Los Angeles Conservation Corps

What it reported doing in 2024

Young Adult Corps - The LA Conservation Corps' Young Adult Corps consists of two components: Conservation Programs and Corpsmember Development. Conservation Programs aka Young Adult Corps (serves youth and young adults, primarily ages 18 to 26 at enrollment, at sites in Northeast (NELA), South, and East Los Angeles; Compton; and, East and West San Fernando Valley: The Young Adult Corps provides paid on-the-job training, a high school diploma program, vocational education and case management/transition support services to approximately 500 Corpsmembers each year. Corpsmembers earn at least the City/County of Los Angeles minimum wage while performing basic-through-advanced environmental and conservation-related work projects, such as habitat restoration, tree planting and urban forestry, park and trail construction, water-efficient landscaping, graffiti removal, recycling, community beautification and natural disaster preparation/response. Corpsmembers can also participate in highly specialized job training programs, including the Environmental Worker and Job Training Program to become certified in hazardous waste removal or other vocational programs such as the YouthBuild Job Training Program to receive hands-on construction experience. Corpsmember Development consists of two components: Development/Transition and Education Programs.Development/Transition Programs: Case managers help Corpsmembers address their personal, family and other issues that have previously hampered their success in school and work. These obstacles and barriers often include: homelessness or a risk of becoming homeless; substance abuse; health needs (mental and physical); emotional support and development (grief counseling, anger management, conflict resolution and racial/gender/sexual orientation tolerance); family issues (unity, supervision, family conflict, and reunification) and transportation assistance and legal aid/counsel (child support, warrants, tickets, and probation or parole issues). Corps Navigators work with Corpsmembers to develop roadmaps and plan out the practical steps they need to take to achieve their personal, educational and career goals. Additional services available to Corpsmembers include individual and group counseling, life skills workshops, and other college/career services that will help them successfully exit the Corps into a job, post-secondary education or advanced training. Also, Corpsmembers who exit the Young Adult Corps are tracked by a case manager for up to 12 months and are provided with the necessary follow-up services to ensure their success with full-time employment and, if applicable, their educational and/or vocational training endeavors. Education Programs: The Corps serves Corpsmembers and other youth ages 14 to 26 at enrollment through a charter school partnership with the Los Angeles Education Corps (LAEC). LAECs education programs at two Los Angeles sites serve approximately 200 youth, some of whom are Corpsmembers, who have been expelled, dropped out or never even started high school. These youth are given a second chance to earn a state-accredited high school diploma. Academics are complemented by an environmental education curriculum, experiential learning activities, college preparatory services, career preparation and work readiness services and case management. Corps-administered college and vocational scholarship opportunities and transition support are also available through both in-house and outside opportunities.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 80%; rating input score 80
• Program expense ratio: 82.4%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $789.68 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 3.2%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.57; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.36; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.8%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings