Assistance League of Los Angeles
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?
Operation School Bell
Operation School Bell helped 6,263 of Los Angeles' most needy children receive clothing, shoes, grooming kits and school supplies, helping promote self-esteem and academic engagement.
Preschool Learning Center
The Preschool Learning Center, accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, provides excellent preschool education for 67 children from low-income families.
Foster Children's Resource Center
Foster Children's Resource Center provided critically needed clothing, grooming kits, books and school supplies to 1,863 foster children boosting their self-confidence and school attendance.
Theatre for Children
Theatre for Children is a performing arts project operated and funded since 1929 by the League’s Nine O’Clock Players volunteer auxiliary. This project supplements arts education by bridging the gap for many schools that have reduced or eliminated arts programming. Theatre for Children produces and performs two full-scale musicals annually, serving more than 15,000 school children in 2014.
Court Referred Volunteer Center
Court Referred Volunteer Center program is the League's service enterprise, connecting more than 19,000 Angelenos with local organizations to fulfill their court-mandated community service work, resulting in more than 1,850,000 volunteer hours for the city of Los Angeles
Hollywood Children's Club
Hollywood Children's Club encourages homeless or foster graduated high school seniors to continue their education. Young parents receive infant supplies such as clothing and hygiene products.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Average number of service recipients per month
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of backpacks filled with school supplies distributed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of children who receive new clothing
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of children 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 children who received school supplies
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of youth programs offered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
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?
Assistance League goals include:
1. Improve academic outcomes in Los Angeles with focus on low-income K-5 students in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
2. Ease the economic burden for families with children in public schools that require school uniforms.
3. Promote smoother transitions for foster children and foster families in the San Fernando Valley.
4. Provide opportunities for performing arts appreciation for school children throughout the Los Angeles region.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The League's fundamental strategy is to engage volunteers to raise funds and carry out programs through a well-established "Auxiliary" model. This simple, proven strategy was established near the close of World War I, and is still viable at the opening of the 21st Century: Auxiliary volunteers provide both the time and the funds required to carry out several programs.
This model relies on a vast, consistent network of referral sources. Every child and family served by the League is referred by a third party. Dozens of teachers, counselors, administrators and program specialists in the Los Angeles Unified School District have come to trust the League to provide consistent, dependable services in an atmosphere of dignity and respect.
The League has built this reputation through nearly a century of service, and its signature program, Operation School Bell, has provided services for over 50 years. This credibility will continue to be key factor in fund development and program growth.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The League's capabilities for meeting its goals include:
1. A strong cadre of devoted volunteers: This has been the League's primary capability for many generations. The pipeline for this resource will be replenished through new initiatives that reach out to and engage younger members of current volunteers, new and diverse segments of the regional community, and private sector volunteers through "service day" opportunities.
2. Sustaining strong fundraising: A substantial proportions of League program revenues are generated by the Auxiliary volunteers through annual Patron Appeals and special events. This model has encouraged direct involvement of donors and their networks in securing funding for the League's services. Grants from private foundations and corporations are also generated by an in-house advancement team. League volunteers are crucial to this process through their referrals and endorsements.
3. Leadership and strategic focus: The League completed a comprehensive strategic review and programmatic restructuring. New leadership guided the organization through a refocusing and right-sizing process. The Board of Directors was reduced, for example, from more than 60 to its current membership of 18. Government funded programs were carefully merged with appropriate outside agencies, and the League relocated to a much smaller, more manageable facility. These developments ensure the financial viability to sustain core program services while positioning the agency for scalable growth as funds and human resources allow.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The League has fortified its staff to help the agency pursue its strategic and programmatic goals:
1. The CEO has extensive background in promoting a positive organization culture while implementing strategic renewal. She is an expert in communications and major gift development. With more than two decades of community-based leadership, she will sustain the League's mission to serve families in need throughout the region.
2. A new position was created and filled in March 2015 to focus on engaging and recruiting the next generation of League volunteers. This enthusiastic professional will also build relations with the private sector through "service day" activities.
3. March 2015 also saw the hiring of a fundraising professional to consolidate existing, and generate new, sources of revenue. He has 25 years' experience in grantsmanship, major donor development, event sponsorship and communications.
4. Strategic renewal will be an ongoing activity through the 2015/16 operating period. Staff and board are committed to completing the bulk of the strategic objectives during this time.
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 Los Angeles
Board of directorsas of 06/07/2023
Susan Brodsky Thalken
Principal, Aesthetic Alliance Partners, Inc.
Term: 2022 - 2024
Yvonne Cazier
Melanie Edward
Floran Fowkes
Sharon Griffin Galamba
Sheryl Lautenschlager
Greer Saunders
Mara Kalchiem
J'Net Nguyen
Amelia Chick
Kiel FitzGerald
Peggy Davis
J'Net Nguyen
Patti Vogt Rowey
Adrienne Seltzer
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? Yes
Organizational demographics
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
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data