Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Ascencia works to address the complicated needs of people who have lost their home, many who have been homeless for years. In the region served by Ascencia, over 6,000 people are homeless on any given night. The vast majority of these people are unsheltered, living in public spaces, along the Los Angeles River, or in their vehicle. All the people we see are survivors of trauma, and most have limited work histories. At least half have one or more disabilities. If they have income, it is usually well below $1,000 per month. We help the people who have not been able to successfully navigate government services to get housed and stay housed. The most recent Homeless Count showed the low-need or new homeless numbers are increasing. Due to our focus on prioritizing the chronically homeless, the low-need homeless may be falling through the cracks. We'll be studying the issue this year to find solutions.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Access Center
First stop for people seeking homeless services in the City of Glendale, Burbank, West Hollywood, and Northeast Los Angeles. Street outreach team visits people on the streets and provides transportation to Ascencia for services.
Access Center staff conduct intake and thorough assessment of client needs. Based on the assessment, clients are referred to the appropriate program.
Case management team has specializations in:
-mental health
-employment services
-substance abuse recovery
-veterans' services
We employ a "whatever it takes" approach to assistance, while expecting clients to do their part to find a new home. This includes budgeting and saving, finding work and accessing counseling resources to address issues heightened by the stress of homelessness.
Emergency Housing Program
Emergency Housing Program provides 42 beds, up to 60 day stay (90 days extensions granted). The program operates from 4:30 PM, including single fathers and teenagers.
-Children receiving tutoring on school nights.
-Volunteers provide dinner nightly.
-Adults and children have access to a computer for school, job and housing search work.
We enforce a strict code regarding personal behavior; no violence or abusive behavior is tolerated.
Permanent Supportive Housing
This housing program serves chronically homeless families and adults in scattered site apartments Ascencia leases and in a 9 unit building Ascencia owns. The tenants pay 30% of their income for rent and Ascencia case management staff provide continuing support, including home visits, to ensure client stability in permanent housing.
Next Step Permanent Supportive Housing
Next Step provides eight units of housing for single adults who were chronically homeless and are currently in substance abuse recovery. A half-time case manager provides guidance and support, as well as access to resources to support their recovery. Since most clients have destroyed their credit, emphasis is given to financial literacy and planning. Weekly house meetings keep the participants focused on their goals and creates a network of support for them as a grouincluding the on-site psychiatrist and volunteer LCSW.
Street Outreach
Using agency vans, we travel to locations where homeless people are encamped, respond to calls from residents and businesses, and work to engage and connect homeless individuals to services and housing.
Where we work
Awards
Organization of the Year 2012
Glendale Chamber of Commerce
Nonprofit of the Year 2018
California State 43rd District
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of first-time donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
FY comparisons (July 1st - June 30th)
Average number of dollars received per donor
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The FY comparisons include a capital campaign, which skews all of the donations high. Also, we have included all donors, including foundations, corporations, and community organizations.
Average number of dollars given by new donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The FY comparisons include a capital campaign, which skews all of the donations high. Also, we have included all donors, including foundations, corporations, and community organizations.
Number of overall donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Emergency Housing Program
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Percentage of households that retain permanent housing for at least six months
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Ascencia's goal is to reduce the time families and individuals remain homeless, support their long-term stability in housing, and promote their integration into the community at large.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Ascencia's goals are to expand our reach in neighboring communities, deepen our continuum of services to provide our clients more of the assistance they need to succeed, and to develop our core infrastructure to ensure accountability and transparency. Our update to our strategic plan is currently in process, but elements of the plan include: expansion of our hospital to home initiative to move more high-cost frequent hospital users to permanent housing; strengthen program offerings for homeless families; expand outreach and case management services in Northeast Los Angeles; and continue to develop outreach in Burbank, Glendale, West Hollywood and Northeast Los Angeles.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Ascencia has a strong management team and Board of Directors with a sound track record of program management and fundraising. Our 2016-17 audit was recently completed, again deeming Ascencia a low-risk auditee. Our diverse staff speaks 14 different languages, and is trained in trauma-informed care and culturally appropriate services. We continue to ensure 90% of our chronically homeless clients remain housed, and exceed program goals for our most vulnerable, highest need referrals. In our hospital to home program, clients placed in housing show an annual average cost savings of $80,000 per patient, per year. Ascencia's outreach teams are consistently praised by local businesses and law enforcement for their professionalism and by clients for their consistency and reliability.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We continue to fulfill and report on the following goals: (1) Expanding our reach in Northeast Los Angeles, Burbank, and West Hollywood: in addition to our core services in Glendale, we have renewed agreements to coordinate homeless services in Burbank and conduct outreach in West Hollywood. (2) Deepening our Continuum of Care: Our Hospital Liaison has placed, and with her staff, continues to serve, 54 high-cost frequent hospital users in permanent housing. This effort has been part of the 5-year 10th Decile Project, a local collaborative that resulted in cost savings that avg. $80,000 per patient, per year. For veterans, we continue to ensure timely placement in housing, with only 4 homeless veterans counted in Glendale in January 2017. (3) A leading hallmark of our success is ensuring that the chronically homeless adults we move to housing remain housed. For each of the last five years, better than 90% of our 100 clients remained housed six months or longer.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
ASCENCIA
Board of directorsas of 08/26/2020
Ms. Kim Guard
Express Employment Professionals
Term: 2020 - 2022
Ms. Karen Swan, Ret.
Glendale Unified School District
Term: 2018 - 2019
Ron Baker
Holy Family Catholic Church
John Sadd
Sadd, Velazquez, Higashi & Shummaa, LLP
David Bolstad
Safarian, Choi & Bolstad, LLP
Grace Kang
Panda Restaurant Group
Kristine Nam
Glendale Unified School District
Anthony Rubio
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Nicholas Lam, Emeritus
Pacific BMW
Jeff Ragusa
Glendale Fire Department
Isabel Reyes
Revelation Insurance Services
Arbella Azizian
Baker, Olson, LeCroy & Danielian
Paulette Wood
Retired, Schindler Elevator Corporation
Daniel Valdez
Brilliant Corners
Bryan Longpre
Jewel City Group at Morgan Stanley
Sue Son
Hutchinson & Bloodgood, LLP
Andrea Amor
Wireless Surveillance Consulting
Edward Brail
Glendale Funeral Home
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No