Lanterman Regional Center

Legal name: Los Angeles County Developmental Services Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
953374648
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Phone
Main: 213.383.1300; Intake Unit (direct): 213.252.8610
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Developmentally Disabled Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$513,569,976
Expenses
$512,551,059
Assets
$74,288,478
Liabilities
$70,877,825

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

Leadership & pay

27 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MELINDA SULLIVAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • SRBUI OVSEPYAN (ASSOC. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • LOUIS MITCHELL (PRESIDENT)
  • BRIGITTE SROUJIEH (FIRST VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LARRY DEBOER (SECOND VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MELINDA SULLIVAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $380,213 total reported compensation
  • KAREM CHACANA (DIR. OF HUMAN RESOURCES): $290,914 total reported compensation
  • GWENDOLYN JORDAN (DIR. OF CLINICAL SERVICES): $257,695 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To enable people with developmental disabilities to live purposeful lives as active members of their communities. Lanterman Regional Center is dedicated to providing you and your family access to information that helps you make decisions and choices about your life goals and your future as an adult. Lanterman has a variety of supports and services, both through vendored service providers and other community-based resources, that may be available to help you achieve your desired outcomes in where you live, work, and how you participate in your community. For more information about any of the services listed below, please contact your service coordinator. Coordinated Family Support (CFS) Service.

What it reported doing in 2024

The foundation was organized in accordance with the provisions of the lanterman developmental disabilities services act of the welfare and institutions code of California. In accordance with the act, the foundation works in partnership with people with developmental disabilities, their families, local communities, service providers, and the government. Its mission is to enable persons with developmental disabilities to live independent, productive, and satisfying lives in their community. The foundation also strives to lessen developmental delays in infants and young children to minimize the risk of developmental disabilities. Among the services and support the foundation provides or coordinates are: diagnosis and assessment, individualized planning and service coordination, early intervention and prevention, community living options, supported work and vocational programs, advocacy, training and educational opportunities, and other support services for consumers and families.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 99% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 91% of its reported program spending out as grants.

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 total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 96
  • Sustainability: 27
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.4%; rating input score 98
  • Program expense ratio: 98.6%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th 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: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: 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: 0.2%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.14; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.95; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.4%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.7% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 98.4% of revenue deployed · 98.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $505.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $380K · 27 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $73.7M reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 32 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 32/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 4/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 9/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.