Friends of the Los Angeles River
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?
Source to Sea Watershed Education
Our Source To Sea Watershed Education program delivers place-based environmental education to K-12 students across Los Angeles. Through in-class lessons, a visit from our River Rover, and a River field trip, Source To Sea students enhance their science literacy skills and engage with the Los Angeles River’s past, present, and potential future.
Great LA River CleanUp
Every year, FoLAR hosts our annual Great LA River CleanUp. What began in 1989 with a dozen people at one site has since grown into one of the most impactful environmental stewardship events in the region, not to mention one of the largest urban river cleanups in the country. In organizing our CleanUp, FoLAR not only facilitates the removal of several tons of trash each year, but it provides an opportunity for the local community to connect with the River in a special and meaningful way. In a concrete jungle like Los Angeles, it is easy to forget that nature exists. By coming out for a day of service, Angelenos are exposed to the River first-hand - they hear the trickle of the water, walk through willow and cottonwood trees, and marvel at a Great Blue Heron resting on a boulder or spot a family of swimming mallards. Working together with family, friends, and strangers to untangle grocery bags from tree limbs or haul whole shopping carts up the River’s banks, volunteers interact with this beautiful natural resource that flows right through the heart of their city, and in doing so, they learn to love and care about their urban River. FoLAR’s CleanUp ultimately seeks to engage the community around River revitalization, educate them about their local environment, and create a culture of River stewardship among Angelenos of all ages and backgrounds throughout Los Angeles.
Day of Discovery
The Day of Discovery Program provides classes at Title 1 LAUSD schools the opportunity to spend a day on the Los Angeles River connecting their classroom to the real world. DoD brings classes to the LA River on a field trip, where they are guided through a nature walk, a water filtration activity, and macroinvertebrate sampling.
LA River Fellows Program
The LA River Fellows program delivers education and workforce development to local high school students often underrepresented in STEM and conservation. Through the paid, year-long program, Fellows become certified climate change communicators, meet with environmental professionals, assist with K-12 River education activities, attend a River kayaking excursion and camping trip, and conduct environmental research, community advocacy, or phyto-mycoremediation at Taylor Yard.
River Makers
Our corporate stewardship program brings the People to the River by partnering with like-minded corporations or organizations to tailor a private River CleanUp or Habitat Restoration event to their needs. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
River Fest
River Fest is our annual open-air film, arts, and community festival celebrating the LA River. Every summer, River Fest brings hundreds of Angelenos to the LA State Historic Park to enjoy films, art, live music, food, 30+ local community organizations, and more.
Monthly Habitat Restoration Day
Join FoLAR, CA Native Plant Society, and San Fernando Valley Audubon Society every fourth Saturday from 8am-11am at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve to remove invasive plants and then attend a bird walk! This free event is available for signup on Eventbrite.
Community Events
Throughout the year, FoLAR hosts small community education events along the LA River, including nature walks and our popular Bats & Brews event. These periodic events are available for signup on Eventbrite. FoLAR also tables at our partners’ events to bring new communities to the River.
Where we work
Awards
2023 Environmental Education Organization of the Year 2023
ASSOCIATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL & OUTDOOR EDUCATION
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of conservation actions at site(s)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Habitat Restoration events occur the 4th Saturday of every month. Separate River Maker restoration events occur a few times a year ad hoc.
Acres of natural habitat restored
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Habitat restoration projects, supported by hundreds of volunteers, occur monthly and average about 25-40,000 gallons of invasive species removed per year at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve.
Total pounds of debris collected
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Great LA River CleanUp
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
1.6 million pounds of trash removed over last 33 years of River Clean Ups
Number of students educated through field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Students, Children and youth, Low-income people
Related Program
Source to Sea Watershed Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
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?
OPERATE: Create an ecosystem of high quality board, team, and funders dedicated to deep and lasting impact.
EDUCATE: FoLAR’s community relations and education programs continuously grow and inspire a diverse, multi-generational base of river stewards and advocates.
ACTIVATE: FoLAR is the largest mobilizing force on the river with a base that consistently takes action for nature, climate, and equity on and around the Los Angeles River.
A RESILIENT RIVER: A verdant Los Angeles River that supports vulnerable communities in climate adaptation - a dynamic, functioning ecosystem that reduces flood risk, cleans the air, cools temperatures, and supports the biodiversity essential to our collective wellbeing.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
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 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
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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 look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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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, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of 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
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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.
Friends of the Los Angeles River
Board of directorsas of 10/16/2023
Natasha Keefer
Prologi
Term: 2022 -
M-K O'Connell
M2O, Inc.
Jaime Carlson
Lunya
Ruth Coleman
Relationship Coffee Institute
Brenda Eddy
Right Management
Ed Othmer
Stantec
Steve Veres
Board of Trustees, Los Angeles Community College District
Natasha Keefer
Prologi
Vikrum Aiyer
ACLU
Marissa Christiansen
Water Foundation
Ed Othmer
Stantec
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
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
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 06/14/2022GuideStar 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
- 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 have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- 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 have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- 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.