Childrens Services Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PROMOTING THE HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND SAFETY OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES IN CALIFORNIA AS A COLLECTIVE VOICE IMPACTING POLICY AND BEST PRACTICES TO STRENGTHEN THE SYSTEMS THAT SERVE THEM.
- Income
- $25.6 million
- Spending
- $15.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- 13.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 47%
- Employees
- 0
- Highest pay
- $284,383, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 96 out of 100. Higher than 94% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 13.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 19% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 40% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 101% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 June 30, 2025, 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 (2)
- $8.6 million spent. Full Circle Health NetworkFull Circle Health Network was founded in 2022 and grew out of a vision to create a network for CA Alliance member organizations that wanted to contract with Medi-Cal Managed Care plans and provide CalAIM services. It began as a subsidiary of the CA Alliances Catalyst Center and now serves an even broader group of organizations.During 2024-25, Full Circle Health Network continued to grow rapidly as it increased the number of providers in the network to over 100, who provided outreach and Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports (CS) to thousands of individual Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Thanks to the strong CA Alliance anchor organizations that helped lead the development of the network and make up the majority of the Board of Directors, Full Circle is thriving and continuing to expand its supports and services for children, youth, and families.In July 2025, Full Circle transitioned from a subsidiary of the Childrens Services Foundation (dba Catalyst Center) to a connected 501(c)(3) with shared Directors and will continue as a member organization of the CA Alliance. As sister organizations, Full Circle and the CA Alliance remain closely aligned and continue to partner in policy, advocacy, and operational activities, reflecting their shared leadership and commitment to advancing supports for children, youth, and families.Full Circle now has a contract with 16 MediCal managed care plans, and its providers are expanding into delivering Community Health Worker services. Additionally, the organization is supporting the Justice Served Network (JSN) of agencies in providing ECM and CS services. As the strength and reach of Full Circle grows, the organization continues its primary goal of ensuring that community-based organizations get the support and administrative platform they need to serve our most vulnerable Californians.As Full Circle moves into 2026, the organization is focused on continuing to grow the network, including expanding services provided through the network, demonstrating its unique impact across the state, and ensuring that community-based organizations can continue to thrive and support members with a range of much needed services.
- $6.3 million spent. Catalyst CenterThe Catalyst Center is the operational heart of our work, delivering training, technical assistance,research, the Apprenticeship program, the Open Doors program, and a wide range of supports that strengthen child and family-serving organizations across the state. EventsThe Catalyst Center team provides the field with access to skilled technical assistance providers who build networks across California, deepen cross-sector relationships, and help ensure that communityneeds and lived experience remain central to practice and system improvement.Across this work, the Catalyst Center ensures that members are equipped with practical tools,responsive support, and data-driven insights. By building statewide networks, removing barriers to service delivery, and supporting organizations in real time, the Catalyst Center remains a vital resource for members and a cornerstone of the CA Alliances mission to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families throughout California.Technical AssistanceTechnical Assistance (TA) is an essential service we provide, ensuring that organizations across California have the support they need with complex challenges. The TA team works side by sidewith providers and county agencies, offering timely information, problem-solving, and expert consultation that strengthens care for children, youth, and families.In 2025, they delivered more than 1,000 technical assistance services, supporting agencies in 35 counties through both DHCS and CDSS contracts. Assistance spanned key areas including IMD determinations, STRTP Mental Health Program Approval, Childrens Crisis Residential Programs, PRTF development, Payment Reform, and Presumptive Transfer. More than 560 staff hours were dedicated to help organizations navigate evolving policy requirements.The TA team also facilitated 32 Youth Resource Workgroups (YRW), providing trauma-informed,youth-centered consultation on complex cases involving integration of care, educational advocacy, behavioral health supports, and gender-affirming services. Additional efforts included supporting STRTP providers through the Youth-Centered Continuous Quality Improvement Framework and launching work to build statewide infrastructure for the Childrens Crisis Continuum Pilot Program.Catalyst Learning CenterThe Catalyst Learning Center (CLC) continued to grow as a statewide resource for professional learning, delivering high-quality training and skill-building opportunities to strengthen the child and family services workforce. Through virtual courses, in-person workshops, conference sessions, and an expanding on-demand library, the CLC made accessible, practical learning available to organizations across California.The CLC continued to prioritize flexible learning through its on-demand and recorded offerings, removing barriers related to geography, scheduling, and staff capacity. These courses covered a wide range of topics, including trauma-informed practice, policy updates, mental health and wellness, andorganizational leadership. 247.5 LEARNING HRS 104 COURSES 98% SATISFACTION RATEIn 2025, the CLC delivered 247.5 total learning hours across 104 courses, supporting more than 300 community-based organizations in 44 counties. This year also saw significant growth in engagement, with 3,252 new learning accounts created and an average of 675 unique monthly users accessing courses and resources. Learner satisfaction remained exceptionally high, with a 98 percent course satisfaction rate, reflecting both the quality and relevance of the CLCs offerings.In addition to year-round programming, the CLC hosted 78 workshops, providing participants with actionable tools and CEU-eligible sessions. These workshops brought together expert trainers, policymakers, practitioners, and individuals with lived experience to ensure that learning remained grounded, practical, and aligned with needs in the field.ResearchThe Research Team is the behind-the-scenes engine, strengthening policy, advocacy, training, and program work with evidence-based insights that deepen our impact. This year, the team supported every corner of the organization, analyzing 30 surveys representing more than 4,500 submissions and conducting 27 stakeholder interviews and focus groups with members and project partners.Their work informed efforts across Policy, Technical Assistance, the Apprenticeship Program, Open Doors, and Training, including analyses on presumptive transfer barriers and the statewide insurance crisis.The team also produced two external briefs: one highlighting how school and community-based organization partnerships advance youth mental health, and another examining how CalAIM payment reform affects CBOs.Internally, they strengthened data systems and project prioritization processes to improve collaboration across teams.Youth EngagementThis year, the CA Alliance strengthened youth leadership statewide by ensuring that young people with lived experience were centered in policy conversations and contributed meaningfully through legislative hearings, advocacy events, press conferences, and statewide convenings that helped shape solutions grounded in real experience.MENTAL HEALTH AND SB 531 Youth leaders provided testimony and spoke at pressconferences in support of SB 531, legislation focused on expanding mental health education in schools. They continued to advocate for youth mental health with a statewide video collaboration with the National Center for Youth Law (NCYL), amplifying youth experiences. Their participation was essential to elevate the urgency of mental health reform.MEDI-CAL ADVOCACY They served as speakers at a statewide press event focused on access to services and behavioral health care where they shared stories of lived experience that highlighted gaps and barriers faced by system-involved youth, grounding policy conversations in real-world impact. These stories played a critical role in illustrating how Medi-Cal policy decisions affect youth
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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? Worth knowing.
Status was revoked on May 15, 2011 for not filing returns for three years, and reinstated on May 15, 2011.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 June 2025.
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 September 2014.
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 October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.