The Weingart Foundation Honors the Legacy of Pioneering Leader Gloria Molina

May 14, 2023 – (Los Angeles, CA) — Miguel A. Santana, President and C.E.O. of the Weingart Foundation, a private grantmaking foundation that partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial justice, released the following statement.

“Today, we join all Angelenos in mourning the loss of a tremendous pioneering leader, Supervisor Gloria Molina.

“As the first Latina in the California State Assembly, the Los Angeles City Council, and the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, she not only opened doors for others to follow, she transformed lives. Many within our Weingart community have had the privilege of working alongside Supervisor Molina over her decades of service on behalf of vulnerable communities.

“The values she modeled continue to inform and inspire many of us including putting community first and always doing the right thing, no matter how difficult. She reminded us that we are not done fighting for equity until the community sees and feels the difference. She always fought the Good Fight with the ganas, ethics, and integrity that would make the community proud.

“As we advance the Foundation’s mission of building equity and justice, we may ask, ‘What would Gloria do?’ The answer is never to take the easiest path forward or the most popular, but to always fight for what is most impactful for the communities we are committed to serve.

“On behalf of the Weingart Foundation, thank you, Gloria, for your vision, example, and for being our community’s voice and champion.”

ABOUT THE WEINGART FOUNDATION
The Weingart Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation that partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial, social, and economic justice for all. Our vision is a dynamic and effective social change sector that is creating equitable systems and structures needed to achieve justice. Founded in 1951, the Foundation has to date granted over $1 billion to organizations, strengthening their efforts in human services, housing, health, education, and community power building. In addition, the Foundation builds networks and collaboratives with philanthropic, public sector, and community leaders to advance equity and justice together.

Updates from The Weingart Foundation May 2023

2023 Weingart Planning Conference

Weingart Board Members and Staff

Our board and staff recently came together for our 2023 Weingart Planning Conference, an annual gathering where we build on the momentum and learning of our past work together to reaffirm our shared commitment to advancing racial justice. The Planning Conference took place at The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture where we were inspired by its mission to promote the Chicano/Latino experience from the perspective of the community through art.

We also had the opportunity to connect with our Inland Empire partners and learn more about how they are building power and advancing on intersectional issues impacting BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities of color including health access, immigrant rights, BIPOC-leadership building, civic engagement, and inclusive economic development. In this bulletin, we are shining a light on TruEvolution and the Palm Springs Section 14 survivors, two organizations that were part of our planning conference.

TruEvolution staff showed us the plan for a future housing development, Project Legacy

TruEvolution staff showed us the plan for a future housing development, Project Legacy

During our Conference, we toured TrueEvolution an organization that provides HIV care and prevention services, emergency housing, and mental health services advancing health equity and racial justice for LGBTQ+ people in the Inland Empire. We were inspired by Gabriel Maldonado, founder and CEO of TruEvolution, whose lived experienced motivates him to advancing the quality of life and human dignity of people of color in the LGBTQ+ experience.

Palms Springs Section 14 Panel

Palm Springs Section 14 Panel with Weingart Board and Staff

As part of our Conference, we heard from the Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors Advisory Group. Section 14 in Palm Springs was a one-square-mile, predominantly African American, working-class community that thrived in the 1900s at a time in California where racially restrictive covenants forced people of color out of certain communities. In the early 1960s, the City of Palm Springs enacted a plan to demolish Section 14 to build more lucrative commercial enterprises. Without proper notice or compensation, the city burned and bulldozed homes, violently displacing residents in what the California Attorney General’s office described in 1965 as a “City-engineered holocaust.”

The Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors Advisory Group was established in 2021 to advocate for the survivors of the city-led destruction with the goal of having the City of Palms Springs repair some of the harm caused to them and their descendants. The Los Angeles Times recently featured the efforts of the Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors.

Learn more about their efforts here: https://vimeo.com/755339911

The Weingart Foundation Honors the Legacy of Pioneering Leader Gloria Molina

We join all Angelenos in mourning the loss of a tremendous pioneering leader, Supervisor Gloria Molina. As the first Latina in the California State Assembly, the Los Angeles City Council, and the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, she not only opened doors for others to follow, she transformed lives. Many within our Weingart community have had the privilege of working alongside Supervisor Molina over her decades of service on behalf of vulnerable communities. Read our statement about Supervisor Gloria Molina.

Impact Investing Highlights

Dr. Gina Merritt, Owner & Principal of Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures, a developer that is a part of LIIF’s Black Developer Initiative

In addition to grants, impact investing is a powerful tool we increasingly utilize to support communities. Our goal is to use all of our assets to advance our racial justice mission and we are making meaningful progress in this regard.

The Foundation pledged $5 million, as part of a consortium of funders, to the Community Investment Guarantee Pool (CIGP). CIGP recently provided a $2 million loan guarantee for affordable housing to Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), a Community Development Financial Institution that invests in communities of opportunity, equity, and well-being. Specifically, Weingart’s commitment will support LIIF’S Black Developer Capital Initiative (BDCI) which provides pre-development lines of credit to emerging, Black housing developers who face challenges in accessing flexible, early-stage capital.

We are also actively pursuing opportunities towards our goal of achieving 100% mission-alignment in our investments. We recently committed $10 million dollars to Kah Capital Mortgage Credit Fund II, a fund managed by Kah Capital Management, a leading investment management firm focused on mortgage credit and led by people of color. The investment will support distressed borrowers utilizing Kah Capital Management’s technology driven servicing oversight strategy to restructure their mortgage loans and prevent foreclosures, prioritizing home retention. Many of the borrowers assisted through Kah Capital Management’s strategy are people of color living in low-income communities. This investment advances the Foundation’s housing justice work.

Read About Our Latest Round of Funding

We recently awarded over $7.6 million to 43 nonprofit organizations advancing racial justice across Southern California. More than half of the grants provide unrestricted operating support to organizations that serve historically marginalized communities. The Foundation is operationalizing its racial justice mission with BIPOC leaders at the helm of 84% of the nonprofit partner organizations receiving unrestricted grants. Learn more about our latest round of funding here.

The Weingart Foundation Advances Racial Justice Through $7.6 Million in Grants to Organizations and $10 Million in Mission-Aligned Impact Investments

The funds support Southern California organizations working to create a more equitable future for historically excluded and underserved communities.

April 26, 2023 (Los Angeles, CA) — The Weingart Foundation, a private grantmaking foundation that partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial justice, awarded over $7.6 million to 43 nonprofit organizations and made a $10 million investment to a mission-aligned fund. More than half of the grants provide unrestricted operating support to organizations that serve historically marginalized communities. The Foundation is operationalizing its racial justice mission with BIPOC leaders at the helm of 84% of the nonprofit partner organizations receiving unrestricted grants.

The Foundation is strategically transitioning its approach to grantmaking by providing larger grants to organizations that closely align with one or more of the Foundation’s strategic priorities: strong and healthy communities; building civic power; and advancing just systems.

“We’re proud to support our grant and investment partners and know together we form a broader movement for racial justice and systemic equity,” said Miguel A. Santana, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation. “Our partners know best what it takes to serve their communities and address inequities. We are making deeper investments so they can continue to build on their transformative work.”

The Foundation intentionally partners with coalitions that are building political power in communities impacted by institutional racism. For example, the Los Angeles Worker Centers Network, that includes Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, Garment Worker Center, and Pilipino Worker Center, is an important network that operates at the intersection of economic, immigrant, and racial justice. Together, these groups have achieved notable policy and legal victories in recent years as they work towards creating meaningful solutions for the lowest-paid workers in the region.

A quarter of the grants in this cycle are Strategic Opportunity Funds that can serve as catalysts that sustain nonprofits and coalitions. For example, the Weingart Foundation is providing seed funding to Pomona United for Stable Housing (PUSH) Coalition, a grassroots coalition of tenants, community members and nonprofits advancing housing justice. PUSH Coalition successfully organized for emergency rent stabilization in Pomona, protecting vulnerable families from losing housing.

“Our partnership with the Weingart Foundation will further our ability to promote policies that protect tenants and strengthen communities,” said Yesenia Miranda Meza, President and co-Founder of Pomona United for Stable Housing. “We’re looking forward to strengthening our administrative infrastructure and investing in contract management, board development, and communication capacities to achieve broader impact.”

The Foundation is expanding its support to nonprofits that serve individuals transitioning out of the criminal justice system, and that advocate for criminal justice reform. This includes two new partners in the Antelope Valley, Paving the Way and Timelist Group, that each provide direct services to justice-involved people while playing a critical role in systems change coalition efforts. These organizations are key partners in Cancel the Contract, a local power-building coalition pushing for school safety through police-free campuses.

The Foundation also recently committed $10 million dollars to Kah Capital Mortgage Credit Fund II, a fund managed by Kah Capital Management, a leading investment management firm focused on mortgage credit and led by people of color. The investment will support distressed borrowers utilizing Kah Capital Management’s technology driven servicing oversight strategy to restructure their mortgage loans and prevent foreclosures, prioritizing home retention. The majority of the borrowers assisted through Kah Capital Management’s strategy are people of color living in low-income communities. This investment advances the Foundation’s housing justice work.

Additionally, the Foundation pledged $5 million, as part of a consortium of funders, to the Community Investment Guarantee Pool (CIGP). CIGP recently provided a $2 million loan guarantee for affordable housing to Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), a Community Development Financial Institution that invests in communities of opportunity, equity, and well-being. Specifically, Weingart’s commitment will support LIIF’S Black Developer Capital Initiative (BDCI) which provides pre-development lines of credit to emerging, Black housing developers who face challenges in accessing flexible, early-stage capital.

“It is inspiring to see the passion and dedication that our nonprofit and investment partners demonstrate each and every day,” said Aileen Adams, Board Chair of the Weingart Foundation. “Beyond financial support, we are committed to supporting meaningful, long-term change that advances racial, social and economic justice for all.”

For a full list of the Weingart Foundation’s partners, please visit: https://weingartfnd.org/march-2023-grants-and-program-related-investments/

ABOUT THE WEINGART FOUNDATION
The Weingart Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation that partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial, social, and economic justice for all. Our vision is a dynamic and effective social change sector that is creating equitable systems and structures needed to achieve justice. Founded in 1951, the Foundation has to date granted over $1 billion to organizations, strengthening their efforts in human services, housing, health, education, and community power building. In addition, the Foundation builds networks and collaboratives with philanthropic, public sector, and community leaders to advance equity and justice together.

The Weingart Foundation and the California Community Foundation Announce New Fund Promoting Wellness and Sustainability in the Nonprofit Immigration Sector

The Immigrants Are Essential Fund addresses high levels of burnout and financial challenges faced by the people that power the immigrant rights movement in Southern California.

February 21, 2023 (Los Angeles, CA) — The Weingart Foundation, a private grantmaking foundation that partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial justice, and the California Community Foundation (CCF), an organization dedicated to leading positive systemic change that strengthens Los Angeles communities, announced the launch of the Immigrants Are Essential Fund addressing the unique challenges faced by nonprofits in the immigrant rights sector in Southern California today. The fund was created in response to the findings of “From Burnout to Wellbeing Building a Sustainable Immigration Movement”, a report by CCF, Weingart, and The Raben Group, that found high levels of burnout, lack of mental health supports, and financial challenges amongst staff in the immigrant rights sector.

“Nonprofits in the immigration sector advance a powerful vision of justice and inclusion,” said Antonia Hernández, President and CEO of the California Community Foundation. “We know that to realize this vision, the sector and the people that power it, need to be healthy, strong, and adequately resourced. The Immigrants Are Essential Fund takes the necessary first steps to reimagine support for our community partners that is focused more on supporting the people who provide these critical programs and services.”

“Our immigrant rights partners have supported communities through tremendous challenges exacerbated by the pandemic and against the backdrop of anti-immigrant rhetoric and exclusionary policies,” said Miguel A. Santana, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation. “We need to ensure that the health and wellbeing of the people within those organizations is prioritized. This is why we are proud to invest in the Immigrants Are Essential Fund and call on the philanthropic community to join us.”

While other reports have examined burnout within the nonprofit sector at large, the report revealed that organizations in the immigration sector are especially vulnerable as it is a sector that is chronically underfunded. Staff surveyed in the report largely feel they lack economic security with 53% of survey respondents stating that they do not have enough economic security to ensure lost work due to serious illness. Another 43% do not have adequate savings in the event of a financial emergency.

To address the alarming data in the report, the Immigrants Are Essential Fund promotes sustainability and wellness within the sector. Resources will be allocated to support wellness programs and activities such as self-care, therapy, workshops, and coaching for the people who power the sector in Los Angeles and surrounding counties.

An advisory committee comprised of movement justice leaders will provide strategic guidance on the fund’s grantmaking priorities. CCFand the Weingart Foundation each provided $250,000 in initial funding for a total of $500,000 and have a goal of raising $1 million during the initial phase of the fund. Funders interested in contributing to the fund can reach Rosie Arroyo, Senior Program Officer, Immigration for CCF at rarroyo@calfund.org.

ABOUT THE WEINGART FOUNDATION
The Weingart Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation that partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial, social, and economic justice for all. Our vision is a dynamic and effective social change sector that is creating equitable systems and structures needed to achieve justice. Founded in 1951, the Foundation has to date granted over $1 billion to organizations, strengthening their efforts in human services, housing, health, education, and community power building. In addition, the Foundation builds networks and collaboratives with philanthropic, public sector, and community leaders to advance equity and justice together.

Update from The Weingart Foundation February 2023

Honor Black Lives Through Action

As we celebrate Black History Month, we’re proud to stand with our community partners by investing in Black leadership, voices, and efforts that address anti-Black racism. This includes Black-led and serving partners funded in our latest round of funding: the African American Board Leadership Institute, the Black Migrant Power Fund, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Youth Mentoring Action Network, and the Empower Initiative.

We’ve invested a total of $5M in the California Black Freedom Fund, a five-year initiative to ensure that Black power-building and movement-based organizations have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism.

In response to the murder of Tyre Nicols and others that have lost their lives at the hands of the police, we joined the philanthropic community in calling for justice. Read the letter in response to police violence. We are committed to organizing philanthropy on behalf of Black communities – now and for the long haul.

L.A. Governance Reform Project

We’re proud to join our colleagues in philanthropy to support the L.A. Governance Reform Project, an effort to review the City of Los Angeles’ governance structure and recommend reforms focused on transparency, accountability, and community representation. Led by a team of diverse, L.A.-based academics, the goal is to influence decision-making by LA City elected officials on a new system that removes politics out of the redistricting process. Learn more here.

The John W. Mack Movement Building Fellows Program

Named after the late civil rights leader and former Weingart Foundation Board Member, the John W. Mack Movement Building Fellows program aims to strengthen and develop current and emerging leaders to lead social and racial justice work that results in a more just and equitable Southern California region. Learn about eligibility and how to apply here. The deadline to apply is March 10, 2023.

Join Our Team

Our team is growing. Read about our current job openings here.

Understanding the California State Budget Process – March 2

Partners of the Weingart Foundation are invited to participate in our upcoming learning opportunity. Members of the California Budget & Policy Center team will provide information about the state budget and why advocates, organizers, and funders should engage in budget policy and advocacy. Register today: http://bit.ly/3DS2xG6.

Call for Sessions for the 2023 Los Angeles Immigration Summit – Due March 6

Our partners, The California Community Foundation (CCF) & USC Equity Research Institute (USC ERI), invite you to submit a session proposal for the 2023 Immigration Summit: Our Future is Now! Investing in an Inclusive Los Angeles Region, which will be held in-person on June 27 – 28, 2023 in Los Angeles. Please submit your session proposals by Monday, March 6, 2023 5:00 p.m. PST.