Tropicana Community Services Organization

About Tropicana Community Services Organization:

Founded in 1980, Tropicana Community Services Organization (Tropicana) provides “all youth, newcomers, people of Black and Caribbean heritage and others in need with opportunities and alternatives that lead to positive life choices.” It aims to ensure that “all individuals have equal access to opportunities to reach their goals.” Tropicana administers over 40 programs and services from 6 separate sites. Its programs fall under six main categories: Counselling, Employment, Education, Day Care, Social/Recreational programming and Life Skills Development.

The Culturally Appropriate Counselling program provides services in individual and family counselling, violence against women counselling, a women support network and transitional housing and support.

In the summer of 2015, Tropicana's Jobs for Youth program placed 1,078 youths in summer jobs with 1,044 successful completions of their Tropicana Summer Experience placements for a 97% completion rate. Of these participants, 165 youths were offered continued employment.  This marked the last year of the Jobs for Youth as the Ontario government replaced the program with the Youth Job Connection program.

In F2016, Tropicana’s Employment Centre (representing 40% of spending) provided employment counselling, job search training and job opportunities for clients. 1460 clients were served through the Employment Services program with 70% of clients employed at their exit and 16% of clients returned to school or enrolled in training. Further, 737 students found summer employment through the Summer Job Services program. 

Tropicana’s Daycare Centres served 20 pre-school children and 30 school-aged children between 6 and 10 years old in its before and after-school care programs. In total, its daycare programs represented 9% of total spending.

Financial Review:

Tropicana Community Services Organization is a small-cap charity, with donations of $647k in F2016. The majority of revenues (91%) were generated through government funding in F2016. Its administrative costs are 16% of revenues and fundraising costs are 2% of donations. For every $1 donated to the charity, 82 cents is put towards its programs, falling within Ci's reasonable range. The charity has negative funding reserves due to $1.8m in outstanding long-term bank loans.

Since this update, Tropicana Community Services has a new board president and new interim executive director.

This charity report is an update that is being reviewed by Tropicana Community Services Organization. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on May 17, 2017 by Josh Lam and September 5, 2018 noting new leadership.