Mosaic of Success

I recently read a Forbes article that stated, “30% of nonprofits fail to exist after 10 years, and over half of the nonprofits fail within a few years.” For an organization that is about to enter our 5th decade, I pondered, “What have been the threads to success that have been weaved through the organization over the past that led to the tremendous impact we have witnessed over the years?”

1983, 1993, 2003, 2013 and 2023 - Through these organizational milestones, I believe that a mosaic has been woven together of: compassionate and strategic board members, passionate and creative staff members, and loving and generous supporters who have made an indelible mark on the mission of The Wooden Floor through their unwavering commitment and service to our mission, our students and their families. Over the years, beginning with the efforts by our founder, Beth Burns, and carried through to today, we are “one community,” which forms a beautiful mosaic that unites us in our collective goal to move young people forward.

Our strategic and integrated approach to our mission has set the course on the successes that we are witnessing today:

■ Nearly 100,000 young people have been served, since 1983

■ Locally, the 475 young people in our year-round program coming from 15 cities in Orange County are served through two locations in Santa Ana, and approximately 3,000 students are served through our community engagement program each year, called Dance Free Weeks. Nationally, we launched our License Partnership Program to scale our impact across the United States

■ 100% High School Graduation and College Enrollment Rate, since 2005

■ Over 50% of our students declare majors in (S.T.E.A.M) Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math

■ 54% of alumni graduate from college with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, as compared to 12% of their socioeconomic peers

■ Our 10-Year Longitudinal Study 2014-2024 is nearing completion, which is assessing the long-term impact The Wooden Floor makes in children’s lives

■ Our team has grown to nearly 60 staff members who work tirelessly to ensure our programs and services deliver on the high-quality standards that our community expects from us

As we look ahead, we will continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of the students and families we serve through our 10-Year Strategic Vision (2021-2031) which is to: Drive Social Innovation, Grow Impact, and Uplift Our Community. We are confident that our mission will continue to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for generations of students to follow in the footsteps of those who came before them.

We thank those who came before us, those who are with us today, and those who will follow in the years ahead for upholding the promise we make to our students: from here you can step anywhere.

With gratitude,