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Mercy Haven Inc

EIN 11-2783877 · Islip Terrace, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak40 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Mercy Haven's mission is to acknowledge the dignity and potential of people who are homeless, living with mental illness or living in poverty by providing housing, advocacy, education and life skills development.

Income
$11.1 million
Spending
$11.6 million
Spent on programs
88%
Reserves
-11.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 55%
Employees
151
Volunteers
117
Highest pay
$273,930, executive dir.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 40 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (housing, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    2 of 20

    It owes 78% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 2% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    88% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (housing, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 14 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $4.8 million spent. mercy haven's supported housing program, known as hearth, is the largest component of our housing with 257 residents, including 64 children in 2025. Hearth offers permanent housing with varying levels of support that are based on the needs of the individual or family. staff members known as housing specialists visit our residents a minimum of once per month to provide resources and support with tasks such as budgeting, establishing community support, job readiness evaluation and health management. in 2025, 92% of mercy haven's residents had maintained stable housing for 6 months or more.
  2. $2.4 million spent. mercy haven operates 3 community residences which are licensed by the NY State Office of Mental Health and provide care 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for a total of 34 adults. a community residence provides the opportunity for individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental illness to develop existing skills and learn new skills for independent living in a supportive, structured, yet home-like setting. during their stay, which averages approximately 4 years and 3 months, residents work with staff to develop personalized care plans containing goals that will help them to live more independently. Skills residents work to develop include, cooking, cleaning, socialization, medication management, budgeting, community integration, job readiness assessments and use of public transportation.
  3. $1.6 million spent. mercy haven, inc. was awarded 75 section 8 housing assistance vouchers through the U.S. department of housing and urban development mainstream program. this application was submitted in cooperation with the community development corporation of long island as the lead agency. the community development corporation of long island monitors and awards these vouchers to persons who are aged or living with a disability. this gives citizens the ability to rent affordable housing of their choice.
  4. $1.4 million spent. all other programs conducted within the organization.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since May 1986.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.