California Youth Connection

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
943141616
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Emeryville, CA, USA
Phone
4154425060
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,463,731
Expenses
$2,466,105
Assets
$1,129,074
Liabilities
$157,665

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • David Channer (Board President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Rob Woronoff (Interim ED): $134,386 total reported compensation
  • Julissa Castillo (COO): $91,574 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

CYC was established in 1988 after several years of increasing youth participation in California. CYC opened a statewide office in San Francisco in 1995, and transitioned to a fully remote workforce across the state in 2024. Our membership continues to expand and improve communication and coordination among the local chapters. Since the statewide office opened, the number of CYC chapters has increased over 200%. This growth reflects the tremendous positive response to CYC around the state, from social services executives and legislators, to the youth themselves. Consequently, CYCs members now sit on numerous policy committees within the child welfare field, and CYC, as an organization, has contributed greatly to the body of knowledge on how youth believe the foster care system can be improved. CYC members and staff also coordinate two statewide conferences per year where youth assemble to study issues, receive training on leadership and the legislative process, meet with lawmakers and p

What it reported doing in 2024

Member Engagement: On a statewide level California Youth Connection (CYC) operates within 6 regions, with 35 chapters on a local level and selects and works on county policy issues that they believe could be improved. Chapters meet twice a month and consider ways to educate local policy makers about their experiences in care and their recommendations for change. Since California has a state-run, county-administered child welfare system, youth understand that some local policies can be changed, which will impact foster youth throughout their county. CYCs work provides valuable insights into ways to improve service delivery for foster youth. CYC has established a strong reputation as a credible organization that brings the views of foster youth to the forefront. The Youth Offering Unique Tangible Help Training Project (YTP), a nonprofit program that provides development services to youth and training opportunities to child welfare professionals, became a part of CYCs program effective February 13, 2012. CYC acquired Foster Youth In Action (FYIA) in July, 2021. FYIAs mission is building a movement led by a network of foster-led groups and people with lived experience to dismantle oppressive child welfare systems, redistribute power, and build new systems of healing and well-being. We do this through collective leadership, grassroots organizing, and creating a national peoples agenda that can be used to leverage systemic change in policy, practice, and legislative change at the local, state, and national level.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The program-spending lines do not add up, so the filing cannot show reliably whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 90
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 16
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 81.3%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $27.09 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th 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: Limited
  • 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: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -68.5%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.46; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.2%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 81.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $134K · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 37/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 40/100.