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
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 3
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,
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 4
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
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 7
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/
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 10
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
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
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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
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.
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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
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 17
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.
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 22
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).
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 23
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.
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 24
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).
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 25
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
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 26
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.
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 27
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
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 28
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.
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 29
Figure 6: Financial Projection based on 10% annual revenue growth:
Figure 7: Financial Projection based on 25% annual revenue growth:
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 30
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
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 31
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.
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 32
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.
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 33
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.
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 34
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)
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 35
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)
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 36
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
Director of the Environmental Science and Policy program at CSULB
Subject: Wetlands & Ecology
Prof. Christine Whitcraft
(562) 985-4820
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)
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]
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 37
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
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 38
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)
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 39
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
OC HABITATS - BUSINESS PLAN 40
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
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