Committee on the Shelterless
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
AT COTS, OUR MISSION IS TO ASSIST THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO FIND AND KEEP HOUSING, INCREASE SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND IMPROVE WELL-BEING. WE ENVISION A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE HAS A PLACE TO CALL HOME.
- Income
- $14.7 million
- Spending
- $10.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- 5.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 50%
- Employees
- 79
- Volunteers
- 302
- Highest pay
- $225,890, chief executive officer
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: 85 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 28% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 84% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 11 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 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 (4)
- $3.6 million spent. MARY'S TABLE: COTS' COMMUNITY KITCHEN, MARY'S TABLE, SERVES OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN NEED OF FOOD. MARY'S TABLE SERVES THREE MEALS A DAY, EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR, ENSURING ALL COTS CLIENTS RECEIVE QUALITY, NUTRITIOUS MEALS, WITH OPTIONS FOR DIFFERENT DIETARY PREFERENCES AND RESTRICTIONS. IN FY2024-25, MARY'S TABLE SERVED 149,638 MEALS AT OUR ON-SITE DINING HALL, OVER 300 MEALS A DAY, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S TOTAL OF 116,079 MEALS SERVED. MARY'S TABLE ALSO FACILITATED 8,190 GROCERY DELIVERIES TO FOOD INSECURE HOUSEHOLDS THROUGHOUT SONOMA COUNTY. THROUGH MARY'S TABLE'S FOOD PRESERVATION INITIATIVES, 26,835 POUNDS OF FOOD WASTE WERE DIVERTED FROM THE LANDFILL. HOMELESSNESS SERVICES (KPH & RAPID REHOUSING): THE COTS RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM PROVIDES A LIFELINE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN SONOMA COUNTY BY OFFERING SHORT- TO MEDIUM-TERM RENTAL ASSISTANCE PAIRED WITH INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE RENTAL SUBSIDIES, LANDLORD ENGAGEMENT, AND HOUSING NAVIGATION TO QUICKLY MOVE FROM HOMELESSNESS INTO SAFE, STABLE HOUSING. ONCE HOUSED, COTS' CARE MANAGERS PROVIDE WRAPAROUND SUPPORTS TAILORED TO EACH HOUSEHOLD'S NEEDS, INCLUDING EMPLOYMENT READINESS, INCOME SUPPORT, HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH REFERRALS, SOBRIETY SUPPORT, AND FINANCIAL LITERACY. IN FY2024-25, 34 HOUSEHOLDS WERE SERVED THROUGH THE RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM, INCLUDING 39 ADULTS AND 18 CHILDREN FOR A TOTAL OF 57 INDIVIDUALS SERVED. COTS HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION PROGRAM ADDRESSES HOMELESSNESS BEFORE IT STARTS IS THE ONLY WAY TO ELIMINATE THE HOMELESSNESS CRISES. THROUGH THE KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION PROGRAM, COTS ASSISTED LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE LOST THEIR HOUSING. THE PROGRAM PROVIDED SHORT TERM RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, REFERRALS TO LEGAL SERVICES, AND CONNECTIONS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES. THIS ALLOWED CLIENTS TO STABILIZE IN THEIR CURRENT HOUSING AT A FRACTION OF THE COST IT TAKES TO REHOUSE A CLIENT WHO HAS BECOME HOMELESS. IN FY 2024-25, 314 HOUSEHOLDS (445 ADULTS & 356 CHILDREN) WERE SERVED IN OUR KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED PROGRAM.
- $2.2 million spent. COMMUNITY HOUSING AND RESIDENT SERVICES PROGRAMS: COTS PROVIDES PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE AND LOW-INCOME SHARED HOUSING TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO NEED SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO REMAIN STABLY HOUSED. PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS ESSENTIAL FOR ADDRESSING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS WITHIN SONOMA COUNTY, COMBINING STABLE, LONG-TERM HOUSING WITH WRAPAROUND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TAILORED TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EACH RESIDENT. IN FY2024-25, 81% OF PARTICIPANTS REMAINED PERMANENTLY HOUSED. OUR COMMUNITY HOUSING PROGRAM IS COMPRISED MAINLY OF SCATTERED-SITE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SINGLE SITE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AS WELL AS OTHER MODELS AND UNITS STRATEGICALLY LOCATED ACROSS THE COUNTY TO MAXIMIZE ACCESSIBILITY AND SUPPORT. IN FY2024-25, COTS ADDED 6 NEW PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS THROUGH THE ACQUISITION OF AN ADDITIONAL PROPERTY. WE SERVED 127 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY HOUSING PROGRAM IN FY2024-25. COTS ALSO PROVIDES CASE-MANAGEMENT AND OTHER WRAP-AROUND SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS IN MULTIPLE PARTNERSHIP LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT SONOMA COUNTY. WE SERVE INDIVIDUALS AT STUDIOS AT MONTERO (SAM) A CONVERTED 50 YEAR OLD MOTEL INTO 60-UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS; VIDA NUEVA, A 23 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX IN WEST ROHNERT PARK, THAT OFFERS SUBSIDIZED HOUSING TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOW OR VERY LOW INCOMES AND WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF BEING HOMELESS; AND PETALUMA RIVER PLACE, A 50-UNIT BUILDING IN PETALUMA THAT OFFERS SUBSIDIZED HOUSING TO INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND AGRICULTURAL WORKERS WITH LOW OR VERY LOW INCOMES. COTS PROVIDES SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO RESIDENTS IN 15 OF THESE UNITS.
- $2.0 million spent. COTS EMERGENCY SHELTERS: IN FY 2024-25, COTS SERVED 374 ADULTS AND CHILDREN IN OUR EMERGENCY SHELTERS. THE MARY ISAAK CENTER EMERGENCY SHELTER (MIC-ES) IS A 90-BED ADULT EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVING ADULTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. IN ADDITION TO BASIC NEEDS, SHELTER RESIDENTS RECEIVE STRENGTH-BASED CASE MANAGEMENT, ACCESS TO MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE, FINANCIAL LITERACY, EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES, AND HOUSING SEARCH SUPPORT. WE SHELTERED 263 HOMELESS ADULTS IN MIC-ES DURING FY 2024-25. DURING THIS TIME, COTS ALSO ADDED A FULL-TIME LICENSED CLINICIAN, INTEGRATING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE THROUGHOUT OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER PROGRAMS. OUR KIDS FIRST FAMILY SHELTER (KFFS) IS AN EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVING FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN. KFFS PROVIDES INDIVIDUAL CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES DESIGNED TO HELP FAMILIES INCREASE RESILIENCY, DEVELOP INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS, AND OBTAIN/ MAINTAIN INCOME AND PERMANENT HOUSING. DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, KFFS EXPANDED SHELTER CAPACITY BY ADDING AN ADDITIONAL ROOM, INCREASING THE FAMILIES SERVED AT ONE TIME TO EIGHT. IN FY 2024-25, WE SHELTERED 24 FAMILIES AT KFFS CONSISTING OF 61 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 28 ADULTS AND 33 CHILDREN. COTS ALSO SERVED 50 INDIVIDUALS IN OUR PEOPLE'S VILLAGE PROGRAM, THE COTS CAMPUS IN PETALUMA. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL DORM-STYLE SHELTERS BY PROVIDING NON-CONGREGATE INDIVIDUAL SHELTER UNITS.
- $553,805 spent. RECUPERATIVE CARE: COTS RECUPERATIVE CARE PROGRAM OFFERS POST-HOSPITALIZATION CARE FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED A SPACE TO RECOVER FROM INJURY OR ILLNESS. OFFERING CASE MANAGEMENT, ON-SITE HEALTHCARE, AND WRAP-AROUND SERVICES, THE RECUPERATIVE CARE PROGRAM PROVIDES SAFE, DIGNIFIED CARE FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WHILE REDUCING HOSPITAL RE-ADMISSIONS AND ER VISITS. IN FY2024-25, COTS REMODELED THE RECUPERATIVE CARE SPACE TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM, INCREASING BED AVAILABILITY FROM 6 TO 18. DURING THIS TIME, 56 PEOPLE RECEIVED RECUPERATIVE CARE SERVICES THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
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
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 October 13, 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 June 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 February 1994.
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 October 21, 2026.
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