BEACON OF LIFE D/B/A THE BEACON Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

BEACON OF LIFE D/B/A THE BEACON

EIN 42-1253088 · Housing & Shelter (L410)

What they do

BEACON of LIFE is A RESIDENTIAL CENTER IN DES MOINES, IOWA THAT ASSISTS HOMELESS WOMEN IN THEIR TRANSITION THROUGH A MULTIFACETED APPROACH THAT INCLUDES, BUT is NOT LIMITED TO, ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING and PROGRAMMING ON CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY, BUDGETING, HOUSING, JOB READINESS, EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT and PERMANENT HOUSING PLACEMENT.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $89.70 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders21 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

70.20%of revenue went to mission work89.7% of expenses · Program services

2.98%of revenue went to fundraising3.8% of expenses

$78.29spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

5.12%of revenue went to management and office costs6.5% of expenses

$0.78in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

89.9%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $93,400 for MELISSA VINE (FORMER EXEC. DIRECTOR). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$3,841,909

Mission workProgram services$2,696,99670.20% of revenue89.7% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$196,5435.12% of revenue6.5% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$114,4562.98% of revenue3.8% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$833,91421.71% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$3,007,99578.29% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 89.7% mission · 6.5% management · 3.8% fundraisingTotal expenses: 78.29% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 57.1% mission · 34.3% management · 8.6% fundraisingTotal expenses: 73.89% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 65.4% mission · 26.6% management · 8.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 114.76% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 60.9% mission · 29.9% management · 9.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 124.32% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 65.0% mission · 25.8% management · 9.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 118.96% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 60.5% mission · 20.9% management · 18.6% fundraisingTotal expenses: 114.55% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 65.9% mission · 22.5% management · 11.6% fundraisingTotal expenses: 49.04% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 62.6% mission · 23.1% management · 14.3% fundraisingTotal expenses: 70.70% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$3,841,909

Expenses$3,007,995

Annual surplus $833,914 Revenue was higher than expenses for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$2,696,996 · 89.7% of expenses

Management and office costs$196,543 · 6.5% of expenses

Fundraising$114,456 · 3.8% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$3,841,909

Expenses$3,007,995

Assets$2,352,459

Income$3,959,443

Contributions$3,452,061

Mission work (program services)$2,696,996

Fundraising$114,456

Grants given$1,868,484

Average grant$1,868,484

Management and general$196,543

Executive compensation (total)$66,200

Accounting fees$27,622

Investing fees$2,898

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

MELISSA VINEFORMER EXEC. DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $93,400Base $90,680 · Other $2,720

AMY LANDRIGANEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $6,154

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (21)

MELISSA VINEFORMER EXEC. DIRECTOR

AMY LANDRIGANEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

KIM BABBERLDIRECTOR

WHITNEY JUDKINSSECRETARY

SHANNON SOBEKPRESIDENT

SARA WILLEDIRECTOR

RACHEL ROLFESDIRECTOR

QUINLAN RISERVICE PRESIDENT

MEREDITH COONEYDIRECTOR

MEGAN MONROEDIRECTOR

MARCIA KENTDIRECTOR

LIZ ETCHELLSDIRECTOR

ABBY SPANNDIRECTOR

KATIE CAGGIANOTREASURER

JEFF REEDDIRECTOR

JACI ROBINSONDIRECTOR

ERIN ANDERSONDIRECTOR

BROOKE JEFFUSDIRECTOR

ANDREA BRUNKDIRECTOR

AMY COSEDIRECTOR

ALIE MULLER-HEITDIRECTOR

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1986
Location: 1717 WOODLAND AVE, DES MOINES, IA 50309-3323
County: Polk
In care of: KATIE CAGGIANO
Primary officer: KATIE CAGGIANO, TREASURER

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Phone(515) 244-4713

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: July 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: DENMAN CPA LLP
NTEE classification: Housing & Shelter (L410)
IRS tax category: Temporary Shelters
Grant-giving organization: Yes