serve families in need, including distributing filled backpacks for children during back-to-school events and providing frozen turkeys and meal fill-a-bags during Thanksgiving.
    • Seasonal Community Support Programs
      Provides seasonal support through initiatives like distributing filled backpacks for back-to-school, offering frozen turkeys and meal fill-a-bags for Thanksgiving, and conducting summer heat relief efforts with water bottles and Hope Totes.
    • Seasonal Community Support Programs
      Hosts seasonal community outreach events, including distributing filled backpacks for children during back-to-school events and providing summer heat relief efforts with water bottles and Hope Totes.
    • Seasonal Relief and Community Events
      Conducts summer heat relief efforts by providing cases of water bottles and Hope Totes, distributes filled backpacks for children during back-to-school events, and hosts seasonal Community Outreach Events to serve families in need.
    • Seasonal and Community Outreach Events
      Hosts seasonal and community-based outreach events including back-to-school backpack distributions, Thanksgiving meal giveaways with frozen turkeys and fill-a-bags, and summer heat relief efforts, serving hundreds of families through targeted, event-based support.
    • Seasonal and Community Outreach Events
      Hosts seasonal and community-based outreach events including back-to-school backpack distributions, Thanksgiving meal fill-a-bags and turkeys, summer heat relief with water and Hope Totes, and other events serving hundreds of families annually.
    • Seasonal and Community Outreach Events
      Hosts seasonal and community-based events including back-to-school backpack distributions, Thanksgiving meal and turkey giveaways, summer heat relief with water and Hope Totes, and other outreach initiatives serving hundreds of families.
  • Short-Term Crisis Resource Connection 4 activities
    • Short-Term Resource Connection (Solutions Program)
      Operates a Solutions program to connect individuals with short-term resources.
    • Solutions Program for Short-Term Assistance
      Operates a Solutions program that connects individuals with short-term resources to address immediate needs related to homelessness, hunger, and personal crisis.
    • Solutions Program for Short-Term Assistance
      Operates a Solutions program that connects individuals in crisis with short-term resources to address immediate needs related to hunger, homelessness, and personal instability.
    • Solutions Program for Short-Term Assistance
      Operates a Solutions program that connects individuals in crisis with short-term resources and support services to address immediate needs.
  • Emergency Shelter Services 3 activities
    • Emergency Shelter Services
      Provides shelter to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness.
    • Emergency Shelter Services
      Provides emergency shelter to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness.
    • Emergency Shelter Services
      Provides shelter to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness.
  • Uncategorized 12 activities
    • Corporate Employee Engagement Programs
      Creates customizable service experiences for business partners to engage employees in supporting neighbors in need.
    • Corporate Volunteer Engagement
      Creates customizable service experiences for business partners to engage employees in supporting neighbors in need.
    • Corporate Volunteer Engagement
      Creates customizable service experiences for business partners to engage their employees in supporting neighbors in need through volunteer activities.
    • Corporate and Community Engagement for Service
      Creates customizable volunteer service experiences for business partners and community groups to engage employees and members in supporting outreach and aid programs for neighbors in need.
    • Emergency Shelter Services
      Provides shelter to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness, alongside meals and emergency food boxes.
    • Food Assistance Programs
      Provides meals and emergency food boxes to individuals in need, operates the Hope for Hunger Food Bank, and runs Mobile Pantries and Community Outreach Events to distribute food to hundreds of families. This includes seasonal efforts like providing frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving and serving meals to recovery program participants.
    • Food Assistance Programs
      Provides meals and emergency food boxes to individuals in need, operates the Hope for Hunger Food Bank, and runs Mobile Pantries and Community Outreach Events to distribute food to hundreds of families. This includes providing frozen turkeys and meal fill-a-bags during Thanksgiving, and serving food to individuals in recovery programs.
    • Food Bank and Mobile Pantry Operations
      Operates the Hope for Hunger Food Bank in Glendale, engaging volunteers to pack food boxes, sort donations, and transport groceries. Also operates Mobile Pantries and Community Outreach Events to distribute food to hundreds of families, providing meals and emergency food boxes to individuals in need, including those in recovery programs.
    • Food Distribution and Emergency Food Services
      Provides emergency food through meals, food boxes, mobile pantries, and community outreach events; operates the Hope for Hunger Food Bank in Glendale and distributes over 1 million water bottles and essential food items annually to individuals and families in need across the Valley.
    • Hope for Hunger Food Bank Operations
      Operates the Hope for Hunger Food Bank in Glendale where volunteers pack food boxes, sort donations, and transport groceries to clients’ vehicles, serving as a primary volunteer engagement and food distribution hub.
    • Hope for Hunger Food Bank Operations
      Operates the Hope for Hunger Food Bank in Glendale, engaging volunteers in sorting donations, packing food boxes, and distributing groceries directly to clients’ vehicles as a core volunteer and service delivery program.
    • Hope for Hunger Food Bank and Mobile Pantries
      Operates the Hope for Hunger Food Bank in Glendale, engaging volunteers to pack food boxes, sort donations, and transport groceries. Also runs Mobile Pantries and Community Outreach Events that serve hundreds of families with food and other resources.
financials · form 990 · fy2021
revenue
Total revenue$31.61M
Contributions & grants$30.49M96%
Program service revenue$1.81M6%
Investment income$-700K-2%
Other revenue$9K
expenses
Total expenses$25.06M
Program expenses75%
Admin / overhead7%
Fundraising18%
Salaries & benefits$8.69M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$46.24M
Cash$3.05M
Investments$14.74M
Liabilities$6.70M
Net assets$39.54M
Liquid reserves8.5 mo
3 years on record · 2019–2021 · YoY revenue +0.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021

who runs it

paid leadership · 5
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
KEN BRISSA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 40 $207K
LEO SALGADO CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 40 $135K
NICOLE PENA CHIEF RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT 40 $133K
ABBY MULLER SENIOR DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP GIVING 40 $113K
BENJAMIN PARKER CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 40 $85K
board members · 17
  • AMILYN PIERCE — DIRECTOR
  • ANDY WARREN — DIRECTOR
  • BRAD RICHARDSON — DIRECTOR
  • CARL JOHNSON — DIRECTOR
  • CHRIS SCHOENLEB — DIRECTOR
  • JIM WATKINS — PAST CHAIR
  • KATHY MURPHY — DIRECTOR
  • KAY EKSTROM — DIRECTOR
  • MARY KOSTRIVAS — TREASURER/CHAIR OF STEWARD
  • MARY O'HANLON — SECRETARY
  • MATTHEW BRINKMAN — DIRECTOR
  • NATHANIEL SPATZ — DIRECTOR
  • PAUL REICHERT — DIRECTOR
  • PAUL SENSEMAN — DIRECTOR
  • RON ERIKSSON — DIRECTOR
  • TED GUY — CHAIR
  • TONY MULLER — DIRECTOR
relationships · 16

who they work with

  • Better Business Bureau Network — Accredited charity with the Better Business Bureau.
  • Charity Navigator Network — Rated as a Four-Star Charity by Charity Navigator.
  • Churches in the community Partner — Churches provide volunteer hours, donations, and collection drives to support the Mission's work.
  • Citygate Network Network — Member of the Citygate Network, which provides accountability in stewardship and ministry practices.
  • Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Network — Member organization accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
  • Excellence in Giving Network — Certified by Excellence in Giving.
  • GuideStar Network — Certified Platinum by GuideStar.
  • Hope for Hunger Food Bank Partner — Directs perishable food donations to Hope for Hunger Food Bank for intake and distribution
  • Jimmy Carr Partner — Collaborated with LeRoy and Grace Davidson to establish the Phoenix Gospel Mission.
  • Ken Brissa Partner — CEO of Phoenix Rescue Mission, involved in promoting Code:Red outreach efforts
  • Phoenix Rescue Mission Partner — Businesses partner with Phoenix Rescue Mission to support neighbors in need and address homelessness.
  • VolunteerHub Partner — Platform used to manage volunteer sign-up and engagement.
  • businesses Partner — Collaborates with businesses to host donation drives.
  • churches Partner — Collaborates with churches to host donation drives.
  • community groups Partner — Collaborates with community groups to host donation drives.
  • local churches Partner — Collaborates with local churches to serve vulnerable populations and advance the Gospel.