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COMPASS HOUSE
BUFFALO, NY · EIN 237363167 · Form 990 · FY2025 · NTEE P300 · Human Services · Medium ($1M-$10M) · compasshouse.org
revenue
$2.4M
expenses
$2.3M
net assets
$2.4M
employees
51
volunteers
235
program ratio
89%
mission · from form 990

COMPASS HOUSE IS A SHELTER AND RESOURCE CENTER FOR RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH.

profile · synthesized from sources

Compass House is a shelter and resource center for runaway and homeless youth in Erie County, New York. The organization provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and non-residential support services to youth ages 12–24. Services include case management, counseling, independent living skills training, and assistance with housing, employment, and education.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $860K
    OUR RESOURCE CENTER PROVIDES SERVICES TO YOUTH WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS. OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY, WE SERVE BOTH MALE AND FEMALE YOUTH AGES 16-24. WE PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT, REFERRAL, ADVOCACY, CRISIS, INDIVIDUAL, GROUP & FAMILY COUNSELING, INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS INSTRUCTION AS WELL AS POSITIVE SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS SERVED WAS 131.
  2. #2 $279K
    TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM IS AN INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM FOR MALES AND FEMALES BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 24 WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING THEM SELF SUFFICIENT. CLIENTS IN THIS PROGRAM MAY STAY UP TO 18 MONTHS WHERE WE WILL PROVIDE: FINANCIAL LITERACY, GET THE CLIENTS JOBS, TEACH INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS, AND MEET THEIR NEEDS.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Emergency Shelter
Provides immediate crisis support, meals, and temporary housing for youth ages 12–17 who are runaway or homeless. Operates 24/7 and is accessible through Safe Place locations.
Rapid Re-Housing Program
Assists homeless young adults in securing stable housing through landlord advocacy, rental assistance, and case management. Clients must be 18+ and referred via the CoC priority list.
Resource Center
Offers non-residential services including case management, counseling, life skills instruction, food, and personal care supplies to youth ages 14–24 who are homeless or at risk.
Safe Place Program
Partners with local businesses and transit to designate safe locations where youth under 18 can access immediate help and be connected to Compass House services 24/7.
Transitional Living Program
Residential program for youth ages 18–24 offering up to two years of housing with intensive case management, job readiness training, financial literacy, and independent living skills.
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Supportive and Emergency Housing Services 5 activities
    • Emergency shelter for homeless and runaway youth
      Operates a 24/7 emergency shelter at 370 Linwood in Buffalo, NY, providing temporary shelter, meals, and supportive services to youth ages 12–17 in crisis. The shelter is staffed by trained professionals and offers immediate access to care.
    • Non-residential support services at Resource Center
      Provides non-residential support services to homeless and at-risk youth ages 14–24, including case management, independent living skills training, personal care supplies, food, cooking and laundry facilities, and individual, group, and family counseling. The Resource Center serves approximately 300 youth annually.
    • Rapid Re-Housing program for homeless youth
      Operates a Rapid Re-Housing program that helps young adults experiencing homelessness secure stable housing, supported by case management advocacy with landlords and assistance in understanding lease agreements.
    • Safe Place outreach program
      Operates the Safe Place program in Erie County, designating 30 Tops Markets locations, all NFTA buses, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the GLYS Drop-in Center as Safe Place sites to help youth in crisis access emergency shelter and services.
    • Transitional housing program for young adults
      Operates a transitional housing program for up to six young adults aged 18–24, with stays of up to two years, providing support in employment readiness, financial literacy, independent living skills, and securing and managing their own housing.
  • Holiday and Seasonal Essentials Distribution 1 activity
    • In-kind donation program for youth clients
      Accepts and distributes donations of clothing, personal care items, household supplies, small appliances, and furniture to support homeless and at-risk youth accessing shelter and support services.
  • Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
    • Volunteer-supported services for youth in crisis
      Engages volunteers to support homeless and runaway youth through meal preparation, housekeeping, grounds maintenance, administrative support, recreational activities, event assistance, and mentorship opportunities.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$2.39M
Contributions & grants$2.29M96%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$42K2%
Other revenue$58K
expenses
Total expenses$2.34M
Program expenses89%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$1.50M
Grants paid out$464K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.39M
Cash$668K
Investments$1.01M
Liabilities$37K
Net assets$2.36M
Liquid reserves8.6 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +16.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
LISA FREEMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $83K
board members · 19
  • ALEXIS BOOK — DIRECTOR
  • ANTHONY SPRAGUE — DIRECTOR
  • CHELSEA BLASCH — TREASURER
  • CONNIE KOTAS — DIRECTOR
  • DANIELLE LARRABEE — DIRECTOR
  • GWILYM BRICK JR — DIRECTOR
  • HELENA KINNITT — DIRECTOR
  • JILIAN HANESWORTH — DIRECTOR
  • KATIE ROZSA — DIRECTOR
  • MARIANNE TYREE — DIRECTOR
  • MARISSA A COHELEY — PRESIDENT
  • MISSY STOLFI — SECRETARY
  • RACHELE MORAN — DIRECTOR
  • RANDY SPIVACK — DIRECTOR
  • SARAH OMICIOLI — DIRECTOR
  • SEBASTIAN GARCIA — DIRECTOR
  • SUSAN SCHUBBE — DIRECTOR
  • THERESA KOSMOWSKI — DIRECTOR
  • TIFFANY BELL — VICE PRESIDENT
relationships · 12

Who they work with

  • Administration for Children and Families Government — Federal agency providing financial support to Compass House.
  • Boys and Girls Clubs Partner — Community organization serving as a Safe Place site in Erie County.
  • Erie County Government — Service area and likely governmental partner for youth homelessness programs.
  • Family and Youth Services Bureau Government — Federal funding partner supporting Compass House programs.
  • GLYS Drop-in Center Partner — Local youth service provider hosting a Safe Place site in Erie County.
  • Give716 Partner — Partner in a 29-hour fundraising initiative supporting Compass House.
  • Housing and Urban Development Government — Federal agency supporting Compass House through funding.
  • Instagram Partner — Platform used to share updates and engage supporters
  • Julie Baker Partner — Volunteer Coordinator at Compass House responsible for managing volunteer engagement.
  • Maris Roalsvig Partner — Contact person for fundraising and sponsorship opportunities.
  • NFTA Partner — Transit agency hosting Safe Place sites on all buses in Erie County.
  • Tops Markets Partner — Partner organization hosting Safe Place sites in Erie County.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Client-Centered, Voluntary Engagement Model
    methodology: client-centered engagement
    By offering free, confidential, and voluntary services in a manner that emphasizes dignity, respect, and self-reliance, we increase youth engagement and trust, because autonomy and mutual agreement are critical to sustained participation and positive outcomes.
  • Community-Based Access Through Trusted Locations
    methodology: community-access-points
    By designating accessible community locations like businesses and transit vehicles as Safe Place sites, we lower barriers to help-seeking behavior among youth in crisis, because proximity and familiarity increase the likelihood of early intervention.
  • Rapid Re-Housing with Supportive Services
    methodology: rapid_re-housing
    By using rapid re-housing to quickly move young adults out of homelessness into stable housing, combined with supportive services, we reduce the duration of homelessness and promote early stabilization, because timely access to housing is a critical lever for long-term recovery.
  • Safe Haven with Foundational Stability
    methodology: safe_haven
    By providing immediate safe housing and essential resources, we establish a foundation of safety and stability that enables homeless and runaway youth to engage in longer-term pathways to well-being and self-sufficiency, because safety is a prerequisite for meaningful progress.
  • Transitional Housing with Skill-Building for Self-Sufficiency
    methodology: transitional-housing-with-services
    By combining transitional housing with structured programming in financial literacy, employment, and independent living skills, we support long-term self-sufficiency in homeless youth, because housing stability paired with capacity-building addresses both immediate and root causes of homelessness.