2020
Year in Review
At Stepping Forward LA, our mission is to empower youth aging out of the foster care system to transition successfully to adulthood and reach their fullest potential.
Like so many of our peers, 2020 tested our resilience. But we didn't just adapt – we innovated. We grew our programming, budget, partnerships, and commitment.
Now, we're stronger than ever.
Highlights
1
We raised $170K online, exceeding our $100K campaign goal. We gained new partners, including several schools, and raised funds for several exciting new initiatives.
2
In response to the pandemic and other needs faced by young adults, we developed a set of integrated initiatives and partnerships to guide programming in 2021 and beyond.
3
We opened up avenues to reach youth in all segments of the foster care system, including foster family, kin and extended family, and guardian arrangements.
4
With support from the Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation, we developed processes to sustain our growing volunteer base. We created online training, diversified volunteer roles, and personalized the recruitment process.
5
We built a strong technology infrastructure – including a mobile app, evaluation database, and virtual trainings – to sustain programming for years to come.
6
We established new partnerships with Antioch University, Cal State Los Angeles, and UCLA, engaging graduate students who are helping create curricula and program evaluation systems for our new initiatives.
7
We grew our team, bringing on new staff, hiring 10 former foster youth interns, and engaging a developer to bring our mobile app to life.
8
Last but not least, our staff went above and beyond, demonstrating resilience in the face of so much challenge. Because of them, we remained a stable source of support for the young adults we serve.
Financials
We raised $382,133 from the following sources:
85% of funds raised went directly
to programs for young adults.
Funds allowed us to address their immediate needs, while strengthening our operations and building new systems for long-term success.
Responding to the Pandemic
While sustaining essential 1-1 support to current and former foster youth
during this difficult time, we also:
Pivoted quickly to address immediate needs by:
-
Building a virtual infrastructure and adapting programs to ensure the health and safety of youth and volunteers
-
Repurposing office space to provide a drop-in center for youth
-
Delivering resources, food, activities, and other essential items
-
Visiting and delivering personalized holiday gifts to every young adult in our programs
-
Establishing new partnerships to improve and expand our services
Adjusted our budget accordingly by:
-
Reducing office space and overhead, setting up our staff with home office environments
-
Shifting funding to address emergency needs
-
Increasing financial support for students by providing textbooks, laptops, technology, scholarships, and other essential items
"I couldn't be more thankful to SFLA. I can't even remember the last time I received a gift for Christmas. Your kindness is unparalleled and will always be remembered in my heart.
I look forward to a new year stepping forward with such incredible people by my side."
– Donta, young adult
More than respond,
we developed sustainable solutions.
Adapting quickly to meet urgent needs was important, but we didn't stop there.
As everything changed in our environment, we focused inward and leveraged the strength of our vibrant community to reassess and think big picture.
Integrating the perspectives of our young adults, we developed a new service delivery model that makes us more sustainable in the face of external shifts, while providing opportunities to scale efficiently.
With new initiatives, including a new mobile app and virtual community, we're ready for the next chapter.
Program Accomplishments
& New Initiatives
In a new partnership with Los Angeles Room & Board, and Ready to Succeed LA, we welcomed the first 20 residents of the newly opened Opportunity House, a supportive living community for formerly foster and/or homeless students attending community college.
We hired and trained 10 exceptional Opportunity House students for a paid internship.
Informed by their own experiences with the foster care system, interns designed the framework and details of our new mobile app.
More than just connect youth to resources, our app provides a robust library of educational video content – eventually produced by former foster youth themselves – that gives youth the tools to build self-sufficiency as they move into adulthood.
This app will function as our primary vehicle for service delivery moving forward.
Allowing us to reach a greater number of youth, it puts the power directly in their hands to chart their own course. With guidance from our ever-growing community of adult volunteers and former foster youth, we'll be developing young leaders.
In response to a growing need, we launched a support program for pregnant and parenting young women, engaging 18 moms in just a few months.
We're expanding to reach 50 during 2021.
We expanded our menu of volunteer experiences to match these new initiatives.
Volunteers delivered skill building workshops, engaged youth in healthy relationships, led social activities, and so much more.
Our volunteer program expansion was made possible by our partnership with Los Angeles Room & Board as well as generous funding from the Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation.
What We Learned
How to leverage our strengths.
We developed ways to sustain the best features of our traditional programming, while adapting new formats that help young adults address their needs even when we can't support them face to face.
We've always believed youth deserve to be empowered as the key decision-makers in their lives. Our new app and virtual services will give youth even more agency to engage with our resources, team, and community on their own time, wherever they are.
How to quickly develop responsive initiatives.
We tapped the experience and expertise of our staff, young adults, and community to design and develop new partnerships and programming in light of external shifts. We now have a solid framework for doing this whenever we may need to pivot in the future.
How to build capacity and increase organizational resilience.
We learned how to put together a successful online fundraiser, utilize new technology, and refine our internal practices to support organizational needs. We also leveraged the incredible strengths of our Board of Directors and our volunteer community in new ways.
As a result, we're now able to serve a greater number of youth in more ways than ever.
Our Community
The individuals who made it all possible
STAFF
Our staff were the stars of the show.
They went above and beyond this year, making it possible for us to adapt and grow our impact while staying lean.
Beth Ryan, Executive Director & Founder
Teffani Taylor, Program Coordinator
Tessani Taylor, Program Coordinator
Marvin Segundo, Program Associate
Sashauna Dent, Communication & Event Specialist
Rezi Perez, Event Associate
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As everything shifted, our Board of Directors ramped up their time, energy, and commitment to our mission – including meeting online weekly during the pandemic to ensure we stayed strong.
We welcomed 2 new members who jumped in immediately and brought fresh energy and perspectives to the team.
VOLUNTEERS
With incredible volunteers, we forged a new direction amidst so much uncertainty.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered with us in 2020:
Kim Airs
Kristen Bennett
Nick Bennett
Alex Berry
Hillary Bratton
Brawerman Elementary School West (3rd grade students)
Pat Conlon
Michelle Costa
Rebeca Diaz
James Finn
LeMar Fooks
Dora Fourcade
Shannon and Stephen Gabor
Charlie Gallagher
Rhonda Glover
Lianne Goldsmith
Delayna Harris
Olivia Jackson
Yasmin Kayiran
Katie Jones
Lauren Kezon
Jill Lawrence
Lena (Doula)
Alexis Lerner
Angie Malaier
Carol Massenburg
Ian McIlvaine
Dale Miller
Tammy Morales
Priscilla Morris
Pam Pacht
Emma Pastore
Beth Portello
Amy Price
Rudy Ramirez
Lindsay Rice
Jeremy Richards
Jackie Rose
Susana Salazar
Dana Sigoloff
Brandon Simpson
Sandy Spallino
Briana Spencer
Errol Spiro
Doug Stanger
Heather Stein
Wyatt Stein
Susan Stremble
Zoe Tambling
Brooke Taylor
Demontae Thompson
Erik Trujillo
Belinda Waymouth
Beth Kennedy Will
Markease Williams
Drew Wilson
Nicky Wilson
Windward Middle School (7th and 8th grade students)
Gabe Woullard
and
Jamie Lehman, Jo Pessin and all For Goodness Cakes volunteer bakers
"To all the volunteers – thank you so, so much for everything you have done – for helping us find jobs, tutoring, all the resources, and any other way we needed you. You're always making everyone's day so much brighter."
– Kiana, young adult
Our Partners
Through generous financial and direct support, partners enabled us to weather the storm.
FOUNDATION PARTNERS
gave grants to fund our operations, new initiatives, and organizational enhancements.
We welcomed 8 new* foundation partners in 2020.
Allen Sackler Family Fund*
Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation
Carol Moss Foundation*
Colin Higgins Foundation
Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Fund*
GO Campaign
Goldhirsh Foundation*
Jewish Community Foundation
LA COVID-19 Relief Fund*
Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation*
Rotary Club of Los Angeles*
Sam Simon Charitable Giving Foundation*
Sheila Dave and Sherry Gold Foundation
S. Mark Taper Foundation
PROGRAM PARTNERS
helped us reach more young adults, deliver new services, and strengthen essential organizational processes.
We welcomed 7 new* program partners in 2020.
Antioch University
A Sense of Home
Cal State Los Angeles*
Court Appointed Special Advocates
Edelman Children's Court*
Los Angeles Room and Board*
Ready to Succeed LA*
Safe Place for Youth
Sheehan Adopt a Family Project*
UCLA*
Vista del Mar Child and Family Services
W Girls LA*
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
$10,000+
Jen and Tim Hart
Jill and Paul Koplin
Dale Miller
Joyce and Jeremy Richards
Errol Spiro
Sylvie Taylor
$1,000+
Cathy Deely
Sandra Devereaux
Dora Fourcade
Sally Fullman
Shannon and Stephen Gabor
Susannah and Chris Henrikson
Anya Kaats
Susan Lusk
Julie Miller
Jessica and Josh Nadel
Crystal Paul
Jane and Joe Philport
Daniela Roveda
Christopher Ryan
Julie Ryan
Allen Sackler
Melissa Sheehan Clarkson
Dana and Stephen Sigoloff
Sandy Spallino
Gwen Swinarton
Beth and Eddy Will
Harriet Zaretsky and Steve Henry
$100+
Aileen Barry
Clare and Chuck Conlon
Pat Conlon
Michelle Costa
Brooke Crane
James DuMont
Steven Edouard
Heather Entis
Hydee Feldstein
Linda Finnell
Patricia Garrett
Jeff Gold
Susie and Bruce Goren
Gaby and Rob Greenberg
Nicholle Hart
Shane Heath
Justin Howell
Marla and Michael Kantor
Yasmin Kayiran
Lauren Kezon
Tracy Kezon
Katherine Krug
Ana Lerner
Robert Lurie
Miriam Manning
Kathleen McGillivray
Pam Pacht
Thomas Panizza
Jonathan Philport
Keith Puro
Jeffrey Seely
Jonathan Shigematsu
Alex Sigoloff
David Sillman
Corey Silverman-Lloyd
John Sonego
Briana Spencer
Doug Stanger
Lisa Stern
Brianne Trosie
Chuck Watterson
Andrea Weinstein
Austin Willis
$10+
Melanie Arias
Elizabeth Bennett
Laura Bennett
Kim Bojkovsky
Denise Cabrera
Beth Conlon
Molly Conlon
Helen Costigan
Nicole Evangelista
Carol Goldberg
Peter Hart
Laura Higgins
Barbara Hoffman
Victor Jaccarino
Chris Kezon
Amanda King
Matthew Laemmli
Tara Lewis
Kevin Lyngholm
Gayle Payne
Joan Prescott
Leah Rosin
Julie Schneider
Arlie Schrantz
Shana Sharp
Ray and Nola Spiro
Beth Stebe
Lee Tenerowicz
Mallory Warner
Susan Watkins
Patricia Zielinski
Thank You
to everyone who rose to the challenge with us.
What we accomplished in 2020 will sustain us for years to come.
Questions?
Contact Beth Ryan
(310) 270-3466
Interested in becoming a volunteer?
Contact Jane Modoono
(310) 270-3466
volunteer@steppingforwardla.org