OC Habitats - GuideStar

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

OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 2

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


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,


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


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.


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


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.


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

http://calnonprofits.org/images/downloads/OrangeCounty.pdf

http://calnonprofits.org/images/downloads/OrangeCounty.pdf


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/

https://www.classy.org/blog/how-to-engage-different-generations-of-donors/


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.


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.


6. Strategic Goals

Marketing Goals Operational Goals Environmental

Goals

Financial Goals

Raise awareness and

community

engagement to

increase new donor

giving

Create a plan to

manage internal

resources efficiently

Protect Southern

California ecosystem

and educate

stakeholders on best

sustainable practices

Create financial

structure that

reduces dependency

on grants

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


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

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.


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


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.


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.


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


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.


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.


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).


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.


Project Project

Description

Jurisdiction

Area

Level of

Function

Key stressors Restoration

opportunities

Project

timeline

Monthly

work-scope

Targets

achieved

Work

overflow

Notes

OCH

-1

sample

text Zone -1 sample

text

sample

text

sample

text

Three

months sample

text

sample

text

sample

text

sample

text

OCH-

2

sample

text

Zone -2 sample

text

sample

text

sample

text

12

months sample

text

sample

text

sample

text

sample

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).


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


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.

https://greendreamer.com/journal/environmental-organizations-nonprofits-for-a-sustainable-future

https://greendreamer.com/journal/environmental-organizations-nonprofits-for-a-sustainable-future


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


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.


Figure 6: Financial Projection based on 10% annual revenue growth:

Figure 7: Financial Projection based on 25% annual revenue growth:


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

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html


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.


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.


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.


Table 4: OCH Budget Forecast with Projected Revenues and Expenses for 2023, 2026, 2030

at 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$

OC Habitats Budget Forecast (10% annual growth)


Table 5: OCH Budget Forecast with Projected Revenues and Expenses for 2023, 2026, 2030

at 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$

OC Habitats Budget Forecast (25% annual growth)


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]

mailto:[email protected]


https://www.asicsulb.org/corporate/

https://www.asicsulb.org/corporate/discover/sustain-u

http://www.csulb.edu/sustainability

https://www.csulb.edu/sustainability/get-involved/clubs-organizations



Appendix B:

Table 5: Ratio analysis used to compare actual & forecasted results to narrow the budget gap.

RATIO FORMULA

LIQUID RATIOS TOTAL ASSETS AVG VALUE 2018 2019

DAYS ON HAND: Measures the number of

days of expenses that can be covered from

existing cash & cash equivalents. Generally,

higher values indicate a stronger liquidity

position, although there is both a benefit

and an opportunity cost to holding cash

reserves.

(CASH+ CASH

EQUIVALENTS) / [(TOTAL

EXP - DEPREC.EXP) / 365

DAYS]

$100,000 TO $500,000-----------

$500,000 TO $1,000,000---------

$1,000,000 TO $10,000,000-----

$10,000,000 TO $50,000,000----

>$50,000,000---------------------

123 DAYS

146

99

76

57

17,165.37+0 /

[(5,259.84-0) /

365]=

1,191 DAYS

22,606.23+0 /

[(9938.28-0) /

365]=

830 DAYS

MONTHS OF SPENDING: A less extreme

measure of liquidity than days cash on

hand since it assumes receivables can be

collected to sustain operations. Generally,

higher values indicate a stronger liquidity

position.

(CURRENT ASSETS -

CURRENT LIAB+

RESTRICTED NET ASSETS) /

[(TOTAL EXP-DEP.EXP) /

12 MONTHS]

$100,000 TO $500,000-----------

$500,000 TO $1,000,000---------

$1,000,000 TO $10,000,000-----

$10,000,000 TO $50,000,000----

>$50,000,000---------------------

4.22 MONTHS

5.24

3.84

3.35

2.42

(10, 167.53-

2254.13+0) /

[(5559.84-0) /

12]=

18.05 MONTHS

(12, 726.95-

2800.00+0) /

[(9939.84-0) /

12]=

11.98 MONTHS

OPERATING RATIOS 2018 2019

SAVINGS INDICATOR: Measures the net

revenues that are retained by the

organization as a percentage of expenses.

Generally, non-profits must retain some

surplus to replace existing facilities and

extinguish debt. This ratio should be

evaluated in the context of the anticipated

needs of the organization.

(REVENUES - EXPENSES) /

TOTAL EXPENSES

$100,000 TO $500,000-----------

$500,000 TO $1,000,000---------

$1,000,000 TO $10,000,000-----

$10,000,000 TO $50,000,000----

>$50,000,000---------------------

4.5 %

6.0

4.3

4.5

9.6

17,165.37-

5259.84 /

5259.84=

2.26%

22,606.23-

9939.84 /

9939.84=

1.27%

CONTRIBUTIONS & GRANTS: Measures the

extent to which revenues are received

from donors and grantors. Since this ratio

measures the organizations dependence

on voluntary support, high values indicate

less diverse revenue sources and greater

susceptibility to economic downturns.

CONTRIBUTIONS &

GRANTS REVENUE / TOTAL

REVENUE

$100,000 TO $500,000-----------

$500,000 TO $1,000,000---------

$1,000,000 TO $10,000,000-----

$10,000,000 TO $50,000,000----

>$50,000,000---------------------

59 %

56

47

34

1516,562.03 /

17,165.37=

96.49%

22,110.23 /

22,606.23=

97.81%

FUNDRAISING EFFICIENCY: Indicates the

amount of contributions raised for each

dollar of fundraising cost. Higher values

indicate greater fundraising efficiency.

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS

(OTHER THAN GOV'T

GRANTS) / FUNDRAISING

EXPENSES

$100,000 TO $500,000-----------

$500,000 TO $1,000,000---------

$1,000,000 TO $10,000,000-----

$10,000,000 TO $50,000,000----

>$50,000,000---------------------

$16.94 DOLLARS

16.47

11.45

11.93

12.86

603.34 / 50

(guessed)=

$ 12.07

496 / 41.10

(guessed)=

$ 12.07

SPENDING RATIOS 2018 2019

PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSE: Measures

expenses incurred on mission related

programs as a percentage of total

expenses. Donors generally view higher

values as desirable since this represents

resources that are being directed to

mission-related programs.

PROGRAM SERVICES

EXPENSES / TOTAL

EXPENSES

$100,000 TO $500,000-----------

$500,000 TO $1,000,000---------

$1,000,000 TO $10,000,000-----

$10,000,000 TO $50,000,000----

>$50,000,000---------------------

85.3 %

86.1

85.2

86.2

86.8

4847.84 /

5259.84=

92.17%

9164.02 /

9939.28=

92.20%

MANAGEMENT EXPENSES: Measures

management and general costs as a

percentage of total expenses. Donors

generally view higher values as

undesirable since this represents resources

that are not being directed to mission-

related programs.

MANAGEMENT &

GENERAL EXPENSES /

TOTAL EXPENSES

$100,000 TO $500,000-----------

$500,000 TO $1,000,000---------

$1,000,000 TO $10,000,000-----

$10,000,000 TO $50,000,000----

>$50,000,000---------------------

12.3 %

12.7

12.6

12.3

12.4

561.85 / 5259.84=

10.68%

1061.52 /

9939.28=

10.68%

FUNDRAISING EXPENSE: Measures

fundraising costs as a percentage of total

expenses. Donors generally view higher

values as undesirable because these

represent resources that are not being

directed to mission-related programs.

FUNDRAISING EXPENSES /

TOTAL EXPENSES

$100,000 TO $500,000-----------

$500,000 TO $1,000,000---------

$1,000,000 TO $10,000,000-----

$10,000,000 TO $50,000,000----

>$50,000,000---------------------

2.5 %

2.2

2.2

1.6

0.8

50 / 5259.84=

0.95%

41.10 /9939.28=

0.41%

AVERAGES BY SIZE OF NON-PROFIT OCH ACTUAL VALUES


Appendix C:

Table 6: OCH Strategic Timeline

Short-Term

(1-3 years)

Mid-Term

(4-6 years)

Long-Term

(7-10 years)

Cost

($ - $$$)

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

OC Habitats Strategic Plan Implementation Schedule (10 Years)


Appendix D:

Table 2: Performance metrics for OCH evaluation

Member Growth:

Showcasing growth patterns

exhibits the need, or success

for member retention.

Knowing the organization’s

growth rate will help OCH to

predict things like future

volunteer size, potential

annual run rate and more.

Revenues and operational

costs: Operational related

costs are of utmost

importance for socially

responsible donors who want

to see their money being spent

in the restoration projects

rather than in administrative

costs. Ideally, less than 35%

of revenues should be

delegated to administration

costs. This graph can help

showcase those separations.

(Cost associated with salary,

insurance, and taxes fall under

General & Admin costs.)

Acres serviced (multiple

years): Displaying the areas

serviced and the areas that

need to be serviced over the

years is an important visual

metric that can help the

viewer see the progress of the

work being done in the

habitats.

2530

45

55

2020 2021 2022 2023

Member Growth

0

20

40

60

80

100

2020 2021 2022 2023

Acres Serviced

Acres preserved Acres unpreserved

$- $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000

Revenue

Restoration Cost

Admin Cost

Revenues and Restoration Costs

2023 2022 2021 2020


Aggregate biodiversity

health (Terrain, Plant Life,

and Wildlife): This metric

can help the viewer see the

different types of areas where

OCH renders services.

Auditing the area (over the

years) of concentration in

specific sites can help OCH to

track progress of specific

projects and can increase

funding when presenting to

socially responsible donors.

Threats concerning Alien /

Invasive Species, Sea Level

Rise, Road Construction,

and Home Resort: It is

important for OCH to keep

visual measurements on all

the threats that affect areas of

concern. A metric audit put

into visual graphs can help

OCH keep track of priority

projects that require

immediate action, as well as

support its initiatives when

presenting to donors.

Poor, 55%

Fair/Good, 25%

Very Good, 20%

2020 Biod-Health

Low20%

Medium35%

High45%

Aggregate Threats

OC Habitats - GuideStar

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