Friendship Place
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Friendship Place is a leader in the Washington, DC, metro area in developing solutions to homelessness that have measurable results and a lasting impact. Friendship Place's mission is to empower people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness to attain stable housing and rebuild their lives. Friendship Place helped 5,443 and 5,430 people in the years ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, with comprehensive, wraparound services that included street outreach, drop-in, free medical and psychiatric services, job placement, case management, transitional shelter, rapid rehousing, homelessness prevention, permanent supportive housing, and specialized services for families, youth, and veterans.
- Income
- $24.3 million
- Spending
- $24.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 2.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 84%
- Employees
- 233
- Volunteers
- 323
- Highest pay
- $303,869, president/ceo
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
Fair: 57 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (housing, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.8 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 22% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 36 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (housing, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2527 of 27 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
15 of 15Its accounts were audited 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 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 (5)
- $8.4 million spent. Veterans ServicesVeterans First: Provides short-term, intensive case management and rental assistance to help homeless veterans and their families get back into housing quickly and to prevent homelessness for veteran households at risk of eviction. The program targets extremely low-income households (less than 30% of the Area Median Income) and serves the District of Columbia and eight surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia. During the year ended September 30, 2025, 4,549 households were served (encompassing 1,012 total family members) through all services; of those who exited the program during the year, 92% graduated to stable permanent housing.
- $6.1 million spent. Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)Friendship Place is a leading DC provider of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for highly vulnerable, chronically homeless individuals and families. The PSH programs are based on a low-barrier, Housing First service model and include scattered-site apartments and an apartment building for 40 men. Case managers help participants transition directly from homelessness into housing, and then provide long-term support to address the full range of their needs and empower them to achieve personal goals for recovery, wellness, self-sufficiency, and integration into the community. During the year ended September 30, 2025, 76 PSH families and 72 PSH individuals were newly housed. PSH housing programs ended the fiscal year with a housing retention rate of 93%.
- $4.1 million spent. Short Term Family FacilityThe short-term family housing facility was opened in April 2020 as part of the District's efforts to end homelessness among families. With the capacity to serve up to 50 families at a time, The Brooks is designed to address the needs of resident families with wrap-around supportive services, clinical supports, child programming, and housing-solutions with a goal of moving families from shelter to stable housing within 90 days of entry. During the year ended September 30, 2025, 165 families were served (encompassing 538 total persons), and 88 households exited (53% to stable housing and 62% of families exited in less than 90 days).The Aston, a new Bridge Housing program, officially opened in November 2024 with capacity to serve over 100 individuals at a given time. Between November 2024 and September 30, 2025, 165 individuals were served at The Aston.
- $2.4 million spent. Outreach ServicesEmployment ServicesAimHire: Empowers homeless and at-risk adults to secure stable employment and housing, through individualized, person-centered, wraparound services. The program addresses the needs of people with significant barriers to employment and housing, such as criminal records, histories of substance abuse or mental illness, spotty work histories, and poor credit and rental records. During the year ended September 30, 2025, 108 people were placed into jobs, with an average starting wage of $20.46 per hour.Welcome CenterStreet Outreach: Friendship Place conducts Street Outreach to men and women experiencing homelessness in upper Northwest DC, with a special focus on the hardest-to-serve those who have been on the streets for an extended period of time, who have mental health and/or substance abuse issues, and who are disconnected from DC's continuum of care. During the year ended September 30, 2025, 71 individuals were served.Drop-in: Through Friendship Place's Welcome Center, visitors can help themselves to a cup of coffee, a meal, and free necessities such as toiletries, Metro passes, undergarments, and rain ponchos. Visitors can also use the phone or a computer or do laundry, receive mail, and meet with a case manager to take steps to rebuild their lives. During the year ended September 30, 2025, 1,021 individuals received service, including 174 who received assistance to successfully obtain vital documents.Free Clinic: Anyone who comes through the door of Friendship Place's Welcome Center can get free access to a doctor, nurse, or psychiatrist. There are no insurance or even ID requirements, and same-day appointments are available. Services were scaled during the year due to the availability of practitioners.Access to Housing: Friendship Place's staff can help visitors access housing services anywhere in the District, not just at Friendship Place.Youth ServicesBefore Thirty: Provides individualized, person-centered, and developmentally-informed supportive services and counseling to homeless and at-risk 17- to 29-year-olds. During the year ended September 30, 2025, 113 young people were served. 23 achieved permanent housing, 22 reported progress towards their wellness goals, 45 reported progress towards their employment goals, and 16 reported progress towards their educational goals.Lift & Lift Plus: Provides rental assistance for youth facing housing instability, paired with supportive case management. During the year ended September 30, 2025, 34 Transition Aged Youth (TAY) were served in addition to one (1) head of household over 25 years old with 78% exiting to stable housing, 100% housed within 90 days of intake, and 92% maintaining stable housing.
- $281,458 spent. Volunteer and Community EngagementFriendship Place actively solicits the support of volunteers. During the year ended September 30, 2025, more than 323 people provided volunteer service in every program and at every level of the organization. The community engagement program also involves community members in advocacy for positive solutions to homelessness at the Federal and DC levels and coordinates a speakers' bureau that offers educational presentations to community groups.
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
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 September 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 1995.
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.