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Nearly your entire gift (85%) goes directly to providing the services you designate, such as housing, healthcare, and education. Industry standards suggest that nonprofits spend no more than 35% on “overhead” costs such as administration, HR, accounting and fundraising; we spend only 15%.

We have many layers of accountability for funds. Donor designations are carefully tracked and released as they are spent for the purpose they were intended. Members of governing boards and advisory committees have experience with monitoring budgets, forecasting, investing, and evaluating program impact. We employ a “last resort” approach, ensuring that we exhaust other resources first and avoid duplication of services. And we engage an accounting firm for audited financial statements and review of our internal controls.

The Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown have a leadership team of four Sisters led by Superior Sister Mary McCormick. Those Sisters also serve as the Board of Trustees for the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown civil corporation, and they join six laypersons to constitute the Ursuline Sisters Mission Board. The USM board oversees all the other ministry corporations and programs. The Ursuline Sisters retain some reserved powers, such as requiring their approval for things like buying and selling property and appointing and removing USM board members and the USM president.

Care of the Sisters and other financial needs of the Ursulines and their ministries are funded by a range of sources, primarily individual donations and local foundation grants. Some ministries receive government funding and/or program revenue for the services provided such as housing and health care. A few Sisters still engage in paid work, and retired Sisters receive an average of less than $500 per month in retirement income.

While we recognize the ecclesial authority of the local Bishop and the Holy Father, we are financial independent of the Diocese and Vatican, and are not subsidized by the Church.