Our Community LA
Technology. Empowerment. Connections. Hope.
Our Community LA
EIN: 27-3782128
as of September 2023
as of September 18, 2023
Mission
Founded on principles of social equity, OCLA believes no one should be homeless, hungry or lacking in essential resources simply because they do not know how to find help. Our mission is to leverage technology to eliminate information barriers that have historically restricted those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness from easily connecting to available supportive services. We directly serve two primary populations: (1) homeless and resource-insecure persons seeking help and (2) service providers and others who use WIN or our directory as referral tools.
Ruling year
2011
President
Dr. Denise McCain-Tharnstrom
Main address
PO Box 676
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 USA
EIN
27-3782128
Health care access
Web applications
Mobile communications
Basic and emergency aid
Homeless services
Population served
Children and youth
Adults
Families
Adolescent parents
Single parents
NTEE code
Children's and Youth Services (P30)
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
Download annual reportsWhat we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
The WIN App
The What I Need (WIN) App Program is a trusted resource that confidentially empowers LA County’s homeless and housing insecure populations to find the supportive services they need to make positive changes in their lives. Leveraging the Federal Lifeline Phone program, largely responsible for the widespread availability of smartphones among homeless and impoverished populations, OCLA’s promotion of and education about the WIN app through its staff, interns, and dedicated community partners empowers homeless and housing insecure populations to directly connect live to 12 categories of services 24/7 - including healthcare, jobs, food, shelter, legal aid, crisis support/hotlines, education, and drop-in centers. WIN searches have increased 72% since 2019. The top categories include Shelter (20%), Food (16%), and Money (14%). In 2022, WIN was downloaded by nearly 8,000 new users, used to phone an agency for help 3,000+ times, and was accessed 24 hours/day by users in every LA County city.
Team WIN
Team WIN is a part-time paid internship program for youth with the lived experience of homelessness. Launched in 2018, a small cohort of youth have been trained to use social media, video, and direct outreach to promote awareness of the What I Need (WIN) app, which enables homeless or struggling populations to easily locate free supportive services by downloading the app on their cell phones. In 2023, the Team is writing, filming, and producing a monthly video showcasing how to cook healthy and delicious meals with food readily obtained from a food pantry as well as publishing a new blog devoted to observations of how homelessness and resource insecurity impact students and other youth in the LA community.
Where we work
External reviews
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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 take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
-
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
Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
0.00
Months of cash in 2021 info
11.9
Fringe rate in 2021 info
10%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Our Community LA
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
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: Jan 01 - Dec 31
This snapshot of Our Community LA’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
Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $16,630 | $34,595 | $46,925 | $3,489 | -$6,439 |
| As % of expenses | 27.3% | 113.7% | 112.1% | 4.0% | -4.6% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $16,630 | $34,595 | $46,925 | $3,489 | -$6,439 |
| As % of expenses | 27.3% | 113.7% | 112.1% | 4.0% | -4.6% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $77,652 | $65,022 | $88,783 | $90,891 | $132,187 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 17.8% | -16.3% | 36.5% | 2.4% | 45.4% |
| Program services revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 7.5% | 5.1% |
| All other grants and contributions | 100.0% | 101.4% | 72.0% | 77.0% | 84.2% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | -1.5% | 28.0% | 15.5% | 10.7% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $61,022 | $30,427 | $41,858 | $87,402 | $138,626 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 37.5% | -50.1% | 37.6% | 108.8% | 58.6% |
| Personnel | 6.7% | 13.3% | 43.9% | 26.4% | 19.5% |
| Professional fees | 1.5% | 66.5% | 32.2% | 10.5% | 5.3% |
| Occupancy | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 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 | 91.8% | 20.2% | 23.9% | 63.1% | 75.1% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $61,022 | $30,427 | $41,858 | $87,402 | $138,626 |
| One month of savings | $5,085 | $2,536 | $3,488 | $7,284 | $11,552 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $66,107 | $32,963 | $45,346 | $94,686 | $150,178 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 5.7 | 39.0 | 43.1 | 18.6 | 11.9 |
| Months of cash and investments | 12.6 | 39.0 | 43.1 | 18.6 | 11.9 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 12.6 | 39.0 | 41.8 | 20.5 | 12.4 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $28,891 | $98,892 | $150,329 | $135,113 | $137,868 |
| Investments | $35,406 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $0 | $0 | $0 | $14,193 | $2,550 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 3.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total net assets | $64,297 | $98,892 | $145,817 | $149,306 | $142,867 |
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
President
Dr. Denise McCain-Tharnstrom
Dr. Denise McCain-Tharnstrom is a committed philanthropist and nonprofit leader with strong interests in leveraging philanthropy ‘beyond the grant’, supporting the engagement of foundations and nonprofits in public policy and designing practical approaches for workable interventions that improve the lives of vulnerable children, families, and adults. Since 2012 she uniquely focused on the needs of homeless and resource-insecure youth, families, and adults. As the Founder/President of Our Community LA (formerly known as Our Children LA), she was responsible for the development of the 2012 and 2015 Directory of Services for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth in Los Angeles and the 2019 Directory of Services for Homeless Youth and Adults in Los Angeles. Under her leadership, OCLA has developed the What I Need (WIN) app, a mobile app that empowers homeless and resource-insecure students, families, and adults in LA County to use any smart device to search for helpful supportive services.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Our Community LA
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Our Community LA
Board of directorsas of 07/20/2023
Board of directors data
Dr. Denise McCain-Tharnstrom
Our Community LA
Leslie Gibbs
Managing Partner, Strategic Branding Matters LLC
Melissa Schoonmaker
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Denise McCain-Tharnstrom
Our Community LA
Tuan Le
Southwestern Medical Services
William Finkelstein
Intellectual Property Attorney (retired)
Laura DiMaggio
NKFSB, LLC
Board leadership practices
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
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
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/19/2023GuideStar 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 employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
GuideStar Pro Reports
Report successfully added to your cart!
Want more data?
A GuideStar Pro report containing the following information is available for this organization:
- Email contact information
- Financial trends metrics for five most recent years 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017*
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
- Contractor and/or Paid Preparer data for 2021, 2020, 2019
- Board of Directors data for 2023
- *with the ability to download the data for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
Download it now for $125.
Need the ability to download nonprofit data and more advanced search options?Consider a Pro Search subscription.