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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: August 2026 Expires: August 2027

Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards
(618) 874-0777
1200 N 13th St
E Saint Louis, IL, 62205
http://www.lessiebatesdavis.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

Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"To empower individuals and families to move out of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency and to assure that a new generation of children have the family and community supports needed to be successful in school and in life."

Year, State Incorporated:
1968, IL

Also Known As:
Lessie Bate Headstart

The Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House is a United Methodist, multi-purpose, nonprofit 501(c) 3 community center which has been providing quality services to the children, youth, families, and elderly persons in greater East St. Louis and the surrounding communities since 1909. As the oldest and largest community center in the area Neighborhood House has demonstrated both its commitment and capability to effectively develop and implement community-based programs for the children, youth, and families in the East St. Louis community. Services include: Child Care and Pre-K services, for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age; Parent/Child Education; recreation/education/tutoring for youth; Emergency Assistance; advocacy; case management; Conflict Resolution; AmeriCorps; a Food Pantry; senior meal program; and Community Organizing. Neighborhood House is a licensed Child Welfare Agency and accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Neighborhood House presently administers 12 major programs. Agency funding includes a combination of grants and purchase of service contracts with local, state, and federal agencies as well as private funding from foundations, charitable donations from both individuals and corporations and endowment funds.

For the year ended June 30, 2025, Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House's program expenses were:

Programs $6,744,139
Total Program Expenses $6,744,139

Chief Executive
Gary Gaston, CEO

Chair of the Board
Shelita Gray

Board Size
13

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Grant proposals, Internet, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.)

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 Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2025.

Source of Funds
Grants $5,954,722
In Kind Contributions $471,563
United Way $280,928
Cash and Other Financial Assets $269,041
Miscellaneous $244,743
UMC IL Great Rivers Conference $145,440
General Board of Global Ministries $55,730
Investment Income $54,207
Program Fees $2,120
Loss on Disposal of Property and Equipment $-1,381
Total Income $7,477,113

Programs: 85% Fundraising: 0% Administrative: 15%

Total Income $7,477,113
Total expenses: $7,965,620
  Program expenses $6,744,139
  Fundraising expenses $1,000
  Administrative expenses $1,220,481
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-488,507
Beginning Net Assets $4,293,384
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $3,804,877
Total Liabilities $1,693,550
Total Assets $5,498,427

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 of Eastern & Southwest Missouri & Southern Illinois