Northstar Advocates
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Preventing and ending youth homelessness by supporting young people, strengthening families and communities, and holding the systems designed to serve them accountable.
- Income
- $694,000
- Spending
- $432,457
- Spent on programs
- 52%
- Reserves
- 35.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 75%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 22
- Highest pay
- $162,523, executive director
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: 83 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 35.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 38% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1552% 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
Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 4 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 (1)
- $225,122 spent. NorthStar Advocates is a leader in the state of Washington serving young people at the intersection of unaccompanied homelessness, system involvement, and the behavioral health crisis in our society. We made significant progress in 2025 in the design and implementation of HB 1929 to establish safe housing and services for young adults exiting an inpatient behavioral health treatment program. State data continue to show these young people at greatest risk of returning to homelessness within 30 days - 12 months upon exiting a system of care (foster care, juvenile rehabilitation and/or inpatient behavioral health treatment). NorthStar Advocates has provided training, consultation, and ongoing advocacy for the two programs in Washington state. During a very challenging budget crisis in Washington's legislature NorthStar Advocates advocated to protect the funding ensuring it remains in the state budget. We will collect relevant data to determine our advocacy agenda for expansion during the 2027 legislative session. Early data demonstrates NorthStar Advocates hypothesis was correct in that these young people do want to exit homelessness and are addressing their substance use disorder and/or mental health issues. This has resulted in young people securing safe housing, employment, educational goals and reconciliation with family and community. NorthStar Advocates has also sponsored a youth and young adult led behavioral health quarterly summit planning to be implemented in 2026.
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 March 2022.
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.