Washington Gorge Action Programs
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Washington Gorge Action Programs is a multipurpose human service organization dedicated to helping individuals, families, and communities address basic human needs.
- Income
- $8.2 million
- Spending
- $8.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 94%
- Reserves
- 1.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 79%
- Employees
- 67
- Volunteers
- 82
- Highest pay
- $101,465, executive dir.
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: 57 out of 100. Higher than 27% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.4 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 33% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1594% 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 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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 (7)
- $2.6 million spent. Housing Assistance Programs There are four types of housing assistance programs offered by WAGAP: Emergency Shelter, Supportive Housing, Permanent Supportive Housing, and Turning Point Rapid Re-housing. The Emergency Shelter Program offers homeless individuals and families a 3 to 90 day stay. Case management and short term goals assist with locating permanent housing. There are shelters in Bingen 5 rooms (Klickitat County) and Stevenson 5 rooms (Skamania County). Supportive Housing is a two-year housing program available to qualified homeless persons. Permanent Supportive Housing is permanent housing for those with some type of disability. Case management and other assistance is available upon tenant request. This project is located in Bingen 8 units, and scattered throughout Klickitat and Skamania counties. In this program, the client holds the contract with the landlord so that at the end of the program they can stay in their unit and WAGAP steps back. Turning Point Rapid Re-housing is for unaccompanied youth ages 18-24 and families with children. Similar to Permanent Supportive Housing it is a two year program where the client holds the lease and pays 30% of their income towards rent. At the end of the two year program WAGAP steps away and they are able to stay in the home. Housing program coordinators are all certified family development specialists. This training provides information on assessing housing barriers and guiding enrollees to employment, transportation, education, life skills, and increased self-sufficiency through goal setting with month-to-month planning.
- $2.1 million spent. Food and Nutrition WAGAP is the lead organization and distribution center for the food banks in Klickitat and Skamania counties. Low-income families are eligible for a food box once a month. The food in a box varies but generally there is enough for three to twelve nutritionally balanced meals depending on the size of the family.
- $929,028 spent. Family Services This program includes crime victim services (assistance for victims of general crime), domestic violence & sexual assault client services along with community outreach and education. Within this program there are services for individuals and families that help them obtain services and supports based on individual preferences, needs, and capabilities. Also WAGAP has a youth center within this program. The youth center offers children between the ages of six and seventeen, a safe, supervised, and substance free place to hang out. It is an educational, recreational program for at-risk youth providing life skills training, interaction with positive adult role models and an opportunity to bond with the community.
- $750,088 spent. Home Energy Assistance - During the winter months, low-income individuals and families can be helped with heating their homes through this program.
- $620,028 spent. Pathways HealthConnect Pathways HealthConnect is a free WAGAP program that helps community members connect to the services and support they need to be healthy. Participants are paired with an experienced Community Health Worker to access medical, dental, or mental health care, transportation, substance abuse treatment, childcare and parenting education, financial help and other essential services.
- $602,906 spent. Community Services & Emergency Services (listed as Block Grant/Other on the statement of functional expenses) The goals of community services programs are to reduce the negative impact of poverty on individuals, families and communities. These programs help enhance the health and vigor of our communities along with assuring a brighter future for children. Since 2005 Washington Gorge Action Programs has operated a thrift store called Second Hand Rose. The goal of Second Hand Rose is to become a community resource by providing employment training opportunities in retail sales; also to provide low and mid-income families with affordable items. This new program fills a need not previously met in the community. Emergency Services programs provide eligible individuals and families rental assistance, emergency food boxes, and emergency energy assistance. This program manages clients cash benefits to assure basic needs housing, childcare and food. Referrals to other crisis intervention and emergency service programs are also available.
- $110,732 spent. WAGAPs civic engagement team works to increase community involvement in decision-making processes. The goal is to make sure that decision-making is representative ofall people who live in the Gorge, including low-income residents. WAGAPs civic engagement activities are non-political and are not associated with any political parties. Civic engagement programs include voter registration events where community members can register to vote, update their voter records, and check their voter status. WAGAP believes that having more people vote in an informed way helps communities make better decisions.
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 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 2024.
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 December 1966.
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.