Inspiring community involvement and
wildlife protection for current and future generations to make the world a better place
OC Habitats Business Plan 2020-2030
Ana M. Sau Art Castillo Kimi Garcia
Varma Namburi
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY – LONG BEACH
Table of Contents Business Plan for OC Habitats (OCH) ...... 3 1. Executive Summary ...... 3 2. Background ...... 3 3. SWOT Analysis ...... 4 4. Market Analysis ...... 7 Market Research ...... 7 Key Competitors ...... 10 5. Business Model Canvas ...... 11 6. Strategic Goals ...... 12 7. Marketing Plan ...... 12 Target Market ...... 12 Positioning/Niche ...... 14 Customer Relationships ...... 14 8. Operational Plan ...... 17 Step 1: Developing Volunteers ...... 17 Step 2: Outlining Internal Activities ...... 20 Step 3: Developing Performance Metrics ...... 22 9. Environmental Strategy ...... 23 Environmental Key Initiatives ...... 23 10. Financial Plan ...... 27 Financial Health ...... 27 Sources of Funds ...... 30 Budget ...... 33 Strategic Plan Implementation ...... 33 Appendix A ...... 36 Appendix B: ...... 37 Appendix C: ...... 38
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Business Plan for OC Habitats (OCH)
1. Executive Summary The purpose of this document is to provide OC Habitats with a comprehensive Business Plan to reach its marketing, operational, environmental, and financial goals in a 10-year plan. OC Habitats services the Orange County community in three ways: (1) Monitoring local habitats and collecting data to provide to government agencies, (2) Educating individuals to empower environmentalism through outreach activities, and (3) Restoring degraded habitats in Orange County. All three of these services come together to make OC Habitats, which has a mission of making the world better, one person and event at a time.
2. Background The Organization OC Habitats was founded in July of 2017 by Stacey Chartier-Grable. In its origins the organization was to fill in conservation gaps in the Orange County community through preservation efforts and educational outreach. First, the founders felt that areas in Orange County needed more monitoring and data to support the protection of both the habitats and the species therein that already exist or need restoration. OCH has partnered with various nonprofit and government agencies, such as Sea and Sage Audubon, Bolsa Chica Conservancy, USFWS, and California State Parks, to support the furtherance of these protections. Members and volunteers monitor habitats, collect data, and share this data with key players in habitat protection to ensure healthy and viable habitat and species populations for years to come.
An equally important goal of OCH is education and outreach. Another important OCH activity is to educate directly on-site during field monitoring, during scheduled habitat tour events, and through habitat education programs provided to public, private, and home schools in and around orange county.
Restoration of degraded habitats is the third arm of OCH. It has helped restore wetlands in Huntington and Newport Beach and coastal sage scrub and chaparral in Tustin and Orange.
Mission: To provide a public service for the many habitats of Orange County, California through conservation efforts, rehabilitation, restoration, education, outreach, volunteerism,
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monitoring, and partnering with other entities whose goal is to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of natural habitats and the species therein.
Vision: Inspiring community involvement and wildlife protection for current and future generations to make the world a better place.
Core Values: . Public Service . Education through outreach . Commitment to sustainability . Integrity . Community involvement . Restoration and preservation . Compliance
3. SWOT Analysis Strengths OC Habitats leverages many strengths against competitors through being involved in three active branches of our organization, (1) Monitoring, (2) Education and Outreach, and (3) Restoration. Educational programs have expanded because of becoming an approved Inspire Charter School Vendor. OCH’s reach for the monitoring program has also expanded and now covers all segments of the Coastal Dune Habitats in Orange County allowing for stronger service to agencies that rely on accurate data.
OCH has exceptional strengths in the areas of environmental biology, education, and habitat restorations. The organization has extensive exploration acumen and a broad overview of many ecosystems. Further, OCH has garnered expertise in species identification (plant and animal).
OCH is well prepared to take on both educational and field endeavors. In its constant outdoor activities, it has become a leader in navigating the areas of study and rehabilitation. It has solid outdoor tools for nature journaling/field notes/data collection and has deep knowledge regarding local culture as well as Native American heritage.
OCH has effective procedures regarding the training of its key resources. Given the said structure, it allows the organization to provide educational homeschooling, community programs/outreach, restoration projects, habitat monitoring, and college internship
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opportunities. Moreover, OCH has been able to develop key partnerships with different programs/organizations and has provided volunteers to support conserving sensitive coastal habitats and species as well as volunteers for surveys.
OCH has a superb record of achievements provided by their value proposition. Some of the more notable accomplishments include: Restoring the Harding Nature Trail, Beach clean-ups and monitoring across the California coast, Planting new natives, Maintaining the "Coastal Sage Scrub" garden that was planted in Irvine Regional, and Tide pool Exploration Hikes.
Weaknesses OC Habitats is currently understaffed and faced with a high turnover rate of interns. Volunteers and educators are difficult to find due to limited marketability of the brand.
There is a limited amount of funding and donation channels. Most of the funding comes from donations from family/friends and grants and not enough from other sources like private or corporate donors. A lack of funding contributes to the lack of being able to pay staff and relying too heavily on volunteers with limited hours to spend.
The limited funding also contributes to a lack of equipment and resources necessary to effectively restore habitats and host events. Some resources that could be upgraded or purchased include habitat monitoring kits, equipment necessary for restoration projects like shovels, hoes, buckets, gloves, industrial equipment for events such as canopies, tables, chairs, water jugs, and display items for outreach programs such as tablecloths, specimens, and decoys of species.
Brand awareness is low and there and could lead to diminish emphasis on marketing the brand to donors and volunteers. The lack of a marketing plan could jeopardize being able to raise adequate amounts of funding to continue operations and attract volunteers. Opportunities OC Habitats has some potential business opportunities in the categories of business collaboration, funding, and awareness programs. It can partner with organizations that share goals and backgrounds along with a different profile institution working on different domains with a divested goal. This will help create multi-disciplinary groups under a single umbrella. Larger universities have programs on sustainability and restoration which require thesis and onsite research. Coordination with them can garner grants regarding research and trends. OCH can apply for state funding to provide community schools sustainable educational awareness. Large corporations can pledge for sponsorship under CSR to support OCH and its restoration programs in return for a brand identity and PR.
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Funding is another domain where OCH can look for opportunities. A steady, consistent, and reliable annual financing of city or local district for environmental protection in OC can be explored. Corporate sponsorship from environmentally friendly organizations like Disney, Hyatt, Sea World, etc. should be considered. There is also a significant uptrend in crowdfunding. In California, many architectural and landscape firms provide annual support, design services, and financial donations to their local communities. Fundraising at schools can also contribute towards OCH mission.
Awareness programs are essential for brand image and identity of OCH. More events will help in the recruitment of volunteers as well as opportunities. Search engines provide opportunities to program the system to pull in the OCH website in the first two pages of the search. People looking for OCH services will end up visiting the OCH website and increase traffic, creating social awareness about OCH.
Social networks are a great place to spread thoughts and share experiences. Such events provide excellent opportunities for marketing and brand awareness. OCH should continue organizing certificate programs and educational programs to help spread knowledge and generate awareness. Some other forms of awareness opportunities include publications in landscape and relevant magazines, webinars, and social gatherings for young children.
Threats OCH operations depend heavily on the work done by volunteers from the communities. From its beginnings, the organization has been run 100% by volunteer work and without them OCH could fail to meet its goals. It is critical to maintain loyal volunteers and attract new ones every year to grow and cover their assigned habitats.
We must consider economic factors of nonprofits competing for funding. If OCH was successful in attracting donations during the year, it does not guarantee that donor will contribute again the following year. Changes in the donation market will make donors switch their contributions from one organization to another. The increasing numbers of fundraising for similar causes can also be overwhelming for donors, forcing them to split donations among several organizations.
Existing grants are already at historically low levels and are at risk for further cuts. Political environment-changes at the federal and state level that may limit funding from grants. OCH has received over $17,000 from grants, and local governments as grants help to finance its programs and services. These grants, and the programs they support, could be at serious risk of being substantially diminished or eliminated, based on proposals from local and federal governments.
According to the California Coastal Commission, the sea level rise is a nationwide challenge that is going to require a coordinated and well-resourced response. Sea level rise has
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continued to result in beach and bluff erosion and flooding of coastal areas. As the climate changes, protected lands and coastal communities in California are at risk. Climate change and sea level rise poses a threat to the continued existence and healthy functioning of the ecosystems in the areas protected by OCH.
4. Market Analysis OC Habitats is a public service organization that services Orange County residents and the surrounding habitats through efforts in conservation, restoration, and education outreach. There are a few competitors in the market, but they do not encompass the same services OCH provides. OCH differentiates itself from its competitors by focusing on serving the local community in a highly attentive way, rather than expanding too broadly in other cities. This allows the organization to provide the highest services and attention to their customers. OC Habitat’s target market is, therefore, the community members that reside in Orange County, specifically those who share an enthusiasm for environmental conservation and are willing to invest their time and/or resources to support their mission. The target market consists of three segments: (1) Interns who donate their time (2) Individual Donors and (3) Organizational Donors who provide financial resources. This marketing plan lays out the specific marketing initiatives to attract each segment.
Market Research There are a wide range of non-profit organizations in Orange County that all compete for funding and volunteers in the area, from animal rescue groups, to childcare programs, to health-related organizations. According to a study produced by CSUF Gianneschi Center for Nonprofit research, the years 2000-2010 was a period of large growth for the non-profit sector in Orange County. The number of charitable organizations saw an increase of 70%, which is double the growth rate of all charitable organizations across the U.S. The nonprofit sector includes organizations ranging from very small grassroots operations to larger operations with thousands of employees and generating millions in revenue. Orange County’s general population saw an increase in 68% during 2000-2010 and the number of charitable organizations in 2010 was 3,181.
Environment & Animal nonprofits in Orange County in 2010 were 113. There is less competition in this industry compared to other industries but has been steadily growing year after year. In Orange County, the local demographic places a higher emphasis on nonprofits in the education industry than the U.S. average. OC Habitats can leverage this information by utilizing the growing their growing educational programs and offerings.
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Figure 1: The charitable organizations in Orange County by service category are as follows:
Source: http://calnonprofits.org/images/downloads/OrangeCounty.pdf
Figure 2: The charities by service category compared with OC and U.S. are as follows:
Source: http://calnonprofits.org/images/downloads/OrangeCounty.pdf
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Orange County has a very large and diverse economy, which provides OCH the opportunity to partner with a variety of corporations for sponsorships or donations. Orange County’s key and emerging industries include, high tech, action sports, green economy, international trade, health care, and tourism to name a few. According to LocationOC.com, many companies in Orange County are leading the green movement and altering their business practices to include more sustainable operations.
Orange County’s largest sectors for green employment include air and environment, energy generation, energy efficiency, water and wastewater, and recycling. Companies in Orange County are beginning to invest more in green operations such as solar technologies, and renewable energy. Companies like this would be a great option for OCH to partner with as they share similar values in environmentalism.
According to a research study performed by Johnson Grossnickle Associates, the Baby Boomer generation, born 1946-1964, make up the highest group for annual donations. Their contributions make up 43% of all gifts made by individuals. The average annual gift from an individual in the Baby Boomer generation is $1,212, so it is important to target this group most effectively. 49% are enrolled in monthly giving programs, 35% donate to crowdfunding campaigns, and 24% donate through direct mail channels.
Figure 3: The psychology of Baby Boomers
Source: https://www.classy.org/blog/how-to-engage-different-generations-of-donors/
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Key Competitors OC Habitat’s main competitors are non-profit organizations located in Orange County. They all compete for funding and volunteers within the same area. OCH also competes for advertising and marketing space in local newspapers and websites. Their key competitors in Orange County are split between direct competitors in the environmental industry and larger indirect competitors within the entire non-profit sector.
Direct competitors offer similar services and typically attract the same target audience. Indirect competitors are offering different services as us, but still competing for the same customers in a similar region. Indirect competitors are often much larger organizations with greater brand recognition.
Direct Competitors: Sea & Sage Audubon Society An Orange County chapter with a mission to protect birds, other wildlife, and their habitats through education, citizen science, research, and public policy advocacy. Save our Beach A non-profit with a mission to educate individuals, companies, schools, and organization on how their environmental footprint impacts their community and the world by hosting environmental field trips, beach and riverbed cleanups, and team building activities. Surfrider Foundation Grassroots non-profit organization with a mission to protect oceans, waves, and beaches by performing beach cleanups, water testing, and educational presentations. Donna O’Neil Land Conservancy A wilderness reserve with a mission to protect the natural and cultural resources of the San Mateo Watershed by providing opportunities for environmental education, biological research, and sensitive recreational access to the Donna O’Neil Land Conservancy in Orange County. Their services range from nature walks, astronomy nights, and volunteer cleanup events.
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Indirect Competitors: Habitat for Humanity of Orange County A housing organization working in local communities across all 50 states and more than 70 countries to improve homes in partnerships with individuals and families in need of a decent and affordable place to live.
5. Business Model Canvas A Business Model Canvas is a strategic management visual template that guides and assists in developing new or existing business models. It illustrates a nonprofit’s infrastructure, customers, finances, and value proposition. The value proposition is what OCH offers to community members. The key activities, key partners, and key resources are all part of the nonprofit’s infrastructure and are essential in creating the value proposition. The customers are broken into customer relationships, customer segments, and channels. The customer segments are who the nonprofit serves. The customer relationship is how the nonprofit serves them. The channels are how the nonprofit reaches its customers. The finance portion consists of the cost structure and revenue streams. Revenue streams are the different ways OCH makes income. The cost structure consists of both fixed and variable costs required to keep the organization functioning. These are the building blocks for the organization’s activities and help to visualize the overall business model.
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6. Strategic Goals
Marketing Goals Operational Goals Environmental Financial Goals Goals Raise awareness and Create a plan to Protect Southern Create financial community manage internal California ecosystem structure that engagement to resources efficiently and educate reduces dependency increase new donor stakeholders on best on grants giving sustainable practices
7. Marketing Plan
Target Market The purpose of the Marketing Plan is to raise OC Habitat’s brand awareness to attract interns, individual donors, and organizational donors (corporate sponsorships) by segmenting these different markets and begin planning specific marketing initiatives that will most effectively reach each one. OC Habitats at the current stage does not have a compensation plan for the organization. It is important that they target volunteers to donate their time as well as financial donors. There are three groups that OC Habitats should market to: (1) Interns, (2) Individual Donors, and (3) Organizational Donors.
The charts below show the basis for segmenting these markets to identify the ideal target market.
Table 1: Basis of segmenting Donor groups in Orange County
For Interns: Age 15-25 Geographic Location Attend school in Orange County Income Any Occupation Student Education Level High School/College Field of Study Environmental, Education, Social & Legal, Arts and Culture, Public Health Psychographic Interests in volunteerism and environmental conservation
For Individual Donors: Age 56-74 Geographic Location Reside in Orange County
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Income $75k+ Occupation Working/Retired Education Level College Educated Psychographic Cares about local causes and donating
For Organizational Donors: Geographic Location Orange County Industry Sports/Recreation, Green Economy, High-Tech Company Values Employee engagement, Community investment, Environmentalism
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Positioning/Niche For the many habitats surrounding Orange County that are seeing negative impacts resulting from climate change and increased industrial development, OC Habitats is a nonprofit organization that restores and promotes awareness through monitoring, conversation, and education, and unlike other nonprofit organizations, our program services all 27 habitat sites in Orange County and is an approved charter school vendor offering nature program services to students.
Customer Relationships
Marketing and Advertising Tactics There are several methods for marketing and advertising OC Habitats nonprofit organization to attract the target market. Each target market has different behavioral and consumer patterns and the list of tactics below will ensure that each segment is being reached most effectively.
Corporate Sponsorships This is a form of advertising in which companies will pay to be associated with certain events and often with charities and nonprofit organizations. The sponsorships can enhance brand awareness with OC Habitats as employees of the companies would gain exposure to the nonprofit and their mission through hands on experience. These employees may be easily converted to volunteers of OCH.
Corporate sponsorships can also be beneficial when the sponsoring company’s goals and mission are aligned with the nonprofit organization. This partnership can help to boost environmental initiatives of OC Habitats. Many corporations will offer matching gift programs as well where they will match their employees’ donations to their chosen charities.
Fundraisers OC Habitats can host fundraising events to produce brand awareness and generate additional funding. In the first few years, fundraising events should be inexpensive to hold and can include themes and ideas centered on environmentalism to attract the target market. One fundraising example includes a “seedling sale”, where OC Habitats sets up in a busy parking lot in Orange County and sells drivers the seedlings of plants or small succulents.
This “carbon exchange” motivates drivers to purchase and plant these seedlings to offset their carbon emissions. Partnering with local restaurants to host fundraisers can also be a source of additional revenue generation. The restaurants should share a similar mission to protecting the environment and can include places that serve organic or locally sourced foods. As OC Habitats gains popularity and has more to spend on hosting events, fundraising events can be larger and can include galas and auctions.
Business Website OC Habitats uses its website “ochabitats.org” as its main source of information sharing. The content is comprehensive and shows transparency of information but would benefit from a professional website redesign to make the content more user-friendly and designed in a modern style.
Search Engine Optimization SEO tactics should be utilized in order to attract the optimal target customers, which are volunteers and donors. Efficient use of SEOs will increase the visibility of OC Habitat’s website, which will increase the amount of traffic it receives and the quality of traffic. Knowing what keywords are significant and adjusting the OC Habitats website with these optimizations could create a noticeable impact in the amount of search results it receives.
Social Media OC Habitats currently uses social media platforms, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to advertise and share upcoming events with their followers. Their Twitter account has 10 followers, Facebook has 194 followers, and Instagram has 111 followers. Since each platform is used by different demographics more often and for different purposes, it is important to know what content to place in each one.
Facebook should be reserved for posting upcoming events or sharing stories on events that have occurred. Facebook should also be the platform where donations are the most heavily advertised since they have a “Donate Now” button readily available for its users. Twitter should be used to share upcoming events and updates in real time. It can also be a platform to share relevant news articles. Instagram should be used for sharing a few key photos of past events or marketing upcoming events.
Showcasing volunteers and sharing interviews and videos on this platform would also be helpful in recruiting additional volunteers. Maintaining these social media platforms mean to stay engaged, post often, and leave comments to promote community engagement. In addition, OC Habitats may consider creating a LinkedIn account for the nonprofit to share articles, community events, and attract volunteers.
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Brand Name OC Habitats may consider renaming their organization to enhance their branding. The word “Habitats” is closely related to the giant nonprofit organization “Habitat for Humanity”. Not only may this cause confusion with people mixing up OC Habitats with the more well-known Habitat for Humanity, but it will also hurt search engine optimization.
When a prospective volunteer or donor searches the term OC Habitats in their search bar, the first few hits that populate are for Habitat for Humanity. The name should also encompass what OCH’s mission is. OC Habitats does not tell a clear message of what services they offer.
Email Marketing OC Habitats currently sends out a quarterly newsletter to its subscribers to inform them of upcoming events and share updates. This is a great method of communication for sharing more in-depth stories from volunteers about their experiences or events in detail.
Print Marketing In addition to digital advertising, it is important to also advertise through print marketing as well. OC Habitat’s has an older aged target market for donors that may be better influenced by printed materials. Some people prefer material in printed format that they can flip through the pages, rather than viewing online. Print marketing is also advantageous for local businesses.
Since OC Habitats focuses on the Orange County community, placing flyers or business cards in favorite local restaurants, coffee shops, or museums can be more efficient for marketing to the local population. Print marketing can also benefit volunteers as well. Placing flyers and brochures on high school or college bulletins in the environmental department can attract the target volunteers.
Digital Media With digital media OC Habitat’s reach can stretch far beyond Orange County. There exists a multitude of crowdfunding websites that make it easy for nonprofits to gather on one platform and share their mission to gain donations and brand awareness. Some examples include GoFundMe, Mightycause, Fundrazr, and GuideStar. To successfully raise money towards OC Habitat’s goal, content creation should be most important on these platforms. Creating a brief, easy to understand, and engaging video to the target
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audience of OC Habitat’s mission and plans to solve a problem will resonate more with supporters.
8. Operational Plan An operational plan converts strategic goals into managed execution. It specifically deals with creating a plan to better manage internal resources. While long term planning provides the vision, direction, and goals for OCH, operational planning translates that into the everyday workflow of the organization. This will execute deliverables defined by the Business Model Canvas regarding efficient management of key partners, key activities, and key resources.
Some of the initiatives in OCH’s operational plan must include engaging workers, expand training, and project planning. The three-step operational plan below has been designed to outline tactical procedures to help in accomplishing OC Habitat’s goals defined by the business model canvas.
Step 1: Developing Volunteers
Setting Aspirations Teams perform better when operational goals and objectives are aligned with their organization’s goals and objectives. Research reveals that on average, 95% of employees are not aware or do not understand their company’s strategy.
Organizations aspire that become key to connect individual motivation, behavior, and strategy. The three major components that emphasize the organization’s aspirations are:
Mission: To close conservation gaps for the OC community.
Vision: To stimulate the community into safeguarding the natural environments to make a greener planet
Values: Servicing the OC community through education, grassroots outreach, and sustainable tactics.
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Figure 4: The three components of Organization’s aspirations. Source: CSULB, Dr. Jake Grandy – Setting Aspirations)
OC Habitat’s strategy should be to position itself to achieve sustainable goals superior to any like-minded organization within the Orange County area, which requires a value-added approach. An organization’s strategy alone is not enough to motivate volunteers to accomplish operational goals.
Volunteers are most motivated when individual and organizational goals are aligned. This alignment provides value to the organization and is paramount in retaining volunteers and maintaining long term relationships.
Engaging Volunteers to Maintain Growth Ensuring that OC Habitats can connect to their volunteers is of utmost importance. Encouraging them to spread the word for OCH will come naturally once they feel engaged. Helping them to understand that their work matters will assist in moving OCH forward.
Why volunteers are willing to make a dedicated effort without the promise of compensation is an important concept to understand to attract and retain the best volunteers. They may seek benefits, but not necessarily in a monetary form.
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Below is a list of benefits that attract volunteers to take a role in a nonprofit organization:
Participation in a meaningful experience They enjoy a constant change in routine Mingling with new people The realization of self interest Gaining of new skills They can prove their worth to community and the organization Feeling part of a team Internal satisfaction from the work provided
Often, engaging volunteers is handled at the very bottom of the organization. OC Habitats should design a volunteer engagement program to keep volunteers active and interested in their work. A strong and healthy engagement program should start from the very top. Volunteering should be perceived as a critical organization management function. It should be discussed in the boardroom and included in long-range planning and other mission-critical activities. The engagement plan and activities should be developed by the OCH President and its Board of Directors. The result should be a set of guidelines and standards that OCH can replicate across all volunteer touchpoints.
How to Engage Volunteers: Create a Family Environment It is important to value volunteers and treat them with high regard. These individuals donate their time, energy, and perhaps even their own funds to complete organizational goals. Management needs to show daily stewardship. Volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and each requires a custom interaction. The following list provides suggestions in creating a family-oriented environment:
Thanking volunteers regularly Host a volunteer appreciation party, and if budget permits, allow family and other guests. Add a theme and encourage all staff to attend Have a photo booth at a luncheon to record volunteers celebrating. Post photos on the OCH website and social media accounts Host a unique event, such as an excursion to a local attraction or field trip to a museum or performance. Capture it on a video blog and upload it to YouTube or
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OCH social media accounts. Venues may offer OCH a deal or donate their time, especially if OCH can reciprocate by making them an official sponsor Under limited budget, OCH could record a video message about why volunteers are valuable to the organization. Consolidate the messages and play the video during a routine volunteer meeting Send handwritten notes of appreciation to the more mature segment of volunteers. Since handwritten notes are rarely given out today, it is even more appreciated when received Share volunteers’ success stories to demonstrate the important difference they make. For example, if a volunteer helped a non-English speaking child learn about the OCH educational subjects, it can most certainly be something to recognize Designate a “Volunteer of the Month” recognition that features volunteers in OCH’s newsletter, social media, and other outlets
Step 2: Outlining Internal Activities
It is important for OC Habitats to have a contingency plan to tackle with any adverse conditions originating from within or outside the organization. With the changing priorities and overall predicted growth of OCH soon, management needs to be able to scale their structure to support new roles and assist promoting the existing employees into new positions. Some of the action items recommended for apex team in OCH to consider are indicated below.
Succession Planning OC Habitats is mainly dependent on its volunteers and small staff to run the operations within its revenue structure. It is important to retain the trained workforce for longer within the organization to reap the value generated. Understanding the dynamic nature of the work, OCH must generate a strategy to adjust to the changes, such as shuffling of board members or staff to fill into the temporary job responsibilities.
For OC Habitats to continue to render services during any adverse events, the organization needs to have a succession plan in place to fill the void effectively and effortlessly. Considering the higher possibility of project expansion over time to other locations and scope areas, OCH as part of its strategic plan should be prepared to scale the organization seamlessly. New autonomous teams with executive boards may need to lead the operations without higher dependency on the apex team. This helps OCH to spread its legacy over time to different cities nationwide.
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Some of the action steps within this succession plan could include training programs for new teams, instilling company core values, vision & mission, transferring of knowledge & experience, and preparing teams for identifying prospects.
Importance of Cross training Most organizations take important steps in safeguarding vital information, techniques, or internal processes. An emergency plan can guide the OC Habitats team through unprecedented events.
Significant events within or outside the organization can impact the business operations and its work continuity, directly or indirectly. It is essential for OCH to create a cross training program to mitigate such events effectively.
Benefits of Cross Training Program When employees and key members of the board are unable to attend work for long periods of time, cross training helps in preparing a team member to fill into the new role with greater ease without disruptions.
Depending on the bird species and its seasonal cycle, few months in a year can be more demanding for teams to achieve the work targets of habitat restoration within the timeframe. Habitat restoration for migratory birds is one such example. Cross training can prepare OCH to scramble teams to handle multidisciplinary assignments depending on urgency and availability of resources.
OCH employees can benefit from cross-training. Learning new skills generates interest at work and helps towards personal achievement in future work endeavors and career. Proper training can help employee gain leadership skills needed to prosper and promote to higher positions within an organization. Lateral skills training, or training in skills related to other current positions within the organization can impart employees with skillset essential for their daily work activity.
When Cross-Training is not Appropriate There are few instances when cross-training is not feasible in an organization. For instance, when sensitive information requires privacy it should be restricted on a need to know basis. Coercing employees to cross training when they are not interested, can result in wasted resources.
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Setting up a CSULB Liaison to Strengthen Embedded Sustainability OC Habitats can strengthen its sustainable strategies by building a long-term relationship with CSULB. The idea is not just limited to CSULB but any university that offers programs with an emphasis in environmentalism. This can introduce OCH to sustainable symposiums, green drives, or any of the school fairs. OCH can generate new contacts from the university that can help achieve greater good and organizational success (Refer to Appendix A for additional information)
Step 3: Developing Performance Metrics Charts and ratios provide progress of member growth, revenues and operational costs, acres serviced (multiple years), and aggregate biodiversity health and threats. OC Habitats should measure how well they mobilize resources, staff performance, projects outcomes and progress in fulfilling tactical plans.
Metrics will help in increasing morale, increasing motivation for volunteers to prolong services rendered, and instilling confidence in donors to increase donations. Using these metrics will help OCH gain funds from companies. Metrics can help companies realize the intrinsic value that OCH creates in sustaining our natural systems going beyond financial performance or shareholder value.
There are multiple ways to track progress on projects and measure results. One way is through a project management software system such as Trello, Freedcamp, or Microsoft Project. Appendix D has multiple sample metrics that OCH can utilize to measure performance.
Ratios Ratios provide insight into a company’s financial condition and operating performance either for a single point in time or by comparing multiple reporting periods. OC Habitats can use ratio analysis to compare actual to budgeted results.
To illustrate, a set of eight ratios were compiled as useful information when reporting operational activity to stakeholders: Savings Indicator, Contributions & Grants, Fundraising Efficiency, Program Service Expense, Management Expenses, Fundraising Expense, Days on hand and Months of Spending. The ratios represent three broad areas of liquidity, operations, and spending. The average values computed for these ratios were extracted from over 200,000 non-profits, divided into five categories by entity size, using information available from the IRS website. The specific calculations were made using financials provided by OCH for the years 2018 and 2019. (See Appendix B).
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9. Environmental Strategy OC Habitats require an action plan to implement its environmental strategy for the projects in Orange County. The action plan should include steps to protect, preserve, sustain, and where feasible, enhance or restore riparian, shrub-steppe, wetland, and floodplain areas within its jurisdiction. The key activities for the environmental process as indicated in the business plan include monitoring and restoration.
Some of these objectives could include removing invasive vegetation and replanting native species, terracing of stream banks, managing runoff from human activities, and mitigating recreation activities away from sensitive habitats. OCH should take steps to promote and boost habitat diversity and connectivity, especially for sensitive or rare habitats. Environmental education is a key aspect for Stakeholders to understand and propagate the best sustainable practices.
OCH needs to protect and maintain water quality at project sites to help for recovery of sensitive species, reduce extreme temperature fluctuations, and minimize water & ground contamination. As indicated in the Business model canvas, the true value proposition for OCH in environmental aspects lies in the restoration of habitats. Best management practices are required to mitigate soil erosion, habitat loss, species protection, and site contamination from human activities.
Environmental Key Initiatives
Monthly Restoration Projects Monitoring reports by local agencies is a key customer relationship proposition as indicated in the Business Model canvas. Project managers need to maintain a project report with a set of goals and benchmarks to guide the work, organize the activities, identify the available opportunities, and significant existing impairments. The report should be made available remotely to all project teams and updated continuously by work supervisors in a real-time environment.
Sustainable experiments need to be documented on the report and its outputs. This may help other groups to replicate the sustainable goals if feasible for other projects simultaneously thus minimizing the learning curve for others. A balanced scorecard needs to be implemented for individual projects, to review the progress and identify any bottlenecks slowing the projects.
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Project Project Jurisdiction Level of Key stressors Restoration Project Monthly Targets Work Notes Description Area Function opportunities timeline work-scope achieved overflow
OCH sample Zone -1 sample sample sample Three sample sample sample sample -1 text text text text months text text text text
OCH- sample Zone -2 sample sample sample 12 sample sample sample sample 2 text text text text months text text text text
Table 3: Sample Project Report for documenting monthly restoration projects.
All sites, when installed and monitored through live video recordings and wireless transfer of data to monitoring units, will give more significant opportunity and reliable information for analysis. All video recordings can help teams and external experts analyze and recommend appropriate actions to mitigate ecological damage and bring in new ideas and concepts.
Improve Community Awareness Community participation in environmental programs helps in effective decision-making process and protection of the environment and its natural resources. The integration of community in its ecological decision-making process and overall aspects provides a sense of inclusion for the community in its environmental process.
Within the ecological framework, relevant stakeholders of a community i.e., the residents, local authorities, NGO’s and the Resident Associations, are expected to work together in protecting their environment. Local authority or Non-profit Organizations usually initiate environmental programs in the hope that residents or the community would participate and manage the programs in partnership.
The first step to be taken by OCH is to raise community awareness about planned programs by publicizing information through various channels. The medium used could include websites or flyers distributed to residences, schools, and other stakeholders within the community. A lack of awareness among residents of a community about the programs can lead to reduced participation.
An outcome to measure the public's environmental awareness level is by assessing their extent of participation or involvement in the environmental programs through surveys and questionnaires. (Refer to chart 1 for sample public participation survey).
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Chart 1: Public participation survey in environmental programs
Source: Community Awareness on Environmental Management through Local Agenda 21; Siti Mazwin Kamaruddin et al. / Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 222 (2016) 729 – 737
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Engage in Environmental Activism and Policymaking Environmental justice groups not only focus on traditional issues of environmental justice regarding environmental burdens but also work to create 'healthy and sustainable communities'. They push for equal access to environmental goods, such as public green spaces, healthy foods, and meaningful participation of all residents in decision-making processes.
The integration of social justice with the sustainability movement helps in the strategy by inclusion on communities, the public sector, and individual organizations to work towards ensuring a better quality of life for all while coexisting within the grid of a sustainable ecosystem. This is also known as the Just Sustainability Paradigm, reflecting the beliefs and sentiments.
Partnering with like Businesses Partnering can help reach goals faster and achieve higher standards effectively, efficiently, and on a larger scale. Some of the environmental organizations and Nonprofits for sustainability can be accessed from the below link. https://greendreamer.com/journal/environmental-organizations-nonprofits-for-a-sustainable- future
Timelines, Benchmarks, and Monitoring for Environmental Strategies The OCH restoration work as it relates to this plan should be monitored and evaluated on a set schedule against a set of benchmarks to regulate consistency with the State's policy standard of no net loss of ecological functions. This Plan can be implemented with a suggested timeline as below, depending on the availability of funding. Within ten years of the strategy plan, the following objectives could be accomplished:
Prioritize, fund, and complete a set number of restoration projects per action plan. Explore, identify, and apply for regular funding opportunities for future projects. Select and organize public workshops, weblinks, or other local forums for keeping the residents well informed on the OC Habitats bird protection and restoration efforts.
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Quantifiable benchmarks should also be noted over time to track changes in ecological conditions and generate documentation indicating no reduction in overall scope or conservation areas. A mechanism to track this county-wide could be established and funded. Information that could be tracked and monitored can be sourced from permit information, project applications, and completion reports filed with various jurisdictions. The following data could be tracked:
Coastal Habitat variances and reasons/nature of variance Total square footage of existing bird habitat around wetlands and its ecology Total new square footage added to existing bird habitat for restoration work around wetlands and bird ecology Square footage of new or enhanced riparian vegetation or vegetation removals Number of new breeding grounds, roosting sites, and their coverage area Cubic yardage and coverage area of invasive species eradication within the restoration site Number of new observatory decks and platforms created for bird surveillance Wetland acreage existing, restored, and lost Increases or decreases in impervious surface areas
10. Financial Plan OC Habitats' financial goal is to create a financial structure that reduces its dependency on grants by expanding on its other revenue streams. OCH is a non-profit organization but still must think about what it wants and to get the funds to achieve it. OCH's main purpose is to support programs and events designed to support the elevation of humanity. The organization functions by the application of the principles of Conscious Capitalism and collaborates with other organizations with a like-mind. Working with other organizations to expand sources of funding beyond the current activities will increase cash flow that would enable OCH to invest in new projects.
Financial Health OC Habitat's main sources of funding come from grants, fundraising, and donations. Like most nonprofit organizations, OCH's primary source of funds will come from institutional and individual philanthropists. This source of funding is relationship-based, and OCH has been able to secure funding over its first years of operations by making connections with the
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Griswold Family Foundation, Deutsche Bank Matching Grant Program, LUSH International Cosmetics, and Walmart. It is expected that this community of supporters continues to grow and contribute to OCH nonprofit through individual donations, family foundations grants, and corporate matching contributions.
OC Habitats accomplished an increase in revenue of 30% from 2018 to 2019. Ideally, this money should be secured at the beginning of operations, to plan and forecast the costs of all the projects to be executed during the year. This would entail hiring staff and engaging in public relations, planning for monitoring programs, costs related to education and outreach programs, and supplies.
Continuous fundraising, however, is a common feature of the operations of most nonprofit organizations. The greater the resources secured, the faster that OCH can achieve its strategic goals.
Revenue forecasting will help OCH to budget expenses. OCH can monitor if it is going off track, either on revenue predictions or on fixed expenses. Forecasting will also help to time important projects —like bringing in a new instructor, launching a new fundraising campaign, or buying new monitoring equipment—to match your predicted revenue throughout the year.
Below are two revenue forecasting projections using both a conservative case (10% growth) and an aggressive case (25% growth). OCH will be constantly fluctuating between a conservative approach and the aggressive dream, then based on annual goals and liabilities, it can adjust accordingly. Projected expenses are calculated as a 75% percentage of Revenue. The difference is its Net Assets, representing what OCH has, what is owed, what is invested, or what is deposited.
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Figure 6: Financial Projection based on 10% annual revenue growth:
Figure 7: Financial Projection based on 25% annual revenue growth:
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Sources of Funds
Grants OC Habitats will continue to apply for grants from the government at local, state, and federal levels as well as from private foundations. The organization must maintain its charitable/nonprofit status and meet mandatory requirements, since funding may vary depending on the nature and place of the nonprofit. The advantage of grants is that they can fuel larger projects that would not otherwise be possible.
Since its beginnings, OCH has relied heavily on funding from grants, the downside of it is that applications take a significant amount of time and need people with writing skills. The organization must continue to look for people with grant-writing skills by recruiting personnel and volunteers with the experience and knowledge needed to effectively navigate the US Government's grants website.
This site can be accessed from the link: US government's grants.
Joint Grants Economic challenges and increased competition for dwindling resources are motivating many nonprofits and public agencies to take a closer look at collaboration as a means of ensuring sustainability. NGOs are increasingly leveraging resources by forming partnerships with other NGOs. Funders welcome the collaborative efforts that include joint grant seeking that result in strengthening organizational effectiveness, expanding reach, and cost- effectively implementing best practices.
OCH should communicate and collaborate with other NGOs that share similar goals. They can join forces to influence and expand their ability to advance their collective goals and their missions. While collaborations require time, energy, and effort it could increase a nonprofit’s ability to influence a greater number of people.
The economic benefits that result from strategic partnerships with nonprofits, government agencies, and for-profit entities are numerous:
Secure funds that would not otherwise have been available without a partnership Bring additional human resources (e.g., administrative assistance in grant writing, staff with marketing and PR expertise) Facility use, and shared costs associated with program evaluation Open the doors to major funding opportunities and allow for the possibility of a technical merger of both nonprofits forming a new larger organization
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Fundraising Funds from fundraising can be received by donations online or traditionally live events. OC Habitats can benefit from creating a plan that combines both traditional and modern fundraising techniques.
Online Funding The organization's website is the permanent home to online fundraising efforts. OCH must keep its website and online donation page updated and user-friendly. OCH donation button is located on the main page, donors can find its donation link within a couple of seconds. On the Donate page, donors can read about fundraising goals and progress as well as getting a quick link to payment options. Also, the page provides information about where all funds go, creating accountability and transparency.
A popular and effective way of online funding is crowdfunding. To get the best results through this method, OCH should post compelling images and videos on social media. The images should tell a story campaign, bookcase a big donor then connect the donor’s character to OCH cause. Moreover, when running a crowdfunding campaign, provide updates on the progress and details about the impact that their donations have made.
Traditional Fundraising In addition to online fundraising, OCH can also adopt other traditional methods of fundraising like events. They are effective fundraising tools because they provide a space in which the nonprofit and potential donors can interact. OCH can boost its online fundraising by hosting fundraising events, allowing donors to learn more about OCH's purpose while putting names to faces.
Donations OC Habitats must create a fundraising model that nurtures major donors. This can be accomplished by logging donations and identifying the largest gifts received in the past. For smaller nonprofits, like OCH, the amounts could be in the hundreds to a couple of thousand dollars. The organization must cultivate relationships with major and regular donors. To secure the relationship with donors OCH staff should attend several meetings, social events, and mixers.
Also, it is important to invite existing and potential donors to OCH events and fundraisings and introduce them to members of the Board. And finally, OCH must provide frequent and relevant updates of the restoration projects and programs benefiting the communities.
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Many nonprofit organizations missed out on revenue simply because the donors are unaware of their employers matching donation programs. OC Habitats can increase its revenue by reminding its donors of matching gift programs and by incorporating tools of fundraising. There are many major socially responsible corporations located in the city of Irvine.
For example Deloitte, Arbonne, UCI, Endologix, Allergan, Taco Bell, Ingram Micro, Walmart, among others. All these companies provide their employees with matching gift programs or volunteer grants to nonprofits where their employees volunteer. The corporate volunteer grants donate anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000 annually.
OC Habitats can reach out to local businesses to donate or help sponsor events. If the company understands the OCH campaign and how well-supported it is by the community, they will most likely donate to it.
OC Habitats should consider investing in wealth screening software. The prices for this type of software packages can range from $1,200 to $1,500 annually and provide unlimited access to searches, training, and online tools. The board may consider appointing a member who will be dedicated to working with donations, creating expertise in this area.
If OC Habitats executes the actions needed to accomplish the strategic goals set by the Business Plan, then it will account for extra funds that can be invested in several projects, new equipment, and software. For instance, OCH will be able to hire additional part-time instructors to expand its education and outreach programs. It could also invest in spatial analysis software for monitoring projects.
The cost of this software is around $16,000 and it is a one-time investment. OCH could reach its goal of implementing a scholarship program for distinguished volunteers that made valuable contributions to the organization.
Education Fees OC Habitats provides environmentally driven educational programs for students ages 8 to 12 years. Its program is designed to provide lessons about nature and organizing field trips to local habitats within Orange County. Students are provided with two payment options: pay- by-class; or pay-by-semester which consists of 4 classes. Education fees come mainly from homeschooling programs and count for less than 5 percent of the annual revenue since no fees are charged to Title 1 students.
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Budget All nonprofit organizations must constantly strive for sustainability. Budgeting is critically important to the success of any nonprofit organization that often stretches resources and relies heavily on specific funding sources.
OC Habitats can formulate a budget to allow for the best use of its resources and to focus on the primary goals and strategic objectives. A good budget forecast is an important tool to plan the use of funds, giving the board members a clear picture when making decisions and providing a guide to accomplish strategic goals.
Calculating the operating budget is extremely important, providing a blueprint for financial management. The operating budget must be provided as documentation for most grant applications. If OCH is audited by the IRS, it must be prepared to produce the operating budget.
According to the Better Business Bureau’s standards, at least 65% of the total expenses a nonprofit organization’s expenses should be spent on program activities. It is recommended for OCH to avoid accumulating net assets that could be used for current program activities. OCH should allocate 65% of its projected expenses among Monitoring Programs, Education & Outreach Programs, and Restoration Programs. OCH should not spend more than 35% of the total funds raised as a result of fundraising activities on expenses related to online marketing and donations, special events, or grant writing.
Strategic Plan Implementation The proposed Strategic Business Plan is composed of a series of objectives and projects that must be implemented to succeed in its mission and vision. OCH must execute the objectives in a series of actions in Marketing, Operations, Environmental, and Financial for a successful implementation of the Business Plan.
In terms of specific proposed actions, Appendix C shows the relative timing of each action and a general estimate of the money needed with a range ($-$$$). One-dollar sign means that the tasks can be implemented with existing resources and with low value; while three dollars signs mean that the cost of the item is higher and additional funds and resources will be required. When there is no dollar sign under cost, it indicates that the action can be performed at no cost for OCH.
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Table 4: OCH Budget Forecast with Projected Revenues and Expenses for 2023, 2026, 2030 at 10% annual growth
OC Habitats Budget Forecast (10% annual growth) Year -2023 Year -2026 Year -2030 Revenue Grants $ 16,593 $ 22,085 $ 32,335 Donations $ 7,633 $ 10,159 $ 14,874 Fundraising $ 6,637 $ 8,834 $ 12,934 Fees from Education $ 2,323 $ 3,092 $ 4,527 Total Revenue $ 33,186 $ 44,170 $ 64,669
Expenses Administrative Administrator salary $ 3,000 $ 10,000 $ 20,000 Liability Insurance $ 1,100 $ 1,200 $ 1,800 Wealth Screening software $ 1,200 Fundraising events $ 1,500 $ 2,200 $ 3,000 Staff engagement events $ 1,000 $ 1,500 $ 2,500
Education & Outreach Teacher salary $ 20,000 $ 24,000 $ 30,000 Brochures, flyers, business cards $ 1,353 $ 1,000 $ 2,000
Monitoring Binoculars, tripods, cases $ 2,000 $ 1,500 $ 2,000 Restoration Shovels, gloves, buckets $ 650 $ 650 $ 1,002 Seed, plants $ 900 $ 1,200 $ 1,800
Total Expenses $ 32,703 $ 43,250 $ 64,102
Total Assets $ 483 $ 920 $ 567
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Table 5: OCH Budget Forecast with Projected Revenues and Expenses for 2023, 2026, 2030 at 25% annual growth
OC Habitats Budget Forecast (25% annual growth) Year -2023 Year -2026 Year -2030 Revenue Grants $ 27,669 $ 54,041 $ 131,935 Donations $ 12,728 $ 24,859 $ 60,690 Fundraising $ 11,067 $ 21,616 $ 52,774 Fees from Education $ 3,874 $ 7,566 $ 18,471 Total Revenue $ 55,337 $ 108,081 $ 263,870
Expenses Administrative Administrator salary $ 20,000 $ 60,000 Co-working Office Space in Irvine $ 9,600 $ 9,600 $ 11,500 Liability Insurance $ 1,100 $ 1,200 $ 1,800 Wealth Screening software $ 1,200 Search Engine Optimization $ 7,800 Pay-per-click advertising $ 2,500 Fundraising events $ 3,900 $ 4,500 $ 5,200 Staff engagement events $ 1,000 $ 1,500 $ 2,600
Education & Outreach Teacher salary $ 20,000 $ 22,000 $ 61,200 Brochures, flyers, business cards $ 1,353 $ 900 $ 2,200 Scholarship program $ 2,500 $ 16,000
Monitoring Binoculars, tripods, cases $ 2,000 $ 1,500 $ 5,000 Spatial Analysis software $ 15,981 $ 3,500 Drone monitoring system $ 15,500 Restoration Shovels, gloves, buckets $ 450 $ 480 $ 1,002 Seed, plants $ 900 $ 900 $ 2,100
Total Expenses $ 41,503 $ 81,061 $ 197,902
Total Assets $ 13,834 $ 27,020 $ 65,968
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Appendix A Director of Program Review and Assessment Accreditation Sharlene Sayegh, Ph.D. @LIB-208 562-985-7094 [email protected] (preferred)
Chair of Department of Biological Sciences Dr. Dessie Underwood (562) 985-4806 [email protected]
Director of the Environmental Science and Policy program at CSULB Subject: Wetlands & Ecology Prof. Christine Whitcraft (562) 985-4820 [email protected]
Associated Students Inc. – Actual Program: SustainU Gabrielle Office 238 @ University Student Union (562) 985-5851 https://www.asicsulb.org/corporate/ https://www.asicsulb.org/corporate/discover/sustain-u
Campus Planning & Sustainability Office Department purpose: CSULB's commitment to promoting sustainability through our campus operations, academic programs, and engagement efforts. Learn how the university is working to conserve resources and educate our students and campus community about ways that they can contribute to creating a more sustainable world. http://www.csulb.edu/sustainability
Environmental Science & Policy Program (Geography Department) Department purpose: spreads awareness, education, and appreciation of the environment in conjunction with promoting sustainability on and off campus. https://www.csulb.edu/sustainability/get-involved/clubs-organizations Monica Argandoña, PhD (Instructor & Advisor for Environmental Science & Policy) [email protected] Office FO5-210
University Newspaper: The Daily 49er Website: daily49er.com Facebook: facebook.com/daily49er Twitter: @daily49er Instagram: @daily49er Story ideas and submissions: [email protected]
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Appendix B: Table 5: Ratio analysis used to compare actual & forecasted results to narrow the budget gap.
RATIO FORMULA AVERAGES BY SIZE OF NON-PROFIT OCH ACTUAL VALUES LIQUID RATIOS TOTAL ASSETS AVG VALUE 2018 2019 DAYS ON HAND: Measures the number of (CASH+ CASH $100,000 TO $500,000------123 DAYS days of expenses that can be covered from EQUIVALENTS) / [(TOTAL $500,000 TO $1,000,000------146 existing cash & cash equivalents. Generally, EXP - DEPREC.EXP) / 365 $1,000,000 TO $10,000,000----- 99 17,165.37+0 / 22,606.23+0 / higher values indicate a stronger liquidity DAYS] $10,000,000 TO $50,000,000---- 76 [(5,259.84-0) / [(9938.28-0) / position, although there is both a benefit >$50,000,000------57 365]= 365]= and an opportunity cost to holding cash reserves. 1,191 DAYS 830 DAYS
MONTHS OF SPENDING: A less extreme (CURRENT ASSETS - $100,000 TO $500,000------4.22 MONTHS (10, 167.53- (12, 726.95- measure of liquidity than days cash on CURRENT LIAB+ $500,000 TO $1,000,000------5.24 2254.13+0) / 2800.00+0) / hand since it assumes receivables can be RESTRICTED NET ASSETS) / $1,000,000 TO $10,000,000----- 3.84 [(5559.84-0) / [(9939.84-0) / collected to sustain operations. Generally, [(TOTAL EXP-DEP.EXP) / $10,000,000 TO $50,000,000---- 3.35 12]= 12]= higher values indicate a stronger liquidity 12 MONTHS] >$50,000,000------2.42 position. 18.05 MONTHS 11.98 MONTHS
OPERATING RATIOS 2018 2019 SAVINGS INDICATOR: Measures the net (REVENUES - EXPENSES) / $100,000 TO $500,000------4.5 % revenues that are retained by the TOTAL EXPENSES $500,000 TO $1,000,000------6.0 organization as a percentage of expenses. $1,000,000 TO $10,000,000----- 4.3 Generally, non-profits must retain some $10,000,000 TO $50,000,000---- 4.5 17,165.37- 22,606.23- surplus to replace existing facilities and >$50,000,000------9.6 5259.84 / 9939.84 / extinguish debt. This ratio should be 5259.84= 9939.84= evaluated in the context of the anticipated needs of the organization. 2.26% 1.27%
CONTRIBUTIONS & GRANTS: Measures the CONTRIBUTIONS & $100,000 TO $500,000------59 % extent to which revenues are received GRANTS REVENUE / TOTAL $500,000 TO $1,000,000------56 from donors and grantors. Since this ratio REVENUE $1,000,000 TO $10,000,000----- 47 measures the organizations dependence $10,000,000 TO $50,000,000---- 34 16,562.03 / 22,110.23 / on voluntary support, high values indicate >$50,000,000------15 17,165.37= 22,606.23= less diverse revenue sources and greater susceptibility to economic downturns. 96.49% 97.81%
FUNDRAISING EFFICIENCY: Indicates the TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS $100,000 TO $500,000------$16.94 DOLLARS amount of contributions raised for each (OTHER THAN GOV'T $500,000 TO $1,000,000------16.47 603.34 / 50 496 / 41.10 dollar of fundraising cost. Higher values GRANTS) / FUNDRAISING $1,000,000 TO $10,000,000----- 11.45 (guessed)= (guessed)= indicate greater fundraising efficiency. EXPENSES $10,000,000 TO $50,000,000---- 11.93 >$50,000,000------12.86 $ 12.07 $ 12.07
SPENDING RATIOS 2018 2019 PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSE: Measures PROGRAM SERVICES $100,000 TO $500,000------85.3 % expenses incurred on mission related EXPENSES / TOTAL $500,000 TO $1,000,000------86.1 programs as a percentage of total EXPENSES $1,000,000 TO $10,000,000----- 85.2 expenses. Donors generally view higher $10,000,000 TO $50,000,000---- 86.2 4847.84 / 9164.02 / values as desirable since this represents >$50,000,000------86.8 5259.84= 9939.28= resources that are being directed to mission-related programs. 92.17% 92.20%
MANAGEMENT EXPENSES: Measures MANAGEMENT & $100,000 TO $500,000------12.3 % management and general costs as a GENERAL EXPENSES / $500,000 TO $1,000,000------12.7 percentage of total expenses. Donors TOTAL EXPENSES $1,000,000 TO $10,000,000----- 12.6 1061.52 / 561.85 / 5259.84= generally view higher values as $10,000,000 TO $50,000,000---- 12.3 9939.28= undesirable since this represents resources >$50,000,000------12.4 10.68% that are not being directed to mission- 10.68% related programs.
FUNDRAISING EXPENSE: Measures FUNDRAISING EXPENSES / $100,000 TO $500,000------2.5 % fundraising costs as a percentage of total TOTAL EXPENSES $500,000 TO $1,000,000------2.2 expenses. Donors generally view higher $1,000,000 TO $10,000,000----- 2.2 50 / 5259.84= 41.10 /9939.28= values as undesirable because these $10,000,000 TO $50,000,000---- 1.6 represent resources that are not being >$50,000,000------0.8 0.95% 0.41% directed to mission-related programs.
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Appendix C:
Table 6: OCH Strategic Timeline
OC Habitats Strategic Plan Implementation Schedule (10 Years) Short-Term Mid-Term Long-Term Cost (1-3 years) (4-6 years) (7-10 years) ($ - $$$) Marketing Fundraising Events $$ Publish quaterly Newsletter $ Consult with marketing professional $$$ Get involve in activism Establish relations with 2 companies every year Pay for Search Engine Optimization $$ Pay per click advertising $
Operational Create/update Organization Business Plan Establish Headquarters $$$ Develop long term succession plan Attract new volunteers Develop Metrics Plan quaterly engagement events $ Add part time teachers $$ Add full time adminitrator $$$ Set up a liasion with CSULB Develop training manuals
Environmental Collaborate with Government agencies Develop guidelines to restoration projects Identify new opportunities for restoration Collaborate with other environmental groups Purchase of spatial monitor software $$ Purchase of drone monitoring system $$$ Flyers distributed to communities $
Financial Increase 25% revenue annually Sell merchandise $ Purchase wealth screening software $ Increase the number of grant applications by 20% Create scholarship fund for interns/volunteers $$ Secure donations from 2 new organizations Prepare budget forecast
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Appendix D:
Table 2: Performance metrics for OCH evaluation
Member Growth: Showcasing growth patterns exhibits the need, or success 55 for member retention. Knowing the organization’s 45 growth rate will help OCH to 30 predict things like future 25 volunteer size, potential annual run rate and more. 2020 2021 2022 2023 Member Growth Revenues and operational costs: Operational related Revenues and Restoration costs are of utmost importance for socially Costs responsible donors who want to see their money being spent Admin Cost in the restoration projects rather than in administrative costs. Ideally, less than 35% Restoration Cost of revenues should be delegated to administration Revenue costs. This graph can help showcase those separations. $- $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 (Cost associated with salary, insurance, and taxes fall under 2023 2022 2021 2020 General & Admin costs.)
Acres serviced (multiple years): Displaying the areas Acres preserved Acres unpreserved serviced and the areas that 100 need to be serviced over the 80 years is an important visual 60 metric that can help the 40 viewer see the progress of the work being done in the 20 habitats. 0 2020 2021 2022 2023
Acres Serviced
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Aggregate biodiversity health (Terrain, Plant Life, 2020 Biod-Health and Wildlife): This metric Very can help the viewer see the Good, different types of areas where 20% OCH renders services. Auditing the area (over the years) of concentration in Poor, 55% specific sites can help OCH to Fair/Good track progress of specific , 25% projects and can increase funding when presenting to socially responsible donors. Threats concerning Alien / Invasive Species, Sea Level Aggregate Threats Low Rise, Road Construction, 20% and Home Resort: It is important for OCH to keep visual measurements on all the threats that affect areas of High concern. A metric audit put 45% into visual graphs can help OCH keep track of priority projects that require immediate action, as well as Medium support its initiatives when 35% presenting to donors.
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