Welcome to the DST Organizational Transparency and Accountability Page

As a 501(c)(3) that serves the unhoused community, Downtown Streets Team is committed to transparent disclosure in regards to its finances, programs, and other aspects of the organization. This webpage represents our commitment to be open with our supporters, grantors, community partners, and especially our staff and clients.

Financial Information

  • DST depends on local government funding sources to support community-specific program activity, and relies on unrestricted funds from individuals, foundations and corporations to support administrative costs and new initiatives across the organization.

  • Funds received from city and county service contracts for street cleanup and beautification are essential to DST programming.

  • Unrestricted grants, individual gifts, and corporate donations sustain the organization by covering organization-wide administrative costs and program expansion efforts which go unmet by city and county contracts.

  • The percentage of donations and foundation grants dedicated to administrative overhead costs is 19%.

Sources of Revenue

Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Downtown Streets Team diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to our organization and our mission of ending homelessness through the dignity of work and the power of community. DEI is a core value for Downtown Streets Team because we are profoundly aware of the impact identity and multi-marginalization has on someone’s experience of homelessness. We acknowledge that homelessness as an experience is shaped by matters of inequality, especially racial and economic disparities. Our direct service staff is committed to fostering an inclusive community for our Team Members that supports each member as they chart a path out of homelessness.

Likewise, Downtown Streets Team is committed to fostering an inclusive community within our organization that makes all staff members feel welcome and accepted as their whole selves. We value diverse voices and experiences and strive towards a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

Read our DEI Plan of Action here.

Transparent Impact

Since July 2019, DST has been carefully measuring its impact on the communities it serves. We track the number of individuals housed, the number of individuals placed in a job for 90 days or more, and the number of personal barriers overcome. Barriers are anything that pose an obstacle to an individual’s path out of homelessness: recovering a driver’s license, gaining access to vital medical services, acquiring a mobile phone, securing a transit pass, and so on. We also track the environmental impact of our Teams’ cleanup efforts including the amount of trash removed from city streets, the number of cigarette butts picked up, and the number of discarded syringes safely disposed. For a full account of our human and environmental impact, please visit the live success metrics section of the home page.

Explore our profile page on Charity Navigator.

In 2018, DST’s Volunteer Work Experience Program was named one of only five “Evidence-Based Best Practices in Ending Homelessness” in the State of California, according to the Homelessness Task Force Report released by the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties.

What Does It Mean to Be a DST Team Member?

  • Not to be confused with staff, Team Members are not employees of DST; they are voluntary participants in a multi-faceted program of support designed to help them exit homelessness or housing insecurity. The full name of the program is the Voluntary Work Experience Program. It includes a meaningful daily activity like street cleaning; compassionate case management; employment services; a supportive community of peers and DST staff; and a basic-needs stipend to help pay for essentials.

    Some Team Members graduate into DST’s supported employment program called Streets Team Enterprises. Participants in this program are considered employees of DST and receive job training, case management, and an above-minimum wage with the aim of attaining mainstream employment.

    Learn more about the Volunteer Work Experience Program and Streets Team Enterprises.

Legal Matters

  • In 2020, a wage dispute was filed by a former employee alleging that DST was not in full compliance with the California labor code. To resolve the dispute, in 2021, DST reimbursed former and current employees for claimed unpaid hours.

    In sum, DST paid a total of $170,000 in compensation to 72 employees to resolve the dispute.

    DST values the labor of its employees. So, to ensure compliance with California labor code, DST changed its time keeping processes from a pen-and-paper recording system to a digital punch in/out system for more accurate hours tracking.

  • In the period between approximately 2012 and 2015, some concerns were raised about company culture that required investigation and action.

    In 2017, a former employee of DST came forth with allegations pertaining to this period of time and alleged inappropriate behavior endemic to the management of the organization. This resulted in a series of articles written by local newspapers, highlighting the allegations and negatively impacting our ability to support our Team Members and find consistent funding in our communities.

    The DST Board of Directors commissioned the Law Offices of Amy Oppenheimer to investigate these claims.

    The thorough and lengthy investigation did substantiate allegations of inappropriate joking and a culture of excessive use of alcohol at company functions. The probe did not substantiate claims made about unequal pay, favoritism, or sexual harassment.

    Before, during, and after these allegations, DST took steps to ensure that the organization promotes a healthy and positive work environment. These measures were shaped in part by employee feedback and recommendations from DST’s co-employer, Insperity. Some of these measures include:

    —establishing a no tolerance policy for alcohol at organizational events,

    —replacing employee holiday parties with culture-sharing celebrations,

    —creating a Chief of HR position to support staff,

    —providing multiple avenues whereby an employee may file a complaint without fear of retaliation,

    —creating the role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager.