LIFT GARAGE
Safe Cars Secure Lives
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reportsWhat we aim to solve
Lack of access to affordable transportation can be a significant barrier for people finding or keeping jobs, maintaining child car, attending school, keeping medical appointments and more. When a vehicle breaks down and people don't have the money to repair it this can begin a downward spiral into deeper poverty, despair and homelessness.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Automotive Repair Services
At The Lift Garage we provide low-cost car repair to low-income individuals. We charge $25 per hour for service versus the typical labor rate for a similarly sized shop of $145+/hour. We bill customers a modest 7.5% markup for parts (versus 50%+ market rate) and absorb the cost of shop supplies.
Free Pre-Purchase Inspections
When customers are looking to buy a "new" vehicle, we encourage them to bring it to our shop to look it over before they buy it. We look for any major issues and discuss with customers to help them invest in a car that will get them further down the road.
Basic Car Care Classes
Once a month we host a Basic Car Care Class, which teaches about vehicle components, car tips, and basic car maintenance. These classes are to make people more familiar with their car in order to maintain safety and security in their vehicle.
Where we work
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Minneapolis (Minnesota, United States)
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Minnesota (United States)
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Saint Paul (Minnesota, United States)
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of people served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Automotive Repair Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Average wage of clients served (in dollars)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Automotive Repair Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Car Care Classes
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Basic Car Care Classes
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Lift Garage is working to move people out of poverty by providing low cost car repair, free pre-purchase inspections and honest advice. We believe that safe cars lead to secure lives.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
All customers who qualify for our services pay $25/hour for labor (compared to $145/hr or more for market rate rent),and only a 7.5% markup for parts
We also offer free pre-purchase inspections to customers whose cars may not be able to be repaired and need to procure a different one. We want to ensure that the limited money our customers have go to purchasing the most sound car they can for their money.
We offer free monthly car care classes to ensure that people have a good working knowledge of their vehicle's operations. In addition we offer transportations supports including uber rides, bust tokens, and towing.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2024 info
5.48
Months of cash in 2024 info
8.3
Fringe rate in 2024 info
20%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
LIFT GARAGE
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Cathy Heying
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
LIFT GARAGE
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
LIFT GARAGE
Board of directorsas of 04/07/2026
Board of directors data
Andrew Sveen Vice Chair
Chris Reisdorf
Chris Reisdorf
Retired Health Policy Expert
David Stevens Chair
David Stevens Board Member
David Telep Board Member
Erik Klis
Retired Risk Manager
Haley Brahmbhatt
University of Minnesota
Jonna Kosalko Secretary
Jordan Simon Board Member
Jordan Simon Treasurer
Ricardo Nakano
Elevance
Stephanie Zahrbock
Finance and Ops Various Nonprofits
Vanessa Jenkins
Zac Willette
Chaplain
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as: