Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Incorporated
EIN: 31-1801931
Mission
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance seeks to provide financial resilience as needed to families in the Coast Guard community. Its mission is to promote financial stability and general well being for the people it serves through interest free loans, grants, and financial counseling as well as through education assistance programs.
Notes from the nonprofit
Since 1924, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA) has been helping the entire Coast Guard family with grants and no-interest loans to help with financial resilience. We serve Active Duty, Reservists, Civilian Employees, Auxiliarists (CG Volunteers), Retirees and their families. Assistance largely fits into three categories: Disaster and Emergency Assistance, Family Support, and Education Assistance. Financial aid can take the form of a grant or a loan, depending on each individual circumstance. Our overhead costs are low, and we are grateful for the nearly 500 people who serve Mutual Assistance in a collateral duty capacity so that policy can be managed centrally, and aid delivered locally. Combined with the other military aid societies (Navy-Marine Corps, Army and Air Force) and the Red Cross, we all serve more than 2.5 million members of the military and their families. CGMA is recognized by Congress in Title 10 US Code.
Ruling year
2002
Chief Executive Officer
Rear Admiral (retired) Cari Batson Thomas
Main address
1005 N Glebe Road Suite 220
Arlington, VA 22201-5718 USA
Formerly known as
League of Coast Guard Women
Coast Guard Welfare
EIN
31-1801931
Public safety
National security
Human services
Basic and emergency aid
Special population support
Population served
Families
Low-income people
Military personnel
Veterans
NTEE code
Emergency Assistance (Food, Clothing, Cash) (P60)
Military/Veterans' Organizations (W30)
Human Service Organizations (P20)
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 reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
Since 1924, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance provides interest-free loans and grants to members of the Coast Guard family in financial need. This includes educational benefits, financial counselling, disaster relief, emergency assistance, medical, dental and housing assistance. The Coast Guard, as a military service, is charged with the safety of the mariners on the seas, keeping the country safe from threats delivered by the seas, and ensuring good stewardship of the oceans and waterways. Coast Guard Mutual Assistance helps those who serve the Coast Guard; active duty military men and women, reserve members, civilian employees, Auxiliary (volunteers), retirees and their families. While the Coast Guard has been supported by Congress through a parity of military pay and benefits structure, this sometimes is not enough to meet urgent needs that cannot be met by pay, savings, private companies (insurance) or other associations.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Short-term emergency and other financial assistance
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance programs include short-term emergency and general assistance interest free loans, education grants and loans, housing assistance, medical assistance, and debt management assistance through representatives at 135 locations.
Education Services
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance has educational support, loans and grants designed to help further educational goals of Coast Guard military clients and their families.
Where we work
Awards
Distinguished Public Service 2020
US Coast Guard
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of students enrolled
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents, Adults
Related Program
Education Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This is the number of clients that Mutual Assistance has issues Supplemental Education Grants to. 2021: $433k, 2020: $507k, 2019: $568k, 2018: $659k. Does not include COVID-related SEG. 2022: $669k
Average grant amount
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents, Families, Military personnel
Related Program
Short-term emergency and other financial assistance
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Mutual Assistance has grown the percentages of grants from 10% in 2007 to over 30% in 2017. 2020: 10,998 grants for $5.5m. In 2022, 2886 grants for $2.35m.
Number of overall donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Military personnel
Related Program
Short-term emergency and other financial assistance
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Generally associated with the annual campaign, and are primarily with payroll contributions or cash/checks. The majority of donors: active duty, reservists, retirees, civilian, auxiliarists.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn 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?
The vision of the organization is: "Helping Our Own." Through partnerships with other assistance providers, we will deliver innovative financial assistance in response to emerging Coast Guard family needs. We will ensure that we are always ready and always there as a critical safety net to provide financial resilience.
While giving strong consideration to the financial limitations of the organization, CGMA will provide maximium assistance to the largest number of individuals, expanding and improving current programs, removing or easing restrictions and increasing limits of loans or grants.
Some of the organization's guiding principles are:
-- Fostering self respect and self worth
-- Confidentiality
-- Treating those applying for assistance tih honor and respect
-- Fair and equitable treatment to all those who apply for assistance
-- Merit based decision making
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Four lines of effort are currently used as a strategic imperative to meet our vision of looking after our own:
-- Improving status and visibility
-- Review and sustain our investment
-- Renew and establish relationships
-- Grow philanthropic giving and professionalize development
A balanced scorecard has been approved that assigns measures and activies to:
-- Mission delivery
-- Client perspective
-- Business perspective
-- Financial perspective
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance has a small paid staff of ten personnel, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The backbone of its work in program delivery is accomplished through the 400 Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Representatives at 96 units, and 38 ships in 32 states and territories of the United States. We also rely on the thousands of donations, from $1 to over $10,000 each and every year to ensure we can fulfill our missions, quickly and securely.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
A strategic plan was approved in 2018. With a new Chief Executive Officer, a refresh of the old strategy was done by the staff, with the four lines of effort as described above. This is being worked with the Board, a stakeholder outreach will occur, and partnerships renewed or established to improve the organization by making it "Even Better."
A substantial ($15 million) gift by USAA in 2019 during the Department of Homeland Security Lapse in Appropriations is provided to live in perpetuity to provide assistance to all of our clients so they may meet unexpected needs or assist with their financial resilience and education goals. The organization provided a record $8.4 million to over 6200 clients in zero interest loans in just 35 days during the government shutdown.
In 2020, CGMA responded to the needs of the client base during the pandemic. Through the creation of six COVID specific programs, they helped with spouse unemployment, quarantine and testing needs, education equipment for children schooling at home, in person and online tutoring grants, among other needs. The total support provided was over $9.2 million including a record $5.5 million in grants.
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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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Coast Guard Active duty, civilian employees, reserve members, retirees, auxiliarists and their families.
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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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
Clients wanted an easier way to receive their funds that we provide; rather than provide a check, based on their feedback, we now provide an electronic disbursement option. We conducted a survey of clients and donors to assess if they felt they had received inequitable treatment based on the support they got from our charity.
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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?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
255.98
Months of cash in 2021 info
2.3
Fringe rate in 2021 info
28%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Incorporated
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Incorporated
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
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
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
This snapshot of Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Incorporated’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 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $2,718,463 | -$2,640,922 | $4,635,028 | -$790,447 | $3,688,075 |
| As % of expenses | 76.5% | -73.3% | 113.1% | -10.3% | 66.4% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $2,481,221 | -$2,889,650 | $4,385,435 | -$1,040,040 | $3,436,272 |
| As % of expenses | 65.4% | -75.0% | 100.9% | -13.2% | 59.2% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $4,547,273 | $3,651,539 | $19,814,930 | $3,561,408 | $7,292,457 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 50.2% | -19.7% | 442.6% | -82.0% | 104.8% |
| Program services revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 12.8% | 15.0% | 4.4% | 16.6% | 10.2% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 50.7% | 75.3% | 92.4% | 79.8% | 60.5% |
| Other revenue | 36.6% | 9.7% | 3.1% | 3.6% | 29.3% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $3,555,360 | $3,603,340 | $4,097,052 | $7,659,005 | $5,555,886 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 39.6% | 1.3% | 13.7% | 86.9% | -27.5% |
| Personnel | 22.1% | 24.5% | 26.1% | 15.3% | 22.7% |
| Professional fees | 3.4% | 3.6% | 21.3% | 2.1% | 3.8% |
| Occupancy | 3.5% | 3.7% | 3.0% | 1.7% | 2.4% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 42.4% | 51.5% | 38.8% | 74.2% | 60.7% |
| All other expenses | 28.7% | 16.7% | 10.8% | 6.8% | 10.5% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $3,792,602 | $3,852,068 | $4,346,645 | $7,908,598 | $5,807,689 |
| One month of savings | $296,280 | $300,278 | $341,421 | $638,250 | $462,991 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $575,417 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $4,664,299 | $4,152,346 | $4,688,066 | $8,546,848 | $6,270,680 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 4.0 | 5.4 | 7.4 | 1.5 | 2.3 |
| Months of cash and investments | 92.6 | 84.4 | 134.4 | 69.8 | 104.9 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 106.0 | 95.6 | 97.6 | 51.0 | 78.2 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $1,189,468 | $1,626,331 | $2,510,560 | $970,919 | $1,054,202 |
| Investments | $26,246,182 | $23,711,519 | $43,384,842 | $43,592,969 | $47,532,729 |
| Receivables | $4,514,855 | $4,508,373 | $3,100,200 | $3,144,132 | $3,559,809 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $1,184,920 | $1,235,580 | $1,245,401 | $1,245,401 | $1,254,120 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 20.5% | 39.8% | 59.5% | 79.5% | 99.1% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $32,335,613 | $29,445,963 | $33,831,398 | $32,791,358 | $36,227,630 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $645,000 | $1,287,302 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $1,000,000 | $869,272 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $1,645,000 | $2,156,574 | $16,823,563 | $16,331,367 | $17,183,510 |
| Total net assets | $33,980,613 | $31,602,537 | $50,654,961 | $49,122,725 | $53,411,140 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Chief Executive Officer
Rear Admiral (retired) Cari Batson Thomas
Rear Admiral Cari Thomas is pleased to serve as the Executive Director, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance. The organization, formed in 1924 as the League of Coast Guard Women, has a long history as a military service organization whose motto is “We Look After Our Own.” With assets in excess of $45 million in 2020, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance helped over 9000 members with over $9.2 million interest free loans or grants While on active duty, she was President, USCG Mutual Assistance Board of Control while serving as the Assistant Commandant of Human Resources. Most recently, Rear Admiral Thomas was the Executive Director the Navy League of the United States. With a career of service to the United States in both public and private capacities, she also served as a Subcommittee Chair, Defense Advisory on Women in the Services, and on the Board, Navy Mutual Aid Association.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Incorporated
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Incorporated
Board of directorsas of 02/14/2023
Board of directors data
ADMIRAL Karl Schultz
US Coast Guard
Term: 2018 - 2022
Karl Schultz
US Coast Guard
Joanna Nunan
US Coast Guard
John Baker
US Coast Guard
Cari B Thomas
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance
Michael Phillips
US Coast Guard
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? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
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
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/05/2021GuideStar 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
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- 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.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- 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.
Contractors
Fiscal year endingProfessional fundraisers
Fiscal year endingSOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G
Solicitation activities
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