June 2022 Grant and Impact Investing Highlights
Overview
The Foundation’s current strategic framework outlines three main drivers in our racial justice ecosystem:
- Strong and healthy individuals and communities;
- Civic, cultural, economic, and political power of those most harmed by inequities; and
- Innovative and transformative systems.
This framework is reflected in our final round of funding for this fiscal year through our support of nonprofits collectively working toward one or more of these drivers. Half of the organizations receiving support in June are first-time partners and more than three-quarters of these are BIPOC-led organizations.
Strong and Healthy Individuals and Communities
We invest in strong and healthy individuals and communities by supporting programs and partners that increase access to essential services; develop BIPOC leadership; support collective healing, care and safety; and ensure financial security and resources. Nearly two-thirds of our unrestricted operating support (UOS) grants support both long-term nonprofit partners and new partners such as:
- Forgotten Children, a Black-led, women-led anti-human trafficking organization providing young women throughout South LA with a safe space and healing services to rehabilitate and rebuild their lives;
- Inglewood Wrapping Arms Around Community, led by formerly incarcerated individuals who utilize a near-peer model to provide a continuum of support to systems-involved individuals and their families;
- Center for Living and Learning, the only reentry organization in the San Fernando Valley offering workforce development;
- Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc., a culturally competent health care provider serving Native Americans throughout the Inland Empire.
Civic, Cultural, Economic, and Political Power
In step with our commitment to transforming systems, we continue to prioritize power-building ecosystems emerging in Orange, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties. Many first-time partners are organizing communities of color around community-identified priorities such as:
- Criminal Justice (Peace and Justice Law Center and OC Justice Initiative),
- Economic Justice (Cooperación Santa Ana),
- Environmental justice (OC Environmental Justice Fund and People’s Collective for Environmental Justice), and
- Housing Justice (House Farm Workers!)
Many of our partners exemplify cross-racial, cross-identity efforts that are critical to solidarity movement efforts in areas such immigrant and refugee rights and LGBTQ+ rights. These include:
- Haitian Bridge Alliance, a Black-led organization providing direct services, organizing, and advocacy for fair and just immigration policies on behalf of Black immigrants;
- Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project, which builds and centers the power of Black LGBTIQA+ migrants to ensure the liberation of all Black people through community building, political education, organizing, and access to direct services;
- Mirror Memoirs, a narrative change and healing justice organization focused on BIPOC LGBTQIA+ survivors of child sexual abuse; and
- TransLatin@ Coalition, founded by Latin@ transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex immigrant women in Los Angeles to advocate for policy change and services for their community and develop and promote Trans leadership.
We also support arts, culture, and narrative change organizations that play an important and effective role in power building ecosystems. Examples include:
- AWOKE, a first-time grantee based in the San Fernando Valley that develops youth leadership, civic engagement, and collective healing through the arts, athletics, and community organizing;
- Pukuu Cultural Community Services, which serves the Native American community in the San Fernando Valley through culturally-based programs, including homelessness prevention and youth diversion programs; and
- Boyle Heights Beat, a first-time grantee that facilitates youth-led bilingual community journalism that uplifts community voices on issues impacting the Eastside of Los Angeles.
