The 70 largest nonprofit organizations with headquarters or significant operations here collectively marked a 4% increase in recent 12-month revenue to $993.7 million, according to this week’s Business Journal list.
That made for a third-straight year of sector growth, following gains of 8% on the 2011 list and 4% in 2010. This year’s Business Journal list contains 11 more entries than last year’s, as more local nonprofits boosted their revenue beyond a $3 million threshold.
Revenue for most of the organizations on the list is for the 12 months through June. A dozen nonprofits reported figures for the year through December 2011, with a handful of others reporting numbers from fiscal years ending at different points in 2012.
More than half of the organizations—at 43—saw revenue gains, while 25 saw declines. Figures for two organizations were based on Business Journal estimates, either for the latest or the year-ago annual revenue.
Nonprofits on the list had 281 more Orange County employees than a year earlier at the end of October for a 3% work-force gain to a total 8,450 employees.
The organizations also had more than 280,000 volunteers participate in their activities between January and October, 5% more than during a similar span last year.
The nonprofits served an estimated 4.8 million individuals between January and October, 14% more than a year earlier.
Santa Ana-based Goodwill of Orange County repeated atop the list in marking a 9% revenue rise to $91.6 million.
“Our retail model has been successful, and that helps fuel our revenue,” spokesperson Katherine Ransom said. “We operate 21 stores here and an online auction site.”
Goodwill remains the largest employer on the list with 1,020 staff members, despite a nearly 7% decrease. Volunteers for Goodwill’s thrift stores and other services increased 13% over the year to 170.
Irvine-based housing development company Jamboree Housing Corp. had the largest dollar-amount increase on the list, growing 2011 revenue by $12.3 million to $38.2 million. The gains pushed the company up 17 spots to No. 8.
Big Surge
By percentage, Providence Speech and Hearing Center was the biggest gainer. It more than doubled its revenue in 2011—to $12.5 million—and jumped 17 spots to No. 25. The Orange-based nonprofit expanded its work force by adding 80 employees for a total of 143.
No. 23 Mind Research Institute in Santa Ana had a 15% increase in revenue to $13.8 million. It provides education software to help elementary school students improve math and science skills.
“Mind has grown its fundraising staff and expanded from what was once [a base of] only Orange County donors to a national base of donors,” said President Andrew Coulson, who oversees the organization’s education division.
Mind Research also got a boost in sales from increased visibility for its software products to school districts, “especially in the large cohorts of low-performing schools in major urban centers,” Coulson said.
Orange-based CHOC Child-ren’s Foundation saw its annual revenue slide by about 53% to $22.9 million, and the $26.4 million difference pushed the foundation down to No. 12 from a previous ranking of No. 4.
“This is not really a decrease, because the year before, we got a large estate gift, an unexpected $30 million,” Vice President Graig Eastin said. “When that was booked, that skewed the numbers. We’ve actually been averaging about $15 million. So this year was an increase for us. Last year was an anomaly.”
The Children’s Foundation is now on its final year of a five-year campaign to raise $125 million and expects to reach, if not exceed, the goal, according to Eastin.
The foundation added two staff members to total 24 and has served 275,000 clients as of October, 25% more than a year ago.
No. 9 Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County—previously listed as the local office of Paris-based Society of St. Vincent De Paul—had $35.1 million in revenue for 12 months through June in a 25% gain from a year earlier.
The organization added eight staff members this year for a total of 63.
Ten outright newcomers included Laguna Hills-based Western Youth Services, which at No. 27 notched a 4% gain in revenue to $11.5 million for 12 months through June. The organization aims to prevent and treat emotional and social behavior problems of youths and families, and has served 22,000 individuals as of October.
Costa Mesa-based New Directions for Women came in at No. 65, with $3.5 million in revenue for a 12-month period through March, reflecting a 47% year-over-year increase.
New Directions provides addiction treatment services for women and families to achieve sustained recovery. It has helped about 156 individuals this year, 18% more than a year earlier.
