Boston Rescue Mission

The information on this page was last updated 2/6/2023. 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 Keely

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

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Transparency grade

C

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Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Rescue Missions/Homeless Shelters

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating882 of 1101113 of 140
Fund acquisition rating699 of 110293 of 140
Resource allocation rating807 of 110291 of 140
Asset utilization rating734 of 1101102 of 140

Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20232022202120202019
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
11%17%14%9%11%7%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
10%10%8%6%8%5%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
93%57%57%70%75%68%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
11%18%16%12%14%8%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
7%43%43%30%25%32%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20232022202120202019
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
79%73%75%77%77%79%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
89%53%51%51%58%57%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
70%39%38%39%45%45%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
11%47%49%49%42%43%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
7%4%6%6%6%6%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
9%9%10%10%9%13%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20232022202120202019
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
0.520.050.060.060.070.08
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
2.711.061.071.071.101.11
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
1.680.050.060.060.080.09
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20232022202120202019
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
13.91601.48333.46224.76186.69250.86
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.070.000.000.000.010.00
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
6.46242.70190.73194.11145.28136.14
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20232022202120202019
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
8%1%3%3%4%3%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
1%0%0%0%0%0%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
160%2139%1661%1686%1287%1230%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20232022202120202019
Cash$1,215,756$665,227$632,005$379,606$563,625
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$170,495$382,426$842,915$771,052$592,860
Short-term investments$60,216,566$55,809,812$61,304,897$45,230,885$40,724,233
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$61,602,817$56,857,465$62,779,817$46,381,543$41,880,718
Long-term investments$0$0$0$35,324$31,901
Fixed assets$3,769,562$3,997,111$4,228,961$4,463,475$4,685,811
Other long-term assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total long-term assets$3,769,562$3,997,111$4,228,961$4,498,799$4,717,712
Total assets$65,372,379$60,854,576$67,008,778$50,880,342$46,598,430
 
Liabilities20232022202120202019
Payables and accrued expenses$91,651$153,202$268,831$221,704$154,265
Other current liabilities$10,767$17,308$10,488$26,740$12,685
Total current liabilities$102,418$170,510$279,319$248,444$166,950
Debt$154,700$154,700$154,700$154,700$154,700
Due to (from) affiliates$0$0$0$0$0
Other long-term liabilities$75,136$1,297,823$1,440,169$1,427,007$1,067,486
Total long-term liabilities$229,836$1,452,523$1,594,869$1,581,707$1,222,186
Total liabilities$332,254$1,623,033$1,874,188$1,830,151$1,389,136
 
Net assets20232022202120202019
Without donor restrictions$64,433,870$58,629,887$64,414,487$48,408,572$44,549,439
With donor restrictions$606,255$601,656$720,103$641,619$659,855
Net assets$65,040,125$59,231,543$65,134,590$49,050,191$45,209,294
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20232022202120202019
Total contributions$3,279,367$3,951,223$5,331,140$4,909,618$4,406,983
Program service revenue$731,011$733,601$859,490$806,114$873,947
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income$1,683,858$2,263,961$622,145$791,289$1,201,121
Other revenue$9,414$1,512$769,395$47,149$9,416
Total other revenue$2,424,283$2,999,074$2,251,030$1,644,552$2,084,484
Total revenue$5,703,650$6,950,297$7,582,170$6,554,170$6,491,467
 
Expenses20232022202120202019
Program services$2,214,959$2,664,501$2,993,247$2,951,033$2,902,710
Management and general$276,764$348,017$393,306$333,868$467,054
Fundraising$549,060$554,060$477,202$525,773$307,177
Total expenses$3,040,783$3,566,578$3,863,755$3,810,674$3,676,941
 
Change in net assets20232022202120202019
Surplus (deficit)$2,662,867$3,383,719$3,718,415$2,743,496$2,814,526
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets$2,662,867$3,383,719$3,718,415$2,743,496$2,814,526

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
John SamaanPresident$1,504,419
Michael WayVice President of Programs$145,578

Compensation data as of: 6/30/2023


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 2/6/2023. 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.


Program accomplishments


Needs