Covina Alhambra Arcadia Vernon Glendale Huntington Park La Verne Hermosa Beach Sierra Madre Claremo nglewood Burbank San Fernando Glendora El Monte Beach San Gabriel San Marino Avalon Beverly Hills M l Segundo Culver City Montebello Torrance Lynwood Hawthorne South Gate West Covina Signal Hill Maywo Bell Gardena Palos Verdes Estates Lakewood Baldwi Park Cerritos La Puente Downey Rolling Hills Investing in Local Nonprofits
STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN LOCAL NONPROFITS What They Are Los Angeles has a reputation as a world-class city for its entertainment, climate and lifestyle. What is not well known is the other L.A., a sprawling county of more than 4,000 square miles and 10 million diverse people, where 40,000 nonprofit organizations endeavor to provide critical services to low-income individuals and families. It is this L.A. that has received $100 million in strategic investments over the last five years from the CCF, in five areas: Arts, Education, Health Care, Human Development, and Housing and Neighborhoods. Why They are Important Through strategic investments, CCF aims to ensure that: More low-income and ethnically diverse residents enjoy and participate in the arts More K-5 low-income, minority and English learner students do better in math and literacy More low-income adults and children have access to quality health care More aging adults, developmentally disabled adults and youth aging out of foster care become self-sufficient More families and individuals reside in stable, livable communities L.A. s diversity and demographics position it at the national forefront on social change initiatives and service provision models ranging from parent engagement in education to immigrant integration. How They Work Investments take several forms but primarily provide core operating support to nonprofits serving low-income and underserved communities. CCF also provides policy and advocacy grants to address systemic change, as well as support for capacity building in areas such as leadership development, program evaluation and financial and strategic planning. As a trusted member of the community, CCF convenes different organizations with similar interests to help them learn from one another and address problems together. Why Partner with CCF A diverse, professional team of program officers and other leaders direct strategic investments based on their collective decades of experience living and working in L.A. County, extended networks of partners in all sectors and subject-matter expertise. They are collaborators, analysts, strategists, advocates, consultants, facilitators, fundraisers, organizers and conveners who care deeply about the other L.A. The Investment Opportunity Foundations are strongly encouraged to invest in Los Angeles by partnering with CCF to support the Arts, Education, Health Care, Human Development, and Housing and Neighborhoods, or by consulting with CCF to identify other local partners in important areas. Successful philanthropic partnerships are powerful mechanisms for building vibrant, thriving communities across the United States.
goura Hills Alhambra Arcadia Artesia Avalon Azusa B ark Bell Bell Gardens Bellflower Beverly Hills Bradbu urbank Calabasas Carson Cerritos Claremont Com mm ompton Covina Cudahy Culver City Diamond Bar Do ow uarte El Monte El Segundo Gardena Glendale Glend do awaiian Gardens Hawthorne Hermosa Beach Hidde en untington Park Industry Inglewood Irwindale La Cañ Investing in Community Building
El Monte Community Building Initiative What It Is In 2006, CCF embarked on one of the most ambitious endeavors in its long history, addressing the suburbanization of poverty. Concentrate philanthropic resources in one place. Engage the entire community. Invest for the long term. Aim for sustainable change. The endeavor is the Community Building Initiative (CBI), a 10-year commitment of up to $10 million to create change in one community in Los Angeles County. Why It is Important After extensive assessments of several communities, CCF chose the City of El Monte, 13 miles from downtown L.A., because it reflects the socio-economic and ethnic diversity of the county overall, but with lower educational attainment and household incomes. College-going rates are just above 50 percent for graduating seniors in some neighborhoods, and more than one-third of El Monte children are obese. Fortunately, parents in El Monte see a good education and good health as vital to a better life for their children. How It Works The El Monte CBI is governed by a community advisory committee to CCF, guided by the communityidentified goal of empowering children and families for success. CCF supports the CBI through grantmaking, convenings and dedicated staff. El Monte residents have participated in leadership programs and generated a community-wide strategic plan that guides the CBI and other initiatives in El Monte. To date, CCF has invested more than $3.5 million. Why Partner with CCF In addition to the benefits it brings to El Monte, the CBI provides a learning opportunity for CCF and other funders on how to build resident and nonprofit capacity in communities outside of inner cities. We believe this initiative provides a valuable road map for other similarly situated communities to follow. The Partnership Opportunity The El Monte CBI offers a variety of immediate and meaningful opportunities for national funders interested in the power of place-based investments to transform a community. The initiative has created momentum and community buy-in, and seeks support for specific objectives related to increased parental involvement in public school education and financial literacy education, access to quality schools and more safe recreational spaces and playing fields.
Lakewood Lancaster Lawndale Lomita Long Beach Angeles Lynwood Malibu Manhattan Beach Maywoo Montebello Monterey Park Norwalk Palmdale Palos Estates Paramount Pasadena Pico Rivera Pomona Palos Verdes Redondo Beach Rolling Hills Rolling H Estates Rosemead San Dimas San Fernando San G San Marino Santa Clarita Santa Fe Springs Santa M Sierra Madre Signal Hill South El Monte South Gate Investing in the Integration of Immigrants
immigrant integration initiative What it is The Immigrant Integration Initiative was established to improve the civic participation of immigrants, enhance the region s policies and systems and foster vibrant, engaged communities. Why it is important Immigrants are one-third of Los Angeles County s population or about 3.5 million people and 45 percent of its workforce. Almost two-thirds of youth are children of immigrants. The county is a safe harbor for many groups seeking refuge or to improve their life conditions. Integrating immigrants is, therefore, a critical issue for L.A., now and in future decades. Education, language ability, job skills, employment, income, housing and health are all factors. Without comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level, immigrant integration becomes a local issue and immigrants are one of L.A. s most vulnerable populations. How it Works With dedicated staff since 2009 and a financial investment of up to $1 million annually for five years, the initiative has organized a 35-member Immigrant Integration Council comprised of leaders from business, labor, education, law enforcement, government and community-based organizations. The council, in turn, has adopted policy principles, established a research consortium to create a data clearinghouse for California, and begun tackling priority issues such as the high number of legal permanent residents who are eligible to be naturalized citizens and the general public s lack of understanding of immigrants positive contributions in L.A. Why Partner with CCF CCF is recognized as an honest-broker, as demonstrated by its new partnership with the White House Domestic Policy Council. The community foundation is also uniquely positioned as an intermediary for national funders interested in local and regional collaboration, policy advocacy and community capacity building. the Partnership opportunity CCF and national funders have the opportunity to address an issue with implications for the county, the state and the nation. CCF, its cross-sector council and other partners are ready to implement large-scale social change. CCF has committed to a $5 million investment over five years, and seeks 1:1 investments to extend the work. CCF seeks national foundations to invest as partners in a model for immigrant integration that could help communities and improve civic health across the nation.
Angeles Lynwood Malibu Manhattan Beach Maywoo Montebello Monterey Park Norwalk Palmdale Palos Estates Paramount Pasadena Pico Rivera Pomona Palos Verdes Redondo Beach Rolling Hills Rolling H Estates Rosemead San Dimas San Fernando San G San Marino Santa Clarita Santa Fe Springs Santa M Sierra Madre Signal Hill South El Monte South Gate Investing in Smart Growth and Sustainable Communities
Smart Growth and Sustainable Communities Initiative What It Is The Smart Growth and Sustainable Communities Initiative is a new collaborative between experts in housing, environmental sustainability, labor issues, public health, parks and transit to create more livable, affordable communities across Los Angeles. The program will capitalize on opportunities for smart growth as a result of a $30 billion tax (Measure R) approved in 2008 to create new rail and bus transit services around the county. Why It is Important L.A. is one of the nation s least affordable housing markets. Nearly 25 percent of renters in L.A. County pay more than half of their income on rent. Many workers manage by driving til they qualify, renting homes far from work and paying high commuting costs, which adds to pollution and environmental problems. Others squeeze several families into overcrowded, high-cost apartments. Projects funded by L.A. s new tax have the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs, generate economic growth and improve public health, particularly for low-income and vulnerable communities. Without proper planning, however, new transit projects could negatively affect these communities, causing displacement and gentrification. How It Works This initiative is based on three goals: Building a viable coalition of housing, environmental, labor, public health, parks and transit advocates to ensure that work helps and does not harm low-income communities Supporting policies that drive the majority of future housing development in these communities around transit lines Supporting adequate investment of public and private funds to ensure a mix of housing for all income levels around the rail stations Why Partner with CCF As a lead funder of affordable housing in L.A. County, CCF is increasingly a facilitator for and supporter of smart growth policies that encourage affordable housing options near public transit. A trusted advocate for more than just housing, CCF also has a track record of convening and collaborating for social change. The Partnership Opportunity CCF seeks national foundations to invest in a year-long interdisciplinary systems mapping process, make grants to support the coalition convening work, provide resources to gather necessary data and fund coalition partners.
Sierra Madre Signal Hill South El Monte South Gate Pasadena Temple City Torrance Vernon Walnut Wes West Hollywood Westlake Village Whittier Los Angel Pasadena Santa Monica Monrovia Pomona Long Be South Pasadena Compton Redondo Beach Whittier Covina Alhambra Arcadia Vernon Glendale Huntingt Park La Verne Hermosa Beach Sierra Madre Clarem Investing in Parent Engagement
EXPANDING PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION What It Is When parents engage in the educational process, student attendance and academic achievement improve, graduation rates rise and student suspension and expulsion rates decline in low-income communities. For these reasons, CCF strongly promotes parent engagement in public education in school and at home. Why It is Important Parent engagement isn t the norm in L.A. yet. Major disconnects between schools and parents still exist for many reasons, among them cultural assumptions about teacher authority, misunderstanding of college readiness requirements, economic stressors, language and literacy barriers and poor communication. L.A. is at a pivotal point to move the needle on this issue. Key stakeholders recognize that parents can be a critical missing piece to educational achievement, and together we are taking steps to establish a new norm for parents and educators. How It Works In addition to financial support, in recent years CCF has set out to build strong relationships with school districts, local schools, community-based organizations and other foundations, and in the process become a trusted partner. In 2011, for example, the Los Angeles Unified School District appealed to CCF to convene and chair a parent engagement taskforce. The resulting report is being developed into a plan of action for the district s new superintendent. CCF also partnered with the Ford Foundation and United Way of Greater Los Angeles on the LAUSD School Report Card to bring information to the public in an easy-to-understand way. Why Partner with CCF CCF has long advocated for parent engagement, not just through its Education Program, but also through the Los Angeles Preschool Advocacy Initiative and other civic engagement activities. In addition to financial support, CCF brings its understanding of the community, experience in public education and ability to convene key stakeholders around an issue to create successful partnerships and long-lasting change. The Partnership Opportunity Closing the education achievement gap for public school students and their parents in Los Angeles is critical to the community s and the nation s future, and a special opportunity for national funders to invest as partners of CCF.
South Pasadena Compton Redondo Beach Whittier Covina Alhambra Arcadia Vernon Glendale Huntingt Park La Verne Hermosa Beach Sierra Madre Clarem Inglewood Burbank San Fernando Glendora El Mont Beach San Gabriel San Marino Avalon Beverly Hills El Segundo Culver City Montebello Torrance Lynwoo Hawthorne South Gate West Covina Signal Hill Mayw Investing in the Lives of Black Males
Building a Lifetime of Options and Opportunities for Men (BLOOM) What It Is BLOOM, a new initiative of the California Community Foundation, will redirect Black male youth who are involved with the L.A. County probation system toward improved education and employment opportunities. Why It is Important African Americans comprise 8 percent of the population of Los Angeles. Sadly, 25 percent of Black youth are being supervised by the county probation system. No current philanthropic efforts focus exclusively on helping these young Black men. In addition, the State of California s realignment of prison management funds to the county level will likely necessitate low-cost community-based interventions for low-level offending youth. Helping these young men succeed will have a direct impact on their lives, their communities, local businesses and government agencies. Moreover, it will save Los Angeles significant revenue spent on the probation system. How It Works BLOOM relies on an advisory committee, consisting of thought leaders, nonprofit organizations, community members, business leaders, and CCF and its partner funders. Developed after 18 months of research, planning and community input, the initiative will address immediate and long-term concerns through grants for community organizing, strategic communications, direct services and capacity building. Why Partner with CCF Through its human development portfolio, CCF has supported nonprofits that serve youth in and aged out of foster care, a population that typically also is involved with the probation system. Therefore, CCF is well-positioned to implement an initiative that shifts the trajectory of probation-involved Black male youth. The Partnership Opportunity CCF and philanthropic partners with vision and commitment have the opportunity to fill a gap and assume a pioneering role by supporting bold, innovative efforts to drive change like this one. CCF is prepared to invest $500,000 per year, and seeks a 1:1 match from public and private funders. At a time when California, due to fiscal challenges and federal mandate, is shifting jurisdiction of lesser offending, non-violent youth to the local level and exploring alternative, community-based interventions, this project presents a unique and timely investment opportunity for national foundations.