City Relief / The Relief Bus 
The information on this page was last updated 3/17/2025. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
At City Relief, we connect people who are hurting and homeless to resources they need to survive, and the hope they need to try. When everything falls apart, the long journey back begins one step at a time: emergency shelter, food, socks, ID, detox, employment, and the belief that a brighter future is possible!
Contact information
Mailing address:
City Relief
35 Hazel St.
Clifton, NJ 07011
Website: cityrelief.org
Phone: 973-330-0548
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 112974154
CEO/President: Josiah Haken
Chairman: Launa Vaughn
Board size: 13
Founder: Richard Galloway
Ruling year: 1994
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 09/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2016
Purpose
Since 1989, City Relief has served over 725,708 individuals experiencing housing insecurity in NYC and New Jersey. We work alongside a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, in collaboration with community-based organizations and local partners committed to addressing homelessness.
We consistently and compassionately offer hope, innovative care, and ongoing services that ultimately lead to life transformation for NYC/NJ Metro area individuals struggling with homelessness and economic insecurity. Our work is guided by four key strategies: providing personalized support, building an accessible network of care, promoting empathetic narratives, and equipping and empowering rising leaders. The first two strategies reflect our direct engagement with guests, ensuring they receive tailored assistance and connections to essential resources. The latter two focus on mobilizing volunteers and the broader community to drive awareness, foster empathy, and develop leadership committed to sustainable change.
Mission statement
City Relief exists to end homelessness for individuals and communities by:
Providing personalized support to people without stable housing
Building an accessible network of care
Promoting empathetic narratives about homelessness that recognize every person's value
Equipping and empowering rising leaders to fight economic injustice
Statement of faith
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Rescue Missions/Homeless Shelters
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 93 of 1117 | 17 of 138 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 433 of 1118 | 55 of 138 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 206 of 1118 | 34 of 138 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 62 of 1117 | 6 of 138 |
According to the organization's Form 990, it received $802,288 in government grants in 2023.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 12% | 9% | 16% | 10% | 10% | 16% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 10% | 9% | 16% | 9% | 10% | 15% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 92% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 97% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 11% | 9% | 15% | 10% | 11% | 15% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 8% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 80% | 84% | 76% | 70% | 77% | 71% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 95% | 100% | 110% | 91% | 89% | 105% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 75% | 84% | 84% | 64% | 68% | 74% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 5% | 0% | -10% | 9% | 11% | -5% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 5% | 1% | -54% | 34% | 77% | -35% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 9% | 6% | 9% | 20% | 12% | 14% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.53 | 3.43 | 5.20 | 3.41 | 4.17 | 4.98 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.95 | 1.40 | 2.68 | 1.78 | 1.77 | 2.92 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.75 | 4.81 | 13.95 | 6.06 | 7.36 | 14.53 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 13.50 | 1.89 | 3.64 | 10.16 | 15.38 | 2.50 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.07 | 0.53 | 0.27 | 0.10 | 0.07 | 0.40 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.33 | 1.17 | 0.62 | 1.79 | 1.52 | 0.50 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 9% | 38% | 10% | 6% | 32% | 38% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 154% | 18% | 17% | 28% | 16% | 12% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
| Cash | $651,629 | $340,624 | $806,162 | $731,131 | $222,527 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $719,223 | $39,091 | $29,887 | $32,516 | $46,505 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $1,370,852 | $379,715 | $836,049 | $763,647 | $269,032 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $550,787 | $631,698 | $649,634 | $584,091 | $515,186 |
| Other long-term assets | $1,400 | $6,883 | $1,400 | $1,400 | $1,400 |
| Total long-term assets | $552,187 | $638,581 | $651,034 | $585,491 | $516,586 |
| Total assets | $1,923,039 | $1,018,296 | $1,487,083 | $1,349,138 | $785,618 |
| Liabilities | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $73,343 | $104,370 | $82,306 | $49,668 | $107,449 |
| Other current liabilities | $653,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $726,843 | $104,370 | $82,306 | $49,668 | $107,449 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $189,673 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $376,432 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $376,432 | $189,673 |
| Total liabilities | $726,843 | $104,370 | $82,306 | $426,100 | $297,122 |
| Net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
| Without donor restrictions | $1,108,696 | $913,926 | $1,354,778 | $906,178 | $478,496 |
| With donor restrictions | $87,500 | $0 | $50,000 | $16,860 | $10,000 |
| Net assets | $1,196,196 | $913,926 | $1,404,777 | $923,038 | $488,496 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
| Total contributions | $6,553,871 | $4,742,006 | $5,494,463 | $6,255,653 | $3,614,259 |
| Program service revenue | $49,401 | $64,729 | $50,739 | $77,445 | $124,863 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $1,787 | $268 | $976 | $1,703 | $176 |
| Other revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total other revenue | $51,188 | $64,997 | $51,715 | $79,148 | $125,039 |
| Total revenue | $6,605,059 | $4,807,003 | $5,546,178 | $6,334,801 | $3,739,298 |
| Expenses | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
| Program services | $5,551,814 | $4,050,920 | $3,541,417 | $4,338,654 | $2,776,062 |
| Management and general | $428,342 | $466,757 | $999,098 | $680,248 | $555,251 |
| Fundraising | $618,692 | $780,177 | $523,924 | $603,805 | $577,373 |
| Total expenses | $6,598,848 | $5,297,854 | $5,064,439 | $5,622,707 | $3,908,686 |
| Change in net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $6,211 | ($490,851) | $481,739 | $712,094 | ($169,388) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $6,211 | ($490,851) | $481,739 | $712,094 | ($169,388) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Josiah Haken | CEO | $168,175 |
| Elysia Saint-Ange | CFO | $123,902 |
| Lydia Lucas | Cpo | $113,106 |
Compensation data as of: 9/30/2023
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 3/17/2025. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
The New York City Relief story began back in the 1980's with a successful entrepreneur living in Dallas, Texas.
When Richard Galloway read Isaiah 58, he immediately felt challenged by God's concern for the poor and oppressed. He felt he was being called to action, and he gained a vision for how he could respond. Richard called his friend Alastair Geddes. Alastair was the President of Christ for the Nations Bible Institute on Long Island. Alastair offered him an old school bus and invited Richard to come to New York and lead a mobile outreach. Richard and Dixie visited New York City and bravely decided to take on the challenge of converting the bus to serve the homeless in New York City. They decided to call the new organization New York City Relief.
Within a month, the Galloways left Texas and made the move to New York to follow a dream. There was no funding for the organization and no salary for Richard to support his family - just a vision and a few audacious people committed to making it a reality.
The Galloways mobilized a team of volunteers and spent hundreds of hours converting a 1971 GMC bus into a mobile resource center to serve those struggling with homelessness. The organization was, and continues to be, funded through the generosity of private donors. New York City Relief began operating the Relief Bus in February 1989, using donated office space, and has been faithfully operating ever since.
Program accomplishments
Over 20 years time, The Relief Bus has:
Served over 3 million servings of food and beverage.
Connected 120,000 people to help and hope.
Mobilized over 30,000 volunteers to serve with our outreach.