South Oakland Shelter

Also known as Lighthouse Mi

Pontiac, MI · EIN 38-2847849 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

South Oakland Shelter reported $11.9 million in revenue and $11.6 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $71.37 went to program services, $17.49 to management and general costs and $11.14 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 92.5% of the total. Government grants made up 37.8%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $267,342 (PRESIDENT & CEO). 5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 73% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.

Where $100 of spending went

The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $12M

Program services$71.37 $8.3M
Management & general$17.49 $2.0M
Fundraising$11.14 $1.3M

For context, the median across 933 covered housing & shelter charities: $89.27 programs, $10.73 management, $0.00 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $12M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$54.67 $6.5M
Government grants$37.73 $4.5M
Program service revenue$1.91 $227K
Investment income$5.69 $676K

Other revenue was negative: −$16,785. The bar shows the positive sources only.

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

FY2025 filing. Median across 933 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	FY2025	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	71.4%	87.5%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	17.5%	10.5%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	11.1%	0.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.12	$0.01
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	92.5%	17.0%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	37.8%	1.0%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	1.9%	66.2%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$267,342	$300,863
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	2.30%	1.57%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	5	5
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	11.7	10.0
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	18 of 19	100.0%

A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.

What the money paid for, in its own words

FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense

$4.6M expenses · 55.4% of program spending · revenue $251K

Lighthouse addresses the immediate, emergency needs of community members by quickly providing access to flexible, client-centered, and housing-first programming. Lighthouse's emergency services department includes our agency family shelter as well and various resources to help households resolve financial crises. Lighthouse's emergency shelter is oakland county's only dedicated family shelter serving families of all types and makeups and successfully transitions over 70% into housing. Through various funding streams, lighthouse addresses and resolves immediate crises by providing a variety of…

$2.4M expenses · 29.1% of program spending

Lighthouse's stability services department consists of a variety of programs designed to have long-term engagement with the households served. This includes: transitional housing for women and children, many of whom have experienced domestic violence; permanent supportive housing programs that prioritize households experiencing chronic homelessness; in-home case management for one year for recently re-housed households; and economic mobility coaching and services

$1.3M expenses · 15.5% of program spending

Lighthouse addresses the needs of homeless youth with various programs such as sanctuary for youth 10-17 in crisis, a step forward for 16-17 yrs, and the graduated apartment program for ages 18-24 years old

Highest reported compensation

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here

Role	From this org	From related orgs	Other	Total
PRESIDENT & CEO Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$244,342	$0	$23,000	$267,342
COO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$151,178	$0	$15,333	$166,511
STRATEGIC & HR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$147,796	$0	$11,473	$159,269
CHIEF REAL ESTATE AND COMM Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$127,972	$0	$16,230	$144,202
CHIEF PHILANTHROPY OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$120,439	$0	$12,984	$133,423

5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from South Oakland Shelter (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $890K (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked

RevenueExpenses

Filing	Revenue	Expenses	Programs	Net assets	Top pay
FY2025 ⓘ	$12M	$12M	71.4%	$11M	$267,342
FY2024 ⓘ	$15M	$15M	80.1%	$11M	$250,129
FY2023 ⓘ	$19M	$16M	80.0%	$11M	$238,947
FY2022 ⓘ	$30M	$27M	89.6%	$7.9M	$216,464
FY2021 ⓘ	$13M	$13M	84.7%	$4.4M	$197,086
FY2020 ⓘ	$6.9M	$5.8M	73.2%	$2.9M	$158,563

Governance answers, as filed

FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means

Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b19 · 18 independent
Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 592
Volunteers Part I, line 618,245

Largest outside contractors

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only

FINANCIAL ONE ACCOUNTING Accounting services	$407,213
LABOR STAFFING SOLUTIONS Employee leasing	$134,323

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 2 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

10 private foundations reported grants to South Oakland Shelter totaling $669K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.

Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.

Correct a figure or respond

Every number above is copied from South Oakland Shelter's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for South Oakland Shelter, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as South Oakland Shelter How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

Network for Oregon Affordable Housing
Portland, OR · revenue $12M · programs 91.3% · FY2025
Dock Acres
Lansdale, PA · revenue $12M · programs 81.2% · FY2025
Salt Lake County Nmtc
Salt Lake City, UT · revenue $12M · programs 99.5% · 2024
Loveland Elder Green House Homes for Life Enrichment
Loveland, CO · revenue $12M · programs 84.7% · 2023
Virginia Baptist Homes
Glen Allen, VA · revenue $12M · programs 71.7% · 2024

All housing & shelter charities · Largest charities in Michigan

Questions people ask

How much of South Oakland Shelter's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, South Oakland Shelter reported that 71.4% of its $11.6 million in expenses went to program services, 17.5% to management and general and 11.1% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does South Oakland Shelter pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation South Oakland Shelter reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $267,342, for the role of PRESIDENT & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does South Oakland Shelter get its money?

Of $11.9 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 92.5% came from contributions and grants (including 37.8% from government grants) and 1.9% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is South Oakland Shelter a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 38-2847849 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.

Sources

FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202610719349301106 · read the filing · XML
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202501329349300130 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202431319349302128 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311319349305536 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202211369349306181 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202131369349300023 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 38-2847849: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.