PLATINUM2024

Little Birds of the Fields

Crete, IL   |  www.littlebirdsofthefields.org

Mission

We provide food and staples to residents of the area without regard to religious preference, race, origin, age, sex, marital status or disability. All services are provided without charge or obligation. We began as a response to COVID-19 and endeavor to relieve the hunger problem in the area. We operate a weekly drive-thru food pantry for the local residents. Currently we are serving approximately 225 families weekly.

Ruling year info

2020

President

Paul Gerrity

Main address

23220 S Hidden Lake Trl

Crete, IL 60417 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

85-1148903

NTEE code info

Food Banks, Food Pantries (K31)

IRS filing requirement

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

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Our organization was born as a direct result of the current COVID-19 pandemic. When the panic resulted in the closure of all food pantries in the area, together with the fact that the residents in the area had no local grocer within several miles, we determined that something needed to be provided to help the residents.

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?

Food Pantry

To provide food to area residents without qualification or requirements.

Population(s) Served
Family relationships

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Illinois Partners in Hope 2020

Hands of Hope of Joliet 2022

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 groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided

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

Families, Non-adult children, Parents, Widows and widowers

Related Program

Food Pantry

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

Number of families served on a weekly basis.

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.

We hope to provide a reliable source of food staples for the local communities we serve without regard for race, sex, age, religious beliefs or any other qualifying requirements. We never charge for our services and our board of directors and staff are all volunteer and unpaid. All donations go to supporting the programs we run.

We strive to make it as uncomplicated as possible for residents to obtain our services. We intend to be a regular fixture in the area and continue to provide services as are deemed needed and as we are able expand to accomplish these goals.

We have established procedures and partnerships to help accomplish our intended goals and we rely heavily at this time on the generosity of the business community to support our goals. With the help and generosity of the general public, we hope to expand our capabilities in the future.

We have been able to establish our presence and become a known weekly service the local community is becoming accustomed to. We hope to expand our services into other areas as we determine the needs.
As of the close of 2020, we have been able to provide more than 200,000 pounds of food to the residents and we serve an average of 225 families per week.
As we develop our capabilities, we plan to expand our number of families served.
At the end of 2021, we have expanded our capabilities and are now servicing an average of 250 families per week.
We have been able to expand our food supply chain to include some new and unique partners. We are able to offer food products unique to our operation because of this. We are very grateful to the partners we have obtained for their ongoing and very generous support.

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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve

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

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, 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 people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve

Financials

Little Birds of the Fields
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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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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.

Little Birds of the Fields

Board of directors
as of 05/09/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Paul Gerrity

Little Birds of the Fields

Term: 2020 -

Paul Gerrity

Little Birds of the Fields

Paulette Meeks

Little Birds of the Fields

Lawrence Barker

Little Birds of the Fields

Scott Crumrine

Little Birds of the Fields

Pastor John Pitts

Holy Praise Tabenacle COGIC

Rick Schreiber

Little Birds of the Fields

Bertha Jones

Little Birds of the Fields

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 ? Not applicable
  • 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? Not applicable
  • 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? Not applicable

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 1/25/2024
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
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 10/26/2020

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

Data
  • 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.
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.