California Community Foundation Selected by Citi Foundation’s Community Progress Makers Fund Grant Program to Accelerate Economic Opportunity

CCF Joins Leading Nonprofit Organizations Across the United States to Address Urban Challenges 

LOS ANGELES – MAY 18, 2016 – The California Community Foundation (CCF) announced today that it has been selected as a recipient of the Community Progress Makers Fund, a $500,000 grant over the course of two years to continue the foundation’s work in the community around supporting Black men and boys, among other projects.

This new injection of funds at CCF will in part help bolster CCF’s Building a Lifetime of Options & Opportunities for Men (BLOOM) initiative. Since its inception in 2012, BLOOM has worked with more than 500 young Black men in South Los Angeles to develop the skills they need to complete high school, move toward post-secondary options and become productive members of society. BLOOM is a model that the White House spotlighted when My Brother’s Keeper was first launched in 2013.

In addition to the grant, CCF will also have access to technical assistance from leading national researchers and experts and will be provided opportunities to connect with other grantees to share and learn best practices.

“I am grateful to the Citi Foundation for recognizing the importance of supporting local community-building initiatives in Los Angeles,” said California Community Foundation President & CEO Antonia Hernández. “This is the largest outside grant and the first national funding partner to support our work with Black men and boys. We look forward to continued partnership with Los Angeles organizations delivering academic and career guidance to our future community leaders.”

The Community Progress Makers Fund is a $20 million grant initiative to support 40 visionary nonprofit organizations, including CCF, in their efforts to establish new approaches to long-standing urban economic challenges in the United States – including economic development, environment sustainability, urban infrastructure and affordable housing.

“The Citi Foundation feels privileged to support organizations that have demonstrated such strong commitments to their local communities and a willingness to share their experiences with others for the betterment of their neighborhoods,” said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation. “These organizations have a track record of implementing solutions that work for their communities because they know the people there, understand what resources to tap and, most importantly, feel deeply invested in the places where they live and work. We believe that’s the key to leading urban transformation efforts in Los Angeles and elsewhere across the country.”

The Community Progress Makers Fund builds upon the Citi Foundation’s commitment to identify and support innovative solutions and organizations that are helping build stronger, more resilient cities that are engines of economic opportunity for all. The flexibility of core operating support will allow organizations and their visionary leaders to deploy solutions that address a range of issues.

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The California Community Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for all Los Angeles County residents by addressing the root causes of the county’s most urgent problems. The foundation has served as a public, charitable organization since 1915. For more information, please visit calfund.org.

The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit citifoundation.com.

CONTACT

Taleen Ananian

tananian [@] calfund [.] org

213.452.6203