Emma Norton Services
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
EMMA NORTON SERVICES' MISSION IS TO PROVIDE TRANSFORMATIONAL HOUSING FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES ON THEIR JOURNEY OF RECOVERY. TO ACHIEVE THIS MISSION, ENS OFFERS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IN BOTH SITE BASED AND SCATTERED SITE MODELS THAT SERVE BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AS WELL AS INTENSIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.
- Income
- $5.4 million
- Spending
- $5.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- -8.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 73%
- Employees
- 58
- Volunteers
- 160
- Highest pay
- $129,671, executive director
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: 47 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (housing, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 65% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 28% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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 70% of charities in its peer group (housing, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2519 of 19 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, 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)
- $3.5 million spent. IN 2025, EMMA NORTON PROVIDED SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TO 355 INDIVIDUALS. WE HAVE THREE MAIN HOUSING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING OUR NEW RESTORING WATERS DEVELOPMENT, EMMA'S PLACE, AND OUR SCATTERED-SITE HOUSING PROGRAM, PLUS ADDITIONAL SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, INCLUDING OUR NEW DROP-IN MENTAL HEALTH SPACE, THE LIVING ROOM. RESTORING WATERS OFFERS A 24-HOUR STAFFED APARTMENT-STYLE LIVING ENVIRONMENT WITH ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES AND ONSITE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR 60+ INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL FAMILIES AT ANY ONE TIME. IN 2025, THE PROGRAM SERVED 63 PEOPLE. IN TOTAL, 93 PERCENT OF INDIVIDUALS MAINTAINED THEIR HOUSING FOR TWELVE MONTHS OR MORE OR EXITED TO SAFE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING OF THEIR CHOICE, AND 98% OF TENANTS PARTICIPATED IN ONSITE PROGRAMMING TO SUPPORT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING. THE FAMILY PROGRAM STARTS WITH FAMILIES WHO QUALIFY TO LIVE AT EMMA'S PLACE, A TOWNHOME COMMUNITY IN MAPLEWOOD, MN THAT CAN HOUSE UP TO 13 FAMILIES AT ANY ONE TIME. TO QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM, FAMILIES MUST MEET THE DEFINITION OF HUD HOMELESSNESS, HAVE THREE OR MORE CHILDREN, AND AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE FAMILY MUST HAVE A DISABLING CONDITION. WHEN A FAMILY HAS LIVED AT EMMA'S PLACE FOR AT LEAST A YEAR, THEY RECEIVE A SECTION 8 CERTIFICATE THAT CAN BE PORTED INTO ANOTHER RENTAL OPPORTUNITY ANYWHERE IN THE COMMUNITY. FAMILIES THAT ACHIEVE THIS CAN CHOOSE TO ENROLL IN THE FAMILIES SCATTERED SITE PROGRAM AND CONTINUE TO RECEIVE CASE MANAGEMENT IN THEIR OWN HOMES AS WELL AS PARTICIPATE IN YOUTH ACTIVITIES. BETWEEN THE SITE-BASED AND SCATTERED SITE PROGRAM, 159 PEOPLE WERE SERVED WITH THE VAST MAJORITY BEING CHILDREN. DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF CHILDREN, THE PROGRAM NOT ONLY HAS CASE MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAMMING FOR ADULTS, BUT IT ALSO HAS TARGETED PROGRAMMING AND CASE MANAGEMENT FOR THE YOUTH THAT FOCUSES ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILL BUILDING. IN 2025, 39 YOUTH BETWEEN AGES 5 12 ENGAGED IN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING INCLUDING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES, ART, SCHOOL SUPPORT, AND OTHER AREAS RELEVANT TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT. FOR THE OLDER YOUTH, 25 TEENS ENGAGED WITH ONE TO ONE CASE MANAGEMENT, AND STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES DURING TEEN NIGHTS WHERE THEY COULD EXPLORE EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL OPTIONS FOR AFTER HIGH SCHOOL AND PLAN FOR THEIR FUTURE. AT EMMA'S PLACE, 95 PERCENT OF ADULTS CREATED A STABILITY PLAN AND ACTIVELY WORKED TOWARD COMPLETING AT LEAST ONE GOAL BEFORE EXITING THE PROGRAMTHE SCATTERED-SITE PROGRAM MAINLY SERVES INDIVIDUAL HEADED HOUSEHOLDS BUT DOES HAVE SOME SMALL FAMILIES AS WELL. THESE PARTICIPANTS QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM DUE TO HAVING A LONG-TERM HOMELESS STATUS AND A LONG-TERM DISABLING CONDITION. ALL REFERRALS ARE RECEIVED THROUGH THE LOCAL COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM, AND PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN ONE OF THE SITE-BASED PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO QUALIFY. CASE MANAGEMENT STAFF OFFER HOUSING NAVIGATION SERVICES TO FIND A PRIVATE MARKET RATE RENTAL, AND THEN OFFER HOUSING STABILIZATION SERVICES TO TENANTS AFTER TRANSITIONING FROM BEING UNHOUSED TO HOUSED. IN 2025, 70 INDIVIDUALS WERE SERVED BY THE PROGRAM, WITH 92 PERCENT OF TENANTS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THEIR INITIAL LEASE PERIOD. ADDITIONALLY, 100 PERCENT OF HOUSEHOLDS THAT EXPERIENCED A CRISIS THAT COULD IMPACT THEIR HOUSING STABILITY RECEIVED SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO RESOLVE IT.IN AUGUST 2024, EMMA NORTON SERVICES LAUNCHED THE LIVING ROOM, AN INNOVATIVE, PEER-LED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A WELCOMING ALTERNATIVE TO EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, OR CRISIS. WHAT BEGAN AS A FREE DROP-IN SERVICE EXPANDED TO SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK IN OCTOBER 2024 AND ADDED TELEHEALTH SERVICES IN MAY 2025, INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACROSS THE REGION.SINCE OPENING, THE LIVING ROOM HAS EXPERIENCED STEADY GROWTH AND DEMONSTRATED MEANINGFUL OUTCOMES. IN 2025, THE PROGRAM PROVIDED 514 VISITS AND CONNECTED VISITORS TO 301 REFERRALS FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, HOUSING RESOURCES, FOOD SUPPORT, AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORTS. VISITORS REPORTED AN AVERAGE DECREASE OF 29 POINTS ON A 0100 SUBJECTIVE UNITS OF DISTRESS (SUD) SCALE DURING THEIR VISITS, INDICATING SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN EMOTIONAL DISTRESS. OF THE 514 VISITS IN 2025, ONLY TWO RESULTED IN A HOSPITAL TRANSFER, HIGHLIGHTING THE PROGRAM'S EFFECTIVENESS IN PROVIDING COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT AND STABILIZATION. FROM ITS OPENING THROUGH MARCH 2026, THE LIVING ROOM HAS PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY 775 VISITS, REFLECTING BOTH A GROWING COMMUNITY NEED AND THE VALUE OF PEER-LED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.
- $502,672 spent. EMMA'S PLACE, LLC OWNS THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS EMMA'S PLACE LOCATED IN MAPLEWOOD. THE EXPENSES INCLUDE OPERATING EXPENSES FOR THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT. EMMA'S PLACE, LLC CONTRACTS WITH EMMA NORTON SERVICES TO PROVIDE THE ONSITE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES REQUIRED FOR THE LOW-INCOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
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
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 December 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 March 1968.
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.