Downtown Womens Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O.
- Income
- $34.4 million
- Spending
- $28.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- -5.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 57%
- Employees
- 358
- Volunteers
- 1,750
- Highest pay
- $267,111, ceo & president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 42% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 16% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2521 of 21 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $15.1 million spent. HOUSING: DWC OPERATES 159 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR WOMEN, SURVIVORS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, AND FAMILIES ACROSS OUR THREE RESIDENCES IN LOS ANGELES. PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS COMFORTABLE, SAFE, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING PAIRED WITH ON-SITE INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT AND SERVICES NOT JUST TO END THE STRUGGLE WITH HOMELESSNESS, BUT ALSO TO THRIVE IN PERMANENT HOUSING AND WORK TOWARD ACHIEVING GOALS. IN 2024, DWC PERMANENTLY HOUSED 451 PEOPLE. COMMUNITY-BASED HOUSING: DWC'S COMMUNITY-BASED HOUSING PROGRAM CONNECTS UNACCOMPANIED WOMEN AND FAMILIES TO PERMANENT HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THROUGHOUT LOS ANGELES COUNTY. DWC OFFERS RAPID RE-HOUSING ASSISTANCE, PARTICULARLY FOR WOMEN ESCAPING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND CONNECTS THEM WITH SAFE, PERMANENT HOUSING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. DWC ALSO SUPPORTS WOMEN VETERANS THROUGH HOUSING VOUCHERS, MOVE-IN ASSISTANCE, TRAUMA RECOVERY RESOURCES, AND HELP NAVIGATING THE COMPLEX PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR VETERAN BENEFITS.
- $6.4 million spent. HEALTH AND WELLNESS: WE RECOGNIZE HOMELESSNESS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. UNDERSTANDING THE COMPOUNDING CHALLENGES OF HOMELESSNESS AND POOR HEALTH, WE TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WELLNESS. WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTER: DWC OPERATES SKID ROW'S ONLY WOMEN'S MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CENTER. OUR HEALTH CENTER IS AN ON-SITE CLINIC JOINTLY RUN WITH LOCAL PARTNER JWCH, THROUGH WHICH WE PROVIDE BASIC MEDICAL CARE, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS, AND REFERRALS FOR SPECIALTY CARE. OUR EXCEPTIONALLY TRAINED STAFF FOCUSES ON PREVENTIVE CARE TO REDUCE DIABETES, OBESITY, HYPERTENSION, AND OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES. WE SUPPLEMENT OUR CLINIC OFFERINGS WITH PSYCHIATRIC SESSIONS, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, AND GROUP THERAPY, AS WELL AS SELF-CARE AND HEALTH EDUCATION WORKSHOPS, FITNESS CLASSES, AND ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES. IN 2024, DWC PROVIDED MORE THAN 906 PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR PHYSICAL HEALTH SERVICES AND FACILITATED 1,635 MENTAL HEALTH SESSIONS. TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTER: OUR LOS ANGELES TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTER WAS CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PEACE OVER VIOLENCE, AND OFFERS SURVIVORS OF VIOLENT CRIME EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, INFORMATION, COMPASSION, ACCOMPANIMENT, REFERRALS, AND ADVOCACY SERVICES. WITH A COMBINED 75 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, DWC AND PEACE OVER VIOLENCE PROVIDE ASSISTANCE APPLYING FOR VICTIM COMPENSATION, REFERRALS FOR FOOD, SHELTER, AND HOUSING SERVICES, MEDICATION SUPPORT SERVICES AND ACCESS TO THERAPY, COMMUNITY TRAININGS, AND MORE. THE TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTER IS SUPPORTED BY THE CALIFORNIA VICTIM COMPENSATION BOARD (CALVCB) AND IS THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. DAY CENTER: DWC'S DAY CENTER IS THE ENTRY POINT FOR OUR SERVICES AND THE HUB OF OUR HEALTHY COMMUNITY. IT PROVIDES A SAFE SPACE FOR WOMEN IN THE HEART OF THE SKID ROW NEIGHBORHOOD IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. WOMEN WHO COME THROUGH OUR DOORS HAVE ACCESS TO 3 NUTRITIOUS MEALS DAILY, CLEAN BATHROOMS AND SHOWERS AND CHANGES OF CLOTHES. DAY CENTER CASE MANAGERS CAN ALSO LINK WOMEN TO HEALTHCARE, HOUSING, LEGAL AID, TRANSPORTATION, JOB TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, AS WELL AS WORK PLACEMENTS AND OTHER RESOURCES. IN 2024, THE FOLLOWING MILESTONES WERE ACHIEVED: DOWNTOWN WOMEN'S CENTER - PROVIDED OVER 113,639 NUTRITIOUS MEALS TO THOSE IN NEED. WE'RE OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 6AM-4PM, AND SATURDAY-SUNDAY FROM 7AM-3PM. - CREATED A SAFE SPACE FOR 4,831 WOMEN. - PROVIDED PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO 906 WOMEN. - PROVIDED 17,358 SHOWERS TO SUPPORT WELLNESS AND HYGIENE. - 1,750 VOLUNTEERS JOINED US IN SERVING OUR COMMUNITY
- $3.5 million spent. EDUCATION & JOB READINESS: WOMEN LIVING IN SKID ROW FACE MANY BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT. DWC'S EDUCATION AND JOB READINESS RESOURCES AIM TO BREAK THE CYCLES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND HOMELESSNESS. EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION: MORE THAN 200 WOMEN ACCESSED DWC'S WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM LAST YEAR, INLCUDING COMPUTER SKILLS, LITERACY AND MATH, ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL COUNSELING SESSIONS, JOB READINESS PREPARATION, AND EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT SERVICES. OUR SIGNATURE LINE OF GIFTS IS MADE BY FORMERLY HOMELESS WOMEN, AND 100% OF THE PROCEEDS SUPPORT DWC'S PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. ENRICHMENT: THROUGH OUR VOLUNTEER-LED WORKSHOPS, WOMEN REBUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE AND LEARN SKILLS LIKE SEWING, PHOTOGRAPHY, CREATIVE WRITING, ACTING, AND MORE. PARTICIPANTS ALSO COLLABORATE WITH STAFF AND COMMUNITY ARTISTS TO DESIGN MADE BY DWC'S SIGNATURE PRODUCT LINE HANDMADE. ENTERPRISE: MADE BY DWC IS OUR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, CREATED TO BREAK THE CYCLES OF CHRONIC UNEMPLOYMENT AND HOMELESSNESS. MADE BY DWC CONSISTS OF THE HANDMADE PRODUCT LINE CREATED BY THE WOMEN OF DWC, AND TWO STORE FRONTS IN DOWNTOWN LA. BY EMPOWERING WOMEN TO DISCOVER TALENTS AND DEVELOP SKILLS THROUGH PAID JOB TRAINING, MADE BY DWC GENERATES ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CAPITAL TO SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMS. IN 2024, 52 WOMEN GAINED PAID TRANSITIONAL EMPLOYMENT AT MADE BY DWC.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1979.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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