Lighthouse Community Center

Program Mission Statement:

(self-reported)

Equipping volunteers and community leaders to meet unique, holistic needs of the Minnie Street Community so that all may grow in the power of God's love.

Score Summary

Overall Score:	Excellent
Practice Principles:	Excellent
Faith Related Elements:	Better
Outcome Measures:	Excellent
Change Process:	Better

Program Facts

• Paid (FTE) Staff Working: 6.5
• Program Participants Last Year: 1085
• Meets about 30 time(s) with each participant per month
• Participants remain in the program for 36 months

Board Activities

Funding Overview

(self-reported)

	This Program	This Organization
Organization Budget: $2,000,000 Program Budget: $340,000
Foundation Grants	0%	0%
Government Grants/Contracts	0%	0%
Individual Gifts	0%	0%
Business/Corporate Gifts	0%	0%
Congregation/Denominational Gifts	100%	100%
Dues/Fees/Income	0%	0%
Other	0%	0%
	Average Program Funding From All Samaritan Programs	Average Organization Funding From All Samaritan Organizations
The next charts display the average funding sources for all programs currently in the Samaritan Guide for your comparison. Average Organization Budget: $3,820,907 Average Program Budget: $480,643
Foundation Grants	24%	18%
Government Grants/Contracts	3%	8%
Individual Gifts	36%	33%
Business/Corporate Gifts	9%	8%
Congregation/Denominational Gifts	9%	10%
Dues/Fees/Income	7%	9%
Other	10%	11%

It is important to maintain diverse income sources for your programs and for your oganization as a whole. Doing so provides long-term financial stability to your organizations and programs. It is also important to note that government funding often comes with stipulations and restrictions. More information is available in the Raising Resources Toolkit - pdf.

Score Details

Program Focus
Program Mission	Clarity and specificity of the program's mission statement.	Good
Target Population	Clarity and specificity of the programs target clientele.	Excellent
Eligibility Criteria	Clarity and specificity of the program's eligibility criteria.	Good
Program Requirements	Well defined requirements for client participation.	Better
Referrals From Other Organizations	Do other organizations recommend this program to their clientele.	Good
Referrals to Other Organizations	Does this program recommend other programs to their clients?	Better
Volunteer to Staff Ratio	Are volunteers effectively incorporated into the program?	Excellent
Past Participant Recruiting	Are past program participants recruited as volunteers?	Better
Evaluation and Practice Princples
Practice Principles	How supports and resources are provided to increase outcomes.	Excellent
Outcome Measurement	The ability to measure stated program outcomes.	Excellent
Change Process	Specific and measurable statement of the program's goals.	Better
Faith Related Elements	Integration of faith related elements.	Better
Measurement Frequency	Frequency of measuring client outcomes.	Better
Program Evaluation	Level of the budget allocated to measuring client outcomes.	Excellent
Institutional Stability
Organization Age	A measure of the organization's durability.	Excellent
Board Oversight	How involved in the program are the members of its board?	Excellent
Program Duration	Average duration of a clients participation with a program.	Excellent
Finances
Budget Diffusion	Diversity of the programs funding sources.	Good
Government Funding	Does this program accept little or no government funding?	Excellent

Program Score Details

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Outcomes & Measures:

(self-reported)

Scoring for this section is based on the organizations ability to provide at least three clear and specific outcomes with corresponding measures in which a relationship is shown between outcomes and measures.

Outcome 1: Reduced teen pregnancy and domestic violence. Improved social justice and health care and immigration statistics

Measure Used:
Local government reports and participant surveys

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Outcome 2: Improved reading comprehension

Measure Used:
Computer pre- and post- assessments

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Outcome 3: Improved math skills

Measure Used:
Computer pre- and post- assessments

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Outcome 4: Improved skills to increase rate of graduation and employment

Measure Used:
Number of residents graduating from program English classes, high school, and college and securing employment

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Outcome 5: Increase in US citizenship among immigrants

Measure Used:
Number of residents becoming US citizens each year

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Change Process:

(self-reported)

Scoring for this section is based on the organizations ability to provide clear, measurable, client-focused stages of change based on participant participation.

A 2004 Rockefeller Institute study ranked Santa Ana as the hardest city in which to live (based on unemployment, housing, income, poverty, and education). On Minnie Street in Santa Ana, 12,000 people live within a 1/3 square mile area typically known for drugs, crime, and abuse.

In 1996 Mariners Church, partnering with local organizations, opened an after-school program on Minnie Street to help children with homework. Many of these children have become college students and graduates, and many have returned to serve.

Over the years, the programs have expanded to offer support to residents of all ages who are living with these harsh realities – almost 1100 in the last 12 months. Opportunities for tutoring, mentoring, field trips, arts and sports options, and summer camps bring hope, confidence, and reduce the sense of scarcity and isolation.

Thousands of volunteers (300 each month) from Mariners Church in nearby Irvine have contributed their expertise and resources to provide programs and services six or seven days a week. However, the most powerful life-changes have resulted from relationships – and ironically, volunteers realized they were changed as much as the people they served.

“In Christ, there are no boundaries between church and community. We strive for the day when He will break the cycles of poverty, ignorance, and abuse that ensnare people…We envision a time when those who have little will worship and serve beside those who have much, each recognizing that their worth and significance can be found in Christ alone.”

In 2008, Lighthouse Ministries and several community partners will open two additional Lighthouse Community Centers.

End Notes

Incomplete Applications

Significant decreases in certain scores may indicate failure to comprehensively complete certain sections of the Samaritan Award application. Please be sure to fill out every question in the Samaritan Award application.

Relative Scoring

Total program scores are partially computed against other programs from within the same pool of applications and so are not cumulative.

Additional Reference Material

More information on scoring and methodology may be found on the Samaritan Guide and Award website.

Acton Institute Relationship

The Samaritan Guide and Samaritan Award are projects run by the Acton Institute. Inclusion in the Guide does not signify endorsement by the Acton Institute. More information on why the Acton Institute runs this project is available online.