PLATINUM2024

Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach

Empathy is the gift that lasts a lifetime

aka The Volunteer Center   |   Torrance, CA   |  www.volcenter.org
GuideStar Charity Check

Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach

EIN: 95-2301600

Mission

For 60 years, the Volunteer Center has been a trusted presence in the South Bay, Harbor, and Long Beach communities and beyond. We are known for leading and administering programs that include Food for Kids, Operation Teddy Bear, the Court-Referred Community Service program, and youth support initiatives such as Impact Makers. The core of our work is not the programs alone, but the creation of an umbrella of care with all of our efforts. Everything we do is designed to build empathy and resilience in our community through community service and volunteerism.

Ruling year info

1966

President/CEO

Josh Gezahegn

Main address

1230 Cravens Avenue

Torrance, CA 90501 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

Volunteer Bureau South Bay-Harbor

EIN

95-2301600

Subject area info

Voluntarism

Family services

Elementary and secondary education

Nonprofits

Youth mentoring

Population served info

Economically disadvantaged people

Adults

Children and youth

Families

NTEE code info

Family Services (P40)

Elementary, Secondary Ed (B20)

Voluntarism Promotion (T40)

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
2018 Annual Report

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Children, youth, and families in our community continue to face food insecurity, education inequity, and lack of resources to maintain their mental and psychical well-being.

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?

Operation Teddy Bear

Operation Teddy Bear® is the Volunteer Center’s volunteer-powered literacy program that provides an educational boost through a kind gift – more than 4,000 schoolbags filled with books, educational materials and wellness tools, along with our signature lesson in kindness, compassion, volunteering and identifying emotions – to the most underserved first-graders in the South Bay, Harbor and Long Beach areas (based on the percentage of students eligible for Free and Reduced Priced Meals at local schools).

Operation Teddy Bear helps the students develop a positive attitude toward learning; teaches them how kindness and volunteering benefits both the individual and the community; uses the experience as encouragement to "pay it forward;” helps them to identify and manage their emotions; and enhances their well-being, social development, health and confidence.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Adults

Food For Kids is the Volunteer Center’s volunteer and donation-driven food pantry that provides bags of non-perishable food and bilingual health-related inserts handouts to low-income students at partner elementary schools in the South Bay and Harbor areas each week.

Volunteers assemble and deliver bags of food - filled with items to make two breakfasts, lunches and dinners - to the local schools on Fridays. The school administration identifies the families with the greatest need each week, and the students take the bags home to share with their families over the weekend.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Adults

The Court Referral Community Service (CRCS) program provides assistance to thousands of clients who are given community service by the courts as an alternative sentence. CRCS staff works with eligible nonprofits in the community to help court volunteers complete their service. They also coordinate participation in the Hospital and Morgue (HAM) Program and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Victim Impact Panels to help build awareness and empathy for people with specific offenses. This ensures that court volunteers can maintain their employment, education and other positive influences while completing their community service.

Population(s) Served
Adults

With the arrival of a new President/CEO in 2016, our Board of Directors began a strategic planning process to establish an updated vision for the organization's future. The process included an evaluation of existing programs and an assessment to identify the most critical community need: the mental health crisis facing our youth. Representatives from our community believe that this crisis is the result of excessive screen time and social media addiction, combined with a culture that glorifies perfection. Meanwhile, research shows that empathy and resilience are at an all-time low, in part due to the rise in screen time.

We used the community's input to research and develop a new, all-encompassing program to address these needs. Called "Engaging Hearts and Minds," the program combines three new strategies with updates to our existing programs - all designed to compassionately support community members, so everyone can look up, re-connect, empathize with each other, build resilience, express emotions and practice self-care.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Families

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of volunteers

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Court Referral Community Service

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
Population(s) Served

Economically disadvantaged people

Related Program

Operation Teddy Bear

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of meals delivered

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Food For Kids

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

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.

We will provide the community with..
1. Our core programs like court-referred community service, Food for Kids, and Operation Teddy Bear
2. Information, Resources, and Referrals
3. Community Awareness Campaign
4. Educational Presentations

So Kids & families can have...
1. Over 3,000 meals served on weekends to vulnerable communities
2. Over 4,000 backpacks with education tools and gifts
3. 12,000 - 14,000 volunteers and families engaged each year

So youth & families can have...
1. Awareness of the mental health crisis and knowledge of prevention strategies
2. Ideas for quality interactive activities to encourage socialization and reduce isolation
3. Opportunities to learn about and practice coping skills with an emphasis on healthy sleep habits
4. A safe space to practice identifying feelings and expressing emotions in healthy ways
5. Hands-on practice empathizing with and helping others
6. The confidence to identify youth who may need more mental health support and connect them to resources

We will do this Through...
Donor and Grant Funding
Income from Endowment Interest
And Community volunteerism

The community learns the tools to determine where care is needed most and the importance of early intervention and relevant support.
The community is inspired and empowered to put their empathy into action
The community joins together with others to multiply their volunteer impact
The community makes empathy, volunteerism, and kindness consistent practices
The community practices self-care and gain resilience so that they have the capacity to sustain the practice of empathy, volunteerism, and kindness throughout their lives

The Volunteer Center has been at the heart of helping for 60 years - we have worked alongside community members, foundations, organizations, and elected officials to mobilize quickly where care is needed most. Empathy and resilience are our tools.

We currently engage 14,000 volunteers a year with over 12,000 meals donated and 4,000 teddy bears and resource backpacks distributed to students. We remain committed to increasing our empathy footprint by responding to the most urgent needs of the community, opening hearts, and engaging minds.

Financials

Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach
Fiscal year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
Financial documents
2023 VOLUNTEER CENTER SOUTH BAY-HARBOR-LONG BEACH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
done  Yes, financials were audited by an independent accountant. info

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 2023 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

1.78

Average of 1.66 over 10 years

Months of cash in 2023 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

6.3

Average of 2.5 over 10 years

Fringe rate in 2023 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

10%

Average of 12% over 10 years

Funding sources info

Source: IRS Form 990

Assets & liabilities info

Source: IRS Form 990

Financial data

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

Fiscal year ending: cloud_download Download Data

Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30

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

Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach

Financial trends analysis Glossary & formula definitions

Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

This snapshot of Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach’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: Jul 01 - Jun 30 picture_as_pdf View full report cloud_downloadDownload data

Business model indicators

Profitability info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation $75,296 $21,135 $498,607 -$247,426 $46,017
As % of expenses 6.6% 1.9% 51.2% -23.1% 5.4%
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation $52,609 -$115 $477,293 -$268,740 $24,353
As % of expenses 4.6% 0.0% 48.0% -24.6% 2.8%
Revenue composition info
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) $1,305,771 $1,018,076 $1,273,477 $1,113,347 $888,864
Total revenue, % change over prior year 2.8% -22.0% 25.1% -12.6% -20.2%
Program services revenue 54.0% 48.8% 25.2% 34.7% 39.8%
Membership dues 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Investment income 3.0% 7.3% 9.9% 14.8% 14.9%
Government grants 0.0% 5.8% 5.1% 1.4% 0.0%
All other grants and contributions 36.8% 38.2% 59.6% 49.0% 45.3%
Other revenue 6.2% 0.0% 0.3% 0.0% 0.0%
Expense composition info
Total expenses before depreciation $1,132,610 $1,096,736 $973,459 $1,071,218 $859,412
Total expenses, % change over prior year -16.8% -3.2% -11.2% 10.0% -19.8%
Personnel 65.0% 61.2% 51.2% 52.8% 62.1%
Professional fees 1.2% 2.2% 4.7% 9.8% 4.1%
Occupancy 4.8% 5.6% 4.6% 3.5% 4.6%
Interest 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.4%
Pass-through 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.9% 2.6%
All other expenses 29.1% 31.0% 39.4% 32.9% 26.2%
Full cost components (estimated) info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Total expenses (after depreciation) $1,155,297 $1,117,986 $994,773 $1,092,532 $881,076
One month of savings $94,384 $91,395 $81,122 $89,268 $71,618
Debt principal payment $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Fixed asset additions $0 $0 $0 $0 $44,167
Total full costs (estimated) $1,249,681 $1,209,381 $1,075,895 $1,181,800 $996,861

Capital structure indicators

Liquidity info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Months of cash 2.4 2.5 5.7 4.6 6.3
Months of cash and investments 18.5 18.9 29.1 23.0 29.7
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets 12.8 13.5 21.3 16.6 20.7
Balance sheet composition info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Cash $226,181 $231,271 $462,075 $409,651 $449,982
Investments $1,515,919 $1,492,727 $1,898,738 $1,642,418 $1,677,914
Receivables $6,650 $4,835 $0 $0 $0
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) $1,213,344 $1,214,121 $1,214,121 $1,214,121 $1,258,288
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) 47.7% 49.4% 51.2% 52.9% 52.8%
Liabilities (as a % of assets) 2.9% 5.4% 6.9% 8.0% 9.2%
Unrestricted net assets $1,843,728 $1,843,613 $2,320,906 $2,052,166 $2,076,519
Temporarily restricted net assets $492,332 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Permanently restricted net assets $0 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Total restricted net assets $492,332 $391,910 $450,919 $401,337 $419,713
Total net assets $2,336,060 $2,235,523 $2,771,825 $2,453,503 $2,496,232

Key data checks

Key data checks info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
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

President/CEO

Josh Gezahegn

Number of employees

Source: IRS Form 990

Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach

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

Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach

Highest paid employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation
Other
Related
Show data for fiscal year
Compensation data
Download up to 5 most recent years of highest paid employee data for this organization

Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach

Board of directors
as of 08/12/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board of directors data
Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization
Board chair

Kevin Morrow

Dianne Bozler

USC, Retired

Denise Beggs

Boeing, Retired

Brenda M Williams

Frist Steps Strategic Planning

Lea Ann King

Community Organizer

Paula Cox-Marshall

Tv & Radio Account Executive, Retired

Jean Adelsman

Community Volunteer

Laura Kauls

Certified Public Accountant, Retired

Betty C. Lieu, Esq.

Torrance Unified School District

Connie Robinson

Information Technology

Lili T Puckett

Street Racing Kills

Bridgett Lewis

Port of Long Beach

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 ? 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? Not applicable

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 8/12/2024
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
Black/African American
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

There are no contractors recorded for this organization.

Professional fundraisers

Fiscal year ending

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G

Solicitation activities
Gross receipts from fundraising
Retained by organization
Paid to fundraiser