Assistance League of Sacramento
Transforming Lives • Strengthening Community
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Bears for Traumatized Children
Annually provides approximately 3,000 - 4,000 bears to comfort traumatized children and traumatized adults in hospitals, senior care facilities, emergency services, fire, and police facilities.
Operation School Bell®
Operation School Bell is our signature program. It provides school clothing, shoes, backpacks, underwear, school supplies, and hygiene kits to 3,000 - 5,000 elementary school children in 40 Title-1 schools. In addition to providing one of life's basic needs, we conduct preschool vision screening, education presentations, and a strong literacy component. Each year we distribute up to 6,000 pleasure reading books to students who have little or no access to books. Studies have shown that a culture of reading in the home profoundly impacts a child’s academic achievement. We know that when a book goes home, there is a ripple effect. There are other siblings in the family who benefit, as well as parents who may have low reading skills. Our book selection is a critical component of this outreach. Failure to engage students with interesting and developmentally appropriate content relevant to their lives can deter them from learning to read. We have added Spanish language books, as well as stories with culturally diverse content to engage and encourage reading.
Senior Friendship
Members encourage seniors in retirement homes or senior organizations to use their special skills to knit, crochet and sew for those in need in the local area. Annually, our chapter supplies over 25 community volunteers with the materials to produce scarves, blankets and hats for over 1,600 children and teens.
Clothes for Careers
Upon completion of a job training program, annually over 100 homeless women and foster youth are clothed in job interview and work place appropriate clothing to assist in their quest for employment and a new start in life. We recently expanded this program to include men . Agreements are with Women's Empowerment and IFoster.
Scholarship
The Scholarship program has been established to aid continuing community college students who have life circumstances that are more difficult than most students encounter. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 units, be a CA resident and maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better. Scholarships for foster youth were recently added.
Fresh Start
Fresh Start addresses immediate problems of some of the most vulnerable in our society. We provide foster youth, sexual abuse victims, and sex trafficked victims with clothing, hygiene products, household goods, and newborn essentials to help them overcome life crises or to make major life changes.
Reaching Out
Reaching Out provides goods and support to homeless individuals. These services are predominantly directed to individuals who have some resources and are working toward permanent housing. We provide a critical hand-up with rental deposits, apartment starter kits, Regional Transit passes or gas cards to get them to appointments with Social Security, DMV or assistance agencies. Each month we provide diapers and baby wipes for about 80 babies to the women and children of Maryhouse, a daytime hospitality shelter
Last year, we served over 1,400 homeless individuals.
Where we work
Awards
Best Place to Volunteer 2020
Sacramento Magazine
Heroes in Human Services Award 2018
County of Sacramento
Most Valued Partner 2019
San Juan Unified School District
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of children who receive new clothing
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Operation School Bell®
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The children served are low-income, economically disadvantaged and qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.
Number of programs documented
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, At-risk youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
5 programs were suspended due to COVID and not being able to serve schools that were closed.
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric represents the 11 philanthropic programs that we operate. We serve a wide age range from newborn to senior citizens.
Number of sex trafficked victims that completed court mandated diversion program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Victims and oppressed people
Related Program
Fresh Start
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric represents the number of sex trafficked victims in our program that completed a County Court mandated diversion program to clear their criminal record.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn 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?
1. To create, promote, and implement philanthropic programs that are needed in the Greater Sacramento area. 2. To increase and have a diversified membership, which is inclusive of all age, gender and ethnic groups. 3. To serve more individuals in need. 4. To have more community awareness and support. 5. To ensure and increase the financial strength of the chapter.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Provide program-related member training and adequate staffing for philanthropic programs. Cultivate an environment where members are appreciated and nurtured. Develop programs and committees that attract age diversity in membership. Become a brand in the community that is recognized for philanthropy. Use technology tools to increase member satisfaction, public awareness, and funding. Expand our fundraising capability to ensure stability and growth of philanthropic programs. Continue to expand plans for financial windfalls. Maintain contingency plans for catastrophe and crisis management.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Assistance League of Sacramento is a group of volunteers who have a range of work-related experience from the fields of education, medicine, legal, finance, banking, community relations, marketing, IT, and professional volunteerism. These members share a common vision to serve children, adults, and seniors in need. From August to March, we provide children with new school clothing, shoes, new pleasure reading books, backpacks, and hygiene kits. Twelve months a year, we provide cuddly teddy bears to fire, police, emergency rooms for children and adults in trauma situations, victims of sex traffic and sexual abuse. Six months a year we screen preschool children for amblyopia. January through May we teach California Governor's Mansion history and host the California Heritage Essay Contest to 4th grade classes. All through the school year, we are puppeteers performing scripts on bullying and safety to K-3. All through the year, we provide interview clothing to women, men, and foster youth who are entering the workplace. Each spring, we offer community college scholarships to those with life circumstances more difficult than most. Annually we provide materials to senior living residents who create items that are donated to other nonprofits serving infants and teens. Annually we provide hygiene products and clothing to sex traffic victims, homeless women and children, and sexual abuse victims. We provide apartment starter kits for homeless individuals and foster youth who are living independently. Annually we meet emergency one time needs to individuals referred by community agencies, court systems, school districts or other similar entities.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In fiscal year 2019-2020, Assistance League of Sacramento clothed 4,200 children; provided 6,864 pleasure reading books to classrooms; distributed 2,200 Bears; created 1,661 handmade items for children and teens; outfitted 78 individuals entering the workforce; screened 1,138 children for amblyopia; performed puppet shows for 730 elementary students; and awarded 23 community college scholarships, served 3,961 homeless, sexually assaulted, sex traffic victim and foster youth transitioning to independent living. Our members and community volunteers donated over 56,832 volunteer hours this fiscal year to maintain our programming and staffing.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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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
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We are now supplying new born essential items to Community Against Sexual Harm for women who have been sex trafficked and homeless. At suggestion of school officials we changed our school supplies to conform with distance learning.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback
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
- 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.
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.
Assistance League of Sacramento
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Ms. Betty Lou Beyer
No affiliation
Term: 2021 - 2022
Becky Granroth
Treasurer
Cynthia Hennessy
VP Membership
Selene Denney
Manager Resale Shop
Liz Stenstrom
VP Facilities
Carol Wacker
Secretary
Emily Willis
VP Programs
Charlotte Stott
VP Marketing and Communications
Candace Bonney
President, Bonney Plumbing, Heating, Air & Rooter Services
Stephan A Hecox, CPA
Hecox & Company, CPA's
Diane G Kindermann, Esq.
Abbott & Kindermann, LLP
Tracy M Potts, Esq.
Principal, Legacy Law Group
Christeen Reeg
Senior Financial Advisor, Pacific Investment Consultants
Gregory L Thomas
Senior VP, Cornish & Carey Commercial Real Estate
Jennifer Kaye
Business Owner
Malcolm Hotchkiss
EVP/Chief Operating Officer
Betty Lou Beyer
President
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 ? Not applicable -
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
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
No data
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data