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LEWIS COUNTY OPPORTUNITIES INC
LOWVILLE, NY · EIN 166066837 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P20Z · Human Services · Medium ($1M-$10M) · lewiscountyopportunities.com
revenue
$2.6M
expenses
$2.4M
net assets
$1.6M
employees
40
volunteers
96
program ratio
82%
mission · from form 990

WORKING WITH PEOPLE IN NEED TO PROMOTE A HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

profile · synthesized from sources

Lewis County Opportunities Inc is a community action agency serving Lewis and Jefferson Counties in New York. It provides a range of services including emergency utility assistance, weatherization, food pantries, housing support, and victim services. The organization works with low-income individuals and families to promote self-sufficiency through a strength-based Family Development Process.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $817K
    HOUSING ASSSITANCE PROGRAM - PROVIDE RENT SUBSIDIES AND OTHER HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO QUALIFYING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES.
  2. #2 $494K
    ENERGY CONSERVATION - EDUCATE CONSUMERS ON THE BENEFITS OF ENERGY CONSERVATION AND ASSIST IN PROVIDING NECESSARY REPAIRS OR IMPROVEMENTS AS DETERMINED BY AN ENERGY AUDIT.
named programs · 8 · from sources

What they call their work

Car Seat Program
Offers free car seats to qualifying Lewis County residents to ensure child safety in vehicles.
Critical Needs Program
Provides short-term assistance for essential needs such as transportation costs (vehicle repair, insurance, tires) with direct vendor payments.
Emergency Utility Assistance Program
Offers short-term support to Lewis County families at risk of losing utility services, covering electricity, propane, fuel oil, or wood once per year per household.
Food Pantry Network
Network of volunteer-run food pantries in Copenhagen, Harrisville, New Bremen, and Port Leyden providing food assistance to residents in need.
Housing Assistance Services
Assists income-eligible families in Lewis and Jefferson Counties with obtaining decent, safe, and affordable housing through various programs.
Money Management Program
One-on-one financial counseling to help individuals live within their means, reduce expenses, build savings, and lower financial stress.
Victim Services
Provides free, confidential support to victims of crime, with a focus on domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.
Weatherization
Provides energy-saving home repairs including air sealing, insulation, and heating system improvements for eligible low-income households in Northern New York.
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Child Safety Seat and Safe Sleep Support 1 activity
    • Car Seat Program for low-income families
      Provides free car seats to low-income residents of Lewis County through its Car Seat Program to promote child safety and support family well-being.
  • Direct Financial Assistance to Individuals 1 activity
    • Emergency utility assistance
      Provides short-term emergency utility assistance to households in Lewis County at risk of losing utility services, covering electricity, propane for heating, fuel oil, or wood.
  • Financial Literacy Education Programs 1 activity
    • Family self-sufficiency and financial empowerment programs
      Implements the Family Development Process to support families in achieving self-sufficiency and offers a Money Management Program to help individuals live within their means, reduce expenses, build emergency savings, and lower financial stress.
  • Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
    • Food pantry operations
      Operates food pantries in Copenhagen, Harrisville, New Bremen, and Port Leyden that are open at least once per month without appointments; requires annual intake forms and ongoing income verification for eligibility based on program guidelines. Emergency food access is also available by phone during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
  • Affordable Housing Development and Management 1 activity
    • Housing assistance including rent subsidies
      Provides rent subsidies and other housing assistance to qualifying individuals and families, offering housing programs and services to income-eligible families in Jefferson and Lewis Counties, New York.
  • Domestic Violence Survivor Support Services 1 activity
    • Support services for victims of crime
      Provides free and confidential support services to victims of crime, particularly those impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault, ensuring access to trauma-informed care and resources.
  • Transportation Access Support 1 activity
    • Transportation cost assistance
      Provides short-term assistance for transportation costs including vehicle repair, insurance, and tires to support economic stability and mobility for low-income residents.
  • Low-Income Home Energy Efficiency Upgrades 1 activity
    • Weatherization and energy conservation services
      Conducts high-tech energy audits, air sealing, insulation, and heating system efficiency improvements for eligible families; provides necessary repairs or improvements based on audit findings and offers education on energy conservation and heating system maintenance. The program has served eligible residents for over 30 years.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.57M
Contributions & grants$1.55M60%
Program service revenue$967K38%
Investment income$50K2%
Other revenue$3K
expenses
Total expenses$2.44M
Program expenses82%
Admin / overhead18%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$1.58M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.83M
Cash$896K
Investments$255K
Liabilities$277K
Net assets$1.56M
Liquid reserves5.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -18.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
SCOTT MATHYS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 40 $90K
DEANNA FINSTER FINANCE DIRECTOR 40 $64K
board members · 12
  • DAINA DICOB — CHAIRSPERSON
  • GENEVIEVE FIDLER — DIRECTOR
  • JAKE MOSER — TREASURER
  • JANNET SEELMAN — DIRECTOR
  • JEANNE WOODING — DIRECTOR
  • JENNIFER JONES — DIRECTOR
  • JUDITH KARELUS — DIRECTOR
  • KRISTEN AUCTER — DIRECTOR
  • LOREN LYNDAKER — DIRECTOR
  • MARILYN PATTERSON — DIRECTOR
  • PAMELA STANLEY — VICE CHAIRPERSON
  • SHERI SCHULZ — SECRETARY
relationships · 18

Who they work with

  • Adobe Partner — Provider of Acrobat Reader required to access certain documents on the website
  • County of Lewis Government — Government entity providing funding or administrative support
  • EFS National Board Network — Part of national board program
  • Food Bank of Central New York Partner — Partner in food distribution or funding
  • Lowville & Croghan Food Pantry Partner — Independent food pantry operating in Lewis County with separate operations from the Lewis County Food Pantry Network.
  • NYS Department of State Government — Administers Community Service Block Grant funds
  • NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services Government — Government funding source
  • NYS Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Government — Government funding source
  • NYS Homes and Community Renewal Government — Government funding source
  • NYS Homes and Community Renewal Government — Primary funder of the Weatherization Services program.
  • NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Government — Government funding source
  • NYS Office of Children and Family Services Government — Government funding source
  • NYS Office of Victims Services Government — Government funding source
  • National Grid Partner — Utility provider from which households may receive shut-off notices, used as documentation for emergency assistance eligibility.
  • Northern New York Community Foundation Funder — Funder of programs
  • Pratt Northam Foundation Funder — Funder of programs
  • Stewart's Shops Partner — Partner in community or funding initiatives
  • United Way of Northern New York, Inc. Funder — Funder of programs
strategies · 4

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.

  • Data-Driven Energy Efficiency Targeting
    methodology: energy_audit-guided_repair
    By using certified energy audits to guide home repairs and weatherization, we maximize energy savings and household stability, because data-driven assessments identify the highest-impact interventions for low-income homes.
  • Strength-Based Family Partnership Model
    methodology: family_development_process
    By engaging families as active partners in goal setting and skill building, we produce greater self-reliance and sustainable outcomes, because collaborative planning fosters ownership, builds confidence, and leverages existing family strengths.
  • Trauma-Informed Victim Support Model
    methodology: trauma-informed_support
    By providing confidential, specialized support to victims of crime—particularly survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault—we promote healing and safety, because trauma-informed care respects autonomy, reduces re-traumatization, and builds trust necessary for engagement.
  • Tripartite Governance for Community Representation
    methodology: tripartite_governance
    By structuring governance to include public officials, low-income community members, and community stakeholders, we produce more equitable and responsive decision-making, because shared power ensures policies reflect lived experience and community priorities.