Orange County’s largest nonprofits reported their combined revenue increased 5.6% to $1.7 billion for the 12 months ended June, according to the Business Journal’s annual list.
They reported expenditures of $1.4 billion, also a 5.6% increase, as they help people 9.7 million times, a 2.3% rise from a year ago.
Ninety-six nonprofits with headquarters or major operations in Orange County and revenue higher than $3 million made this year’s list.
Fears that President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts would affect donations don’t appear to have played out in Orange County as 65 nonprofits reported an increase in revenue while 26 had a decline. The remaining five are Business Journal estimates.
Five nonprofits were added to the list this year: the William, Jeff & Jennifer Gross Family Foundation (see story, page 1), Community Legal Aid SoCal, Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Orange County Conservation Corps, and Friendly Center Inc.
Paid staff totaled 13,880, up 1.5% from a year ago. Meanwhile, volunteers decreased 1% to 197,158.
Here are some highlights from this year’s list:
• Costa Mesa-based PBS SoCal, formerly known as KOCE-TV Foundation, grew 84% to $36 million, good for the No. 12 spot on the list.
The organization recently launched its To Foster Change three-year public media initiative to raise awareness about the foster youth experience. It has partnered with more than a dozen charitable organizations on the new initiative, including Orangewood Foundation.
• Santa Ana-based Orangewood, which shares a similar mission to prepare foster youth for adulthood through health, housing, education and employment services, raised $41 million, a 60% increase, and jumped to No. 10.
Its Samueli Academy charter school is in the process of raising funds and adding three buildings, including a student innovation building and on-campus residential housing. The Samueli Foundation has donated at least $10 million to the school, which bears its name.
• Goodwill of Orange County, based in Santa Ana, grabbed the top ranking as its revenue climbed 1.3% to $132.5 million for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, its latest reporting period. Its expenses also climbed at a higher rate, 2.8%, to $134.7 million (see story, page 6)
• Newport Beach’s Orange County Community Foundation, which facilitates philanthropy by connecting donors with nonprofits to address community needs, dropped from first to third place after reporting a 33% decline in revenue to $103.5 million because the prior year had a large one-time donation. It also reduced expenses 12% to $75 million.
• Costa Mesa’s National Christian Foundation jumped from sixth to second place. Its revenue soared 71% to $106.6 million for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, its latest reporting period.
• A change in the list’s methodology resulted in ranking shifts for some nonprofits. This year’s list reflects only cash contributions and excludes in-kind goods and services such as volunteering.
Hence, some organizations have had more significant drops than others. For example, Irvine’s Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, which annually receives services and food donations worth tens of millions of dollars, ranked No. 49 this year instead of No. 7 last year. It reported cash contributions increased 1.6% to $9.9 million. The number of times it helped people stayed the same, at 748,973.
