Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Hope Lives - Vive La Esperanza

EIN 45-2300190 · Phoenix, AZ

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak21 out of 100GovernanceGood89 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Hope Lives is committed to promote mental health recovery and wellness thereby reducing recitivism and transforming lives

Income
$1.4 million
Spending
$1.8 million
Spent on programs
73%
Reserves
0.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 89%
Employees
43

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 21 out of 100. Higher than 1% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    2 of 20

    It owes 93% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 28% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 28% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    73% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    7 of 7 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • 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 September 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 (3)
  1. $132,181 spent. Nutrition kitchen (meals) is an innovative, fun, and inspirational cooking and nutrition workshop. These planning and cooking activities look comprehensively at a persons health life-style, meal planning on a budget, cooking healthy from a food box, and how healthy eating shapes chronic conditions. This program focuses on a persons strengths, interests, and natural supports. It stresses creating healthy life-style habits and disiplines, provides education/awareness prevention activities, delivered by peer specialists topromote self- directed whole health.
  2. $87,640 spent. Community events/activities: equine therapy, gym, bowling, movies, hiking, swimming, budget shopping, travel training, laundry, haircuts, golf, and cultural area activities held out in the community to provide new experiences and encourage socialization, growth, and recovery.
  3. $3,048 spent. Training classes and programs held on campus: forensic peer support training, Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), anger management, domestic violence, GED, Applied Suicide Intervention (ASIST), jewelry making, self care, interpersonal communications, art, cooking, meditation/ spirituality, creative writing, and music appreciation. Forensic Peer Support Training is an agency developed training and certification process that enables individuals with lived experience in the behavioral health system to promote hope, personal responsibility, empowerment, education, and self determination in the communities they serve.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 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 October 13, 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 September 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 February 2012.

    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 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.