Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc.
EIN: 52-1537336
Mission
LARS' mission is to enable homeless and low-income people in Laurel who are in crisis to achieve stability and long-term self-sufficiency. We envision a community that treats all people with dignity and helps all its members meet their basic needs.
Ruling year
1988
Executive Director
Shannon Mouton
Main address
311 Laurel Ave
Laurel, MD 20707 USA
EIN
52-1537336
Community service
Public housing
Basic and emergency aid
Temporary accomodations
Homeless services
Population served
Adults
Families
Homeless people
Low-income people
NTEE code
Emergency Assistance (Food, Clothing, Cash) (P60)
Homeless Services/Centers (P85)
Public Housing (L21)
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
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reportsWhat we aim to solve
An estimated 9.2% of Laurel's 25,906 residents live below the poverty line, and many who live above it are barely breaking even. According to United Way's ALICE Report, a single parent with two children in Prince George's County would need to earn an hourly wage of $31.90 ($66,352 annually) in order to meet their family's basic needs. This number is more than three times the current federal poverty level of $20,160 for a single parent/two-child household. With Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom home in Prince George's County sitting well above $1,700, residents are struggling to keep up with rising costs of living and must turn to social service organizations for help. During FY2018, 10% of LARS' clients reported that they were homeless. Roughly 95% of households served were living below the federal poverty level. Approximately 60% of households who receive services at LARS earn less than $2,000 a month in gross income, and another 22% do not earn any income.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Emergency Services
LARS’ Crisis Center provides support for Laurel residents facing crisis due to illness, injury, loss of a loved one, loss of employment, or other hardships. Emergency services include: a food pantry, eviction prevention/rental assistance, utility assistance, clothing and furniture vouchers, referrals for mental health and substance abuse treatment, help with prescriptions including eyeglasses and eye exams, holiday and back to school programs, and financial assistance to obtain birth certificates and IDs. LARS case managers meet with clients on a walk-in basis three days a week. Representatives from other organizations such as the Prince George's County Department of Social Services, are regularly on-site to assist clients with applications for federal/state benefit programs.
Permanent Supportive Housing
LARS' Permanent Supportive Housing Program provides subsidized housing and supportive services to 23 chronically homeless, disabled individuals and families. LARS case managers conduct weekly home visits with all participants, who reside in apartments leased by LARS throughout the Laurel community. Participants live independently with support as needed from LARS, including life skills classes, individual savings accounts, and assistance with obtaining treatment for substance abuse, health or mental health problems. This program is not time-limited, so residents can remain in their housing as long as they desire. LARS works closely with the Prince George's County Department of Social Services to prioritize placement of homeless individuals/families into our program according to their level of vulnerability.
Self-Sufficiency Program
In January of 2017, LARS began the pilot phase of the Self-Sufficiency Program, through which a small group of stabilized and motivated participants will work closely with a LARS case manager on a longer-term basis (18 to 24 months) to maintain permanent housing, improve financial habits, gain employment, and remove other barriers to self-sufficiency. The evidence-based program uses a highly successful "Mobility Mentoring" framework designed by EMPath (formerly known as Crittenton Women's Union) of Boston, MA. Mobility Mentoring-inspired programs are described by EMPath as "metric-based, mentor-led, incentivized programs that lead families across the economic divide." The primary focus of Mobility Mentoring is coaching the participant in personal problem-solving, skill-building, and persistence to attain the long-term goals that support economic independence. The mentor's role is to help participants carve enough time out of their days to begin to take the steps necessary to change their lives.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
United Way Member Agency
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Average number of service recipients per month
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Emergency Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
LARS serves over 1,150 unique households each year in our Crisis Center.
Number of homeless participants engaged in housing services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Homeless people, People with physical disabilities
Related Program
Permanent Supportive Housing
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of households, including chronically homeless and disabled individuals and families.
Number of people within the organization's service area accessing food aid
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
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
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?
LARS’ current strategic plan for FY2021 is designed around three overarching goals: 1) to increase the amount of people served in the Emergency Services and Self-Sufficiency Programs; 2) to enhance our clients’ experiences; and 3) to increase the availability and quality of services for people in Laurel to secure living wage jobs and affordable housing.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategies to achieve these goals in the short-term include:
1) Identifying best practices in crisis intervention and expanding partnerships within our community to expertly guide clients in securing stable housing, employment, and supportive services.
2) Increasing referrals to outside agencies providing credit counseling and other tools for financial independence; encouraging eligible LARS' Crisis Center clients to participate in LARS' Self-Sufficiency Program.
3) Actively participating in our county's collaborative efforts to end homelessness; raising awareness for the issues our clients face by engaging our community in educational and volunteer events.
4) Improving LARS' methods of data collection and analysis to better evaluate program efficacy and communicate LARS' impact to stakeholders. This will include implementation of an electronic client database and streamlining of the client intake and assessment process.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
In addition to our varied experiences working with vulnerable populations, one of our biggest strengths as a staff is our connectedness with other organizations and service providers across the three counties represented in Laurel. LARS staff members continually research and maintain updated information on community resources so that well-informed referrals can be made for clients in need of additional services, particularly in the areas of financial literacy, education and training, mental health, and housing.
LARS receives steady grant funding from the county, state, and federal government, which accounts for over 50% of our annual budget. Some of the government grants have been in place for over 15 years, and have become a solid source of financial support for LARS' programs. Our relationship with the 21st District Delegation was instrumental in helping us secure a bond bill for building construction in 2010. We maintain close contact with our state delegates and senator, as well as our Prince George's County Council representative, and frequently reach out to them for help resolving challenging client issues. Our network of local congregations is another reliable resource for LARS. Over 20 congregations help us stretch our resources by supplying regular volunteers and donating food, dollars for client assistance, church shelter space, and more.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
LARS has grown from a small, volunteer-run community group to a trusted fixture in the Laurel community. In 2010, ten years after purchasing a property of our own, we were able to secure a CDBG construction grant, and bond bill from the State of Maryland for a complete renovation of our building. Our building now easily accommodates the 40-60+ clients who seek our help each day and houses the city's largest food pantry. In February of 2018, LARS completed a transition from paper-based records and Excel spreadsheets to an electronic client database. LARS’ case managers now have the ability to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of our services and make changes that are informed directly by client outcomes and feedback.
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 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
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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 don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, 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
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
14.23
Months of cash in 2021 info
7
Fringe rate in 2021 info
19%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc.
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc.
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
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.
Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc.
Financial trends analysis Glossary & formula definitionsFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
This snapshot of Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, 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 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $20,411 | $84,680 | $63,206 | $180,417 | $338,874 |
| As % of expenses | 1.8% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 14.8% | 19.9% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$10,975 | $54,020 | $35,111 | $154,208 | $310,472 |
| As % of expenses | -0.9% | 4.3% | 2.6% | 12.4% | 17.9% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,164,949 | $1,316,699 | $1,365,954 | $1,410,221 | $2,061,940 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 3.7% | 13.0% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 46.2% |
| Program services revenue | 51.1% | 54.8% | 49.3% | 43.4% | 36.7% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Government grants | 7.6% | 0.0% | 8.2% | 9.4% | 19.3% |
| All other grants and contributions | 41.1% | 44.7% | 42.0% | 46.5% | 43.7% |
| Other revenue | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $1,159,367 | $1,231,339 | $1,296,928 | $1,217,366 | $1,704,979 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 2.0% | 6.2% | 5.3% | -6.1% | 40.1% |
| Personnel | 36.8% | 36.5% | 37.9% | 35.7% | 35.3% |
| Professional fees | 2.9% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 3.7% | 4.4% |
| Occupancy | 0.0% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Interest | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 54.6% | 55.4% | 51.6% | 53.8% | 55.4% |
| All other expenses | 5.4% | 4.9% | 6.5% | 5.2% | 4.1% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $1,190,753 | $1,261,999 | $1,325,023 | $1,243,575 | $1,733,381 |
| One month of savings | $96,614 | $102,612 | $108,077 | $101,447 | $142,082 |
| Debt principal payment | $15,798 | $16,534 | $17,303 | $0 | $89,686 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $1,303,165 | $1,381,145 | $1,450,403 | $1,345,022 | $1,965,149 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 8.1 | 7.0 |
| Months of cash and investments | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 8.1 | 7.0 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 5.7 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 8.9 | 8.1 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $499,026 | $508,060 | $546,227 | $821,878 | $999,672 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $83,617 | $112,799 | $114,217 | $54,352 | $178,080 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $761,007 | $758,757 | $763,145 | $773,300 | $782,422 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 29.2% | 33.3% | 36.8% | 39.7% | 42.9% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 9.0% | 5.7% | 4.8% | 7.5% | 4.1% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $1,039,206 | $1,093,226 | $1,128,337 | $1,282,545 | $1,593,017 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $0 | $680 | $6,500 | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $0 | $680 | $6,500 | $21,156 | $41,373 |
| Total net assets | $1,039,206 | $1,093,906 | $1,134,837 | $1,303,701 | $1,634,390 |
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
Executive Director
Shannon Mouton
Since becoming a missionary at her church over 30 years ago, Shannon Mouton has continued to serve, in and out of season. She has given of her time and talents at various organizations throughout the DMV–Whitman-Walker Institute (formerly, Whitman-Walker Clinic), Food & Friends, Calvary Women’s Services, the Potter’s House–and gone on two medical mission trips to Kingston, Jamaica. Shannon has served on numerous non-profit boards, including Calvary Women’s Services, the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA, the IN Series and The George Washington Alumni Association. She was the founder of the Dr. Virginia M. Manning Missionary Society (Jerusalem AME Church, Clinton) and is currently a member of the Alice Marie Chapman Women’s Missionary Society (Ebenezer AME Church, Ft. Washington). Shannon is a graduate of Mount Vernon College, now part of The George Washington University, and she is humbled to serve as the Executive Director of Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc.
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2023
Board of directors data
Kevin Glasper, Sr., PhD
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Lawrence Krieger
Resurrection of Our Lord Catholic Church
Dorothy Brownlie
Laurel Presbyterian Church
Kellian Tonetti
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Deborah Harris
James Hill
American Federation of Teachers
Jeannette Robertson
UnderArmour
Bruce Sartwell
Sherri Dotson
American Chemical Society
Maria Matiella
Akeembra Lawrence
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:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/22/2023GuideStar 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 employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- 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.
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- Letter of Determination
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
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