Wellnest Emotional Health & Wellness
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Through a holistic approach to emotional well-being, Wellnest offers hope, healing, and opportunity to the children, young adults, families, and communities we serve. Our commitment remains steadfast as we enter our second century of service.
- Income
- $41.7 million
- Spending
- $32.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 90%
- Employees
- 298
- Volunteers
- 230
- Highest pay
- $406,086, ceo/president
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
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 44% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 23% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 29% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 23 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 2516 of 17 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 (4)
- $10.1 million spent. Outpatient Services:Wellnest offers outpatient services at our facilities, as well as in schools and homes anywhere in the community our clients need us. Our integrated service management program - mind, body, and heart - combines support for mental and general health in a holistic model of care, including "non-traditional" wellness services, such as yoga, stress relief, art classes, and cooking. We also provide on-site behavioral health services at 34 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District including charter schools that reach children and teens with emotional and behavioral issues that may significantly interfere with their ability to learn.
- $9.7 million spent. Intensive Services:For youth who need more help, our Intensive Services Division provides a higher level of behavioral health care. Families with children who have severe emotional or behavioral difficulties can receive individually designed services at Wellnest or at home, in school, and in the community - all depending on the family's needs. The Full Service Partnership (FSP) gives families with children experiencing serious emotional and behavioral problems the opportunity to receive intensive, coordinated services. Our wraparound services offer flexible, therapeutic, and individualized plans of care for children and youth at risk of experiencing an out-of-home placement. Lastly, families in Los Angeles County with child welfare involvement can get help for their child's serious emotional disturbances through the Intensive Field Capable Clinical Services (IFCCS) Program. At the Drop-In Avis & Mark Ridley-Thomas Life Learning Center (LLC), young people can alter the course of their lives with such services as therapy, case management, employment, education and career guidance, life skills, substance abuse counselling, housing, and more. This vibrant, accessible 10,000-square-foot space gives transition-age youth a safe place for recreation and creative exploration, along with a chance to build personal strengths and a sense of community. Each youth connected to the LLC has access to a variety of programming where a youth becomes an essential part of the team. Most clients benefiting from this program are young adults emancipating from foster care and/or reforming from the probation system.The Hope for Housing LA Program is a scattered site housing program where each young person is part of a team to support their ability to maintain independent living. Youth are placed in service areas 4 and 6 and learn to live independently with a roommate and receive very focused support to prepare them for permanent housing at the completion of their program. The Nest on Florence will provide permanent supportive housing for vulnerable young adults and their families in South Los Angeles. The Nest on Florence includes 51 units for young men and women and their families who are at risk for homelessness or have become homeless, as well as those who are experiencing a behavioral health issue which inhibits their ability to maintain stable housing for themselves and their children. Wellnest will support the Nest on Florence residents' primary needs with intensive case management; mental health support and services; addiction/recovery services; employment and/or benefits advocacy; assistance in strengthening independent living skills; and building a more comprehensive natural social support system. Families throughout Los Angeles County with child welfare involvement can get help for their child's serious emotional disturbances through the Intensive Field Capable Clinical Services (IFCCS) Program. Wellnest staff collaborate with child-serving providers in a strength-and-needs-based approach, with the child and family at the center. In addition to the behavioral health interventions for the child, help is available for parents/caregivers in addressing their own trauma, which impacts both family and child stabilization. IFCCS also provides case management, psychiatry services and links to such community resources as housing, financial, and health services. Our staff responds to crisis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Wraparound is a nationally recognized model of service delivery that serves children and youth at risk of experiencing an out-of-home placement. An individual plan of care is developed for each child, driven by family-designated teams that include their treatment team, child welfare and/or juvenile justice workers, educators, natural supporters and other community members. Wraparound's flexible funding allows teams to do "whatever it takes" to assist in keeping a child in the community and in their home. Interventions tailored to the needs and strengths of each family can include trauma-informed therapeutic services and other support services, as well as activities that nurture the child's optimal functioning. Wellnest's Full Service Partnership (FSP) gives families with children experiencing serious emotional and behavioral problems the opportunity to receive an individually planned, coordinated array of services, which can include therapy, skill-building, case management, and medication. Wellnest's FSP team includes clinical therapists, parent partners, case managers, and psychotherapists. FSP also funds less-traditional services, such as a family's costs associated with supporting their child's mental health and pro-social behavior. Family involvement is required to effect change. Parents are assisted in navigating through systems of community resources.Full-Services Partnership-Transition-Age Youth (FSP-TAY) provides the same level of intensive field-based services as FSP-Child, but to youth ages 16-25. To qualify for this program, youth must be homeless or be at risk of homelessness, have a history of psychiatric hospitalization, struggle with substance use or abuse, and are aging out of children's mental health services, juvenile hall, DCFS services, or institutional care. FSP-TAY engages youth by outreaching to them in their natural environment and helping them to develop independent life skills, funds are also available to assist them with tuition, books, housing, and general living expenses.
- $5.7 million spent. Early Intervention and Community Wellness:Intervening early in a child's life can build resilience and confidence as it helps prevent future behavioral issues. Equally important, it can help parents form healthy attachments with their children. For those critical 0-5 years, Wellnest steps in with therapy and services in classrooms, home, and our locations through the following programs:Wellnest's Free Family Resource Center provides drop-in center services and one-on-one support to individuals and families. Visitors are provided access to basic essentials for children such as clothing, shoes, hygiene products, and diapers. Also available are workshops in infant massage, budgeting, and other useful topics, The Center links its users to resources for childcare, employment, food banks, recreation, and other support. The Healthy Families America Home Visitation Program is based on the belief that early, nurturing relationships can instill lifelong healthy development in a child. Our free, accredited program serves prenatal families and families with children ages newborn to five years in South Los Angeles and Metro Los Angeles, Wellnest's trained home visitors engage families in parent-child activities, educate them on healthy development, and provide referrals to community services. Services also include infant massage and lactation support. A Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (MAT) collaborates with the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Mental Health. Assessments encompass mental health, developmental needs and medical concerns of children entering the foster care system, along with each potential caregiver's ability to provide optimal care. The program seeks to decrease the likelihood of multiple out-of-home placements for children and support families as they seek a range of community resources. In the Early Intervention Outpatient Program, we work to support and strengthen the relationship between child and caregiver, while simultaneously helping them both develop skills to manage behaviors. Many families we serve are coping with issues such as separation, loss, difficulty in school, relationship challenges, stress, or traumatic events. Case management services support families by providing community sources such as childcare, recreational activities, and more. This therapeutic environment helps children ages 2-5 years old who face emotional and behavioral challenges in a childcare or school setting. A structured setting offers music, movement, art, and play to support self-expression and reduce challenging behaviors. Participation by parents and caregivers in family therapy and support groups is a fundamental part of the healing process.
- $1.6 million spent. Access and Wellness Services Division:The No-Fee Access and Wellness Center embodies Wellnest's commitment to full access to services that support emotional health and well-being. Each weekday, this welcoming center serves as the primary connection point for free outpatient services - no appointment necessary. All ages are welcome: children, adolescents, and adults for select programs. Consumers meet to complete assessments on the same day with our expert staff, each trained in trauma-informed best practices. Once screened for their individual needs, each individual or family is linked to the most appropriate services - whether crisis intervention, therapy, and/or community resources. Child care is available to maximize the ease of services for families.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1949.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.