LOS ANGELES – June 23, 2017 – Thanks to the leadership of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles City Council, the L.A. Justice Fund will move forward to provide critical legal assistance to immigrants facing the threat of deportation. Today, we celebrate a trailblazing, multi-sector and cross-governmental approach to address the pressing demands of our diverse immigrant communities. The creation of the L.A. Justice Fund is a shining example of responsive government working together with philanthropy to meet the needs of the region. The L.A. Justice Fund is a partnership between the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, the California Community Foundation (CCF) and Weingart Foundation. Each is contributing funds that will support efforts to provide legal representation to Angelenos in immigration removal proceedings. The Fund has already raised more than $7 million, including $2 million from the City of L.A., $3 million from the County and $2.2 million from CCF and the Weingart Foundation. These funders are actively engaging others to with the hopes of raising at least $10 million. CCF plans to release a request for proposals in July 2017. Proposals will be reviewed and selected in August so that nonprofit legal services providers can begin to enhance and expand legal representation by September 2017. As we celebrate the L.A. Justice Fund, we recognize that our immigration system has been broken for decades, leaving families, workers, businesses and communities to live with the consequences of federal inaction. While only Congress can make meaningful and comprehensive reforms to our immigration laws, Los Angeles and many other communities are not standing still. Until we have comprehensive immigration reform, Angelenos will continue working together to address the consequences of our broken immigration system and protect immigrants through efforts like the L.A. Justice Fund. In L.A. County alone, there are close to 1 million undocumented immigrants. More than 80 percent have been in the United States for a decade or more. They contribute to their communities, pay taxes and want to get right with the law. The L.A. Justice Fund partners stand side by side ready to make a difference in the lives of L.A. immigrants. As we move forward, we will strengthen our partnership so that we continue to stay responsive to community needs and support efforts that have the most impact, promote efficiency and serve as many people as possible. For more information about the L.A. Justice Fund, visit www.calfund.org/lajusticefund. 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 more than $1.6 billion in assets and manages over 1,600 charitable foundations, funds and legacies. For more information, please visit www.calfund.org. CONTACT Roshin Mathew [cryptx]rmathew@www.calfund.org[/cryptx] (213) 377 – 5630
by Ryan Posner, MyNewsLA.com
Loyola Marymount University
by Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES – March 7, 2017 – The California Community Foundation (CCF) will immediately award $1.4 million in rapid response grants to 19 organizations as part of its coordinated commitment to immigrant inclusion and protection. These grants deliver critical support to organizations providing impacted communities with Know Your Rights workshops, legal representation, policy advocacy and citizenship. The goal is to offer the highest level of protection to immigrant families in need. The recently issued immigration executive orders do not represent our nation’s core values of liberty, justice and due process. These policies threaten to upend the lives of some our most vulnerable community members. “Los Angeles is a tribute to the power and positive impact of immigration. The creativity and prosperity that define our region stem directly from the incredible diversity of cultures and voices that represent it. Because we are a welcoming community, the world’s best, brightest and most dedicated call our region home,” said California Community Foundation President and CEO Antonia Hernández. “We are proud to support the organizations working tirelessly to ensure all people have access to legal services and the due process they rightly deserve.” The funding is part of the California Community Foundation’s broader public/private collaboration with other foundations like Weingart Foundation, The California Endowment, James Irvine Foundation and local governments like Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles. The collaboration seeks to leverage the collective resources of the philanthropic and public sectors to respond to immediate community needs across the City and County. As the Administration increases its detention and deportation efforts, Los Angeles County communities stand to be among the hardest hit; not just socially, but economically as immigrant workers represent more than 40 percent of the region’s overall labor force. Our collective wellbeing and economic power is inextricably linked to the past, present and future contributions of immigrants. Strengthening immigrant communities is part of CCF’s long history of working to support the inclusion of all people in the civic and economic fabric of Los Angeles. CCF is committed to helping more new Americans integrate and thrive so together we can build a stronger and more prosperous future for all Angelenos. Please see the full list of grantees below. Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles California Immigrant Policy Center Black Alliance for Just Immigration Central American Resource Center Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) Council of Mexican Federations (COFEM) Council on American-Islamic Relations California, Los Angeles Immigrant Defenders Law Center Korean Resource Center Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund National Day Laborer Organizing Network National Immigration Law Center Public Counsel UCLA Dream Resource Center Regents of the University of California Los Angeles Undocumedia, Inc. NALEO Educational Fund University of California – UC Undocumented Legal Services Center Town Hall Los Angeles California Bar Foundation About the California Community Foundation 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 Communications Manager [cryptx]marcomm@www.calfund.org[/cryptx] 213.413.4130
La Opinion
CCF seeks to reduce the burdens on nonprofits with core operating funding so great organizations can continue doing good works. We also invest in our nonprofit partners’ sustainability beyond grant support, including workshops and training in leadership development, fundraising, financial management and communications, so they can achieve their missions with greater efficiency and impact. Our Planned Giving Tool Kit helps nonprofits learn how to incorporate planned giving into their development strategies and even provides them with customizable donor outreach materials. And through programs like LA Counts and LA n Sync, we're helping Los Angeles nonprofits gain access to the resources and information they need to expand their impact on our community's greatest needs.
Los Angeles County is home to 3.5 million immigrants - one third of the population. CCF works with public, private and philanthropic partners to uplift our vibrant immigrant communities and ensure they are fully woven into L.A.’s civic, economic and cultural fabric. From grantmaking, advocacy and civic engagement to coalition building and cross-sector partnerships, we're working to protect immigrant communities, uphold civil rights and help integrate new Americans into the civic fabric of Los Angeles.
CCF’s Housing program combines grantmaking, lending and advocacy to support effective housing with services for our homeless neighbors, more affordable housing and better jobs for working L.A. families. Since 2000, we have granted almost $30 million to ensure Angelenos have safe, supportive and stable homes and the economic opportunities they need to thrive.
Since 2000, we have awarded almost $50 million to support children’s health insurance programs, physical and mental healthcare access, substance use prevention, advocacy and community clinics that often serve as one of the only options for Angelenos without health insurance. Through the Centinela Valley Medical and Community Funds, we grant more than $3 million annually to hospitals and other organizations providing healthcare services, outreach and education in the Centinela Valley.
Partnering with community leaders and networks of educational institutions, CCF helps our most vulnerable students access the educational resources they need to succeed from cradle to college. These groups include preschool-age children, English language learners and students of color, particularly young men. We support efforts to encourage the fair and transparent funding for all schools regardless of zip code and want students to learn in innovative environments that put their needs at the center.
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.