John Burton Advocates for Youth

What it reported doing in 2024

EDUCATION: JBAY works to ensure access to higher education for youth who have been in foster care or experienced homelessness. In 2024-25, JBAY worked towards this goal by pursuing a range of strategies: JBAY expanded eligibility to CalKIDS college saving accounts for foster youth and successfully secured $6.1 million in the state budget to fund these accounts. JBAY expanded educational supports to students in foster care by authorizing county offices of education to use their existing state funding to provide direct services to foster youth via the Foster Youth Services Coordinating Programs. JBAY led efforts in Los Angeles County to improve linkages of high school seniors in foster care to campus-based support programs by developing a countywide Release of Information form to prevent summer melt. JBAY conducted the California Foster Youth and Homeless Youth FAFSA challenge in collaboration with the California Department of Education and local education agencies.HOUSING: JBAY works to ensure youth who have been in foster care or homeless have access to safe, affordable housing. In 2024-25, this work included: Conducting an inventory of transitional housing programs and federal housing vouchers for former foster youth in California, identifying unmet need, and making a series of recommendations. Presenting at a series of in-person and virtual convenings to update stakeholders on the status of federal Special Purpose Housing Choice Vouchers for former foster youth in the face of federal policy shifts. Developing and disseminating a best practices guide for county child welfare agencies and public housing authorities to expand access and improve administration of federal housing voucher programs.ECONOMIC MOBILITY: JBAY works to ensure youth have the opportunity to grow into economically secure adults. In 2024-25, uptake of the California Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC) by eligible current and former foster youth rose from 15% to 17%. JBAY conducted an analysis of the first three years of the FYTC and found that more than 16,000 young adults had received the credit, totaling $17.20 million in tax refunds, and an additional $18.66 million in additional credits unlocked from filing. JBAY provided intensive implementation support, including help establishing and supporting four Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites for foster youth, and developing and disseminating several resources for education, outreach, and support with filing taxes. JBAY also trained stakeholders and VITA volunteers on how to claim the Foster Youth Tax Credit.CRITICAL NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITY FUND: JBAY provided direct financial assistance to youth who were in foster care or experienced homelessness by partnering with 68 education insitutions and direct service organizations to disburse emergency grant funds to youth in California. In 2024-25, JBAY provided assistance to over 1,424 youth. The average amount of financial assistance provided per youth was $280.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 92.3%; rating input score 92
• Fundraising efficiency: $22.81 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• 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: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 24th 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: -50.7%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.62; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 20.4%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 11.7% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -3.9% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.7% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings