Operation HELPs mission is to help residents of St. Croix County maintain stable living situations, emotional well-being, and personal dignity when they experience temporary financial hardships.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
82¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 50 volunteers and 4 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $619K a year · 54% of revenue · last 5 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 5 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
82%
of spending
Looks good: 82% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$72K
to officers and key staff · 13% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 13% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
16
named funders · $1.1M
Looks good: 16 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$6K
0.2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
14
of 14 voting members
Looks good: 14 of 14 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$774K
-60% vs prior year
Spent
$573K
To programs
82%
Net assets
$3.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$774K
FY2024▼ -60%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$489K
FY2021$752K
FY2022$1.8M
FY2023$1.9M
FY2024$774K
Expenses
$573K
FY2024▲ +7%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$484K
FY2021$484K
FY2022$535K
FY2023$538K
FY2024$573K
Net assets
$3.3M
FY2024▲ +6%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$278K
FY2021$546K
FY2022$1.7M
FY2023$3.1M
FY2024$3.3M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Sep 1994.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

82 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 82% · $472K Management & general 12% · $68K Fundraising 6% · $33K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

11 people listed on the 990; $72K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$71,736Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Asst Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2020
Timothy Puffer$71,736$55,824$57,441$46,250

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Operation Help INC executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Helps St. Croix County residents facing financial hardship maintain stable housing and dignity.

Questions for Operation Help INC

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $472K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Operation HELPs mission is to help residents of St. Croix County maintain stable living situations, emotional well-being, and personal dignity when they experience temporary financial hardships.

$472Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 16 funders →
Grants paid · 1 grant · $310K · 2022–2022
Unitemized GrantFY2022$310,380

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$774K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$773K
Investment incomeLn 3$451
Money outPt IX
$573K
Ln 25
Programscol B$472K
Managementcol C$68K
Fundraisingcol D$33K
Owns and owesPt X
$3.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$238K
Total assetsLn 16$3.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a14
IndependentVI 1b14
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$773K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$201K
Investment incomeLn 3$451
Total revenueLn 12$774K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$60K
SavingsLn 2$178K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$238K
Other assetsLn 15$3.1M
Total assetsLn 16$3.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K
Net assetsLn 32$3.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 650
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$212K$238K
Total assetsLn 16$3.1M$3.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$5K$6K
Net assetsLn 32$3.1M$3.3M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$387K$387K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$72K$48K$17K$7K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$36K$16K$20K
Payroll taxesLn 10$8K$5K$1K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$9K$9K
Office expensesLn 13$11K$7K$4K$757
OccupancyLn 16$11K$5K$5K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$39K$4K$31K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$573K$472K$68K$33K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $774K$573K$201K$3.3M 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.9M$538K$1.4M$3.1M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.8M$535K$1.2M$1.7M 990 PDF
FY2021 $752K$484K$268K$546K 990 PDF
FY2020 $489K$484K$5K$278K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $773,840 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,996,570$773,389
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year −$62,999$451
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,933,571$773,840
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $386,511$386,568
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $111,343$115,542
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $40,191$70,994
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $538,045$573,104
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,395,526$200,736
Part VI · Governance 14 of 14 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body14
VI-1b Independent voting members14
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $773,840 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$773,389
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$201,448
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$773,389
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $451$451
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $451$773,840
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $573,104 across 9 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $386,568$386,568
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $47,873 · Management $16,690 · Fundraising $7,173$71,736
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $15,887 · Fundraising $19,708$35,595
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $4,878 · Management $1,277 · Fundraising $2,056$8,211
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $8,873$8,873
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $6,873 · Management $3,786 · Fundraising $757$11,416
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $5,454 · Management $5,104$10,558
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $1,532$1,532
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $4,037 · Management $31,193 · Fundraising $3,385$38,615
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $471,570 · Management $68,455 · Fundraising $33,079$573,104
Part X · Balance sheet $3,336,536 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $107,837$59,877
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $104,203$178,430
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $325,500$7,000
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $3,327$1,509
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $2,607,859$3,089,720
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $3,148,726$3,336,536
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $5,412$6,393
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $5,412$6,393
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $433,408$2,351,495
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $2,709,906$978,648
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $3,143,314$3,330,143
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $3,148,726$3,336,536
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $3,330,143 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$773,840
XI-2 Total expenses$573,104
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$200,736
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$3,143,314
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$13,907
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$3,330,143

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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