Fresh Start Furniture Bank, Inc.

Furnishing Hope

Hudson, MA   |  http://www.FreshStartFurnitureBank.org/

Mission

Fresh Start Furniture Bank helps restore hope, dignity, and stability in the communities that we serve by recycling donated furniture and housewares to people in need. We accept donations of gently used household items and distribute them free of charge.

Ruling year info

2014

Principal Officer

Mr. Geoffrey William Schultz

Main address

16 Brent Dr

Hudson, MA 01749 USA

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Formerly known as

Touchstone Furniture Depot

EIN

46-2512827

NTEE code info

Human Services - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C. (P99)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

There is a large population of of people who are economically disadvantaged who have recently obtained housing and have no way to furnish it. Fresh Start provides these families with free furniture and home goods to these families so that they can establish home and become productive members of society.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Recycled Furniture and Home Goods Distribution Center

The Furniture and Home Goods Distribution Center is the sole program offered by Fresh Start. It provides free recycled furniture and home goods to people in need. These are people coming out of shelters, domestic abuse situations, recent immigrants, veterans and people recovering from addiction or mental issues. Social service agencies throughout MA submit electronic referrals for their clients to Fresh Start.

Population(s) Served

Where we work

Awards

Small Nonprofit Excellence Award 2019

Massachusetts Nonprofit Network

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of clients served

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Recycled Furniture and Home Goods Distribution Center

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Number of households furnished

Number of products distributed

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Recycled Furniture and Home Goods Distribution Center

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Pieces of furniture and home-goods distributed

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Fresh Start's primary goal is to provide free furniture and home goods to people who are in need and have been referred to us through a social service agency. The community of people that we serve come from shelters, transitional housing, women and children escaping a domestic violence situation, or are recent immigrants or veterans. The items that we provide helps them restore their hope, dignity and stability by giving them the basic necessities to form a home. Without a place to call home, many of these people will simply repeat events which got them into their cycle of poverty. Fresh Start's secondary goal is to reduce the amount of furniture and home goods entering landfills by recycling them into a new home.

385+ social service agencies throughout the state of MA provide referrals for their clients to us. In 2019 we expect to furnish 650 households with over 24,000 pieces of furniture and homegoods.

We have an extremely high tech infrastructure which tracks all manner of donations, clients and items distributed to clients. We have 130+ volunteers who put in over 11,000 hours in 2018.

Fresh Start was awarded the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network's award for Small Charity Excellence, which translates to MA Small Nonprofit of the Year in in our minds.

Financials

Fresh Start Furniture Bank, Inc.
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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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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Fresh Start Furniture Bank, Inc.

Board of directors
as of 11/20/2019
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mr Branch Yules

Lilien Realty, LLC

Term: 2013 - 2014

Geoffrey Schultz

Retired

Susan Waudby

Retired

Branch Yules

Lilien Realty, LLC

Mike Kahn

Waters, Inc.

Jill Mazzola

Intirim Furnishings

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • 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? No
  • 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? No
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 11/20/2019

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
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 11/20/2019

GuideStar 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

Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • 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.