By Taylor Walker, Witness LA

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors yesterday approved a historic Public/Private Partnership between the Los Angeles County Probation Department and two of the area’s leading grant-makers—the Liberty Hill Foundation and the California Community Foundation. This landmark collaboration will dramatically increase services and opportunities delivered by local community-based organizations to youth currently in the probation system and to at-risk youth to divert them from entering the County system altogether.

The Probation Department will allocate $3.2 million from the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) funds to the respective foundations who will in turn set up a grant process for grass-roots and emerging community-based organizations. This will allow for faster distribution of the funds and an opportunity for smaller organizations to access these funds that may not normally have had the infrastructure to compete for county contracts.

The grants distributed through this partnership will expand opportunities and resources for programs that keep vulnerable youth out of the justice system and help those in the system transition back into the community. These programs provide critical socio-emotional support that is proven to successfully prevent many youth from entering the juvenile justice system, while also cutting the recidivism rates of those who have.

With this new partnership, Los Angeles County will continue to be the nation’s leader for demonstrating how an effective community-based model focused on prevention and treatment not only decreases the number of youth incarcerated, but also improves chances for more youth to earn their high school diplomas, become gainfully employed and decrease the likelihood of being incarcerated as an adult. The services made available via this collaboration will be provided within the youths’ own communities thus making it easier for the families to access.

With a shared goal to provide youth rehabilitative programs centered on healing, learning and opportunity, grantees will receive funding for their critical work advancing education, mental health, cultural and workforce programs. The grantees will also benefit from Liberty Hill’s proven track record of coalition-building, training, and support to build organizational capacity for growth and success. Grantees will develop capacity-building plans, and have access to individualized coaching and cohort-based trainings helping them to be more competitive for future funding.

“Community based organizations have already demonstrated their power in helping to effectively allocate these critical resources,” said Liberty Hill President & CEO Shane Murphy Goldsmith. “This will prevent losing more vulnerable young people to incarceration; instead, they will be connected in meaningful ways in our communities and will help us make Los Angeles the County we know it can be.”

The California Community Foundation believes that the collaboration will ultimately make a positive difference in the lives of countless people.

“By shifting the focus from simply avoiding criminal or classroom misbehavior to fully embracing methods that result in high school graduation, college readiness and career success, we can dramatically change the lifetime opportunities for young people and the well-being of our community as a whole,” said California Community Foundation President and CEO Antonia Hernández. “Together we can help all our young people to realize their limitless potential.”

In the last few years the Los Angeles County Probation Department has been actively establishing relationships with local non-profits dedicated to helping expand programs that improve the health of youth and their families. Probation dedicated $14 million to community-based diversion programs in 2018.

“We are proud of this new partnership with Liberty Hill and the California Community Foundation because of our shared objective to improve the outcomes of youth in our communities,” said Chief Deputy Probation Officer Sheila Mitchell who oversees the operations of Los Angeles County’s juvenile halls and residential treatment camps. “This strengthens our goal of partnering with community-based organizations that have proven track records for proactively providing critical programs for our youth.”

Community organizations that are interested in learning more about this partnership and how to join may email youthdevelopment@www.calfund.org.

For more information on the Public/Private Partnership and Liberty Hill’s participation, please contact Courtney Kassel, Chief Communications Officer, by phone at 323-556-7230 or email at ckassel@libertyhill.org.

For more information on the Public/Private Partnership and California Community Foundation’s participation, please contact Roshin Mathew, Director of Communications, by phone at 213-413-4130 or by email at rmathew@www.calfund.org.

For more information on the Public/Private Partnership and the Los Angeles County Probation Department’s participation, please contact Kerri Webb, Public Information Officer, by phone at 562-315-3388 or by email at kerri.webb@probation.lacounty.gov.

California Community Foundation

Philanthropy News Digest

By Francisco Valero-Cuevas, Samantha Sklaar and Megan Peters, Sacramento Bee

By Fred Ali, Antonia Hernández and Robert K. Ross

California Funders for Boys and Men of Color newsroom

By Esmeralda Fabián Romero, LA School Report

By D’Artagnan Scorza, L.A. School Report

LOS ANGELES – October 23, 2018 – The California Community Foundation (CCF) has awarded $3,016,875 through 34 grants to Los Angeles County nonprofit organizations working to uplift vulnerable communities and advance long-lasting change.

Grants this quarter include $1,240,000 to strengthen and expand health services for underserved populations including Angelenos experiencing homelessness and mental health conditions, as well as undocumented immigrants. Although the number of Los Angeles residents with health coverage has risen, it’s estimated more than 345,000 undocumented residents remain uninsured and ineligible for Medi-Cal. CCF’s investments will support efforts to expand Medi-Cal to all Angelenos, regardless of immigration status, so that they may live long and healthy lives.

In addition, the funds will go toward improving integrated health systems throughout Los Angeles County with a focus on expanding access to substance use services for more than 300,000 low-income adults and Angeleno youth in need of treatment.

$562,500 in education investments this quarter will provide organizations with resources to address challenges in L.A. schools that disproportionately impact academic success for students of color, English Language Learners and other disadvantaged student populations. Meanwhile, additional grants will support efforts to educate and empower voters while also addressing root causes of lack of civic participation to reverse systematic inequities and increase diversity in the voting booth in upcoming elections.

Other grants made this quarter reflect CCF’s commitment to the diverse needs of Los Angeles communities: housing, immigration, economic opportunity and nonprofit sustainability.

“We continue to find inspiration in the energy and enthusiasm of our donors and community partners to drive positive change in Los Angeles. With their dedication and partnership, we are creating a healthier, more equitable Los Angeles where we all can thrive,” said CCF President & CEO Antonia Hernández.

In 2015, CCF made a pledge to grant $1 billion to Los Angeles County nonprofits by 2025. To date, the foundation and its donors have given more than $325 million.

Please see below for a full list of grants this quarter.

CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTS BY FUNDING AREA

October 2018

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 $1.7 billion in assets and manages 1,700 charitable foundations, funds and legacies. For more information, please visit www.calfund.org.

CONTACT
Roshin Mathew
rmathew@www.calfund.org
(213) 452-6229