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Willis Dady Emergency Shelter Inc

EIN 42-1311668 · Cedar Rapids, IA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong93 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO EMPOWER ALL EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO BUILD FUTURES OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY THROUGH ADVOCACY, HOUSING, AND EMPLOYMENT, WITH THE VISION OF HAVING A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE HAS HOUSING, STABILITY, AND OPPORTUNITY.

Income
$3.7 million
Spending
$3.5 million
Spent on programs
76%
Reserves
8.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 49%
Employees
137
Volunteers
179
Highest pay
$107,734, 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

Strong: 93 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 8.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 7% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    76% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 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.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 13 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 (5)
  1. $943,850 spent. EMERGENCY SHELTER WITH CASE MANAGEMENT: IN 2025 WE SERVED 185 INDIVIDUALS WITH EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVICES. THIS INCLUDES 144 INDIVIDUALS AND 9 FAMILIES. 54% OF SHELTER CLIENTS EXITED TO HOUSING. WE PROVIDE SHELTER AND CASE MANAGEMENT FOR SHORT AND LONGER-TERM STAYS FOR VETERANS THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. IN SERVICE-INTENSIVE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, THE VETERAN CAN STAY FOR UP TO 2 YEARS. PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND CARE COORDINATION. PARTICIPANTS IN THE BRIDGE HOUSING PROGRAM CAN STAY IN SHELTER UP TO 6 MONTHS. THESE PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE CARE COORDINATION WITH THE VA AND NON-VA VETERAN SERVICE PROVIDERS, WITH A GOAL OF LEAVING FOR HOUSING AND INCREASING INCOME.IN 2025 73% OF THE VETERANS IN THIS PROGRAM HAD POSITIVE EXITS.
  2. $627,801 spent. SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM: IN 2025 WE CONTINUED SERVING INDIVIDUALS IN OUR EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM BY PROVIDING DIRECT HOURLY PART-TIME OR FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT. WE FILLED UP TO 8 FULL-TIME POSITIONS AT FRONTIER CO-OP EACH DAY ACROSS THREE SHIFTS AND PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM FRONTIER. WE ALSO OFFERED 8-10 PART-TIME POSITIONS IN OUR MATTRESS RECYCLING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE AND 5 SEASONAL PART-TIME POSITIONS WITH THE CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS TO PERFORM LITTER ABATEMENT IN PUBLIC SPACES AROUND CEDAR RAPIDS. ACROSS ALL OF OUR EMPLOYMENT SERVICES PROGRAM IN 2025 WE EMPLOYED 63 CLIENTS FOR A TOTAL OF 14,637 HOURS WORKED AND $217,669 WAGES EARNED.
  3. $540,779 spent. PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING: WE PROVIDE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS OF INCOME-BASED HOUSING WITH CASE MANAGEMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN. THESE UNITS ARE FOR THOSE QUALIFYING AS CHRONICALLY HOMELESS BASED BY HUDS DEFINITION. ON-SITE CASE MANAGEMENT IS PROVIDED TO BUILD STABILITY AND PREVENT CYCLING THROUGH COMMUNITY SUPPORT SYSTEMS. FEELING SAFE HASTENS BETTER SELF-CARE PRACTICES, IMPROVED HEALTH, AND OUTLOOK. IN 2024 WE OPENED A 14-UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX TO FURTHER OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PORTFOLIO. IN 2025 WE OPERATED A TOTAL OF 36 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. IN 2025 WE SERVICED 57 ADULTS AND 6 CHILDREN IN OUR SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM.
  4. $313,920 spent. RAPID REHOUSING AND VETERAN CASE MANAGEMENT: WE PROVIDE RAPID REHOUSING TO CLIENTS WHO ARE LITERALLY HOMELESS. RAPID REHOUSING IS A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES CASE MANAGEMENT AND SMALL AMOUNTS OF TEMPORARY RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF HOMELESSNESS AND INTO HOUSING WITH DEPOSIT AND/OR RENT MONEY. IN 2025 WE SERVED 72 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH HIS PROGRAM. 60% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS SERVED EXITED THE PROGRAM TO HOUSING. WE ALSO HOUSED 17 VETERANS THROUGH OUR MEDIUM-TERM HOUSING PROGRAM, TRANSITION IN PLACE. TRANSITION IN PLACE IS FUNDED THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS AND ALLOWS US TO REHOUSE VETERANS EXPERIENCING LITERAL HOMELESSNESS AND PROVIDE UP TO TWO YEARS OF RENT ASSISTANCE AND INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORTS. IN 2023, WE STARTED A HOUSING RETENTION CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THROUGH THE VA, WORKING UPSTREAM TO KEEP VETERANS IN THEIR HOUSING AND OUT OF THE LITERAL HOMELESS SYSTEM. IN 2025, WE SERVED 68 VETERANS WITH THIS PROGRAM.
  5. $192,780 spent. STREET OUTREACH: IN 2025, WE SERVED 185 PEOPLE WHO WERE SLEEPING UNSHELTERED IN LINN COUNTY. OUR STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM REACHES INDIVIDUALS SLEEPING IN PLACES NOT MEANT FOR HUMAN HABITATION SUCH AS IN ENCAMPMENTS, UNDER BRIDGES, IN ALLEYS, OR IN THEIR VEHICLES. WE ARE ABLE TO CONNECT THEM WITH THEIR BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS HYGIENE PRODUCTS, BLANKETS, PILLOWS, TENTS AND CLOTHING. OUR CASE MANAGERS ARE ABLE TO ASSIST CLIENTS IN THIS PROGRAM ACCESS VITAL DOCUMENTS TO WORK TOWARDS SECURING STABLE HOUSING. IN 2022, WE EXPANDED OUR STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM TO OPEN HECTOR'S PLACE DAY CENTER AT OUR WILLIS DADY WORKS EMPLOYMENT HUB. THE DAY CENTER PROVIDES IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO SHOWER AND LAUNDRY FACILITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS SLEEPING UNSHELTERED WITH ADDITIONAL ACCESS TO IMMEDIATE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND REFERRALS TO EMPLOYMENT SERVICES AND JOB TRAININGS AT THE EMPLOYMENT HUB. FROM APRIL THROUGH DECEMBER 2025, A TOTAL OF 3,809 SHOWERS AND LAUNDRY SERVICES WERE PROVIDED WITH AN AVERAGE OF 35 CLIENTS PER DAY.

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 November 6, 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 January 1989.

    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 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.