GOLD2023

reDiscover Center, Inc.

Think. Make. Tinker. Creatively reuse materials to build as wild as your imagination.

aka reDiscover   |   Los Angeles, CA   |  www.rediscovercenter.org
GuideStar Charity Check

reDiscover Center, Inc.

EIN: 20-0192617

Mission

reDiscover develops children’s creativity through hands-on making with sustainable materials. We work to inspire a generation of makers, tinkerers, and inventors. We put real power tools in the hands of kids, supply them with sustainably sourced materials selected to expand their imaginations, and support them with skills training, shop time, and coaching to create amazing projects big and small.

Ruling year info

2004

Principal Officer

Jonathan Bijur

Main address

12958 W. Washington Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90066 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

20-0192617

Subject area info

Arts education

Elementary and secondary education

Recycling

Environmental education

Population served info

Children and youth

NTEE code info

Elementary, Secondary Ed (B20)

Recycling (C27)

Arts Education/Schools (A25)

IRS subsection

501(c)(3) Public Charity

IRS filing requirement

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

Tax forms

Communication

Programs and results

Reports and documents
2021 2021 Annual Report 2020 2020 Annual Report 2019 2019 Annual Report 2008 reDiscover Annual Report

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Our goals include giving the opportunity to creatively reuse discarded materials to all children and provide a mechanism for households and businesses to divert waste from the trashstream that can be reused for art, education, and problem solving.

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?

Tinkering School LA

Tinkering School LA teaches children the skills they need to work confidently in wood, plastic, and metal to build robust structures as wild as their imaginations. With a 4:1 camper to facilitator ratio, our fully stocked workshop provides a safe and supportive environment for personal growth through skills development and creative construction.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

Art and tinkering activities for the general public at local community festivals, farmers markets, library programs, museums, and other public events.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

reDiscover designs, builds, and staffs in-school makerspaces and maker resources for K-8 schools. Programs include Design Lab installations, Tinker Carts, tools and materials for maker programs, one day, weekly, and full time workshop facilitation, professional development, and curriculum coaching.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

Where we work

Awards

Sustainable Quality Award Grand Prize 2007

City of Santa Monica

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.

reDiscover Center envisions a generation of Angelenos growing up confident using tools and materials to create art and solve real problems. We want children across Los Angeles County to understand where the materials in our communities come from, where they go, and how we can use them efficiently and creatively. Our goals include giving the opportunity to creatively reuse discarded materials to all children and provide a mechanism for households and businesses to divert waste from the trashstream that can be reused for art, education, and problem solving.

reDiscover Center manages an upcycled materials warehouse that collected discarded materials and curates those materials for educational use. We use those materials in educational programs that inspire youth to think, make, and tinker on projects at reDiscover Center and at our partner sites, including, schools, libraries, and community events throughout Los Angeles. reDiscover Center aims to expand our reach through the creation of mobile reDiscover Centers based in targeted neighborhoods across Los Angeles County, building local support for creative reuse, tinkering, and children's tool use.

reDiscover Center has been organizing creative reuse materials distribution and educational programs since 2004. We operate out of a 2,500 square foot warehouse/makerspace in Culver City, California, with a full time staff of three and a roster of 20 teaching artists. Our network of materials donors and educational partners include over 100 organizations across Los Angeles, such as the Westside Children's Center, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, Homewalk, and the Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts.

So far we have reached over 35,000 youth in Los Angeles County, diverted over 100 tons of material from the landfill, and supported over 50 artists to create public displays inspiring creative reuse. There is still plenty of work to do.

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 demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
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 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 take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, 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, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection

Financials

reDiscover Center, Inc.
Fiscal year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
Financial documents
2016 2015 2015 2014 2013 2012 reDiscover 2012 Annual Report

Revenue vs. expenses:  breakdown

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info
NET GAIN/LOSS:    in 
Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Liquidity in 2021 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

1.41

Average of 1.80 over 9 years

Months of cash in 2021 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

2.8

Average of 2.7 over 9 years

Fringe rate in 2021 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

13%

Average of 10% over 9 years

Funding sources info

Source: IRS Form 990

Assets & liabilities info

Source: IRS Form 990

Financial data

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

reDiscover Center, Inc.

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

Fiscal year ending: cloud_download Download Data

reDiscover Center, Inc.

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Fiscal year ending: cloud_download Download Data

reDiscover Center, Inc.

Financial trends analysis Glossary & formula definitions

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

This snapshot of reDiscover Center, Inc.’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.

Created in partnership with

Fiscal year: Jan 01 - Dec 31 picture_as_pdf View full report cloud_downloadDownload data

Business model indicators

Profitability info 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation -$5,873 $24,654 $29,563 $9,779 -$61,285
As % of expenses -1.4% 4.6% 5.1% 1.9% -6.9%
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation -$6,658 $23,869 $28,553 $8,769 -$62,295
As % of expenses -1.6% 4.5% 4.9% 1.7% -7.0%
Revenue composition info
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) $409,921 $554,271 $613,905 $518,108 $824,514
Total revenue, % change over prior year 42.6% 35.2% 10.8% -15.6% 59.1%
Program services revenue 80.2% 85.7% 85.5% 46.1% 44.5%
Membership dues 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Investment income 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Government grants 0.0% 2.0% 1.6% 29.3% 29.1%
All other grants and contributions 19.8% 12.3% 10.7% 24.5% 25.5%
Other revenue 0.0% 0.0% 2.1% 0.1% 0.9%
Expense composition info
Total expenses before depreciation $416,294 $531,117 $584,342 $508,329 $885,799
Total expenses, % change over prior year 43.5% 27.6% 10.0% -13.0% 74.3%
Personnel 67.6% 72.1% 75.8% 77.8% 67.2%
Professional fees 7.2% 0.7% 0.8% 0.7% 1.5%
Occupancy 13.1% 10.7% 11.7% 10.4% 9.1%
Interest 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Pass-through 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
All other expenses 12.1% 16.5% 11.7% 11.1% 22.3%
Full cost components (estimated) info 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total expenses (after depreciation) $417,079 $531,902 $585,352 $509,339 $886,809
One month of savings $34,691 $44,260 $48,695 $42,361 $73,817
Debt principal payment $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Fixed asset additions $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Total full costs (estimated) $451,770 $576,162 $634,047 $551,700 $960,626

Capital structure indicators

Liquidity info 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Months of cash 1.7 1.9 2.3 6.4 2.8
Months of cash and investments 1.7 1.9 2.3 6.4 2.8
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets 1.7 1.9 2.3 2.9 0.8
Balance sheet composition info 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Cash $59,112 $82,091 $111,829 $271,507 $208,433
Investments $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Receivables $0 $0 $0 $0 $25
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) $7,852 $7,852 $7,067 $7,067 $7,067
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) 20.0% 30.0% 36.5% 50.8% 65.1%
Liabilities (as a % of assets) 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 54.5% 70.2%
Unrestricted net assets $63,894 $87,763 $0 $0 $62,790
Temporarily restricted net assets $1,500 $0 N/A N/A N/A
Permanently restricted net assets $0 $0 N/A N/A N/A
Total restricted net assets $1,500 $0 $0 $0 $0
Total net assets $65,394 $87,763 $116,316 $125,085 $62,790

Key data checks

Key data checks info 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Material data errors No No No No No

Operations

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

Documents
Letter of Determination
Form 1023/1024 is not available for this organization

Principal Officer

Jonathan Bijur

LinkedIn profile

Jonathan Markowitz Bijur has been a volunteer, artist, and facilitator at reDiscover since 2010 and Executive Director since 2014. He is one of the founders of Tinkering School LA. Jonathan was inspired to join reDiscover out of a deep respect for what is accomplishes facilitating creativity, recycling, and community and a desire to help it reach more kids, inspire more artists, and divert more materials from the trash stream. He has worked in museum education, community outreach, and public librarianship in Boston and Los Angeles. His career has focused on the intersection of art, engineering, and education. Jonathan is a passionate tinkerer, artist, educator, and STEAM advocate. He tries to apply a tinkering attitude to all aspects of his life, whether that is cooking, playing with his three young children, making toys and furniture, redecorating his home and neighborhood, or in his Unitarian Universalist church community. Jonathan is a graduate of Yale and Simmons GSLIS.

Number of employees

Source: IRS Form 990

reDiscover Center, Inc.

Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation
Other
Related
Show data for fiscal year
Compensation data
Download up to 5 most recent years of officer and director compensation data for this organization

There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.

reDiscover Center, Inc.

Board of directors
as of 06/07/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board of directors data
Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization
Board chair

Aaron Kramer

Urban Objects

Term: 2021 - 2023

Mary Beth Trautwein

reDiscover Center

Donna Tiocao

PWC

Trevor Glilland

Adobe

Mari Brusseau

Samir Sanghani

Guggenheim Partners

Jeannine Chanin Penn

Century Park Law Group

Lynne Brodhead Clark

10 Women Gallery

Max Nishamura

Windward School

Kristen Paglia

P.S. Arts

Pantea Shakib

Supersonic

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 ? No
  • 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

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 1/27/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

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
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/13/2023

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 employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • 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.
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 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.