Solutions for Humanity Community & the Environment

What it reported doing in 2013

Growing Transit Communities: Solutions-HCE was funded to work on a Growing Transit Communities grant. In keeping with Solutions-HCE's mission and vision, the organization elected to partner with community members to implement a plan aimed at increasing youth awareness and participation in transportation related activities as they relate to healthy environments. Solutions-HCE also aimed to increase youth participation in public processes, particularly in under-served communities, utilizing the public participation opportunities provided by the "Growing Transit Communities" forums as a learning mechanism. This target was achieved in the following ways: Participating youth represented the following underserved communities: * Minority (African American & Latino) * Youth (aged 14-18) * Low Income * Eastside/Salishan, Hilltop and South Tacoma communities represented * Immigrant/ESL * Single Parent Households As a direct result of feedback from youth and community members, an due to the success of the previous grant, Solutions-HCE built upon previous work by engaging former community participants to conduct outreach and provide education to other community members. During this grant, youth developed and implemented an outreach strategy, and created a community forum to discuss transportation equity issues with other youth from impacted communities. During this process, youth and youth mentors were empowered to find creative ways to conduct community outreach relevant to transportation equity. With a set of basic guidelines provided (as outlined in the grant), youth and mentors were supported during the development of outreach, community education, and community engagement. We maintained our relationship with the youth, and were, again, asked by youth to continue to work with them. As a result, we sought and identified additional ways for them to conduct community engagement, empowering them as leaders in their community. In addition to the youth project, Solutions-HCE worked in cooperation with a number of community members and community-based organizations to conduct an equity summit in the Tacoma-Pierce County area. During the summit, engaged community members in a discussion about a number of equity issues including environmental justice, criminal justice, and a range of equity issues (health, economic, education, human rights, housing, etc.), and promoted inclusion by local communities in a regional equity convening. Community participation at the summit was widely diverse, to include communities of color, low-income communities, faith-based communities, advocates for gender equality, organizations & agencies, and youth (childcare was provided). During this process, Solutions-HCE shared decision-making with a number of community-based organizations, and co-developed a summit aimed at providing community with the opportunity to articulate equity priorities in Tacoma and Pierce County, and to present the outcomes during the regional opportunity. As a result, more than 100 community members participated in the process, and a delegate of roughly 30 people participated in the subsequent regional effort. To maintain this partnership, Solutions-HCE continues to work in partnership with CBOs, but has also included community members in the process of identifying additional funding to continue equity work in the area.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 95.7%; rating input score 96
• Program expense ratio: 95.7%; rating input score 96

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 0%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: Limited
• Asset growth: Limited