Winona Volunteer Services Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
WITH DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS AND PARTNERS, WE HELP PEOPLE ADDRESS LIFE'S CHALLENGES IN A RESPECTFUL AND DIGNIFIED MANNER. WE DO THIS THROUGH COORDINATED ASSISTANCE, FOOD PROGRAMS, HOME DELIVERED MEALS, SPECIAL PROJECTS, NUTRITION EDUCATION AND CLOTHES SHOP. WVS RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE DIRECT ASSISTANCE IN OUR MAJOR PROGRAMS. WVS WAS RECERTIFIED THROUGH THE POINTS OF LIGHT FOUDATION AS A SERVICE ENTERPRISE ORGANIZATION. THIS DEMONSTRATES HOW COMMITTED WVS IS TO EFFECTIVELY DELIVERING ON OUR MISSSION BY ALIGNING VOLUNTEER PASSIONS AND SKILLS WITH MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEER POSITIONS.
- Income
- $1.6 million
- Spending
- $1.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- -5.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 400
- Highest pay
- $96,691, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 13% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 58% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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)
- $811,769 spent. WVS IS THE LARGER OF TWO FOOD SHELVES IN WINONA COUNTY. IN 2024, WE AVERAGED 1,088 VISITS TO THE FOOD SHELF EACH MONTH, A 22% INCREASE FROM 2023. FIRST TIME HOUSEHOLDS TOTALED 687 WHICH IS 39% MORE NEW HOUSEHOLDS THAN IN 2023.QUALIFYING HOUSEHOLDS HAVE INCOMES UP TO 300% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES. FOR EXAMPLE, A SINGLE-PERSON HOUSEHOLD MAKING $45,180 ANNUALLY ($21.72 AN HOUR OR LESS) OR A FAMILY OF FOUR MAKING $93,600 ANNUALLY IS INCOME-ELIGIBLE TO USE THE FOOD SHELF.THANKS TO 6,915 VOLUNTEER HOURS, WE DISTRIBUTED 685,292 POUNDS OF FOOD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, 81,037 MORE POUNDS THAN IN 2023. THAT IS ROUGHLY 52.5 POUNDS OF FOOD PER VISIT. OF THE 654,738 POUNDS OF FOOD THAT CAME INTO THE FOOD SHELF, 63% WERE PURCHASED & TEFAP PRODUCTS FROM CHANNEL ONE FOOD BANK, 21% WAS RESCUED FOOD, 12% WERE COMMUNITY DONATIONS AND 4% WAS PURCHASED FROM OTHER VENDORS. OF THE 137,760 POUNDS OF FOOD RESCUED, 30% WALMART (41,645)) 19% TARGET (25,807)) 16% HY-VEE (21,658) 11% KWIK TRIP 15,272)) 10% MIDTOWN (13,212)) 9% BLUFF COUNTRY CO-OP (12,099) 5% ALDI (7,767)
- $163,699 spent. HOME DELIVERED MEALS BEGAN LOCALLY IN 1971 AND SERVES QUALIFYING RESIDENTS OF THE CITIES OF WINONA AND GOODVIEW. VOLUNTEERS DELIVER MID-MORNING MEALS TO APPROXIMATELY 92 HOMEBOUND AND CONVALESCING ADULTS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, YEAR-ROUND. 95 INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS, 10 BUSINESSES AND 11 CONGREGATIONS COVER THE ELEVEN ROUTES. CLIENTS EITHER PAY FOR THEIR OWN MEAL AT $6.25 OR $6.75 WITH MILK OR ARE ON A WAIVER THROUGH THE COUNTY IN WHICH THEIR INSURANCE PAYS FOR THEIR MEALS. THE CLIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR QUALIFIES INDIVIDUALS FOR THIS PROGRAM, MONITORS THEIR MEAL REQUESTS, AND RECONCILES THE MONTHLY BILLING WITH INSURERS AND STEAK SHOP CATERING. OUR BOOKKEEPER SENDS THE RECONCILED BILLS TO THE CLIENTS. OUR PROGRAM IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE MEALS ON WHEELS DELIVERY SERVICE, WHICH IS FEDERALLY FUNDED, COORDINATED BY SEMCAC AND SERVES PEOPLE IN GREATER WINONA COUNTY.
- $111,085 spent. OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES, WVS DEVELOPED THE COORDINATED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. OUR PARTNERS- THE LOCAL CHURCHES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS- TELL ANYONE LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE THAT WVS IS THE ONE-STOP-SHOP IN WINONA COUNTY FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES. OUR CLIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR UTILIZES A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO MAKE APPROPRIATE REFERRALS OR ISSUE VOUCHERS ACCORDING TO SPECIFIC GUIDELINES. SINCE WINONA HAS ABUNDANT RESOURCES, REFERRING INDIVIDUALS TO OUR CENTRALIZED HUB SAVES EVERYONE TIME, MAKES GETTING HELP SIMPLER, AND ULTIMATELY REDUCES DUPLICATION OF SERVICES. WVS IS ALSO FORTUNATE THAT A SPECIALIZED FUND FROM THE WINONA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ALLOWS US TO ISSUE VOUCHERS FOR GASOLINE, BUS TICKETS, LODGING, DIAPERS, CAB RIDES, CLOTHING, RENT, DENTAL SERVICES AND ID'S, ETC. BASED ON EACH INDIVIDUAL'S CHALLENGING SITUATIONS. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, 510 VOUCHERS WERE ISSUED TO 429 DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLDS TOTALING $40,400 IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. ADDITIONALLY, $1,121 FREE CLOTHING VOUCHERS WERE ISSUED TO INDIVIDUALS FOR CLOTHES SHOP. STAFF MADE 588 INTENTIONAL REFERRALS TO CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES.OUR NUTRITION EDUCATOR HELPS PEOPLE ACQUIRE THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY TO IMPROVE THEIR NUTRITIONAL WELLBEING. SHE TALKS WITH INDIVIDUALS IN THE FOOD SHELF AND ON THE TELEPHONE ABOUT THE MEALS THEY PREPARE WITH THE FOOD SHELF ITEMS. ADDITIONALLY, SHE MONITORS THE FOOD INVENTORY BY PLACING WEEKLY ORDERS WITH OUR CHANNEL ONE FOOD BANK AND COORDINATES THE "GROCERIES ON THE GO" PROGRAM.
- $79,854 spent. THE CLOTHES SHOPTHE CLOTHES SHOP REOPENED ON JULY 1, 2024. THROUGHOUT THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, VOLUNTEERS GAVE 2,743 HOURS SELLING 18,196 ITEMS TOTALING $77,520 IN SALES TO SUPPORT OUR OPERATIONS. THE CLOTHES SHOP PROVIDES LOW-COST, HIGH QUALITY CLOTHING TO TRENDSETTERS, BARGAIN HUNTERS, THE ECO-FRIENDLY AND ANYONE LOOKING FOR A GREAT DEAL 4,076 PARCELS WERE DONATED, SORTED, AND PUT OUT FOR SALE DURING THE SHORT TIME WE WERE OPEN.HOLIDAY PROJECTSWVS STAFF COORDINATES THE FREE CONGREGATE EASTER DINNER, COMPLIMENTS OF CHARTWELLS DINING SERVICE OUT OF ST MARY'S UNIVERSITY. NINETEEN VOLUNTEERS DELIVERED 384 MEALS TO WINONA RESIDENTS ON EASTER SUNDAY. THE LION'S CLUB AND THE ELIZABETH CALLENDER KING FOUNDATION DONATED 500 HAM MEALS INCLUDING FRESH PRODUCE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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 September 7, 2026.
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 September 30, 2026.
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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1974.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
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 7, 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.