Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation
Family love is the best medicine
Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation
EIN: 84-1445569
as of September 2023
as of September 18, 2023
Mission
We are dedicated to the enrichment of the quality of life of active duty service members, veterans, and their families who stay at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Fisher House while a loved one is undergoing extended medical treatment at the VA Medical Center or approved facility. A service member or veteran should never be without their family by their side while receiving medical treatment.
Ruling year
1998
Executive Director
Sara Morris
Main address
303 S. Broadway Suite# 200-412
Denver, CO 80209 USA
Formerly known as
Friends of the Fisher House Denver VA Medical Center
Denver Fisher House Foundation
EIN
84-1445569
Family services
Supportive housing
Temporary accomodations
Health
Population served
Military personnel
Veterans
NTEE code
Single Organization Support (E11)
Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution (T12)
Military/Veterans' Organizations (W30)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.
Tax forms
Communication
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?
Food
The Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation supports the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Fisher House by providing food items which are not typically provided at Fisher Houses.
The Foundation provides food staples in the kitchen; such as bread, milk, butter and eggs, which makes it easier for guests to cook. We also provide on-the-go snack items as well as bottled water. Active duty military members, veterans and their families can easily take with these items with them to their medical appointments.
Transportation
We provide transportation for military and veteran families who stay at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Fisher House.
House Enhancements
The Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation goes above and beyond what the VA can provide our house. This includes replacing broken or old items in the house including appliances, mattresses, bedding, and linens. We also add enhancements to the home in order to provide a more healing and supportive environment.
On of our goals is to enhance the yard which has minimal landscaping. Our plan is to plant an herb garden, as well as a couple of raised flower beds. We also plan to install large flower pots around the property as well as couches and chairs. This will allow for a more comfortable space for our families. Finally, we want to create a feeling of relaxation by installing a large water feature in the yard.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of families Housed at the Fisher House During the Calendar Year
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Veterans, Military personnel
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Length of stay is determined by the length of time for medical treatment. *2020 metrics reflect families staying at the new Fisher House only which opened in Oct. 2020. Old House closed in 2020.
Average length of stay in calendar year
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Veterans, Military personnel
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
*In 2020 the majority of families at the house had a military or veteran spouse in the hospital with long term care needs
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?
The Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation's goal is to support the military and veteran families staying at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Fisher House located in Aurora, Colorado. The Foundation was created to support the house through fundraising and awareness efforts. Our mission is to make sure all the family's needs are provided for at the house even when funding from the VA is not there. The Foundation specifically provides laundry service to the house as well as food and transportation to the families staying at the home. We also provide new appliances as well as refurbishments and enhancements to the home to make sure it is always up-to-date. We strive to create a healing and supportive environment for our families who are dealing with a medical crisis. Overall, the Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation's goal is to go above and beyond what the VA can provide to make sure our Fisher House is clean and comfortable for our military and veteran families.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation's strategies includes coordinating private and public support as well as creating awareness of our Fisher House. We seek to provide much more than the government can provide by making sure the house has clean linens as well as providing food, transportation and financial assistance to the military and veteran families staying at our Fisher House.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have a diverse and very active Board of Directors who have taken on the challenge of public awareness and increased funding. We have partnered with various businesses and corporations that hold fundraisers for us. We are partnered with Marriott, La Quinta and Holiday Inn hotels who house our overflow guests. Our ongoing partnerships with the many VFW and American Legion Posts provide much needed funds and food for our guests.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 1995, when the Foundation was first created, our goal was to support the Denver Fisher House with food, transportation as well as refurbishments to the home. In 2018, the Foundation raised over $500,000.00 to build a new Fisher House called the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Fisher House located on the VA campus in Aurora, Colorado. While our new home was being built, the Foundation continued to support the Denver Fisher House by providing food as well as transportation. In 2020, construction was completed and the Denver Fisher House was closed. The new Fisher House opened in April of 2020 during the pandemic and began as a home for our medical heroes. Doctors and nurses who worked with COVID patients at the VA Hospital stayed in the home for several months until late 2020 when it transitioned back into a home for military and veteran families. Throughout the pandemic the Foundation supported the home by providing food items and bottled water to guests staying at the house. We also created an outdoor living space for guests that promotes healing and comfort. When the house is full, the Foundation will provide hotel rooms to families, so they are never without a place to stay.
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 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 engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
Months of cash in 2022 info
Fringe rate in 2022 info
%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation
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 Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation’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.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $236,101 | -$66,952 | -$497,115 | $279,929 | $44,586 |
| As % of expenses | 189.2% | -60.1% | -78.8% | 313.9% | 39.3% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $234,470 | -$68,923 | -$497,115 | $279,929 | $44,586 |
| As % of expenses | 185.5% | -60.8% | -78.8% | 313.9% | 39.3% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $272,200 | $131,345 | $128,761 | $162,464 | $133,312 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 23.6% | -51.7% | -2.0% | 26.2% | -17.9% |
| 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 | 4.2% | 16.3% | 11.8% | 3.7% | 6.1% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 94.0% | 83.7% | 61.4% | 96.1% | 92.7% |
| Other revenue | 1.8% | 0.0% | 26.8% | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $124,771 | $111,399 | $631,076 | $89,166 | $113,448 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | -33.0% | -10.7% | 466.5% | -85.9% | 27.2% |
| Personnel | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Professional fees | 56.5% | 71.0% | 9.3% | 64.4% | 96.7% |
| Occupancy | 17.7% | 3.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 87.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 25.8% | 25.7% | 3.4% | 35.6% | 3.3% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $126,402 | $113,370 | $631,076 | $89,166 | $113,448 |
| One month of savings | $10,398 | $9,283 | $52,590 | $7,431 | $9,454 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $136,800 | $122,653 | $683,666 | $96,597 | $122,902 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 92.8 | 101.0 | 8.4 | 71.2 | 60.7 |
| Months of cash and investments | 92.8 | 101.0 | 8.4 | 71.2 | 60.7 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 78.1 | 80.3 | 4.7 | 71.1 | 60.6 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $964,633 | $937,459 | $440,344 | $529,352 | $573,753 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $11,421 | $0 | $0 | $10,108 | $11,979 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $13,887 | $10,063 | $3,969 | $3,969 | $0 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 85.8% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $814,378 | $745,455 | $248,340 | $528,269 | $572,855 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $166,725 | $192,004 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $166,725 | $192,004 | $192,004 | $10,108 | $11,979 |
| Total net assets | $981,103 | $937,459 | $440,344 | $538,377 | $584,834 |
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
Sara Morris
Sara Morris is the Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation with responsibility for overall management of the organization as well as presentations to prospective sponsors and donors. Sara comes from a military family. Her father served in the Navy and her brother currently serves in the Navy. Her background is in television news where she worked for 15-years as a journalist all over the country reporting and anchoring the news. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Sara did marketing and fundraising for the Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation
Board of directorsas of 08/30/2023
Board of directors data
Lee Staab
Rocky Mtn Fisher House Foundation
Term: 2020 -
Shan Burchenal
Director, Compensation & Benefits for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.
Marc Costain
K12
Chris Bruce
Retired Air Force
Lee Stabb
Retired Army
Terri Clinton
National American Legion College Alumni Association Secretary
David Kotwasinski
Management Analyst at the South Suburban Park and Recreation District
Kailey Pukini
Home loan officer
Nick Cassidy
Polsinelli P.C.
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
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/06/2021GuideStar 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 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 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 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
- Form 1023 / 1024
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- Contractor and/or Paid Preparer data for 2022
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