irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $0COUNSELING PROGRAM-FACE TO FACE COUNSELING FOR CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ABUSE, 590 ADULTS AND 494 CHILDREN WERE SERVED IN 2021.
- #2 $0EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS PROGRAM- SCHOOL-BASED, COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS OFFERED ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS, INCLUDING SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, DATING VIOLENCE AND ELDER ABUSE. 18,421 INDIVIDUALS WERE REACHED IN 2021.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Clothesline Project
Annual virtual and public display of survivor-designed t-shirts to break the silence around sexual violence and support healing
Counseling Program
Face-to-face counseling for children, adolescents, and adults impacted by domestic violence and sexual abuse
Education and Community Awareness Program
School-based, community, and professional education programs on sexual abuse prevention, domestic violence awareness, healthy relationships, dating violence, and elder abuse
Emergency Shelter
Safe, caring 24/7 emergency shelter for individuals and families in crisis at two secure and confidential locations
White Ribbon Campaign
Annual awareness and fundraising campaign involving community walks and breakfast events to prevent domestic and sexual violence
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Education 4 activities
- Community awareness campaigns and eventsOrganizes annual community events such as the White Ribbon Campaign, including a Breakfast and Walk, to promote healthy relationships and violence prevention; engages the public in wearing white ribbons and walking through downtown Syracuse.
- Memorial and awareness displays for domestic violence victimsDisplays Silent Witness panels to honor local victims of domestic violence and raise public awareness about its community impact.
- Prevention education programmingConducts school-based, community, and professional prevention education programs on domestic violence, sexual abuse, healthy relationships, dating violence, and elder abuse, reaching over 7,395 people in one report and 18,421 individuals in 2021; includes curriculum development, outreach events, and virtual or in-person delivery.
- Survivor-led public education initiativesCoordinates the annual Clothesline Project during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, featuring shirts with personal messages from survivors; presented virtually during the pandemic using graphic representations and published personal statements and videos from survivors; also produces the "Survivor Series" video content featuring survivor stories.
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Domestic Violence Survivor Support Services 3 activities
- Court advocacy and legal support servicesProvides in-person assistance at Onondaga Family Court to help individuals complete petitions for temporary Orders of Protection and access legal resources related to domestic violence.
- Emergency shelter services for survivorsProvides emergency shelter and safe housing for individuals affected by domestic or sexual violence, housing more than 50 people safely in a recent reporting period.
- Hospital response and accompaniment for sexual assault survivorsDeploys trained volunteer advocates to respond to sexual assault victims at area hospitals 24/7 to provide emotional support, information, and advocacy during medical and forensic exams.
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24/7 Crisis and Warmline Support Services 2 activities
- 24-hour support hotline for domestic and sexual violenceOperates a 24-hour support hotline offering emotional support, information, and crisis intervention to individuals experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, or elder abuse, with TTY services available for the Deaf community during business hours.
- Remote web chat support servicesOffers remote and in-office web chat support during business hours and evening shifts to deliver emotional support and service information to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
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Deaf and Hard of Hearing Support Services 1 activity
- Accessible educational materials in American Sign LanguageProduces and distributes educational videos on domestic and sexual violence in American Sign Language, with voice narration and text captioning, to ensure accessibility for Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
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Nonprofit Internship Programs 1 activity
- Advocacy internship and volunteer programsOffers advocacy internships involving client-facing support, systems advocacy, community outreach, and facilitation of support groups; operates a volunteer program with designated contact and online resources for engagement.
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Child Advocacy and Trauma Support Centers 1 activity
- Clinical and trauma-focused counseling servicesDelivers trauma-focused therapy, crisis support, and clinical services to individuals, couples, and families affected by domestic or sexual violence, including children as young as 2.5 years old; served over 805 individuals in one reporting period and provided face-to-face counseling to 590 adults and 494 children in 2021.
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Elder Abuse and Legal Advocacy Services 1 activity
- Elder abuse prevention servicesProvides community outreach, training, support groups, and information/referral services focused on preventing elder abuse in the Central New York region.
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Women's Rights and Empowerment Grants 1 activity
- Funding support for survivor services and prevention programsFunds and provides financial support to sustain and expand programs offering shelter, healing services, workplace sexual harassment prevention training, and strategic plan implementation at Vera House.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$3.42M
Contributions & grants$3.31M97%
Program service revenue$17K1%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$99K
expenses
Total expenses$5.20M
Program expenses98%
Admin / overhead2%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$3.95M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.82M
Cash$170K
Investments$0
Liabilities$4.20M
Net assets$-2.38M
Liquid reserves0.4 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +164.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAQUETTA P JONES | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 40 | $174K |
| DANA ZANDERS | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $139K |
| TRICIA MATTHEWS | CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER | 40 | $130K |
board members · 7
- DAWN PENSON — PRESIDENT
- KAMESHA GRAVES — VICE PRESIDENT
- KRISTEN BILELLO — DIRECTOR
- MATTHEW MALINOWSKI — DIRECTOR
- NELISHA BARRON — DIRECTOR
- RICKEY BROWN — DIRECTOR
- SANDRA RUSSELL — SECRETARY
relationships · 26
Who they work with
- Chimera Integrations Partner — Employer of board member Casey White, indicating a connection between Vera House and Chimera Integrations.
- Community Partner Partner — Collaborates with Vera House to support community safety and healing initiatives.
- Diversify-NY, LLC. Partner — Employer of board member Rickey Brown, indicating a connection between Vera House and Diversify-NY, LLC.
- Junior League of Syracuse Partner — Co-developed the Silent Witness Exhibit as a joint initiative to raise awareness about domestic violence.
- Lotte Biologics Partner — Employer of board secretary Kristen Bilello, indicating a connection between Vera House and Lotte Biologics.
- McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia, P.C. Partner — Employer of Meagan Dean, Chair of the Vera House Foundation Trustees
- Nave Law Firm Partner — Employer of Sean Kelsey, Trustee of the Vera House Foundation
- Office on Violence Against Women Government — Provided Grant No. 2006-FW-AX-K015 to support the ASL video project.
- Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice Government — Provided funding support through Grant No. 15JOVW-22-GG-01083-ENGA for the White Ribbon Campaign.
- OneGroup Partner — Employer of Pierre Morrisseau, Trustee of the Vera House Foundation
- Onondaga Family Court Partner — Collaborates with Vera House to provide in-person legal support for individuals seeking temporary orders of protection.
- Rape Crisis Center Partner — Merged with Vera House in 2005 to combine programs and staff serving survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
- Semrush Partner — Employer of board member Beth King, indicating a connection between Vera House and Semrush.
- Solon Quinn Studios Partner — Collaborated with Vera House to produce the "Survivor Series" video project.
- Survivors' Network Partner — Collaborates with members of the Survivors' Network to share personal statements and truths as part of the Clothesline Project.
- Syracuse City Police Partner — Employer of board officer Captain Matthew Malinowski, indicating a connection between Vera House and the Syracuse City Police.
- Syracuse Community Health Center Partner — Employer of board member Ilyana Nehme, indicating a connection between Vera House and Syracuse Community Health Center.
- Syracuse Police Department Government — Employer of Matthew Malinowski, Member Trustee of the Vera House Foundation
- Syracuse University Football Partner — Collaborated with Vera House as part of the White Ribbon Campaign, with Coach Fran Brown serving as Honorary Chair.
- Unspecified community organizations Partner — Partners with community groups to deliver outreach and education on domestic and sexual violence.
- Unspecified professional networks Partner — Engages with professional networks to provide training on domestic violence, sexual abuse, and related topics.
- Unspecified schools Partner — Collaborates with schools to deliver education programs on abuse prevention and healthy relationships.
- Upstate Medical University Partner — Employer of board officer Dettrick Pierzinski, indicating a connection between Vera House and Upstate Medical University.
- Vera House Network — Organization represented by Tricia Matthews, Member Trustee of the Vera House Foundation
- Volgistics Partner — Partner platform used for volunteer and intern application processing.
- Werth Wealth Planning Partner — Employer of Michelle Werth, Trustee of the Vera House Foundation
strategies · 3
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.
- Primary Prevention Through Community Mobilizationmethodology: primary_preventionBy engaging communities through education, public art, and influencer partnerships, we prevent domestic and sexual violence because widespread cultural change requires shifting social norms, promoting bystander intervention, and rejecting silence as complicity.
- Survivor-Centered Care Modelmethodology: survivor-centered_careBy centering survivor voices and experiences in all aspects of service delivery and program design, we promote healing, safety, and autonomy because survivors are best positioned to guide their own recovery, which is inherently individual and non-linear.
- Trauma-Informed Integrated Supportmethodology: trauma-informed counselingBy delivering trauma-informed counseling, legal advocacy, and systems navigation together, we produce more effective healing and system engagement because coordinated, clinically grounded support reduces re-traumatization and increases survivor stability.