PLATINUM2024

CIVICORPS

Transforming Lives and Landscapes Since 1983

Oakland, CA   |  http://www.cvcorps.org

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Mission

Our mission is to re-engage young adults, age 18-26, to earn a high-school diploma, gain job skills, pursue college, and embark on family sustaining careers. We envision a world where all youth have the education and resources needed for college and career success.

Ruling year info

1984

Executive Director

Tessa Nicholas

Main address

101 Myrtle St

Oakland, CA 94607 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

Civicorps Schools

EIN

94-2941068

NTEE code info

Youth Development Programs (O50)

Charter Schools (B29)

Employment Training (J22)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2023, 2022 and 2021.
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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Working at the intersection of racial, economic, and environmental justice, Civicorps intends to create long-term, upwardly mobile employment opportunities for communities underrepresented in the green economy and to engage them in critical climate resiliency projects. Our work-based learning programs provide low-income young people of color with paid job training in conservation, fostering greater equity, access, and inclusion and helping them secure living wage jobs. Civicorps gives youth who are disconnected from employment and college an opportunity to complete their high school education and develop their professional skills and career readiness acumen as they train for careers that protect the environment.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Conservation Career Pathway

Located in West Oakland, Civicorps was founded in 1983 as one of the first local conservation corps in California, based on the Civilian Conservation Corps model of land conservation work and education. Our mission is to re-engage young adults, age 18-26, to earn their high school diplomas, gain job skills, pursue college, and embark on family sustaining careers. We envision a world where all youth have the education and resources needed for college and career success.

Civicorps offers one of the only paid youth employment programs in the East Bay. Each year we deliver job training, college and career readiness preparation, and wraparound support services to more than 175 youth who want to create positive change in their lives. Civicorps partners with local employers to provide young people with high-impact training and work experience that serve as bridges to sustainable careers in land management, conservation, climate change mitigation, and recycling.

Civicorps assists youth who struggle with multiple systems failures and barriers to their success by connecting them to opportunities, access, and education they need to move toward their full potential. We are committed to diversifying the environmental movement and believe that education and workforce development are powerful tools to promote racial and economic equity. Focusing on conservation career pathways, Civicorps is creating opportunities for a diverse group of young people to have a voice and impact within the environmental movement. Our objective is to create long-term employment opportunities for communities underrepresented in the green economy and to empower the next generation of environmental stewards.

Population(s) Served
Young adults
Economically disadvantaged people
Unemployed people

Civicorps’ Environmental Management Social Enterprise provides paid, work-based learning for youth while they conduct critical conservation and land management projects throughout the East Bay to protect the environment. Corpsmembers gain occupational skills and industry-recognized certifications including chainsaw, brush cutter, Class C License, and CPR/First Aid while working with local agencies that Civicorps partners with, such as East Bay Regional Park District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Alameda County Flood Control, and the Port of Oakland. Youth receive regular performance reviews and acquire indispensable soft skills including leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, work ethics, and communications while mastering a series of technical competencies and career readiness milestones. As they complete objectives, youth become eligible to train for promotions and leadership roles and qualify for postsecondary education scholarships through AmeriCorps.



Population(s) Served
Young adults
Economically disadvantaged people
Unemployed people

Civicorps Recycling Social Enterprise provides commercial recycling collection services to Oakland businesses while it trains young adults, ages 18-26, to enter truck-driving careers. We are the only non-profit job training program that has been included in a major city garbage franchise agreement in the nation.

Our Teamster Truck Driver Career Pathway is a free driver training program in the East Bay. This program is built upon a pioneering partnership with Waste Management, Teamster Local 70 Union, and the City of Oakland. Youth engage in a pre-apprenticeship program over 2 – 4 years, earning their Class B Driver’s license while driving our recycling trucks on 6 routes, collecting recycling from 1,200 customers.
Upon completion, pre-apprentices become eligible for union apprenticeships at Waste Management, and after two years, advance to Teamster Union Truck Driving jobs earning a starting salary of $75,000 a year plus a pension.


Population(s) Served
Young adults
Economically disadvantaged people
Economically disadvantaged people

Our participants reflect the diversity of the Bay Area, but not its affluence: 57% African American, 28% Latinx, 6% Asian, 4% American Indian, 1% two or more races, and 4% other. 98% live below the poverty line in neighborhoods of concentrated disadvantage. In addition, many participants experience multiple barriers to completing their education and securing family sustaining careers: 22% are parents, 23% have a learning disability, 19% experience homelessness or housing instability, 16% are English Language Learners, 16% are justice-involved, 11% are former foster youth, and 47% have been a victim of violence.

Civicorps helps young people mitigate obstacles and move toward their full potential. We differentiate ourselves from other education and job training programs through the comprehensive services we provide. From the moment they arrive and as they progress through our program, youth receive personalized college and career counseling, and access to a robust array of wraparound services, including assistance with housing, transportation, and childcare. Because nearly all of our participants live in poverty, we also offer daily meals and weekly groceries through a partnership with the Alameda County Community Food Bank. We employ two MSW-level counselors who provide case management, therapeutic intervention, and conflict resolution.

Our staff and counselors help youth develop job search skills, enroll in college, access financial aid, and secure jobs or internships that serve as stepping stones to living wage careers. We have integrated trauma-informed care throughout all of our services, and staff have been trained in deescalation strategies and harm reduction.

Population(s) Served
Young adults
Economically disadvantaged people
Unemployed people

Where we work

Awards

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of participants engaged in programs

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Conservation Career Pathway

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

Total # of participants served annually.

Number of certifications earned by participants.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Conservation Career Pathway

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Total number of miles of trail construction and maintenance.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Conservation Career Pathway

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Number of acres of land protected

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Conservation Career Pathway

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Total weight of materials recycled

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

Tons

Acres of natural habitat restored

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Conservation Career Pathway

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

Miles of Waterway Maintained.

Additional revenue and wages generated attributable to the organization's efforts

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Young adults, Low-income people, Unemployed people

Related Program

Conservation Career Pathway

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Total Wages Earned by Corpsmembers and Interns. Dollar Amounts $1,621,586 $1,602,608 $1,721,069

Tons of CRV material collected

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Conservation Career Pathway

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Tons of E-waste collected

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Conservation Career Pathway

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of abandoned tires collected

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Conservation Career Pathway

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Located in West Oakland, Civicorps was founded in 1983 as one of the first local conservation corps in California, based on the Civilian Conservation Corps model of land conservation work and education. Our mission is to re-engage young adults, age 18-26, to earn their high school diplomas, gain job skills, pursue college, and embark on family sustaining careers. We envision a world where all youth have the education and resources needed for college and career success.

Civicorps assists youth who struggle with multiple systems failures and barriers to their success by connecting them to opportunities, access, and education they need to move toward their full potential. We believe that education and workforce development are powerful tools to promote racial and economic equity.

According to the Bay Area Equity Atlas, prior to the pandemic, 8% of Oakland youth were disconnected from employment and college. The majority of these were young people of color. Work-based learning programs provide a powerful structure to counter this dynamic. A 2020 Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program report concluded that work-based learning programs create equity and economic opportunity for disconnected youth by providing “…supportive relationships with adults, connections to broader social and professional networks, and authentic work experiences that provide hands-on learning opportunities and the chance to take on new roles and responsibilities.” Our long tenure in this field has demonstrated that work-based learning programs help disconnected youth mitigate obstacles, access opportunities, and move toward their full potential.

Civicorps partners with local employers to provide young people with high-impact training and work experience that serve as bridges to sustainable careers in land management, conservation, climate change mitigation, and recycling. We offer one of the only paid youth employment programs in the East Bay. Each year we deliver job training, college and career readiness preparation, and wrap-around support services to more than 175 youth who want to create positive change in their lives.

Our annual goals are as follows:

• Serve 175 youth in our Conservation Career Pathways
• Provide 150 young people paid job training opportunities in our Environmental Management social enterprise, delivering high-impact exposure to employment and career opportunities
• Provide 25 young people paid pre-apprenticeship/apprenticeship opportunities in our Recycling social enterprise, delivering high-impact exposure to employment and career opportunities

Focusing on conservation career pathways, Civicorps is creating opportunities for a diverse group of young people to have a voice and impact within the environmental movement. Our objective is to create long-term employment opportunities for communities underrepresented in the green economy and to empower the next generation of environmental stewards.

We serve young adults through the following year-round programs and services:

Paid Job Training in Conservation and Recycling
At our Environmental Management and Recycling social enterprises, participants build their resume and network as they work on conservation projects for major regional organizations throughout the East Bay, gaining paid job training and experience with potential future employers. Corpsmembers earn a starting wage of $14.36/hour working as interns on projects for major regional employers with whom Civicorps has developed strong partnerships. Youth receive regular performance reviews and acquire indispensable soft skills including leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, work ethics, and communications while mastering a series of technical competencies and career readiness milestones. As they complete their objectives, participants become eligible to train for leadership roles within Civicorps and qualify for postsecondary education scholarships through AmeriCorps.

College and Career Readiness Preparation
From the moment they arrive and as they progress through our program, youth receive personalized college and career counseling as they work to achieve milestones and plan their next steps. Youth engage in career and college exploration (including research, campus tours, and informational interviews) and meetings with mentors (including alumni, employment partners, and former staff). Their training includes resume building, job search skills, and mock interviews. Participants who have not yet earned their high school diploma are required to enroll at Opportunity Academy, an onsite charter high school managed by the Alameda County Office of Education, in order to participate in our job training programs. For one year after Corpsmembers exit our program, staff continue to help them pursue higher education and employment, assisting them with enrolling and excelling in college, applying for financial aid, and securing internships and jobs.

Wrap-around Support – A Unique and Critical Component
Amongst re-engagement and job training programs, Civicorps excels because of the comprehensive services we provide. Participants can access two full-time social workers, as well as support with childcare, housing, and transportation. More recently, Civicorps has provided resources to navigate the pandemic such as PPE, grab and go groceries, and free COVID testing. Because nearly all of our participants live in poverty, we provide daily and weekly meals. We deliver our services through a trauma-informed care lens, and everything we do is intended to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Civicorps was started to provide low-income youth with education, paid job training, and a vehicle to serve their community by protecting and restoring the environment. Our founders saw a need for a rigorous work-based learning program that prepared local youth for family-sustaining careers. We continue to utilize the Conservation Corps model of service learning to prepare youth for college and career success and to protect the environment.

Amongst re-engagement and job training programs, Civicorps excels because of the comprehensive wrap-around services we provide. Participants can access two full-time social workers, as well as support with childcare, housing, and transportation. Because nearly all of our participants live in poverty, we provide daily and weekly meals, as well as emergency response. More recently, Civicorps has provided resources to navigate the pandemic such as PPE, grab and go groceries, and free COVID vaccinations and testing. From the moment participants arrive and as they progress through our program, youth receive personalized college and career counseling as they complete a set of technical competencies and career readiness milestones. We deliver our services through a trauma-informed care lens, and our work intentionally encompasses diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our work at Civicorps is driven by the following:

• Young adults, age 18-26, entering Civicorps with the initiative and the motivation to succeed,
• Responsive and equity-minded staff ready to ignite Corpsmembers’ inner spark through wrap-around trauma-informed support services, and
• Committed Community Partners, representing educational institutions, nonprofits, public sector organizations, and employers.

Youth who successfully complete programming at Civicorps can go on to pursue fulfilling and family sustaining careers, enter into a lifelong process of learning and growth, gain exposure to a broader world around them, expand their ideas of what they can do and who they can be, and become leaders in their communities who model self-efficacy and civic engagement.

We have been advancing our work at the intersection of racial, economic, and environmental justice since our inception. Located in West Oakland, Civicorps was founded in 1983 as one of the first local conservation corps in California, based on the Civilian Conservation Corps model of land conservation work and formal education. Our mission is to re-engage young adults, age 18-26, to earn their high school diplomas, gain job skills, pursue college, and embark on family sustaining careers. We envision a world where all youth have the education and resources needed for college and career success. Furthermore, we are proud to nurture a new generation of Californians committed to environmental justice and civic participation for the benefit and wellbeing of our community.

Civicorps offers one of the only year-round paid youth employment programs in the East Bay. Each year we deliver job training, college and career readiness preparation, and wrap-around support services to 175 youth. We do this by partnering with local employers such as East Bay Regional Park District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, the City of Oakland, and Waste Management to provide youth with comprehensive training and work experience that serve as bridges to sustainable careers in land management, climate change mitigation, conservation, and recycling. Through hands-on experience, our enrollees earn tool certifications and build experience for today’s workforce.

At Civicorps' nationally recognized Teamster Truck Driver Career Pathway youth work as paid pre-apprentices in our Recycling social enterprise. Corpsmembers learn all aspects of the recycling operation, earn Class B commercial driver's licenses, and upon completion, can advance to lucrative Teamster careers. Built on a pioneering partnership with Waste Management, Teamster Local 70 Union, and the City of Oakland in 2014, we offer the only free truck driver training program for youth ages 18-26 in the East Bay. This program was acknowledged in 2019 by the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest as an example of an effective job training program reaching communities historically excluded from good jobs. Civicorps plans to duplicate this successful program with our partners at East Bay Municipal Utility District in October 2021.

Our long tenure in workforce development for youth helped us support Corpsmembers at the height of the public health pandemic. Civicorps sustained operations and kept participants in paid job training, continuing to nurture their momentum in our program. During FY 2020-21, 152 Corpsmembers participated in our paid job training and career readiness curriculum, working a total of 92,183 hours and earning a total of $1,602,608.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.
  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

CIVICORPS
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

CIVICORPS

Board of directors
as of 01/22/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Nita Kirby

Felton Institute

Term: 2020 - 2024

Robbie Yohai

Managing General Partner for Linden Associates and President of Schaefer Heights, Inc.

Aja Cooper

Communications Outreach and Events Manager at Fahr LLC

Steven Hanson

Principal, Westwind Consulting

Nita Kirby

Director of Development, Felton Institute

Gary Lyla

Program Manager, Google

Eric Premack

Executive Director of the Charter Schools Development Center

Amy Slater

Lecturer at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley

Eduardo J. Chaidez

Interpretive Park Ranger, National Park Service

Alli Chagi-Starr

Director, C2C Impact Engine, Northeastern U

Colette Lucas-Conwell

Operations Director, Office of the President, Oakland A's

Bob Huttar

Arborist and naturalist

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • 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? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 6/14/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 06/06/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
Policies and processes
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.