Assistance League of Los Angeles

What it reported doing in 2024

Operation school bell (osb) provides extremely impoverished k-5th grade schoolchildren with new clothing and supplies. Children from disadvantaged families, those experiencing homelessness or in foster care, have improved school attendance, classroom behavior, self-esteem, and levels of engagement with their peers and school activities when they do not "wear" their poverty. Thanks to osb, this year, 8,499 children were given new clothing, shoes, socks, undergarments, hoodies, personal grooming kits, backpacks, school supplies, books, and a toy at the league's hollywood office or via our mobile facility, operation school bell on wheels, that delivers the program at school sites across los angeles. The online ordering system, developed during the pandemic, prepares individualized backpacks of items to be picked up at the hollywood office by school counselors and then delivered directly to the children at school. Theatre for children is the longest-running children's theatre in los angeles, bringing the joy of live musical theatre to 11,000 underserved and handicapped children this year. The productions are offered free to children from title i lausd schools along with free bus transportation. Tickets are also available at reduced rates to school groups and for a nominal fee to the public on weekends. Assistance league of los angeles strives to offer children an arts enrichment experience with live theatre. Foster children's resource center (fcrc) provides critically needed clothing and supplies to children in foster care. Often, foster youth are abruptly moved with few personal possessions beyond the clothes that they are wearing. 1,782 youth were referred by los angeles county department of children and family services (dcfs). Fcrc provides them with brand new clothing, undergarments, socks, jackets, pajamas, backpacks, school supplies, toys, books, and grooming kits to give them what they need to attend school and bolster their self-esteem during a difficult time in their lives. Preschool learning center develops academic skills in children and encourages their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Studies show that children who attend preschool outperform their peers academically and are more likely to go to college. Accredited by the national association for the education of young children (naeyc), the league's preschool learning center provides a quality preschool education free of charge to children ages three to five from low-income families. College scholarship program: the league awards financial support for graduating high school seniors from los angeles unified school district's homeless education office to help fund their college education. The college scholarship program award is based on academic achievement, character, and commitment to the community. Scholarship awardees receive the same funding for freshman through senior years by maintaining no less than a 2.0 gpa.prom day: the league creates a pop-up prom day shopping boutique, completely free for high school seniors experiencing homelessness. Girls are identified by lausd's homeless education office for prom day where they get to choose the outfit and "swag" of their dreams: dress, shoes, jewelry, handbag, shawl, accessories, beauty and hygiene products, duffle bag, backpack, roller suitcase, and more. Prom day enables these young women to participate in what is a rite of passage for american high school students: their senior prom.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 91.8%; rating input score 92
• Program expense ratio: 85.2%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $18.51 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -1.5%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.63; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.6%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -7.3% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -3.3% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.7% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings