Opportunity Council
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Opportunity Council (The Council) helps address immediate and crisis-related basic needs such as food, emergency shelter, and eviction prevention. The Council also helps develop self-sufficiency and resiliency within our community by delivering early childhood education, home weatherization, and energy conservation education.
- Income
- $72.6 million
- Spending
- $63.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 1.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 75%
- Employees
- 528
- Volunteers
- 250
- Highest pay
- $178,684, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 60 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.1 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 35% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 13% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 15 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 December 31, 2024, 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)
- $31.5 million spent. Community Services (CS), Community Programs, Housing Services, and Energy Assistance - A multi-faceted program dedicated to serving our most vulnerable communities. CS strives to serve those in need wherever they are. In 2024 staff and volunteers prepared and served over 10,000 meals to people in need. Over 190 people gained job skills and work experience through our Employment Services programs. Our Resource Centers in three counties responded to over 16,500 requests for services and information. We secured housing for households experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness through permanent supportive housing, temporary housing, rental assistance, and eviction prevention services. Tenant enrichment services and other programs also provide benefit to the communities we serve. Over 1400 households received case management and/or rental assistance services through our housing programs. We provided over 13,000 payments for energy bills on behalf of households in need so they did not have to choose between paying for energy or other basic services.
- $15.5 million spent. Early Learning and Family Services (ELAFS) - one of Opportunity Council's largest departments - is comprised of multiple programs for pregnant people and households with children ages birth to five years and beyond. Specific programs include, but are not limited to: Head Start and ECEAP (Washington State's Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program) center-based preschool classrooms for children ages three through five years and their families, Early Head Start home visit-based program for prenatal through age three, Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) home visit-based program for children with special needs and their families, and our Quality Child Care (QCC) division, which includes regional work supporting child care providers, infant/toddler mental health, and the Center for Retention and Expansion of Child Care (C-RECC). In Whatcom County, ELAFS continues to be a central player in the Single-Entry Access to Services (SEAS) and Help Me Grow collaborations aimed at getting every local child off to a strong start. Program year 2024-25 saw 309 children enrolled in our Head Start and ECEAP preschool classrooms, and 99 EHS children and their highly-impacted families, including eight pregnant women. ELAFS served 53,875 meals, completed 3152 home visits, served 182 kids on IEP or IFSP. SEAS Navigators processed 1,420 referrals from hospitals, doctors, family members and educators when a child was known to have or suspected of having a developmental delay or special need. And ESIT staff provided services to an average of 208 children ages 0 to 3 each month to help address developmental delays and other special needs through therapeutic interventions and family resource coordination. Economic Security for All (EcSA) completed their 8th cohort of participants graduating with expanded knowledge of financial literacy and career development. Services expanded to Island County, and we have paid out an average of $2000 per graduate earned by completing goals in partnership with a mentor and job coach. ELAFS QCC programs, through Child Care Aware of WA, broadly supported child care providers, furnished reliable data to policy makers, and assisted families in search of child care information and referrals or in need of emergency vouchers to maintain child care enrollment. Over the course of program year 2024-25, QCC supported over 500 licensed child care/early learning businesses in Early Achievers, Washington's Quality Improvement System (QIS), by providing technical assistance, training and coaching to improve quality. C-RECC worked with existing and prospective child care providers of diverse sizes in the five northwest counties of WA, connecting them with technical assistance to meet the varied needs of the sector and local employers, in addition to awarding grants totaling $274,962.
- $4.6 million spent. Weatherization and Home Repair Services - By servicing existing homes, the home improvement program preserves vital housing units (a key component of ensuring affordable housing), while also improving community health, safety, and climate resiliency. We weatherized 120 houses so families could reduce their annual energy use and expenses, and rehabilitated 72 additional homes and 17 furnace repair projects to improve durability, indoor air quality, and ensure home safety.
- $2.8 million spent. Housing Enterprise - Opportunity Council has formed a number of separate state limited liability corporations (LLCs) for the purpose of providing certain management and other services to separate entities in which the LLCs are either a noncontrolling member or general partner. The sole member of these LLCs is Opportunity Council. Opportunity Council's Building Performance Center (BPC) provides technical training, quality assurance services, and professional consultations that promote safe, healthy, durable, and energy efficient buildings. In 2024, the BPC trainings and in-home services provided training for over 700 people throughout Washington state and beyond. The Community Energy Challenge, CEC, is a community energy efficiency program designed to address the typical barriers to efficiency upgrades for homeowners and commercial building owners and encourage comprehensive EE retrofits that result in substantial savings. In 2024, CEC assisted 95 households in improving energy efficiency in their buildings.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 December 2024.
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 December 1977.
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.
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.