The Guidance Center
Strengthening families. Changing lives.
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The Guidance Center
EIN: 38-1621700
as of October 2024
as of October 15, 2024
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reportsWhat we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Early Childhood
Head Start; Early Head Start; Mental Health Services; Supported Services (Parents As Teachers, Community Resource Centers, Parent-Child Play Groups, Mental Health Services, Home-Based Services, Advocacy)
Children & Youth
Children's Outpatient Program; Home-Based Program; Wraparound; Children's Crisis Screening; Juvenile Justice Services; Prevention and Diversion
Adult Services
Adult Behavioral Health; Peer Support Services, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), Case Management, Substance Use Disorder Services, Assertive Community Treatment, Workforce Development)
Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
Case management; psychological; psychiatric; individual therapy; group therapy; occupational therapy; sensory integration; speech therapy; physical therapy; transition planning; guardianship; respite; community living supports; health and nutritional assistance; skill building; advocacy; autism services.
Kids-TALK Children's Advocacy Center
Forensic interviewing, advocacy, medical evaluations, and mental health services for child victims of alleged physical and sexual abuse, severe neglect or trauma. Child abuse prevention and education provided in schools and other settings.
Champions of Wayne
Champions of Wayne, part of The Guidance Center, transforms student obstacles into success through an incentive-based mentoring system to inspire every student to graduate in the best way possible. 260 students from Wayne Memorial High School were part of the program this semester, working with 60 mentors.
Established in 2008, the program combines adult mentoring, academic and life goal setting, and achievement recognition that results in individualized prescriptions for success and financial rewards for students. Champions who successfully achieve their goals for a semester receive a $200 incentive that is celebrated at the Student Achievement Banquet.
Nurture the Future
Nurture the Future – a program of The Guidance Center – provides free resources and preventative education in the Downriver area to develop strong families and inspire and assist parents as they raise children.
Through this program, parents and caregivers of children from birth through young adulthood have access to a variety of resources including workshops, support groups, family-centered activities, and informational resources. Since October 2018, Nurture the Future has provided early childhood workshops for parents on a variety of topics delivered by early childhood development professionals. A recent three-year grant has enabled The Guidance Center to also focus efforts on parents of older children and young adults.
Where we work
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
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?
Our vision is that the people we serve will thrive at home, school, work and community life. The agency works to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve which is not limited to, but includes, recovery, employment, mental wellness, school preparedness, and reducing recidivism. As community needs evolve and change, new funders, program models and partnership continue to be sought.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Guidance Center is unique among social service organizations in that it has a comprehensive array of direct services combined with a collaborative approach to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities. We have developed and are implementing a new and updated comprehensive strategic plan to focus on our priorities and achieve our goals. Recently, our agency has been designated as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), which is part of a national model to improve services for underserved communities.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Guidance Center is a large, multi-service non-profit agency that is fully accredited by the Joint Commission. It operates a wide range of programs and services at 23 locations. Our expertise includes mental health and wellness, early childhood education, free preschool for low-income families, intellectual & developmental disabilities services and support, mentoring programs, substance abuse services, workforce development and training, and the Kids-TALK Children's Advocacy Center (the only accredited CAC in Wayne County, MI).
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In the 66 years the agency has been in operation, it has continued to grow and add services to meet the ever-changing needs and challenges of the community. The Guidance Center began with a single storefront operation and now includes a main campus with seven buildings as well as a number of other locations throughout the region and in Midtown Detroit. While our programs and services are centered in a particular section of Wayne County (including Detroit), the opportunity for a broader service area continues to be evaluated and pursued.
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 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, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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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, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2023 info
2.00
Months of cash in 2023 info
4.4
Fringe rate in 2023 info
31%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
The Guidance Center
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Oct 01 - Sep 30
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: Oct 01 - Sep 30
This snapshot of The Guidance Center’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 | $1,809,083 | $1,639,988 | $1,715,759 | $5,710,214 | $2,847,540 |
As % of expenses | 4.6% | 3.9% | 4.2% | 12.4% | 5.4% |
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $1,649,122 | $1,512,689 | $1,607,949 | $5,583,865 | $2,700,674 |
As % of expenses | 4.1% | 3.6% | 3.9% | 12.1% | 5.1% |
Revenue composition info | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $40,853,985 | $44,802,601 | $40,606,408 | $54,010,383 | $54,678,041 |
Total revenue, % change over prior year | 8.7% | 9.7% | -9.4% | 33.0% | 1.2% |
Program services revenue | 68.9% | 65.4% | 63.6% | 70.3% | 69.3% |
Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Investment income | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 1.0% |
Government grants | 25.7% | 28.7% | 31.6% | 22.1% | 19.9% |
All other grants and contributions | 2.4% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 3.9% | 5.5% |
Other revenue | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
Expense composition info | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses before depreciation | $39,629,581 | $41,828,997 | $40,884,442 | $46,138,743 | $52,428,288 |
Total expenses, % change over prior year | 6.0% | 5.5% | -2.3% | 12.9% | 13.6% |
Personnel | 78.6% | 79.6% | 80.4% | 79.1% | 79.9% |
Professional fees | 3.4% | 2.5% | 2.2% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
Occupancy | 8.3% | 7.7% | 8.2% | 9.2% | 7.2% |
Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
All other expenses | 9.7% | 10.2% | 9.2% | 8.5% | 8.6% |
Full cost components (estimated) info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
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Total expenses (after depreciation) | $39,789,542 | $41,956,296 | $40,992,252 | $46,265,092 | $52,575,154 |
One month of savings | $3,302,465 | $3,485,750 | $3,407,037 | $3,844,895 | $4,369,024 |
Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $489,792 | $0 |
Total full costs (estimated) | $43,092,007 | $45,442,046 | $44,399,289 | $50,599,779 | $56,944,178 |
Capital structure indicators
Liquidity info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Months of cash | 2.6 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
Months of cash and investments | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 5.3 |
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Balance sheet composition info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cash | $8,652,523 | $11,406,730 | $10,351,693 | $15,116,138 | $19,180,718 |
Investments | $3,262,562 | $2,478,875 | $3,744,586 | $3,893,045 | $4,081,494 |
Receivables | $3,124,726 | $3,303,852 | $3,078,016 | $5,508,982 | $4,312,447 |
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $5,112,614 | $5,166,332 | $2,152,826 | $2,642,619 | $2,608,377 |
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 88.8% | 90.3% | 80.7% | 70.5% | 73.6% |
Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 22.0% | 19.9% | 17.2% | 12.0% | 31.1% |
Unrestricted net assets | $11,124,402 | $12,637,091 | $14,245,040 | $19,828,905 | $22,529,579 |
Temporarily restricted net assets | $1,307,635 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Total restricted net assets | $1,307,635 | $1,857,565 | $1,129,483 | $3,389,368 | $2,930,031 |
Total net assets | $12,432,037 | $14,494,656 | $15,374,523 | $23,218,273 | $25,459,610 |
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
President & CEO
Mr. Kari D. Walker
Kari Walker, who was appointed as the CEO of The Guidance Center in 2010 and has been with the agency since 1996. He is only the third person to hold the CEO position in the agency's 61-year history. Walker earned his Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. During his time with the agency he has been instrumental in developing new business plans, cultivating public/private partnerships, and creating new service delivery networks to impact the lives of thousands of children and adults in southeast Michigan. Walker's collaborative efforts have proven successful to the operations at The Guidance Center and have grown the agency's budget from $8 million in 1996 to $44 million today.
Chief Operating Officer
Laura Huot
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
The Guidance Center
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
The Guidance Center
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
The Guidance Center
Board of directorsas of 06/26/2024
Board of directors data
Mr. Kevin Fischer
NAMI Michigan
Mrs. Gillian Bringard Andrews
Cheryl Kohs
Samaritas
Kenneth Russell
Retired
John Bussa
Bussa Financial Partners
John Colina
The Colina Foundation
Jerry Dorsey
Wayne County Prosecutor's Officer
John Daly
Benefit Plan Strategies, LLC
Kari D. Walker
The Guidance Center
Tamra Ranck
Volunteer & Philanthropist
Gina Wilson Steward
The Telegram Newspaper
Ron Moran
GHAFARI Associates
Miroslava Orduño Rincón
Kerr Russell
John Gatti
Kerr Russell
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? Yes
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:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/14/2022GuideStar 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 review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- 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 disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- 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 use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- 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 help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- 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