Boston Rescue Mission 
The information on this page was last updated 5/22/2024. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
We are transforming lives by empowering people at risk to achieve healthy and self-sufficient lives. We are serving our guests, our residents, and each other with respect, dignity and grace. We operate an emergency overnight shelter for more than 1,500 women and men every year. We offer healthy and hearty meals, basic necessities, and bathroom and shower facilities. We provide sober living and life growth shelter communities for men in recovery transitioning from homelessness to independent living. Our Safe Haven group home has helped hundreds of chronically homeless veterans transition to independent living.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Boston Rescue Mission
PO Box 120069
Boston, MA 02112-0069
Website: brm.org
Phone: 617-338-9000
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 042104726
CEO/President: John G. Samaan
Chairman: Elizabeth Keeley
Board size: 8
Founder: 5 men and women from Boston
Ruling year: 1932
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
The Boston Rescue Mission transforms lives by empowering individuals experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless to achieve and sustain life skills necessary to become more self-sufficient.
We operate an emergency overnight shelter for more than 1,500 women and men every year. We offer healthy and hearty meals, basic necessities, and bathroom and shower facilities. We provide sober living and life growth shelter communities for men in recovery transitioning from homelessness to independent living. Our Safe Haven group home has helped hundreds of chronically homeless veterans transition to independent living.
Mission statement
Our mission is to:
Offer resources that prevent and end homelessness
Support the recovery, health, faith, and independence of those with a history of substance use, incarceration, and homelessness
Raise awareness about the root causes of homelessness, addiction, and incarceration
Serve our guests and residents and each other with respect, integrity, and grace
Continue to learn, grow, and excel in our services
Be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us by our supporters
Statement of faith
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
C
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Rescue Missions/Homeless Shelters
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 727 of 1117 | 94 of 138 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 597 of 1118 | 73 of 138 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 635 of 1118 | 80 of 138 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 720 of 1117 | 102 of 138 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 12% | 15% | 17% | 14% | 9% | 11% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 10% | 5% | 10% | 8% | 6% | 8% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 92% | 33% | 57% | 57% | 70% | 75% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 11% | 12% | 18% | 16% | 12% | 14% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 8% | 67% | 43% | 43% | 30% | 25% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 80% | 76% | 73% | 75% | 77% | 77% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 95% | 41% | 53% | 51% | 51% | 58% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 75% | 31% | 39% | 38% | 39% | 45% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 5% | 59% | 47% | 49% | 49% | 42% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 5% | 5% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 6% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 9% | 12% | 9% | 10% | 10% | 9% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.53 | 0.03 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.07 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.95 | 1.05 | 1.06 | 1.07 | 1.07 | 1.10 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.75 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.08 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 13.50 | 553.65 | 601.48 | 333.46 | 224.76 | 186.69 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.33 | 330.64 | 242.70 | 190.73 | 194.11 | 145.28 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 9% | 0% | 1% | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 154% | 2893% | 2139% | 1661% | 1686% | 1287% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Cash | $911,736 | $1,215,756 | $665,227 | $632,005 | $379,606 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $227,592 | $170,495 | $382,426 | $842,915 | $771,052 |
| Short-term investments | $69,325,416 | $60,216,566 | $55,809,812 | $61,304,897 | $45,230,885 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $70,464,744 | $61,602,817 | $56,857,465 | $62,779,817 | $46,381,543 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $35,324 |
| Fixed assets | $3,573,195 | $3,769,562 | $3,997,111 | $4,228,961 | $4,463,475 |
| Other long-term assets | $180,908 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $3,754,103 | $3,769,562 | $3,997,111 | $4,228,961 | $4,498,799 |
| Total assets | $74,218,847 | $65,372,379 | $60,854,576 | $67,008,778 | $50,880,342 |
| Liabilities | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $116,821 | $91,651 | $153,202 | $268,831 | $221,704 |
| Other current liabilities | $10,451 | $10,767 | $17,308 | $10,488 | $26,740 |
| Total current liabilities | $127,272 | $102,418 | $170,510 | $279,319 | $248,444 |
| Debt | $154,700 | $154,700 | $154,700 | $154,700 | $154,700 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $81,136 | $75,136 | $1,297,823 | $1,440,169 | $1,427,007 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $235,836 | $229,836 | $1,452,523 | $1,594,869 | $1,581,707 |
| Total liabilities | $363,108 | $332,254 | $1,623,033 | $1,874,188 | $1,830,151 |
| Net assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Without donor restrictions | $73,226,508 | $64,433,870 | $58,629,887 | $64,414,487 | $48,408,572 |
| With donor restrictions | $629,231 | $606,255 | $601,656 | $720,103 | $641,619 |
| Net assets | $73,855,739 | $65,040,125 | $59,231,543 | $65,134,590 | $49,050,191 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Total contributions | $2,056,035 | $3,279,367 | $3,951,223 | $5,331,140 | $4,909,618 |
| Program service revenue | $503,978 | $731,011 | $733,601 | $859,490 | $806,114 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $2,969,967 | $1,683,858 | $2,263,961 | $622,145 | $791,289 |
| Other revenue | $735,467 | $9,414 | $1,512 | $769,395 | $47,149 |
| Total other revenue | $4,209,412 | $2,424,283 | $2,999,074 | $2,251,030 | $1,644,552 |
| Total revenue | $6,265,447 | $5,703,650 | $6,950,297 | $7,582,170 | $6,554,170 |
| Expenses | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Program services | $1,945,803 | $2,214,959 | $2,664,501 | $2,993,247 | $2,951,033 |
| Management and general | $304,212 | $276,764 | $348,017 | $393,306 | $333,868 |
| Fundraising | $302,760 | $549,060 | $554,060 | $477,202 | $525,773 |
| Total expenses | $2,552,775 | $3,040,783 | $3,566,578 | $3,863,755 | $3,810,674 |
| Change in net assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $3,712,672 | $2,662,867 | $3,383,719 | $3,718,415 | $2,743,496 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $3,712,672 | $2,662,867 | $3,383,719 | $3,718,415 | $2,743,496 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| John Samaan | President | $340,354 |
| Michael Way | Vice President of Programs | $154,693 |
Compensation data as of: 6/30/2024
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 5/22/2024. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
From its founding in 1899, the Boston Rescue Mission has fed the hungry and housed the homeless. Originally its name was Merrimac Mission, as its first address was at 128 Merrimac Street in Boston. The Mission was started by five men and women from Boston who were called to serve the men they saw living on the streets--living in poverty and addicted to alcohol. It was one of many that formed in the United States beginning in the 1870s.
Within five months, the Mission relocated a few doors down the street to 134 Merrimac Street (near Boston's North Station today) and volunteers promoted it as "a bar-room transformed into a life-saving station." By 1904, the Mission had incorporated and four years after that, it moved again to 105 Staniford Street. The new location was much better situated to serve the homeless men who congregated in the area. Jacob Fritz led the Merrimac Mission during this time and his tenure lasted 15 years.
Superintendent Fritz was succeeded by George Eddy who led the mission for 35 years. In the mid-1960s, redevelopment taking place in the West End forced the Mission to relocate to Massachusetts Avenue. In 1978 the Mission purchased property on Kingston Street, and its headquarters remains there today.
In 1993, the Rev. John Samaan succeeded Harold Milner as the Mission's new director. The following year, the name of the organization was changed to the Boston Rescue Mission to more precisely convey the breadth of its work and services offered. Throughout the 1990s, the Mission expanded its work by offering daily meals, longer-term transitional shelter programs for women and men, and job training skills. In 1995, the city of Boston asked the Mission to participate in a pilot program to accommodate growing population of people in shelter during the winter months. That same year, the Boston Rescue Mission joined the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) to more formally advocate for the policies and public funding needed to assist people who are homeless to stabilize their lives.
In 1999, the Boston Rescue Mission celebrated its centennial anniversary. The organization was recognized for its century of service by then-President Bill Clinton and then-Vice President Al Gore.
In the 2000s, the Boston Rescue Mission added international work to its portfolio by organizing trips to Haiti, India, and Kenya to serve people who are desperately poor, homeless, sick, hungry, and victims of natural disasters. The service work puts our staff and volunteers in challenging situations that force them to re-examine previously held beliefs, build confidence in their abilities, and equip them to better serve those in who need help here at home.
Today, we provide emergency overnight shelter with hot meals, toiletries, and bathroom and shower facilities to those in need in the Greater Boston area. We also provide residential recovery programs for women and men transitioning from homelessness to independent living; for adult men who have been sober for at least 30 days; and veterans who have been continuously homeless for more than a year. We are honored to be a source of inspiration and hope throughout the city to women and men in need.