Experience shows that scholarships aren’t enough to close the graduation gap. LASIF combines need-based scholarships with intensive services before and during college to end the college completion crisis and increase the number of low-income youth who achieve their degree. That’s how LASIF programs have helped tens of thousands of Angeleno students prepare for, pay for and succeed in college.

Few things transform a life like a college diploma. A bachelor’s degree can lead to an additional $1 million in lifetime earnings, but it’s about more than just money. College success benefits entire communities. That’s why the Los Angeles Scholars Investment Fund combines need-based scholarships with innovative services proven to help students graduate.

At a time when a college degree is more necessary than ever, Los Angeles County is facing a graduation crisis. In this issue, you’ll learn the extent of this crisis and how donors are joining forces to end it through the Los Angeles Scholars Investment Fund.

The “Great Recession” may be over, but L.A. need is rising, the organizations we count on to address our most pressing issues are overstretched and the charitable giving that sustains them is on the decline. “The Generosity Gap: Donating Less in Post-Recession Los Angeles County,” a first-of-its-kind study from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs in partnership with the California Community Foundation, uncovers the concerns and motivations of Los Angeles donors and the extent of the county’s growing gap in charitable giving.

By Antonia Hernández