FY2017-2018
IMPACT REPORT
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO AND THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD
Dear Friends, Thank you for helping us provide life-changing advocacy to 3,255 children this year. Your contributions of time, funds, and voices combined make a significant impact on the future of our community — our children. You made it possible for Voices for Children to reach our goal of serving every child in San Diego County and, with the knowledge gained from that strong foundation, to rapidly and strategically grow our program in Riverside County. In this report, you will see how the unique advocacy of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) continues to be the most effective support we can provide to abused, neglected, and abandoned children. From piloting a new Juvenile Justice program in San Diego County to exceeding our goal of serving 350 children in Riverside County foster care, we are proud of the level of excellence each volunteer, staff, and Board member brings to this organization. And now, as we look ahead to the future, the Board of Directors is working diligently to develop a new strategic plan that will guide Voices for Children through the next ten years. We are asking questions such as: How do we respond to growing or shrinking numbers of children in foster care? How can we bring proven CASA advocacy to serve other at-risk children in our communities? In what ways can technology and data-sharing make our program and our partnerships even more effective for the youth we serve? It is an exciting time. As we have been digging into these important topics, one thing is clear: We are committed to our mission of advocating on behalf of vulnerable children. Thank you to everyone who comes alongside us in our mission. We believe, with your support, we will be able to impact the lives of children today and transform the future of our community for generations to come. Gratefully,
John Valencia Jill Skrezyna President & CEO Chair, Board of Directors FY2016-2017 & FY2017-2018
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A Child Heard. A Life Changed.
Every child deserves for their voice to be heard. Sadly, thousands of children each year spend time in an overburdened Juvenile Court system, where their voices too often get drowned out. Voices for Children (VFC) is a nonprofit organization focused on speaking up for abused, abandoned, and neglected children by providing
Voices for Children advocated for 3,255 children and youth during FY2017-2018.
them with Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers. With the support and training of the team at VFC, CASAs dedicate their time to amplifying a child’s voice and ensuring their needs are being met. Last year, Voices for Children staff and more than 1,600 CASAs together advocated on behalf of more than 3,200 children in San Diego and Riverside Counties.
MISSION Voices for Children transforms the lives of abused, abandoned, or neglected children by providing them with trained volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs).
VISION Voices for Children believes that every child deserves a safe and permanent home and, to that end, will provide a trained CASA volunteer to every abused, abandoned, or neglected child who needs one, and advocate to improve the lives of children in the foster care system.
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Leadership BOARD OF DIRECTORS The following individuals served as
COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS COUNCIL
Board Members during FY2017-2018.
The following individuals served as Community Ambassadors during
Jill Skrezyna, Chair William B. Sailer, Esq., Vice Chair
FY2017-2018.
Ted Tchang, Treasurer
Lauree Sahba, Chair
Ann Parode Dynes, Secretary
Kathryn F. Ashworth, Esq.
David Bialis, Past Chair
Stephanie Bergsma
Mary Benirschke
David Bruce
Rochelle Bold, Esq.
Holly Bruce
Annette Bradbury
Vicky Carlson
Nancy Banning Doyle
Mindy Fletcher
Gina Ellis
Mark Gleiberman
Lisette Farrell
Dwight Hare
P. Randolph Finch Jr., Esq.
Patricia Hughes
AnneElise Goetz, Esq.
Craig A. Irving
Jennifer Greenfield
Dave Jackson
The Hon. Susan D. Huguenor (Ret.)
Jimmy Janacek
Erbin B. Keith, Esq.
Yolanda Janacek
Richard Kintz, Esq.
Richard Kelley
George Lai
David Marino
Kristen Livingston
Patsy Marino
Andrea Payne Moser
Marina Marrelli
Jennifer O’Connell
Susan McClellan
Dick Pfister, CAIA®
Eleanor Navarra
Katie Sullivan
Julian Parra
Haeyoung Kong Tang, Ph.D.
Claire Reiss
Donald E. Willis
Sheryl Scarano
Lise N. Wilson, Esq.
Cecil H. Steppe
Dale E. Yahnke, CFA, CFP®
Pamela S. Wygod David Zeiger
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Speaking Up for Children
W
ithin the Juvenile Court system, which is comprised of the foster care system and juvenile delinquency, there is a role called a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA. This technical, legal term boils down to a simple purpose: To get to know the child and to use that information to ensure the child’s needs are being met. In each county, just one organization is designated to recruit, train, and support CASA volunteers to speak up for children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. Voices for Children has had the privilege of operating the CASA program in San Diego County since 1980 and in Riverside County since 2015. During that time, VFC has grown to become one of the largest and most successful programs of nearly 1,000 nationwide. CASA volunteers are matched with a child or sibling group and ensure their needs are being met. They visit with the children or youth to whom they are assigned at least once a month, providing the children with stability and consistency. This time together also allows CASAs to better understand the children and their needs.
“
ONCE THEY TRUST YOU,
THEY’LL BELIEVE YOU WHEN YOU TELL THEM HOW GREAT THEY ARE AND HOW VALUABLE THEY ARE.
”
– CASA Bruce
While many CASAs act as mentors, role models, confidantes, and friends for the vulnerable children they serve, their primary role is advocate. Aside from their time spent with the child, CASAs communicate with all of the other adults in a child’s life — judges, teachers, doctors, lawyers, probation officers, biological families, social workers, and caregivers. With the knowledge they glean, they request important services for a child, such as counseling, tutoring, physical therapy, or medical care. At critical junctures in the case, they submit written reports to the court, which judges use to make important decisions about the child’s future.
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During the past year, our CASAs have intervened to make miracles happen, including:
The Juvenile Court system is comprised of both of both foster care and juvenile delinquency. Since 1980, VFC has provided CASAs only to children and youth in foster care. In 2015, a new California law allowed CASAs to be assigned to youth who find themselves navigating the complex Juvenile Justice system. Thanks to new grant funding, Voices for Children’s San Diego County CASA Program in 2017 began providing specially trained CASAs to these at-risk youth who would greatly benefit from individualized advocacy. Read more about this pilot program in our San Diego County report supplement.
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• Expediting enrollment in a new school after a move, ensuring a child with learning disabilities was able to start school at the beginning of the year • Delaying the termination of reunification services to allow for a child to make a trial visit with her parents, which ultimately led to successful reunification • Encouraging a child who felt he “didn’t deserve a family” and supporting his foster family to ensure he could stay with them despite his doubts • Visiting a young woman at the hospital on a weekly basis after she was diagnosed with cancer and had no other consistent adult to lean on • Encouraging a foster youth to attend a local music program, where he finally worked up the courage to perform a song
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FY2016-2017 & FY2017-2018
REVENUES FY2016-2017
FY2017-2018
Gifts and Contributions
$3,691,232
$3,517,608
Special Events (less direct benefits)
$1,792,116
$1,980,731
Government Funding
$756,980
$1,148,295
Contributed Goods, Services, and Facilities
$81,256
$133,268
Net Realized/Unrealized Gain on Marketable Securities
$8,787
$8,143
Other Income
$6,370
$13,031
$6,336,741
$6,801,076
Total Revenue
EXPENSES FY2016-2017
FY2017-2018
Program
$4,568,439
$4,936,024
Management and General
$249,484
$378,302
$1,190,790
$1,201,479
Total Expenses
$6,008,713
$6,515,805
Change in Net Assets
$328,027
$285,271
Net Assets at the Beginning of Year
$1,625,123
$1,953,150
$1,953,150
$2,238,421
Fundraising
Net Assets at Year End
FY2017-2018 REVENUES
• • • • • •
Gifts and Contributions: 51.7% Special Events (less direct benefits): 29.1% Government Funding: 16.9% Contributed Goods, Services, and Facilities: 2%
FY2017-2018 EXPENSES
• • •
Program: 76% Management and General: 6% Fundraising: 18%
Net Realized/Unrealized Gain on Marketable Securities: 0.1% Other Income: 0.2%
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Vital Support
D
uring FY2017-2018, 3,255 children in foster care across San Diego and Riverside Counties received an advocate through Voices for Children. In addition, in San Diego County, the case of every single child — 3,999 children in total — was continuously monitored and assessed by VFC staff to ensure the child’s needs were being met. The costs to provide this robust service to so many children were $6,515,805 during FY2017-2018. Thanks to the generosity of thousands of donors, VFC raised $6,801,076.
continues to validate the long-term societal benefits of providing CASAs to our youth. In total, the percentage of government funding rose from 12% in FY2016-2017 to 17% in FY2017-2018.
SPECIAL EVENTS VFC special events are celebrated as some of San Diego’s best attended and highest-grossing philanthropic affairs, bringing in 29% of FY20172018 revenue. See our report supplements for more information about our local events.
GIFTS, GRANTS & CONTRIBUTIONS Contributions from all sources are important in providing a balanced “portfolio” for VFC, so the organization is not overly dependent on any one source. Overall, our income grew 7.3% over the previous fiscal year, as we received record amounts from individuals, corporations, foundations, and service organizations. The enclosed donor listings in this Impact Report (see San Diego and Riverside County supplements) demonstrate the great breadth and depth of community support for the work of our CASAs on behalf of our children.
“
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
INCLUDE SOCIAL BENEFIT,
VFC is grateful not only for the private support we receive, but also for growing public support that
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THE AMOUNT OF NEED
THAT VOICES FOR CHILDREN IS SERVING IS VERY HARD TO MEASURE IN FINANCIAL TERMS. THE INTANGIBLE THINGS THAT SPENDING THAT MONEY COVERS INCLUDE FEELINGS, INCLUDE CAREERS.
”
– CASA Sarah
Valued Contributions
V
oices for Children is proud to maintain prudent stewardship of our resources, as well as maximize our impact through partnerships and efficiencies. At the heart of our effective model is a large and dedicated volunteer base, comprised of 1,655 individuals across San Diego and Riverside Counties this year. Over the course of the year, our volunteers donated 167,781 hours of time, valued at $4.88 million.1
Through long-term, valued partnerships and by forging new, strategic collaborations, Voices for Children received significant in-kind contributions during FY2017-2018, including donated media, special activities for children, development opportunities for staff, and various professional services. In total, these substantial contributions of $133,000 bolstered our ability to serve as many children as possible with oneon-one advocacy.
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION FY2016-2017 & FY2017-2018
ASSETS FY2016-2017
FY2017-2018
Current Assets
$2,530,987
$2,786,863
Property and Equipment
$112,251
$131,858
Other Assets
$29,025
$29,025
Total Assets
$2,672,263
$2,947,746
LIABILITY AND NET ASSETS
FY2016-2017
FY2017-2018
Current Liabilities
$719,113
$709,325
Unrestricted Net Assets
$1,696,409
$1,989,215
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets
$156,741
$86,706
Permanently Restricted Net Assets
$100,000
Total Liabilities and Net Assets
$2,672,263
$162,500 $2,947,746
DESIGN Studio M Visual Design PHOTOGRAPHY John Trice (Impact Report page 8, Riverside County supplement page 2 and page 5) PRINTING Neyenesch Printers The Independent Sector calculates the value of volunteer time as $29.09 per hour in California for 2017.
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“
THE TERM COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL
ADVOCATE IS KIND OF A TECHNICAL TERM, BUT IT’S REALLY JUST A HEARTFELT LOVE THAT THESE CASAs HAVE AND A PASSION FOR THESE KIDS.
”
– Dale Yahnke, VFC Board Member
SAN DIEGO COUNTY REPORT SUPPLEMENT Read more about our milestones and accomplishments in San Diego County during FY2017-2018, and join us in celebrating our dedicated supporters and partners.
READ MORE
RIVERSIDE COUNTY REPORT SUPPLEMENT Read more about our milestones and accomplishments in Riverside County during FY2017-2018, and join us in celebrating our dedicated supporters and partners.
READ MORE
www.speakupnow.org 858-569-2019 | San Diego County 951-472-9301 | Riverside County IRS tax I.D. #95-3786047