Family House, Inc.
A Community Of Support A Place To Call Home
Family House, Inc.
EIN: 94-2722663
as of November 2025
as of November 14, 2025
Mission
Founded in 1981, Family House serves as a free home away from home for families with children undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses by providing support, comfort and community.
Notes from the nonprofit
CORE VALUES Compassion “Compassion is our core” We believe that our compassion for families as they endure the most trying experience of their lives must drive everything we do. Refuge “A place of comfort” We believe that providing a safe, comfortable, dignified living environment enables our families to focus on their child’s medical care. Family “Family of families” We believe in providing an environment where our families naturally connect with each other to find hope, comfort and support. Access “Addressing health equity” We believe that the cost of having a place to stay should not be a factor in where parents find world class care for their child’s life-threatening illness. Community “In this together” We believe in providing opportunities for our staff, volunteers and supporters to profoundly impact the lives of our families.
Ruling year
1981
Chief Executive Officer
Katherine Thompson
Main address
540 Mission Bay Blvd N
San Francisco, CA 94158-2382 USA
EIN
94-2722663
Health
Family services
Temporary accomodations
Youth services
Housing services
Population served
Children and youth
Low-income people
Adults
NTEE code
Other Housing Support Services (L80)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Affiliations
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reportsWhat we aim to solve
When a child is diagnosed with cancer or other serious illness, it turns a family’s life upside down. Often a child who receives a life-threatening diagnosis requires specialized treatment only available at major medical facilities that may be far away from home. And for many parents, the additional costs of staying at a hotel or motel for the days, weeks or months their child may require hospitalization is well beyond their financial means. By providing cost-free temporary housing, Family House is able to relieve some of these financial burdens so families can focus on their child’s healing. But Family House is more than just a place to stay – it’s a home away from home, and a supportive community of people who are dedicated to providing a caring environment for the entire family while their child is undergoing treatment.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Housing Families - Family House's Mission
Family House provides free, temporary housing and support services to up to 80 families per night whose children are being treated for a critical illness at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Our goal is to alleviate some of the daily emotional and financial strains families are experiencing so they can focus on healing their child. All our family services are provided 100% free of charge.
Where we work
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California (United States)
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United States
Affiliations & memberships
Healthcare Hospitality Network Certified House 2024
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of eligible clients who report having access to an adequate array of services and supports
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Housing Families - Family House's Mission
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
We ask out clients the impact we have on their ability to care for their child. This metric reports out on that. The reported metric is a percentage of clients.
Number of new clients within the past 12 months
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Housing Families - Family House's Mission
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Hours of volunteer service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Housing Families - Family House's Mission
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Average length of stay (in days)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Housing Families - Family House's Mission
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Families can stay as long or as often as they need while their child is undergoing treatment.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Housing Families - Family House's Mission
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
COVID-19 has impacted our occupancy levels since 2020. We anticipate we will get back to pre-pandemic levels soon, but we must remain vigilant for the safety of the sick children we serve.
Number of room nights provided annually for families with a critically ill child
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Housing Families - Family House's Mission
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
All families are referred by UCSFs social workers who screen patient families by diagnosis (cancer is a priority) distance from San Francisco (at least 50 mi. away); and economic need.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Housing Families - Family House's Mission
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
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?
Founded in 1981, the mission of Family House is to serve as a home away from home for families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses by providing physical comfort and emotional support free from financial concerns. We provide cost-free, temporary housing to families whose children are being treated at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. All families are referred to Family House by UCSF’s pediatric social workers who prescreen patient families by diagnosis (cancer is priority); distance from San Francisco (must live at least 50 miles away); and economic disadvantage/inability to afford local accommodations.
We are open 365 days per year, 24 hours a day and can serve up to 80 families per night (approximately 240 individual guests). Since moving into our Mission Bay location in 2016, we have operated at near maximum capacity on a nightly basis.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Family House has - and will continue to - cultivate and engage a broad cross section of donors and supporters from the greater bay area and beyond (including individuals, corporations and foundations) to fund the general operations of the organization. We also leverage the resources of more than 3,000 strategic partners and volunteers annually who play a pivotal role at Family House, assisting our small staff in providing a safe and comfortable home for families in crisis. (Our volunteer to staff ratio is 100 to 1.) Harnessing the power of volunteers allows us to extend the value of each dollar donated, but more important than the financial value is the impact on the quality of life for families. In a recent survey, 81% of guest families reported that the services provided by volunteers had a direct and positive impact on their family during their stay.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Family House has a strong team of dedicated staff, board and volunteers who have a track record of not only reaching but exceeding budgetary and programmatic goals.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Our occupancy rate averages 90% each night (80 rooms/approx.240 guests per night capacity). In addition to free housing we provided the following necessities and amenities that aim to keep families healthy and strong:
• Weekday breakfast program every morning for all families
• Dinners provided by volunteer groups 3-4 nights per week
• Eight food pantries kept stocked so parents may cook their own meals at no cost
• Donated clothing, diapers, and baby food provided year-round
• Support groups and music therapy sessions
• Private consultations with trained social workers
To help alleviate stress, more than 3,000 volunteers annually help provide uplifting experiences for parents, patients and siblings alike to enrich the quality of life during their stay:
• Fozzy's Toy Room so every child get a new toy upon check-in
• Weekly crafts and activities
• Holiday celebrations
• Celebrity visits
• Cookie and story time readings
• Therapy dog visits
• Popcorn and a movie every Friday night
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 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
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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 act on the feedback we receive
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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, We ask for feedback when a family leaves, some families stay for months so theirs may be delayed
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2023 info
54.20
Months of cash in 2023 info
5.9
Fringe rate in 2023 info
20%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Family House, Inc.
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
This snapshot of Family House, Inc.’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | -$96,031 | $2,619,340 | -$459,518 | $17,789,733 | $6,752,993 |
| As % of expenses | -2.0% | 48.6% | -8.7% | 288.4% | 98.4% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$387,435 | $2,319,449 | -$755,267 | $17,471,681 | $6,506,638 |
| As % of expenses | -7.5% | 40.7% | -13.5% | 269.3% | 91.6% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $6,915,425 | $7,815,205 | $8,472,433 | $10,684,536 | $10,358,970 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 32.4% | 13.0% | 8.4% | 26.1% | -3.0% |
| Program services revenue | 18.3% | 16.9% | 14.5% | 12.0% | 17.0% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 8.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 81.3% | 82.9% | 76.4% | 87.9% | 82.6% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $4,889,464 | $5,393,266 | $5,292,738 | $6,168,909 | $6,860,036 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 24.7% | 10.3% | -1.9% | 16.6% | 11.2% |
| Personnel | 53.0% | 53.6% | 51.4% | 60.2% | 60.6% |
| Professional fees | 9.8% | 9.4% | 13.5% | 12.6% | 11.1% |
| Occupancy | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 35.0% | 35.0% | 32.9% | 27.2% | 28.3% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $5,180,868 | $5,693,157 | $5,588,487 | $6,486,961 | $7,106,391 |
| One month of savings | $407,455 | $449,439 | $441,062 | $514,076 | $571,670 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $5,588,323 | $6,142,596 | $6,029,549 | $7,001,037 | $7,678,061 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 4.4 | 8.8 | 7.9 | 6.4 | 5.9 |
| Months of cash and investments | 4.4 | 8.8 | 7.9 | 41.7 | 48.5 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 3.8 | 9.1 | 8.1 | 41.5 | 49.1 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $1,798,822 | $3,945,700 | $3,500,271 | $3,310,923 | $3,345,399 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $18,137,160 | $24,376,400 |
| Receivables | $1,062,680 | $743,159 | $741,246 | $1,200,390 | $1,148,180 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $7,595,547 | $7,658,328 | $7,674,200 | $7,678,681 | $7,724,666 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 31.2% | 34.3% | 38.1% | 42.0% | 44.9% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 5.7% | 9.0% | 8.4% | 3.0% | 1.5% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $6,778,859 | $9,098,308 | $8,343,041 | $25,814,722 | $32,321,360 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $1,072,931 | $0 | $130,000 | $724,048 | $535,666 |
| Total net assets | $7,851,790 | $9,098,308 | $8,473,041 | $26,538,770 | $32,857,026 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Chief Executive Officer
Katherine Thompson
Thompson has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit administration, development, and communications, with a focus on building community. She joined Family House San Francisco after more than ten years working for Grace Cathedral where she led development, communications, and arts programming. She helped the Cathedral and its leaders grow its fundraising programs, expand its global reach, and improve its civic engagement. Volunteering with SFMOMA led Thompson to professional fundraising roles with MOCA Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University. She cares about LGBTQIA+ causes, and she belongs to the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Early in her career, she held marketing roles with Wells Fargo, Stern Marketing and Charles Schwab, where she learned about building brands and values-based cultures.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Family House, Inc.
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
Family House, Inc.
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
Family House, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 7/3/2025
Board of directors data
Roxanne Stachon
Consulting Water Resources Engineer
Term: 2025 - 2028
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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 ? 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? no
Contractors
Fiscal year endingProfessional fundraisers
Fiscal year endingSOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G
Solicitation activities
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