Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Shelter House Inc

EIN 52-1217106 · Fairfax, VA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood74 out of 100GovernanceStrong93 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Shelter House's mission is to prevent and end homelessness and domestic violence by engaging the community, building effective relationships and providing crisis intervention, safe housing and supportive services.

Income
$19.8 million
Spending
$20.4 million
Spent on programs
89%
Reserves
3.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 89%
Employees
275
Volunteers
9,325
Highest pay
$213,341, executive director & ceo

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

Financial health

Good: 74 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (housing, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 16% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 6% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    88% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.

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

Governance

Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 32% of charities in its peer group (housing, $10m to $100m).

  • 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

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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 June 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 (1)
  1. $18.0 million spent. Shelter House's mission is to prevent and end homelessness and domestic violence by engaging the community, building effective relationships, and providing crisis intervention, safe housing, and supportive services. The organization advances its mission through a continuum of housing programs and supportive services, the largest of which are:1. Emergency Shelter: Shelter House operates seven 24-hour emergency shelters across Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. These include Artemis House Regions 1 & 3, Fairfax County's only 24-hour emergency shelter program for victims of domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking; Eleanor U. Kennedy Shelter; Fair Ridge Family Shelter; Katherine Hanley Family Shelter; Mondloch House; and Loudoun Homeless Services Center, the only emergency shelter in Loudoun County. Collectively, these shelters provide more than 500 beds for adults and children experiencing homelessness and serve as a critical component of Northern Virginia's crisis response system.2. Rapid Re-Housing: Shelter House provides rapid re-housing services to households experiencing homelessness in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. Through the provision of housing location assistance, financial assistance, and housing stabilization case management, Shelter House's rapid re-housing programs help individuals and families to end their homelessness and stabilize in permanent housing. Shelter House's rapid re-housing programs include a domestic violence-designated program that provides specialized services to survivors, including safety planning and domestic violence advocacy.3. Permanent Supportive Housing: Shelter House provides over 100 units of permanent supportive housing to individuals and families who have experienced chronic homelessness and have a documented disability. These programs combine permanent, affordable housing with intensive case management and supportive services to promote housing stability, improve health outcomes, and reduce returns to homelessness among highly vulnerable populations.In addition to these core programs, Shelter House operates a 24-hour domestic violence hotline and provides homelessness prevention services, drop-in day services for unsheltered individuals, rental assistance, and long-term case management focused on economic stability and self-sufficiency.In Fiscal Year 2025, across all programs, Shelter House served 2,020 households comprised of 4,496 individuals.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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 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 June 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 August 1981.

    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.