Sparrow
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
We at Sparrow believe God values every human life and we work to express this in practical ways. Two ways we express this are through our homeless family transformation program and by providing affordable housing. Sparrow delivers these two services through separate branches with separate leadership that each operates under the Sparrow umbrella. The desire shared by both branches is to help the disadvantaged in their local communities and provide them an avenue to physically and practically help the people in need.
- Income
- $208,264
- Spending
- $218,767
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- -19.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 86%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 20
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 40 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (religion, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 25% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 24% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (religion, under $250k).
Independent board
18 of 254 of 4 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.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 (2)
- $169,880 spent. Affordable Housing Program Service: Sparrow owns land on which it operates a mobile home park in Corvallis, Oregon. There are 60 rental lot spaces available on this land and the mobile homes themselves are privately owned. Through this mobile home park, Sparrow provides low-income housing for residents in the Corvallis, Oregon area. As a part of this program service, Sparrow's staff works one on one with available residents each week to promote self-sufficiency, independent living, and the making of positive life choices. While working one on one, staff also encourage residents to foster healthy relationships with each other to help build a strong sense of community and support within the park. Sparrow helps connect these residents, through it's ministries program service, with resources that are available in our city's community, such as programs for: employment, education, income/asset building, child/youth development, and spiritual development based on biblical principles.
- $34,057 spent. Ministries Program Service: Sparrow provides participants in this program with a temporary home to live in for the duration of their stay in our program approximately 12 months. Upon acceptance into our program, participants are assigned a home and a host church family. These homes are provided, by churches that partnerwith us, to give families a stepping stone as they work to pull themselves up out of their difficult situations. As a part of this program, Sparrow partners with C.H.A.N.C.E. and The Hive Church Inc. in the Corvallis, Oregon area to provide struggling families with resources targeting their areas of need. These resources can include: financial help and instruction, individual and/or family counseling, parenting classes, classes on healthy relationships and boundaries, and childcare services based on the specific needs of each family. Resources are provided to each family on a case-by-case basis as the peer support, the church mentor, and the participating family agree are needed for each family to reach their goals. These resources help participating families save money toward getting into a home of their own as a part of completing the program. During this fiscal filing year, Sparrow helped 2 families move forward in becoming financially stable.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 June 2025.
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 February 2020.
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 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.