Neighborhood Wellness Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Disrupting intergenerational trauma and poverty in Del Paso Heights and surrounging areas.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $1.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- 6.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 82%
- Employees
- 25
- Highest pay
- $115,431, ceo
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: 80 out of 100. Higher than 61% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 5% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
5 of 250 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
0 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 (1)
- $1.3 million spent. NW ROOTS to RISE (RTR) Program Overview Neighborhood Wellness Foundation's mission is to navigate and disrupt intergenerational trauma and poverty in Del Paso Heights and surrounding Sacramento neighborhoods. Through the ROOTS to RISE (RTR) Program, NW uses an interdisciplinary, community-embedded, trauma-educated and trauma-responsive approach to build self-efficacy, promote mental and physical health and wellness, improve educational and vocational attainment, support housing stability, and re-establish healthy social structure. RTR is NW's integrated program framework that organizes the organization's work across four core impact pathways: Healing Circles, Restore Legacies, Pacers Take Space / Youth Development, and Higher Heights. Together, these pathways address behavioral health, substance use recovery, youth and family stabilization, education and workforce readiness, housing instability, violence mitigation, and community safety. Healing Circles are the cornerstone of NW's work and a foundational pathway within RTR. They are sacred, powerful spaces with evidence-based and culturally connecting elements that help participants identify root causes of rage, substance use disorders, low educational attainment, incarceration, domestic violence, gang violence, grief, and trauma. NW Healing Circles have demonstrated notable impact, including helping prevent domestic violence situations and interrupting four gang violence retaliations, including after the downtown Sacramento mass shooting in April 2022. Northeastern University partnered with NW through concept mapping to capture the value and impact of Healing Circles, including violence mitigation, improved communication, capacity building, and disruption of intergenerational trauma and poverty. NW also provides Healing Circles and professional development to agencies that serve the community, helping improve service delivery by deepening understanding of the lived experiences behind illiteracy, substance use disorders, truancy, low attendance, violent behavior, and family instability. Twin Rivers Unified School District professional development and law enforcement engagement are two examples of this cross-sector work. NW's urban garden, donated to the organization, serves as a therapeutic and restorative space where many neighbors seek peace, reflection, and tranquility. Restore Legacies focuses on youth and adults who are legacies of addiction, illiteracy, homelessness, economic instability, incarceration, domestic violence, gang violence, and other trauma-related barriers. Through RTR, Restore Legacies provides outreach, engagement, care coordination, resource navigation, crisis prevention, and stabilization support for individuals and families facing housing instability, substance use challenges, and disconnection from traditional systems of care. NW conducts field outreach on the North Sacramento Bike Trail and surrounding areas, including support for individuals experiencing homelessness and those impacted by the fentanyl crisis. Community members experiencing homelessness reported over 70 fentanyl overdose reversals involving adults and dogs. NW has also partnered with the Sacramento Street Medicine team to provide medical services to unhoused neighbors in the field. NW provided fentanyl and ACEs awareness presentations to 620 students at Grant Union High School, 60 Sierra Service Project students, Jubilare Evangelistic Ministries, Potter House Church, Capital College & Career Academy students and staff, and other community organizations. These sessions included education on Adverse Childhood Experiences, substance use disorders, fentanyl risks, and Narcan training. NW also hosted opioid and fentanyl awareness events at the NW Community Center and collaborated with Grant High School to share current information on the crisis and distribute resources. Pacers Take Space is NW's school-based health center pathway located on the campus of Grant Union High School. In partnership with Twin Rivers Unified School District, Sacramento Native American Health Center, and Sutter Health, Pacers Take Space supports students through behavioral health services, primary care linkage, group and individual therapy, Healing Circles, essential pantry access, leadership development, peer-to-peer support, and care coordination. Pacers Take Space serves more than 1,000 students per month through behavioral health support, essential pantry access, student engagement, and youth development activities. NW also supports after-school literacy, mental health education, leadership development, and youth advocacy. NW held the grand opening of Pacers Take Space with partners TRUSD, SNAHC, and Sutter Health, highlighting the importance of school-based access to behavioral health, wellness, and primary care resources in Del Paso Heights. Youth Development activities included the book release event for From Broken Voices, We Grew, featuring Del Paso Heights youth and adult authors in partnership with 916 Ink. NW also hired 28 summer interns who completed educational sessions, engaged with the City on youth advocacy, and built workforce readiness skills; one intern earned a commercial driver's license. Following injuries and the death of children ejected from a van without seatbelts and car seats, NW helped facilitate car seat donations to Del Paso Heights families through Meritage. Financial literacy, reading, youth leadership, and mental wellness continue to be priorities across NW's youth programming. NW also participated in and supported mental health forums with UC Davis and Grant High School, presenting to students and staff on the correlation between ACEs, substance use disorders, fentanyl awareness, and the importance of prevention, healing, and early support. Higher Heights focuses on education, workforce development, and economic mobility for youth and adults impacted by intergenerational trauma, poverty, incarceration, low literacy, and limited access to
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 2015.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.