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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: March 2025 Expires: March 2027

Life Navigators

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards
(414) 774-6255
7203 West Center Street
Wauwatosa, WI, 53210
https://lifenavigators.org/
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Life Navigators meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and their families."

Year, State Incorporated:
1949, WI

Life Navigators offers resources to individuals with disabilities and their families. The organization reports that its programs support kids and adults with disabilities to be safe, happy and healthy. Services include a helpline, social activities, educational training, corporate guardianship for those without family, and planning for financial needs. Life Navigators also coordinates long-term care services for eligible families, and provides resources and programs to support older adults, aging caregivers, and families.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, Life Navigators's program expenses were:

Care Management Unit $619,110
Trust Program $399,590
Guardianship $384,201
Intergenerational Family Support $211,779
Self-Advocacy Independence Trust Pool $166,942
Children's Long Term Support $155,211
Advocacy $105,555
Court Comprehensive Evaluations $101,552
Total Program Expenses $2,143,940

Chief Executive
Vicki Wachniak

Compensation*
$232,982

Chair of the Board
Greg Block

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Vice President - Commercial Banking, First Business Bank

Board Size
16

Paid Staff Size
34

*2023 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Grant proposals, Internet, Direct mail appeals, Planned giving arrangements, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Radio, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.)

Fundraising costs were 21% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $869,043, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Life Navigators's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Source of Funds
Program fees and fee for service $1,271,432
Special events, net $347,079
Realized and unrealized gains $248,629
Contributions $231,473
Legacies and bequests $120,263
Milwaukee County Department of Aging grant $55,150
In-kind contributions $46,766
Investment income, net $32,669
City of Wauwatosa CDBG grant $25,911
Federated funding $21,438
Miscellaneous income $20,963
Total Income $2,421,773

Programs: 88% Fundraising: 8% Administrative: 4%

Total Income $2,421,773
Total expenses: $2,427,256
  Program expenses $2,143,940
  Fundraising expenses $186,372
  Administrative expenses $96,944
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-5,483
Beginning Net Assets $3,838,750
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $3,833,267
Total Liabilities $146,735
Total Assets $3,980,002

Note: According to Life Navigators’ 2023 audited financial statements, the organization received in-kind contributions of $46,766 including donated goods ($25,549), museum artifacts ($17,005), printing services ($2,298), and advertising ($1,914).

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance