CARITAS OF AUSTIN

Ending homelessness together.

AUSTIN, TX   |  http://www.caritasofaustin.org/

Mission

We prevent and end homelessness for people in Greater Austin.

Ruling year info

1977

President and CEO

Ms. Jo Kathryn Quinn

Main address

611 NECHES ST

AUSTIN, TX 78701-3324 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

74-1909670

NTEE code info

Emergency Assistance (Food, Clothing, Cash) (P60)

Homeless Services/Centers (P85)

Other Housing Support Services (L80)

IRS filing requirement

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

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Register now

Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

People lose stable housing for many reasons, and for most, it’s a process that happens over time. People living in poverty without a strong support system are most at risk, especially when an unexpected crisis occurs. In 2020, the annual Homeless Point-In-Time Count identified 2,506 people experiencing homelessness in the Austin area, but it’s estimated that over 10,000 people access homeless services over the course of a year. Only a fraction are the “visible homeless” you may see on the street corners. The majority are people you don’t see or consider, from families living in their car to young people aging out of the foster care system. We know the most effective solutions to end homelessness in our community, but we can’t solve homelessness unless we do it together.

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?

Supportive Services to Veteran Families

Caritas of Austin's Supportive Services for Veteran Families program (SSVF) is designed to increase the housing stability of veteran families that are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Population(s) Served

Caritas of Austin’s Permanent Supportive Housing program provides housing, onsite supportive services, and mental health counseling for disabled individuals experiencing long-term homelessness. By using best practices and continually adding new layers of peer and mental health support, we are proud that last year 97% of individuals remained stable in housing and did not return to the streets.

Population(s) Served

Caritas of Austin provides rapid rehousing services to families and individuals who are experiencing shorter-term homelessness. An unexpected crisis such as an injury, illness, or a lost job can cause a loss of stable housing. We meet people in their time of greatest need and quickly intervene to rehouse families to prevent long-term homelessness. We employ customized, evidence-based solutions to end a family’s homelessness once and for all, which is helps build stability for future generations.

Population(s) Served

Caritas of Austin’s Education program is aimed at giving people the tools they need to succeed. Whether it’s learning to manage personal finances, developing vocational skills, or setting life goals, our Education program adds an additional layer of support to our comprehensive services.

Population(s) Served

Caritas of Austin's Employment builds individualized employment plans for each client based on their experience, skills, and goals. Together, staff and clients lay the building blocks for long-term success. Caritas of Austin partners with over 300 local employers to place hundreds of people in jobs each year. Industries include healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, HVAC, Commercial Driver’s License, IT, government, and more.

Population(s) Served

Caritas of Austin provides a free, nutritious lunch — no questions asked — to over 200 individuals Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch in Caritas’ Community Kitchen may be the only meal someone eats on a given day. The Community Kitchen is primarily volunteer-operated.

Population(s) Served

The Caritas Pantry provides take-home groceries to our clients. When you are struggling to make ends meet and must choose between putting food on the table and paying the electric bill, weekly groceries bring great relief to families.

Population(s) Served

Where we work

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 families receiving housing services in a fiscal year.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of clients placed in jobs.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of meals served or provided

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

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.

Through collaboration and innovation, Caritas of Austin is working to end homelessness in Austin. While it is not possible to prevent all people from losing housing when an unexpected crisis occurs, we can use proven methods to address homelessness and build a community system strong enough to rapidly rehouse anyone who has lost their housing.

Caritas of Austin utilizes a Housing First approach, an evidence-based best practice in ending homelessness. This approach is used across several programs which are designed to best meet the client's needs.

Supportive Housing services provide intensive, long-term housing and support services for individuals who have experienced long periods of homelessness and are battling at least one disabling condition.

Rapid Rehousing services employs social work professionals that intersect with people as they find themselves without a stable home due to an unexpected crisis. These programs work shorter-term to help people quickly regain a stable home and build a stronger foundation to endure future crises like health problems or a lost job.

Support services such as a food pantry, employment assistance, and educational classes that teach life skills and money management help people reach their full potential and contribute to the community.

Caritas of Austin has been providing housing services for over 55 years in the Austin community, and was one of the city's first organizations to implement a Supportive Housing program to serve chronically homeless individuals. We are also the lead and fiscal agent for Best Single Source Plus, a 12-agency collaborative aimed at preventing and ending homelessness in Austin. Through ongoing professional development, local collaborations, and membership in national groups leading efforts in effective solutions to homelessness, Caritas of Austin is continually adapting programs to increase effectiveness.

For specific populations like Veterans, we have seen tremendous success. In 2016, Austin reached a functional zero for veteran homelessness, and Caritas of Austin was a leader in that effort to house all homeless veterans. This success happened through collaboration with the City of Austin, nonprofit partners, and the real estate community all leveraging their resources. Our community is now applying the successful tactics being used with the veteran population to address both youth and downtown homelessness. Significant progress will only be made when the community steps up to provide the resources that match the scale and complexity of the problem.

Financials

CARITAS OF AUSTIN
lock

Unlock financial insights by subscribing to our monthly plan.

Subscribe

Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our 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.

Operations

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

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

CARITAS OF AUSTIN

Board of directors
as of 02/11/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mr. Troy West

Troy West

Melissa Ayala

Emily Blair

John Brindley

Monica Crowley

Erik Dithmer

Lori Freedman

Larry Graham

Monica Guzmán

Felicia Mason-Edwards

Tracy Snodgrass

Ramesh Swaminathan

John Trube

Anselmo Unite

Raquel Valdez Sanchez

Mike Haggerty

Erik Dithmer

Ramesh Swaminathan

Felicia Mason-Edwards

Felicia Mason-Edwards

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? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • 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? Yes