LOS ANGELES – April 11, 2016 – The California Community Foundation (CCF) has awarded $5,130,787 through 52 grants to Los Angeles County nonprofit organizations working to address pressing needs and improve the lives of Los Angeles County residents.
CCF’s grants this quarter include $1,435,000 to provide critical support to immigrant rights organizations working to defend due process and empower new Americans communities to thrive through CCF’s Immigrant Integration initiative. These grants offer a rapid response to the changing policy environment and focus on promoting citizenship and naturalization, expanding access to legal representation and “Know Your Rights” education among immigrant communities.
Nonprofit partners of the Los Angeles Scholars Investment Fund (LASIF) received $1,680,000 in grants to help young Angelenos prepare for, pay for and succeed in college. Launched in 2012 in partnership with the College Futures Foundation, LASIF combines college and financial aid guidance services with need-based scholarships, and has granted more that $15 million to partners working on innovative ways to ensure college access and success for thousands of low-income students.
“Our work is made possible by the generosity of our donors, the dedication and innovation of nonprofits and the vision of the public and private sector partners who have joined us in our mission,” said CCF President & CEO Antonia Hernández. “Working together with the diverse communities that define Los Angeles County, we can build a future in which all residents have the opportunity to thrive.”
Additional grants this quarter reflect CCF’s diverse priority areas in the arts, civic engagement, education, health, housing and economic opportunity and youth empowerment.
Please see below for a full list of grants this quarter.
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTS BY FUNDING AREA
March 2017
| PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES | NUMBER,OF GRANTS | AMOUNT |
|---|---|---|
| Arts | ||
|
5 | $415,000 |
| Civic Engagement & Public Policy | ||
|
3 | $390,000 |
| Education Pipeline | ||
|
3 | $385,000 |
| Health | ||
|
8 | $401,259 |
| Housing & Economic Opportunity | ||
|
4 | $292441 |
| Immigrant Integration | ||
|
19 | $1,435,000 |
| Los Angeles Scholars Investment Fund | ||
|
8 | $1,686,000 |
| Youth Empowerment | ||
|
2 | $132,807 |
| GRAND TOTAL | 52 | $5,130,787 |
The California Community Foundation has served as a public, charitable organization since 1915, empowering donors to pursue their own personal passions and to collaborate with us in addressing the root causes of challenges in Los Angeles County. CCF stewards $1.5 billion in assets and manages 1,600 charitable foundations, funds and legacies. For more information, please visit www.calfund.org.
CONTACT
Chris Compton
marcomm@www.calfund.org
(213) 413-4130
Civic engagement holds the key to making lasting, systemic change that is driven by communities. It empowers people to make their voices heard, gain a role in policy decisions and affect institutions that influence their futures and those of their families. By supporting civic engagement in Los Angeles County, CCF is ensuring that everyone has a voice to call for policy changes that improve their personal and communities’ wellbeing.
Balita Filipino News
Citizenship Campaign One Pager
Citizenship Campaign One Pager
By John E. Kobara for The Huffington Post
Over 300,000 Asian Immigrants in L.A. County Currently Eligible to Naturalize and Become a U.S. Citizen
Eligible immigrants strongly urged to take the first step now to have a chance of becoming a U.S. citizen before November election
LOS ANGELES – Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-LA), in close partnership with community-based organizations and local government, announced an unprecedented campaign to encourage and increase the number of Asian American immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship. Community based organizations serving the Asian American community will receive additional funding and support to process citizenship applications. In addition, Asian ethnic media will be invited to join the effort as official campaign partners, to promote the benefits of citizenship. In Los Angeles County, over 300,000 Asian American immigrants are currently legal permanent residents who are eligible to naturalize and become U.S. citizens.
“The United States was founded by immigrants and continues to thrive because of the contributions of immigrants,” said Stewart Kwoh, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – LA. “For many Asian Americans, the risk of leaving their native countries in pursuit of better opportunities outweighed all their fears of the unknown. Today, we are launching ‘Endless Possibilities. Citizenship Now!’ in seven Asian languages, drawing on an unprecedented partnership between nonprofits, government, and media, with the purpose of reminding immigrants that citizenship is a pathway to the many benefits and opportunities many hoped to achieve for themselves and their families by coming to America.”
“More than 1 million people in Los Angeles County speak an Asian language and their main source of information is ethnic and in-language media. We are asking that our Asian-language media step forward to be a part of this campaign, alongside our nonprofit partners, government agencies, and elected officials who are leveraging their collective voice to raise awareness about the opportunities and resources available to anyone who is eligible and interested in becoming a United States citizen,” said Nasim Khansari, Citizenship Project Director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice – LA. “Not only are media critical to informing our communities about what they need to know, but media can also empower our community to achieve what they may not know is possible.”
“Endless Possibilities. Citizenship Now!” is a coordinated effort of more than 10 nonprofit organizations serving multi-ethnic communities as well as government agencies and the offices of elected officials. The first partnership event is a free citizenship workshop taking place on Sunday, April 10th at the Long Beach Convention Center. For an appointment, call the Advancing Justice-LA helpline:
English 888-349-9695
Mandarin/Cantonese 800-520-2356
Khmer 800-867-3126
Korean 800-867-3640
Tagalog 855-300-2552
Thai 800-914-9583
Vietnamese 800-267-7395
All who are interested in citizenship assistance or legal services are encouraged to call the toll-free helpline service. Callers can reach helpline staff between 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. When unable to speak with a live helpline staff, callers are encouraged to leave a voicemail message including their name and contact information. Calls will be returned within one business day.
The campaign is made possible through funding and support from the California Community Foundation in an effort to break down the myths and barriers preventing more L.A. County residents from applying. “Endless Possibilities. Citizenship Now!” is a coordinated campaign operating in conjunction with ¡Protégete!…¡Ciudadanía Ya!, a campaign taking place in Spanish-language media and is led by a strong coalition that includes Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles and several other nonprofit organizations.
CONTACT:
Randy Bunnao, 213-241-0227
rbunnao@advancingjustice-la.org
Lisa Thong, 310-289-5526
lisa.thong@iwgroupinc.com
By John E. Kobara for The Huffington Post
Effort Will Encourage More Than 755,000 Eligible L.A. County Residents to Apply for Citizenship
LOS ANGELES – November 10, 2015 – In an unprecedented multi-sector partnership, major Los Angeles immigrant rights organizations, leading Spanish-language media and the City and County of Los Angeles have joined forces today on a coordinated campaign to promote citizenship.
¡Protégete!…¡Ciudadania Ya! (Protect Yourself! Citizenship Now!) aims to inform, educate and assist L.A. County’s estimated 755,000 residents who are eligible to naturalize. In light of recent naturalization rates decreasing across the United States, the campaign partners saw a need to revitalize and re-educate the public about the benefits of citizenship, including increased income and stronger protections under the law. The effort was inspired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Step Forward LA initiative, which brought together nonprofits and city and county governments around the goal of promoting greater immigrant integration.
“Los Angeles area residents need the involvement, engagement and protection of their elected representatives as they navigate the naturalization process. We are committed to providing them with the resources and support that they need,” said Mayor Garcetti. “This unprecedented partnership will be a model for collaboration around the state and the country.”
The campaign will hit the airwaves today on major Spanish-language media outlets and go to the streets to educate eligible residents about the process and expand access to trustworthy services in every corner of the region. These outlets serve unique roles in the Latino community, playing both informative and empowerment roles. This is the first time that all Spanish-language outlets have come together in a campaign as partners.
“Helping our communities thrive in the United States is a core part of who we are as a mission-driven company,” said Univision Los Angeles Senior Vice President and General Manager Luis Patiño. “This historic collaboration will help listeners and viewers in the Los Angeles-area understand the benefits and rights that come with U.S. citizenship, including an opportunity to have your voice heard through voting in local and national elections.”
Phone banks will be open for viewers to get information on how to become a citizen and make appointments at workshops that will take place throughout the county.
“We are partnering with other trusted L.A. nonprofit organizations to leverage our collective resources to reach eligible residents in L.A. County,” said NALEO Educational Fund Executive Director Arturo Vargas. “By providing assistance with the process and increased access to free and low-cost support with the application, our aim is to dramatically increase the number of naturalized citizens over the next year.”
The campaign is led by a strong coalition that includes Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis; the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), the Council of Mexican Federations (COFEM), Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles (AAAJ-LA); and Spanish-language outlets Azteca America, Entravision, Estrella TV/Liberman Broadcasting, La Opinión, Telemundo 52 Los Angeles KVEA, Univision Radio and KMEX 34 Univision Los Angeles.
The campaign is made possible through funding support from a partnership between the California Community Foundation and Juntos Podemos/Together We Can.
For more information, please visit ciudadaniaya.info.
CONTACT
Taleen Ananian
tananian@www.calfund.org
(213) 452-6203
California Black Media