Ministry Spotlight: St. Matthew’s House

Donor Confidence Score and Transparency Grade drop after ministry leaves ECFA

St. Matthew’s House, a homelessness recovery ministry, left the ECFA at the end of March.

Housed in Southwest Florida, St. Matthew’s House has cultivated communities for the hungry, homeless, and addicted for the last 35 years.

Over the years, St. Matthew’s has expanded its ministry through various projects and partnerships. St. Matthew’s has nearly 10 buildings, all in service of housing and supporting the homeless in Southwest Florida through recovery programs, mission meal operations, and emergency housing.

CEO Ben Bridges shared how St. Matthew’s has impacted the South Florida community in the last year:

• 741 homeless individuals obtained safe, stable housing (47% placement)
• 651 individuals gained or retained employment while progressing through programs
• 1,253 people supported on their addiction recovery journey, and
• 1 million meals served.

After voluntarily resigning from the ECFA on March 30, 2026, St. Matthew’s donor confidence score fell 20 points and its transparency grade went from an A to a C. Members of the ECFA publicly commit to live up to the “Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship,” including standards of governance, transparency, and stewardship. Prior to resigning, St. Matthew’s held a Donor Confidence Score of 95 out of 100. Now it sits at 75—still a “Give With Confidence” designation.

Bridges offered an explanation for this change. “We made the decision not to renew our ECFA membership this year primarily due to the annual cost. While we are not renewing at this time, ECFA is a strong organization, and we continue to use its principles as guides in our governance, policies and practices, and we have not ruled out the possibility of rejoining in the future,” he said.

St. Matthew’s House still makes audited financial statements, Form 990s, and annual reports publicly available on its website.

The ministry brings in funds by partnering with other foundations and hosting community event fundraisers, like its Charity Golf Scramble on April 20th. In its 28th year, the St. Matthew’s House Charity Golf Scramble remains one of the premier and longest‑running charity golf events in Southwest Florida, raising “critical funds to support our mission of bringing hope, help, and healing to individuals and families experiencing hunger, homelessness, and addiction.”

St. Matthew’s is “uniquely funded. We don’t rely on government funding. Our social enterprise profits defray administrative costs, so donations reach those in need,” its website says.

According to the ministry’s Form 990, it received $176,548 in government grants in 2024.

MinistryWatch Donor Confidence Score: 75 (out of a possible 100) “Give With Confidence”

MinistryWatch Financial Efficiency Rating: 5 Stars (out of a possible 5 Stars)

MinistryWatch Transparency Grade: C

ECFA Member? No

Revenue in Most Recent Year Available: $50,526,393

Five-Year Revenue Trend: Increasing (by about 233%)

Percent of Revenue Spent on Fundraising: 8%

Percent of Revenue Peer Group Spends on Fundraising: 10%

CEO/President: Steven Brooder

President’s Salary and Other Compensation: $346,907

A complete MinistryWatch profile for St. Matthew’s House can be found here.

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