MILWAUKEE WI | IRS ruling year: 1955 | EIN: 39-1393216
An EIN is a unique nine-digit number that identifies a business for tax purposes.
An EIN is a unique nine-digit number that identifies a business for tax purposes.
Organization Mission
Paralyzed Veterans of America - Wisconsin Chapter (PVA-WI) works to improve the quality of life for veterans, in our state, living with spinal cord injury or disease ... (More)
Rating Information
Great
This charity's score is 99%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
Charity Navigator's ratings previously did not consider Leadership & Adaptability, Culture & Community, or Impact & Measurement. The historic rating mainly reflects a version of today’s Accountability and Finance score. More information on our previous rating methodologies can be found on our rating methodology page.
Date Published
Overall Rating
10/1/2021
9/1/2020
8/5/2019
7/1/2019
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
Majority Independent Board Members - 100% independent members
10 out of 10 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. We check to see that a majority of board members are identified as independent on their tax form.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Board Size - 11 independent members
10 out of 10 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. For most organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least three independent board members. For large, donor-funded organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least five independent board members
Source: IRS Form 990
Material Diversion of Assets - None
10 out of 10 points
A diversion of assets — any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft — also can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We review the charity's most recent IRS Form 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets.
Source: IRS Form 990
Tax Form Disclosures and Policies
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Website Listed on Tax Form - Listed
3 out of 3 points
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed
7 out of 7 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Listed
7 out of 7 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed
7 out of 7 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Documents Board Meeting Minutes - Yes
3 out of 3 points
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the IRS Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Website Disclosures
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Tax Form Posted on Nonprofit's Website as stated on Form 990 - Listed
3 out of 3 points
For almost all charities, we check the charity's IRS Form 990 to see if it discloses that the Form 990 is available on the charity's website. As with the audited financial statement, donors need easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well.
Source: IRS Form 990
Financial Metrics
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Liabilities to Assets: Ratio - 0.33%
15 out of 15 points
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent IRS Form 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization's solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense: Ratio - 90.84%
25 out of 25 points
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three IRS Forms 990). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
Source: IRS Form 990
Additional Information
Total Revenue and Expenses - Data Available
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Click or hover over the bar to see exact $ amount
Salary of Key Persons - Data Available
This section offers insight into the charity’s compensation structure by listing the salaries of its five highest-paid employees.
Letoi Adams, Director
$0
Ken Matthews, Director
$0
Troy Kurczek, Director
$0
Richard Buth, Diretor
$0
Michael Thomas, Director
$0
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2022
IRS Published Data (Business Master File) - Data Available
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Subordinate - the organization is a subordinate in a group ruling. (BMF affiliation code: 9)
Data Sources (IRS Forms 990) - Data Available
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage accountability and finance data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (PARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA) or EIN (391393216) in the 'Search Term' field.
Impact & Measurement
Score
99
This beacon estimates the actual impact a charity has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
$62,382 total costs / 23,701,517 additional benefits claimed = roughly $0.00 increases the government benefits claimed by a disabled veteran by one dollar. [2021 USD]
Program Context
Membership & Benefits: This program provides assistance to help disabled veterans claim the government benefits they are owed.
Data Time Period
1/1/22 to 12/31/22
Benchmark for Scoring
Impact scores of veterans disability benefits programs are based on the return of benefits secured per dollar spent. Programs receive an Impact score of 100 if every dollar spent results in $1.50 in benefits secured to a veteran, and a score of 80 if a dollar spent results in $0.85 to a veteran. If a nonprofit reports impact but doesn't meet the benchmark for cost-effectiveness, it earns a score of 65. One dollar spent by this program results in more than $1.50 in benefits secured for a veteran.
Methodology
This impact score was determined through the Veterans Disability Benefits Assistance methodology which is fully detailed in the Charity Navigator Guide to Ratings. Analysis conducted in 2023 by Charity Navigator using data submitted by the nonprofit, theory and evidence from scientific research studies, and public datasets.
Data Source
The nonprofit submitted data on how many claims it filed successfully or how many veterans it served, as well as the dollar value of claims filed successfully.
Measurement
97 out of 100 points
25% of Impact & Measurement score
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
The Measuring Outcomes assessment evaluates how well a charity tracks progress towards its mission's outcomes.
Displayed below are the responses provided by the charity for the Measuring Outcomes assessment. Each question is designed to address specific criteria, with responses eligible for full, partial, or no credit. Please refer to the scoring rubric for details on how responses are scored.
This assessment, developed by the Irritants for Change, evaluates how a charity listens to and uses feedback from the people meant to ultimately benefit from its mission. Seeking feedback from the people a charity serves makes the nonprofit more responsive and effective.
Collects Feedback
25 out of 25 points
Does your organization collect feedback (i.e., perceptions, opinions, concerns) from the people meant to ultimately benefit from your mission?
Yes
Uses Feedback
25 out of 25 points
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations
To inform the development of new programs/projects
To identify where we are less inclusive across demographic groups
To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
To understand client needs and how we can help them achieve their desired outcomes
Implements Quality Feedback Practices
25 out of 25 points
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible
We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us
We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.)
We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.)
We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response
We act on the feedback we receive
We share the feedback we received with the people we serve
We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
Experiences Feedback Challenges
25 out of 25 points
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
It is difficult to get people to respond to requests for feedback
Leadership & Adaptability
Score
100
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission.
Paralyzed Veterans of America - Wisconsin Chapter (PVA-WI) works to improve the quality of life for veterans, in our state, living with spinal cord injury or disease, including those with MS and ALS. Our work is carried out through a variety of programs.
Vision Statement
10 out of 10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's vision.
PVA-WI is focused on creating a society where accessibility for all is a reality. What does this loo
Strategic Goals
20 out of 20 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: As PVA-WI focuses on continuous improvement for all our programs, we will continue to evaluate and improve our current programs with feedback from our members, their families, and caregivers.
Goal Two: Maintain surveying our membership to ensure we meet their needs based on current, real-world situations while decreasing barriers. We will enhance crisis intervention and financial assistance.
Goal Three: PVA-WI will continue to partner with other Veteran Service Organizations within our state and leverage Voters Voice, a grassroots advocacy tool to support veteran legislation and build awareness.
Leadership
30 out of 30 points
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Investment in Leadership Development
15 out of 15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development.
Mentorship and Coaching Programs
Leadership Conferences and Networking Events
Formal Education and Certifications/Training Programs
Succession Planning
Cultural and Diversity Training
External Focus on Mobilizing Mission
15 out of 15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Collaborative Engagement
Thought Leadership
Social Promotion
Civic Engagement
Public Policy Advocacy
Adaptability
30 out of 30 points
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Adaptability Statement
30 out of 30 points
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
Strategic Planning Revisions
Organizational Restructuring
Risk Management and Planning
Operational Changes/Flexibility
Capacity Building
Technology and Digital Integration
Organizational Culture Adaptations
Evaluation and Learning Programs
Programmatic Shifts
Partnerships & Collaborations
Diversifying Funding Sources
Community Engagement, Advocacy, and Policy Engagement