PLATINUM2023

Ride with Valor

THEIR BATTLE CONTINUES

aka Hearth & Home for Veterans   |   Cleveland, OH   |  https://www.ridewithvalor.org

Mission

Ride with Valor is a 501c3 dedicated to assisting Veterans and their families with housing and support solutions.

Ruling year info

2019

CEO

Mr. Russell Scot Rhoda

Main address

19245 Prospect Rd

Cleveland, OH 44149 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

83-3190697

NTEE code info

Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution (W12)

Independent Housing for People with Disabilities (L24)

Food Banks, Food Pantries (K31)

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

Due to a combination of heath and financial reasons, many veterans are living in environments that are not equipped to help them safely thrive. Many older homes have structural problems, such as collapsing roofs or stairs. They are not insulated or energy efficient, nor do they meet any ADA-standards.

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?

Hearth & Home

This is our flagship program, dedicated to providing Veterans with a safe home of their own. Working in conjunction the Land Bank, we use local contractors and volunteers to remodel unkept housing and make it a home. We then select a homeless Veteran to reside in the home—however, this is not a handout. The program requires the Veteran to enroll in programming designed to get them back on their feet. RWV will help them by providing resources to help them with issues such as their finances, health, or credit. For five years, the Veteran will pay rent on the home—which can be subsidized through Section Eight. After the five years, the Veteran will have the opportunity to purchase the home at 50% of the appraised value. Unlike other homeless geared programs, we help furnish apartments with necessities, such as furniture and basic needs. Providing these Veterans with not just a roof over their head, but the dignity of having their own safe space to live. “Hearth and Home” also help Vete

Population(s) Served

Our Aging population of Veterans who have built their lives and love their homes. We help them keep the cost of care down by retrofitting their homes to places of care from wheelchair ramps, accessible modifications, or needed medical equipment. We keep them in their home and out of high cost skilled facilities or nursing homes. Letting them Age in Place with a support network improves quality of life and overall health, knowing we are there for them.

Population(s) Served

Food insecurity threatens many of our Veterans. To help combat this, Ride with Valor partners with the our community partners to pass out parcels of food for Veterans in need. For holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, we also make it a priority to deliver turkeys, hams, and holiday meals for Veterans both at home and in shelters. We are also in the process of creating an apple orchard. Working in tandem with homeless shelters, this orchard will help keep Veterans in fresh produce–a difficult feat for them to accomplish alone due to costs.

Population(s) Served
Veterans
Military personnel
Veterans
Military personnel

One of the major obstacles for a Veteran obtaining the help that they need is transportation. Public transportation does not often reach out to where the people need it most. Our handicap accessible van allows us to help these Veterans get back and forth to their crucial appointments, free of cost to the Veteran. If you have any questions about any of these programs or are interested in volunteering for any of these programs, please contact us.

Population(s) Served
Veterans
People with disabilities

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 people using homeless shelters per week

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Homeless people, Veterans, Seniors

Related Program

Hearth & Home

Type of Metric

Context - describing the issue we work on

Direction of Success

Decreasing

Context Notes

Helping US Veterans,as well as their Widows create housing solutions which allow them to continue living independently and with dignity in their home. We also create housing for low to moderate income

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.

The main goal of Ride with Valor is to ensure that every Veteran has a safe place to call home. We work to ensure that older homes get the structural repairs needed to keep them habitable. We work to make sure bathrooms and entryways are ADA compliant to keep elderly Veterans safely in their homes. We make sure homes are equipped with working furnaces and appliances.

With our "Hearth and Home" program, we are looking to house homeless Veterans while they work on their mental and financial well-being. We refurbish properties and allow the Veteran to take advantage of Section 8 housing vouchers to subsidize rent. Once the Veteran is on their feet, they have the option to purchase the property at 50% of its appraised value or move on, allowing another Veteran to begin the program.+

Ride with Valor partners with the VA, local Veterans' organizations, and local businesses to research funding solutions to help pay for needed repairs. We also network with local contractors willing to donate time or offer reduced labor rates to complete the work. We also work with local Veterans' organizations, schools and community groups to host volunteer parties to help with unskilled labor for projects.

Ride with Valor works with the VA, local businesses and local contractors to secure funding, materials and labor for Veteran's projects. We also have a group of volunteers who help with labor for when social distancing measures are rescinded. We keep a small warehouse of donated furniture and appliances for Veterans in need.

In 2019, Ride with Valor raised over $520,000 in grants and fundraising. This allowed us to assist 30 Veterans and Veteran Widows with structural repairs for their homes, as well as install ADA and energy efficient modifications. We also helped 12 Veterans' Organizations with critical repairs for their buildings, allowing them to continue serving their members.

In 2020, we have helped several Veterans and their families acquire furniture and appliances to help them transition into their new homes, despite COVID-19. We are also continuing rehabilitation work on a donated house to kick off our "Hearth and Home" program.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • 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, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time

Financials

Ride with Valor
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Operations

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

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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.

Ride with Valor

Board of directors
as of 02/09/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Carrie Tilley

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

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 2/6/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic (2+ races/ethnicities)
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 02/06/2023

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 use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • 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.