Most of Orange County’s nonprofits should be pleased with the way 2015 turned out, based on the averages in the Business Journal’s annual list.
The top 88 local organizations reported general increases across the board in revenue, paid staff, volunteers and clients served in the county.
Nonprofits were required to have revenue of at least $3 million to make the list this year.
The largest jump came in the number of volunteers in Orange County compared to last year. Local nonprofits increased their volunteer ranks 10.3% to about 189,000. We can assume that number supported the 9.1% increase in clients served in Orange County—up from 6.7 million to almost 7.3 million.
United Way
• Irvine-based Orange County United Way, ranked No. 22, had marked increases in both categories—244% more volunteers and 64% more clients served than last year.
“Over the past year, we’ve responded to our supporters and their desire to connect more closely to the critical issues we are addressing by formalizing a strategic volunteer engagement program aligned with our FACE 2024 goals,” said Carla Vargas, senior vice president of community impact, for the local United Way group.
“We’re thrilled that we’ve been able to provide more projects for more people who want to make an impact in the community by rolling up their sleeves and sharing their time, whether it’s reading to children, creating community gardens, reorganizing food or welcome home kits or constructing safe places to play. It’s making a measurable difference.”
The improvement in human impact seems encouraging, though the increases in revenue and paid staff among list entrants weren’t as striking. Local nonprofits’ revenue increased nearly 2%, and their paid staffs grew 3.8%. Revenue totaled $1.5 billion.
• The Los Angeles-based Braille Institute of America Inc., which has an office in Anaheim, debuted on the list at No. 50. Its revenue increased the most among the ranked nonprofits—a 211.6% jump to nearly $7.4 million for the 12 months ended June 30.
The Braille Institute’s Orange County center had “a significant increase in bequest income” in the 12 months ended in June, said center Executive Director Gloria Coulston. She added that the institute, which provides programs for people who are blind or going blind, receives more than 90% of its income from bequests.
• The list’s No. 20 entry, the Salvation Army in Tustin, grew its paid work force 55% to 488. The evangelical Christian organization seeks to provide basic life necessities—food, shelter and warmth—through private donations of money and goods.
It opened one service office each in Lake Forest and Fullerton, said Kevin White, the organization’s director of community relations. He said the additions came about as a result of client demand.
Ten of the nonprofits experienced revenue decreases while growing their paid staffs.
• Irvine-based Families Forward fell from No. 55 to 83 this year. It reported its revenue dropped 33% from $5.5 million to $3.7 million. Yet it still managed to hire seven new paid staff members in the same time period.
Families Forward raised $2 million in the previous fiscal year through the sale of properties, in addition to a capital campaign, spokesperson Kim Strohm said. It used funds from the endeavors to establish a new program at the organization’s Thomas Street headquarters.
“Grants and contributions covered the cost in adding staff,” Strohm said of the growth in Families Forward’s paid staff members from 22 to 29.
• The list’s No. 1 nonprofit, Goodwill of Orange County, increased its paid staff 24% over a year ago to 1,566. The Santa Ana-based social service and job training agency’s revenue was up 3% to $117.8 million.
“The growth in staff paralleled the growth in revenue-producing activity, namely retail boutiques, as well as an increase in staff for human services’ programs,” said Frank Talarico Jr., Goodwill of Orange County’s chief executive.
“For human services, we saw continued growth in veteran services and community-based services—serving those typically with multiple and severe disabilities. If we do our job as a social enterprise in generating more financial resources, we will have the luxury of increasing those on the front lines serving our ever-increasing population of program participants,” he said.
OCCF
• Goodwill is followed by No. 2, the Orange County Community Foundation, a Newport Beach-based nonprofit whose revenue increased 41% to $78.5 million. The foundation’s activities include providing grants to other area nonprofits.
Orange County Community Foundation’s income growth over the past year “is due primarily to more than $20 million from two gifts,” said President Shelley Hoss (see related column, page 1).
One $12.5 million gift “was a result of a family selling a business. They opened a fund,” she said.
The foundation also received a $9 million gift from a donor seeking to establish a family philanthropy.
• Santa Ana-based Think Together, which specializes in educational enrichment for children and youths in at-risk communities, was the No. 3 entry on the list, falling one place from a year ago. Its paid staff dropped sharply over the past year, down 74% to 189 from 720 a year ago. The decline followed the loss of a major contract with the Snata Ana Unified School District.
