Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Spare Key has successfully been licensed and registered to serve families in all 50 states and the DIstrict of Columbia to support families facing a medical crisis with our www.HelpMeBounce.org platform. As Spare Key celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2022 we are excited to have successfully navigated the worst of 2020 and 2021. Our Executive Director's Hope on the River trip to raise funds and awareness for Spare Key in 2020, www.HopeOnTheRIver.com, was the beginning of our efforts to push back against the narrative of the gloom and doom of a global pandemic. In 2021 we continued to push back and achieved nearly all of our strategic goals and objectives for the year. Our goal is to continue to meet the needs of families facing a medical crisis by expanding our capacity to connect families needing assistance with donors looking to help families "Bounce and not Break."
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Housing and Housing Related Assistance
Spare Key supports families by providing them with the resources necessary to cover critical expenses while they deal with a loved ones medical crisis.
Where we work
Awards
Use Your Life Award 2000
Oprah Winfrey
Non-Profit of the Year 2017
Minnesota Mortgage Association
Outstanding Contribution to the Mortgage Industry 2019
Minnesota Mortgage Association
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of new programs/program sites
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Families
Related Program
Housing and Housing Related Assistance
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our goal is to alleviate the emotional, physical and financial stress that a family faces during a significant medical crisis by helping them be heard, seen, and found using our www.HelpMeBounce.org platform.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We have developed a technology platform that harnesses our resources to help families secure the resources they need to address their financial needs. By focusing resources on driving awareness and donors to support families in need we can meet their current and future financial needs.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We use our network of donors, volunteers and technology, as well as our financial resources, to bring awareness to individual family challenges and create a broader network of supporters who will assist them financially to address their critical financial needs.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Spare Key has served over 4,000 families with nearly $4 million in housing and housing related assistance. As of 2020 we are now licensed and registered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Case management notes, Suggestion box/email,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
SPARE KEY
Board of directorsas of 01/10/2022
Wendy Pajor
ASI Signage
Term: 2017 - 2023
Leanna Stefaniak
AtHome Apartments
Term: 2022 - 2024
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/10/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.