We Are Family Senior Outreach Network Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
WE ARE FAMILY SERVES SENIORS IN THE SHAW, NORTH CAPITOL STREET, ADAMS MORGAN, PETWORTH AND COLUMBIA HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOODS. WE BRING ADVOCACY, SERVICES, ORGANIZING, AND COMPANIONSHIP INTO THE HOMES OF THE ELDERLY, WHILE HELPING TO BUILD FRIENDSHIPS ACROSS BOUNDARIES LIKE RACE, CLASS, RELIGION, AGE, CULTURE AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
- Income
- $711,778
- Spending
- $789,847
- Spent on programs
- 90%
- Reserves
- 1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 98%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 6,000
- Highest pay
- $113,682, key employee- full time co-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: 55 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (human services, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.0 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 25% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 11% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 5% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1590% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 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
Good: 77 out of 100. Higher than 58% of charities in its peer group (human services, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2519 of 19 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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 (1)
- $710,716 spent. We Are Family Senior Outreach Network was born in 2004 with $15,000 donated by the multi-platinum punk band Good Charlotte and its ally, Positive Force DC, to a small knot of senior leaders and their friends at inner-city Catholic parish, St. Aloysius. This unique intersection of young and old, urban and suburban, black, white and brown, faith-based and secular, came together to address a worrisome gap in senior services amidst a community crisis in the North Capitol/Shaw community, a low-income area five blocks north of the U.S. Capitol. In 2007, we added a second, similarly challenged service area in the nearby Columbia Heights/Petworth neighborhood. We Are Family mobilizes volunteers to bring free services, advocacy, and friendship directly into seniors' homes in these areas. We have gone from helping about 50 seniors in 2004 to serving nearly 1200 in 2024. Last year, We Are Family successfully reimagined and expanded our services in the pandemic's aftermath and: * delivered 14,008 grocery bags of pantry staples, * monthly produce deliveries to 1,174 seniors throughout the year, * delivered 906 personalized birthday cards, * provided 1153 Thanksgiving $50 gift cards, * delivered 1188 holiday gift bags, and * saved 3 seniors from eviction. All of this was done with three full-time and one half-time staff and a volunteer roster of almost 6,000, over 150 of which are regular helpers. More broadly, we aim to build lasting friendships across boundaries like race, class, age, religion, and sexual orientation. Grounded in grassroots senior leadership, and driven by our diverse corps of volunteers, We Are Family walks beside our seniors to face whatever challenges life may bring. Together, we build a network of caring eyes and ears - a community that honors its elders, where neighbors look out for each other, where no one is forgotten, and where everybody matters. We Are Family is not simply a social service agency; it is a bold experiment in building caring, just, and inclusive community. Your tax-deductible donation or volunteer time can make a big difference in the life of a senior! JOIN US IN STANDING WITH OUR SENIORS!
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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 2009.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.