Our Process
The California Community Foundation connects philanthropy with community priorities to advance positive change across Los Angeles County. As a community foundation, much of our grantmaking is driven by donor intent and philanthropic partnerships, which means our funding priorities evolve based on available resources and the goals of our partners.
We enable partnerships, investments and champion advocacy for reforms that multiply impact for communities. Recognizing that community members are their own best advocates, we connect those who need support with those committed to driving progress.
Our greatest asset is our community-rooted expertise. We partner with those whose work aligns with our strategic priorities and commitment to building a more equitable Los Angeles. Through relationships with residents, nonprofit organizations, and leaders across the county, we help identify emerging needs, elevate community solutions, and connect resources to efforts that improve quality of life and create systemic change.
The California Community Foundation serves all of Los Angeles County. We pay particular attention to organizations serving Antelope Valley, eastern San Gabriel Valley and southeast L.A. County, helping us to fulfill our mandate as a county-wide funder.
We know many organizations are doing transformative work, and while we cannot fund every important effort, we are committed to staying connected with organizations and learning from those leading positive change across the region.
We will soon be making available a form for you to share information about your organization and be considered for future funding opportunities. Please check back in September 2026; the form will be located on this page.
In the meantime, take our interactive eligibility test to see if your organization qualifies for grant funding.
Our work is organized around three interconnected areas that advance our mission: Community Investment and Engagement, Policy and Advocacy, and Impact and Outcomes. Together, these teams help shape community-informed strategies, drive systems change, and invest in solutions that expand opportunity, strengthen neighborhoods, and improve quality of life, particularly for communities facing the greatest barriers to a good life.
Community Investment & Engagement partners with Los Angeles communities to build power, connect resources, and advance locally driven solutions. We work alongside residents, nonprofit partners, and stakeholders to understand community priorities, define what success looks like, and leverage CCF’s tools as a community foundation to support meaningful and lasting impact.
Through engagement, investment, and partnership, we help ensure neighborhoods have the resources, relationships, and influence needed to thrive.
Policy & Advocacy partners with Los Angeles communities to advance equitable policy and budget outcomes at the local, regional, and statewide levels. We align investment in community leadership, grassroots organizing, civic engagement, technical assistance, and advocacy to help amplify community voice, and build the power and capacity needed to ensure policy and budget decisions deliver what Los Angeles communities need to live a good life.
Impact & Outcomes strengthens CCF’s ability to understand, measure, and communicate the difference we are making across Los Angeles County. We partner with institutions to use data, evaluation, learning, and community-informed insights to identify opportunities, track progress, and ensure our investments and partnerships are aligned with meaningful outcomes for communities.
Our anchor partnership to measure a “good life” is with the UCLA Lewis Center on Regional Policy Studies and the Quality of Life Index.
CCF offers grants through the Centinela Valley Medical & Community Funds to improve immigrant health access, behavioral health, and health policy and advocacy in South L.A.’s Centinela Valley.
The Thelma Pearl Howard Foundation, established at and administered by CCF, supports Los Angeles County nonprofits providing arts education and enrichment programs for students.
Each opportunity has different timelines, requirements and goals, so please read the information provided carefully.