Areas of Special Interest

Geographic Areas of Special Interest

South Los Angeles

South Los Angeles is a vibrant community that is the cultural heart of Black Los Angeles and currently home to over 750,000 primarily Black and Latinx residents. The legacy of structural racism has impacted South L.A. across generations. Longstanding disinvestment, exclusion, and-criminalization of the community has resulted in deep inequities across educational, employment, housing, and health outcomes for Black and Latinx residents. At the same time, South L.A. nonprofits, youth, and families are making change and building on a powerful legacy of community action. We work in partnership with these leaders to support South L.A.’s nonprofit ecosystems, with our key strategies focused on supporting anchor organizations, key service providers, grassroots power builders, and locally-led collaboratives as they work to transform unjust systems.

Southeast Los Angeles

The southeast portion of Los Angeles County is one of the most economically and culturally distinct regions in Southern California. About 700,000 people reside in the Southeast Los Angeles communities, the large majority of them Latinx. Nonprofit leaders in the region have come together to develop a shared long-term vision for the region and to amplify residents’ voice in the decisions that affect them. The Foundation aligns our work with the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Collaborative Strategic Plan and supports its implementation. This includes support for the Collaborative’s infrastructure as well as funding key organizations within or aligned to the Collaborative.

For questions about our work in South L.A. please contact Dana Henry, Program Officer, at dhenry@weingartfnd.org or (213) 688-6326. For questions about our work in Southeast L.A., please contact Eric Medina, Program Officer, at emedina@weingartfnd.org or (213) 688-6316.

Issue Areas of Special Interest

Housing Justice

With the region grappling with an unprecedented homelessness crisis as well as some of the country’s highest housing costs, communities of color are being impacted particularly hard. We partner with organizations toward the vision where every Southern Californian has a safe and affordable home. Key strategies include 1) strengthening organizations that are building the power of BIPOC tenants and people experiencing homelessness, building community-based affordable and supportive housing, and providing critical services; and 2) advancing bold systems change efforts to address the housing and homelessness crises and dismantle the systemic and anti-Black racism at their root.

For questions, contact Anthony Ng, Program Officer, at ang@weingartfnd.org or (213) 688-6324.

Immigrant/Refugee Rights and Integration

Southern California has long been a confluence of diverse communities and cultures, which has driven the region’s vibrancy and economic growth. Yet immigrants and refugees have long faced exclusion and exploitation largely based on race and income level. We partner with organizations that work with these communities to protect and secure their own rights, as well as to build a region of full inclusion and belonging for all. Key strategies include: 1) strengthening organizations building power and providing critical services (including safety net, legal, and language access services) in BIPOC immigrant communities; and 2) support systemic efforts to repair damage from harmful immigration policies, recover from the pandemic, and advance full inclusion for immigrants regardless of status.

For questions, Anthony Ng, Program Officer, at ang@weingartfnd.org or (213) 688-6324.

Strengthening Nonprofit Effectiveness

Nonprofit organizations play a critical role in our society, as changemakers, safety net providers, and employers. Yet too many are under-capitalized, especially those led by and working in communities of color. We believe that we can only make real progress toward justice when communities have the robust infrastructure and capacity needed to fully unleash their power. While our Unrestricted Operating Support program is our primary vehicle to advance nonprofit effectiveness, the Foundation also supports direct nonprofit capacity building support through a number of targeted efforts, including those focused on organizations and leaders of color. This support includes Foundation funded trainings, consulting, workshops, and other resources to help improve an organization’s ability to meet its mission.

The Foundation also works to promote full-cost funding and improved grantmaking and contracting practices from philanthropy and government, working with partners including Philanthropy California, Southern California Grantmakers, the California Association of Nonprofits, Nonprofit Finance Fund, the Committee for Greater LA’s Nonprofit Action Team, and the Los Angeles County Economic Resiliency Task Force’s Nonprofit/Philanthropy Work Group.

For questions, contact Vera de Vera, Program Director, at vdera@weingartfnd.org or (213) 688-6313.