Street Youth Ministry of Austin
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To know,love and serve homeless youth and young adults so they achieve more stability, sobriety and social and economic well-being. We provide physical relief to help meet immediate needs,but guidance conseling is our primary aim.
- Income
- $780,668
- Spending
- $782,906
- Spent on programs
- 95%
- Reserves
- 11.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 97%
- Employees
- 7
- Volunteers
- 532
- Highest pay
- $124,181, chairman/president
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
Good: 86 out of 100. Higher than 72% of charities in its peer group (religion, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 11.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 0% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 26% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1595% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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
Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 84% of charities in its peer group (religion, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (5)
- $615,575 spent. Client Services: The Strategy of Early Intervention: SYMin serves street-dependent youth by meeting them where they are for physical relief, engaging them in core services to build trusted relationships, and helping them achieve life-change goals. Intervening during these formative years is critical; for youth, homelessness is often a temporary crisis that can be prevented from becoming a lifelong identity through immediate, targeted support. This work is intentionally challenging; we seek out a client base that has been deeply disappointed by life, requiring our team to provide persistent, steady support through the difficult ups and downs of recovery. Unprecedented Growth and Resilience: In 2025, SYMin served a record 2,299 unique clients, a 10% increase over 2024. Despite this 10% growth in service volume and a challenging inflationary environment, we successfully contained program cost growth to approximately 5% through staff creativity and rigorous operational discipline. Of our total clients, 488 were young adults in our primary target age range. While we focus on youth, meeting overage clients on outreach remains essential to discovering hidden young people; as these older individuals see the dignity and trust with which we treat everyone on the street, they help bridge the gap to the younger population. This growth occurred despite a major Memorial Day flood that damaged our main facility, requiring a rapid relocation of services. The teams resilience ensured no gap in care during this crisis. Expanding the Reach and Impact: Our San Marcos outreach experienced explosive growth, serving 351 unique clients (up 59%) with a 161% increase in contact hours. In Austin, outreach teams distributed 1,576 food bags and reached 1,756 individuals. Direct relief efforts surged, providing 171 laundry passes (up 138%) and 177 showers (up 65%), alongside new initiatives for eyeglasses and work shoes. We see a powerful correlation between these hygiene services, our job coaching, and the ability of our clients to secure employment. Our data proves that deep engagement works: clients with 40 or more hours of staff interaction were 3.2 times more likely to achieve life changes, with 98% of heavily engaged clients reaching at least one major milestone. In total, 1,066 client goals were achieved, including significant gains in housing (up 46%) and sobriety (up 40%).
- $58,496 spent. Volunteer Services: Mobilizing Compassion and Fiscal Stewardship: SYMin organizes and trains volunteers to show Gods love through direct service and essential logistics. In 2025, 532 volunteers contributed 6,762 hours, a 35% increase in total time served. This mobilization is the backbone of our ability to fight poverty on the front lines and was a vital component of our cost-containment strategy. Our volunteers locate and secure essential food and supplies-often reclaiming high-quality items that would otherwise go to waste-to meet the immediate needs of our clients. Record-Breaking In-Kind Support: The estimated value of non-cash donations reached an all- time high of $250,517 (up 35%). This included a 90% surge in in-kind food support ($147,393). These record-breaking in-kind contributions were the primary lever that allowed us to respond to surging needs and record-breaking client numbers while returning the organization to a break- even financial position after a challenging prior year. Following our relocation after the flood, we saw very large growth in volunteer helper rhythms. Indirect logistics and transport hours surged as volunteers stepped up to keep our expanded outreach operations running. This area has seen significant community interest, and we look forward to further expanding these behind-the-scenes service opportunities.
- $37,347 spent. Public Awareness: Making the Invisible Visible: Street youth are often ignored by society. Indeed their goal is often to be invisible for safety. SYMin works to tell their stories of resilience to ensure their needs are understood. In 2025, our subscriber network grew to 7,304 subscriptions, comprising a dedicated community of prayer warriors, volunteers, and donors. We maintained a stable base of 3,036 email newsletter subscribers and a dedicated team of 978 prayer warriors. Effective and Economical Reach: To support our fiscal recovery and reach our break-even goal, we focused our awareness efforts on high-efficiency digital channels, utilizing the most cost- effective means available to grow our income and supporter base quickly. Through 39 public awareness events and service projects, we educated the community on the unique challenges facing street youth. Our digital presence reached 2,641 Facebook followers, sharing stories that humanize the struggle of the invisible youth and invite the public into meaningful, life- changing advocacy.
- $28,848 spent. Training Future Leaders: SYMin trains the next generation of poverty-informed leaders through a paid, 10-week curriculum. In 2025, we trained 8 unique interns (a 33% increase), providing them with 184 hours of direct training and nearly 1,000 hours of supervised service to clients. These interns provided labor equivalent to one full-time team member, expanding our capacity to deliver safe, effective programs with high efficiency. By educating these leaders in the unique culture of street youth, we ensure the fight against poverty continues with skill and empathy.
- Training Future Leaders: SYMin trains the next generation of poverty-informed leaders through 28848. 0. 0.
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 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 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 April 2013.
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.