Youth Opportunities Unlimited

What it reported doing in 2024

Youth opportunities unlimited (y.o.u.) provides the largest array of employment programs for teens and young adults ages 14-24 in cuyahoga county and is the only organization exclusively focused on youth workforce development. Each year, y.o.u. Helps nearly 5,000 young people from under-resourced communities succeed by providing educational and workforce opportunities, skills development, and access to career pathways. All y.o.u. Programs include four core elements: career exploration, access to paid work experience, job-readiness training, and mentoring from a caring adult. Y.o.u.'s work experience programs employ more than 1,600 teens annually and are proven to increase graduation rates, improve school attendance, and reduce involvement in the criminal justice system. (continued on schedule o) through partnerships with more than 100 employers and community organizations, youth gain hands-on, work-based learning experiences that expose them to career of interest while they build confidence and real-world skills. Participant satisfaction is consistently strong with a net promoter score consistently exceeding 40, reflecting that most youth would enthusiastically recommend the program to their peers, a benchmark of high-quality and meaningful engagement. The school-based jobs for Ohio's graduates (jog) program, serving more than 350 high school students each year, is offered as a for-credit class across multiple high schools, focuses on career development, service learning, and leadership. Over the past five years, jog has achieved a 92% graduation rate and a 91% postsecondary success rate, demonstrating its effectiveness in preparing students for college, credential training, and employment. Complementing jog, the planning and career exploration (pace) program reaches more than 3,000 students annually through career readiness lessons, individualized advising, and connections to paid work experiences, ensuring that high school students graduate with a clear, actionable plan for their future. Through launch, y.o.u. Serves as the leader and convener of a young adult workforce collaborative for individuals ages 18-24 who are not in school and are unemployed or underemployed. Y.o.u. Coordinates services among partner organizations that provide education, training, and employment supports. Y.o.u.'s is responsible for ensuring consistency, equity, and accountability across this system, helping young adults earn industry-recognized credentials, secure employment aligned with their career goals, and advance long-term economic mobility across northeast Ohio's workforce.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 90.7%; rating input score 91
• Program expense ratio: 85.1%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $32.52 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 68; 68th 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: 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: -5.6%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.8; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.2%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings