Racial Disparities Persist in Funding for L.A. Nonprofits

Racial Disparities Persist in Funding for L.A. Nonprofits

A recent survey of nonprofits in Los Angeles found that although funding has increased since 2020, racial disparities continue, even as the majority of organizations are led by people of color.

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California's Homelessness Problem Has Long Defied Solutions. Here’s What Five Funders Are Doing

California's Homelessness Problem Has Long Defied Solutions. Here’s What Five Funders Are Doing

Even before the pandemic, California had around 28% of the nation’s homeless population. Here’s how five Golden State funders are approaching a problem that continues to stymie philanthropy.

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What's Next for the Weingart Foundation?

What's Next for the Weingart Foundation?

A longtime Los Angeles grantmaking institution, the Weingart Foundation has thoroughly committed itself to addressing the region’s stark inequalities. As part of that process, it’s also looking inward.

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Five Questions for Miguel A. Santana, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation

  Five Questions for Miguel A. Santana, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation

We caught up with Miguel A. Santana, the new president and CEO of the Weingart Foundation, to discuss how his career and personal background has influenced his work, both in the public sector and now in philanthropy.

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How Foundations and Local Governments Partnered to Provide Legal Support to Immigrants in L.A.

How Foundations and Local Governments Partnered to Provide Legal Support to Immigrants in L.A.

The L.A. Justice Fund, a project of two California foundations and city and county government, has been providing legal support for immigrants since 2017. After the pilot project’s success, it’s being adopted as a county program.

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Exit Interview: How Fred Ali Reinvented the Weingart Foundation

Exit Interview: How Fred Ali Reinvented the Weingart Foundation

When Ali came to the L.A.-focused foundation in 1999, it was a nearly all-white institution that steered clear of backing advocacy and organizing. As he steps down from his job, Ali talks to IP Editor David Callahan about Weingart’s transformation.

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Behind a Funding Push for Boys and Young Men of Color, Lived Experience and Trust in Grantees

Behind a Funding Push for Boys and Young Men of Color, Lived Experience and Trust in Grantees

A coalition of 14 California foundations has been working at the nexus of racism, the criminal justice system and poverty. Several of the philanthropy leaders who are part of this collaborative know these challenges first-hand.

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“No Going Back.” Funders Chart a Path to an Equitable Los Angeles, Post-Pandemic

“No Going Back.” Funders Chart a Path to an Equitable Los Angeles, Post-Pandemic

Some of Los Angeles’ biggest funders assembled a coalition of local leaders to address equity amid the pandemic fallout. The collective just released a bold and far-reaching plan for the region’s future.

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Will Crisis Lead More Nonprofits to "Marry"? Network Aims to Make Mergers Less Taboo

Nonprofits tend to be wary of mergers with other organizations, especially when driven by funders. A new network of local initiatives is hoping to reduce the stigma and clear a path for more collaboration in difficult times.

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How Has This Public-Private Effort to Defend L.A.’s Immigrants Shaped Up?

How Has This Public-Private Effort to Defend L.A.’s Immigrants Shaped Up?

With a mission to help nonprofits extend free legal aid to immigrants, the L.A. Justice Fund launched in 2017 with support from both philanthropy and government. Two years on, it’s built up crucial infrastructure. But the scale of need remains vast.

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Undocumented on Campus: California Funders Come Together for Immigrant Students

Undocumented on Campus: California Funders Come Together for Immigrant Students

Undocumented students often face all the same challenges as other first-generation kids on campus. But they also live in growing fear. A group of California foundations is stepping forward to support them.

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"We Were Not Chasing the Money." Fundraising Lessons From a Path-Breaking Healthcare Gift

"We Were Not Chasing the Money." Fundraising Lessons From a Path-Breaking Healthcare Gift

We look at the story behind a big gift to a struggling hospital in an underserved urban neighborhood. Such donations are rare. So how did this one come about?

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In California, These Funders Want to Keep Kids Out of the Criminal Justice System

In California, These Funders Want to Keep Kids Out of the Criminal Justice System

Los Angeles County incarcerates more young people than anywhere else in the nation and most of them are kids of color. A group of local funders is pressing for reform. 

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Why Aren’t There More Big Health Gifts Like This One?

Why Aren’t There More Big Health Gifts Like This One?

Even as new wealth flows for medical research and name-brand hospitals, basic care for low-income communities tends to fall through the cracks. We explore this disparity in the context of a big grant in L.A. 

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To Fight Deportations in L.A., Private Funders Are Teaming Up With Local Government

To Fight Deportations in L.A., Private Funders Are Teaming Up With Local Government

Grantmakers in Southern California have long worked to integrate immigrants into the social fabric. Now they're engaged in an urgent effort, along with public agencies, to keep communities from being torn apart. 

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