Episcopal Community Services
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To break barriers and transform communities through programs rooted in our tradition of action and faith in God.
- Income
- $38.5 million
- Spending
- $38.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- 1.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 89%
- Employees
- 502
- Volunteers
- 77
- Highest pay
- $245,118, ceo
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
Weak: 48 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.2 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 55% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 0% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 18 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 (3)
- $23.8 million spent. Head Start and Early Head Start: Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families through agencies in their local community. Head Start and Early Head Start programs supporting the mental, social, and emotional development of children from birth to age 5. In addition to education services, programs provide children and their families with health, nutrition, social, and other services. Head Start services are responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage. ECSS Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide early childhood development, healthy nutritious meals and education services to over 1,600 low-income preschool children and their families. (See Schedule O for continued descriptions) Head Start and Early Head Start: Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families through agencies in their local community. Head Start and Early Head Start programs supporting the mental, social, and emotional development of children from birth to age 5. In addition to education services, programs provide children and their families with health, nutrition, social, and other services. Head Start services are responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage. ECSS Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide early childhood development, healthy nutritious meals and education services to over 1,600 low-income preschool children and their families. Services are delivered in a variety of settings including 12 centers, and one community partner with South Bay Community Services and over 330 homes. ECS partners with the Juvenile Court and community schools to operate a Head Start program for children of pregnant and parenting teens while they pursue their education.Total program expenses were $23,795,944
- $10.7 million spent. Behavioral Health Services: 1. ECS Central East Regional Recovery Center (CERRC) provides intensive outpatient substance use disorder treatment to more than 1,031 clients including Transitional Age Youth (TAY) in the central region of San Diego. CERRC provides recovery residence (housing) assistance, on-site mental health services, case management, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) referrals, Naloxne distribution, transportation, medical referrals and vocational assistance. 2. ECS Accord empowers adults to stop driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. It is a fee-based, state licensed DUI treatment program providing drug and alcohol education and counseling services. Approximately 86% of the more than 5,935 clients served successfully completed the program. (See Schedule O for continued descriptions) Behavioral Health Services: 1. ECS Central East Regional Recovery Center (CERRC) provides intensive outpatient substance use disorder treatment to more than 1,031 clients including Transitional Age Youth (TAY) in the central region of San Diego. CERRC provides recovery residence (housing) assistance, on-site mental health services, case management, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) referrals, Naloxne distribution, transportation, medical referrals and vocational assistance. 2. ECS Accord empowers adults to stop driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. It is a fee-based, state licensed DUI treatment program providing drug and alcohol education and counseling services. Approximately 86% of the more than 5,935 clients served successfully completed the program. 3. ECS Para Las Familias empowers families with children ages 0-12 who are struggling with the adverse effects of trauma. A significant amount of the children are in foster care. The services provided to approximately 620 low income families (with children aged birth to five years) are bilingual and include behavioral health care screening, assessment, family therapy and school observation. ECS Para Las Familias also provides behavioral health services to children and families enrolled in Head Start programs in the South Bay. 4. ECS' Uptown Safe Haven empowers mentally ill homeless adults to transition to permanent housing. This is a "Harm Reduction" site where the philosophy is to first house and stabilize the resident and then work on an individualized plan to assist them in improving their mental and physical health, income and life skills. Approximately 36 adults are served in the program each year in the downtown area of San Diego, the area with the highest concentration of homeless people in San Diego County. In addition to being homeless, these adults have also been diagnosed with a mental illness and most have a substance use disorder. C-HRT Safe Haven services approximately 38 unhoused residents annually living with chronic substance use conditions and is a partnership between the County of San Diego, the City of San Diego, family health centers, and Episcopal Community Services. This is a "Harm Reduction" model where the philosophy is to first house and stabilize the client before addressing their substance use disorder and co-occurring mental illness.Total program expenses were $10,695,806
- $548,560 spent. ECS Nutrition Services programs provides over 210,000 high quality, balanced meals and snacks annually to the children enrolled in ECS Head Start and Early Head Start programs and the adults served in the ECS Safe Haven programs. ECS Nutrition Services programs provides over 210,000 high quality, balanced meals and snacks annually to the children enrolled in ECS Head Start and Early Head Start programs and the adults served in the ECS Safe Haven programs.Total program expenses were $548,560
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 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 June 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 October 1955.
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.
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