Giving List Los Angeles 2023

Los Angeles

Welcome to The Giving List Los Angeles, 2023

We are thrilled to present you with this year’s edition of The Giving List

Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is a won derfully diverse tapestry of people and communities and locations and causes. In many ways it’s a microcosm of everything that is both great and com plex about our country. And nothing creates a more important safety net for the pieces of the complicated puzzle that is L.A. than the region’s nonprofit sector.

The Giving List was created out of the belief that storytelling, one of the most powerful tools we have as humans, is vastly underutilized in educating donors on the foundational work being done by nonprofits.

What you have in your hands is a compendium of powerful stories describing the work being done by some of the most im pactful nonprofit organizations in the Los Angeles area. Orga nizations on the front lines of recovery, pressing for social and racial justice, uplifting our children and families, supporting the arts, and fighting to preserve our precious natural world.

We hope this book will be a useful tool as you sort through the many vital nonprofit organizations that depend on your support for survival.

These are fast-moving times with an ever-growing list of caus es that demand our attention. As we move through COVID and the inequities it’s laid bare, a cataclysmic housing crisis, and the ongoing call for greater racial and gender equity, there are also other pressing, wide-ranging issues: the war in Ukraine, gun violence, an assault on women’s reproductive rights, and an uptick in racism, antisemitism, and hate, all while the wild fires and drought underscore a deepening climate crisis and its far-reaching implications.

If you’re a longtime donor to Los Angeles nonprofits, we hope this book can help you be more thoughtful in your giving as you’re inundated by all of the needs mounting around us.

If, on the other hand, you’re newer to giving and just beginning to think about where your philanthropic passions may lie, we hope we can help direct you to some of the wonderful opportuni ties that would make a huge difference in this region and beyond.

In either case, our intent is to help you break through some of the noise created by so many pressing needs by bringing your attention to some of the most important giving opportunities in this region.

The nonprofits in this book are not the only ones worthy of your support. But we do believe that those represented in these pages strongly reflect Los Angeles’ vibrant nonprofit and philanthropic culture. They are organizations that are doing important work, at an important time, and are worthy of your strong consideration. We hope that the work we’ve done to tell their stories will move you as much as they have moved us!

This book would not be possible without the help and sup port of some of Los Angeles’ premier institutions. We are deeply grateful to California State University, Northridge, J.P. Morgan, the Holocaust Museum LA, Marco Rufo and Craig Knizek at The Agency, Southern California Public Radio, and The An nenberg Foundation for their partnership in this endeavor. The impact of your ongoing commitment to supporting the Los An geles’ nonprofit community is immeasurable.

We hope you are as inspired by reading this book as we have been in making it.

Sincerely, Gwyn Lurie CEO, The Montecito Journal Media Group

Giving Back

We launched The Giving List to help the nonprofit organizations featured in this book spend less time fundraising and more time doing the critical work demanded of them.

Confronting the myriad and mounting challenges facing Los Angeles, the nation, and the globe requires the ingenuity and dedication exhibited by the nonprofits that fill these pages. We have assembled their stories with the hope that you will see their value and invest in them.

A large proportion of the nonprofits we feature are smaller and more grassroots. This means that while they may have the ideas and leadership to forge change, they don’t necessarily have the diversified revenue streams to reach their fullest impact. We are hoping you will change that by donating and helping them secure the predictable, unrestricted revenue they need to focus on what’s most important: the work. With your engagement, we have the chance to invest in organizations with the potential to take on some of our most pressing challenges.

Please join us by supporting your local nonprofits on the front lines of justice, whether that be fighting racism; using the arts to change culture; helping children, youth, and families in need; or striving to preserve our precious environment.

We will all be better for it.

How to DAF?

An increasingly popular and efficient tool to manage your giving is a donor-advised fund, or DAF.

A DAF is like a charitable banking account, managed by a community foundation or by some of the world’s largest investment banking firms, where you can make a donation today and direct grants to worthy nonprofits later.

A key advantage with a DAF is that it allows you, the donor, to take a tax deduction in the year you donate money or complex assets, while not compelling you to distribute the money immediately. This can mean time to make more thoughtful decisions about how you want to direct your charitable contributions.

Many financial institutions and community foundations have low start-up fees, making it possible for donors at any level to DAF.

How to Read This Book

The Giving List was created to make it easier for you to navigate the dizzying array of worthwhile causes and nonprofit organizations here in Los Angeles. To that end, we have distributed 35,000 copies of The Giving List Los Angeles to people like you: individual donors, staff within the region’s small and large private foundations, and to philanthropic advisors, wealth managers, and estate planners.

As you dive into this book, we want to point out some of its unique features, and of The Giving List program as a whole.

Ongoing Support

Our partnership with the nonprofits in these pages does not end with the printing of this book. Each profile will live on TheGivingList.com through 2023, where we will be updating each profile once a month so that you can continue to track the important ongoing work of each and every Giving List organization.

We hope that you will use the website as a guide not only for yourselves, but as an easy way to share the work of our partners – whether they be nonprofits, community foundations, or funder affinity groups – with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Matching Challenges

The Giving List was created to help nonprofits generate predictable, unrestricted revenue through storytelling. One tried and true method to accomplish this is matching challenge campaigns.

Throughout the pages of this book, please keep an eye out for matching challenges.

In most cases, these are arranged by our nonprofit partners and are fueled either by their boards or by individual and institutional donors. So if you are looking to double the impact of your gift, there are ample opportunities throughout this book, our second volume of The Giving List Los Angeles.

Staying Connected

We are building a community of people who care deeply about philanthropy and understand the vital role it plays in our world, and we want you to join.

Since launching January of 2022, our bi-weekly newsletter, The Fifth Estate, has become a venue for updates from our nonprofit part ners and stories from the frontlines of philanthropy.

We would love for you to join The Fifth Estate; please visit www.TheGivingList.com and follow the prompts.

You can also join our newsletter... ...by waving your phone’s camera over this QR code.

New Money

Philanthropy, incorporated for the public good, can and should make all its investments accordingly � � � � � � � � P. 12

Social Sector Leaders: CSUN

All in for its students P. 20

J.P. Morgan

Centering philanthropy in financial advising � � � � � � P. 26

34 Advocacy

46

For the Children

Profile – Wendy Garen. The power of public-private partnerships � � � � � � � � � � P. 48

Emily Shane Foundation supports local, disadvantaged students with the educational resources they need to thrive in middle school and beyond P. 50

J3 Foundation provides free after-school reading programs in partnership with high-needs schools that serve students of color� They equip 4th-grade scholars with the skills, habits, confidence, and book access they need for a lifetime of reading success � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 52

Profile – Elizabeth Faraut. Fully integrating her business with her philanthropy �

P. 36

Brady: United Against Gun Violence unites people of all identities, races, and ethnicities from coast to coast, young and old, and everything in between, fed up and fired up, to protect our country from what is killing it: guns P. 38

PUENTE Learning Center: P eople U nited to E nrich the N eighborhood T hrough E ducation� Building bridges to learning and opportunity in Boyle Heights and beyond � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 54

Red Sled Santa Foundation provides programs, services, holiday gifts, and essential needs for low income, disabled, medically challenged and terminallyill children in our community so they experience a Memorable and Meaningful Loving Holiday P. 56

P. 40

Children’s Law Center of California provides legal representation for children and youth impacted by abuse and neglect �

Five Keys provides traditionally underserved communities the opportunity to improve their lives through a focus on the Five Keys: Education, Employment, Recovery, Family, Community � � � � � � � P. 42

JVS SoCal empowers individuals to achieve dignity and economic independence through sustainable employment �

P. 44

SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. is solely dedicated to child passenger safety Their mission is to reduce the number of serious or fatal traffic injuries suffered by children by promoting the correct consistent use of safety seats and safety belts

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 58

60 Community Resilience

Profile – Don Howard. Leveraging massive government investments for equity

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Destination Crenshaw is a reparative development project and will be the largest Black public art project in the U�S� and quite possibly the world

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 64

No Us Without You LA currently provides food security for over 700 families bi-weekly They plan on offering food relief packages through 2023 as a way to show undocumented BOH workers that they are not forgotten P. 66

SIPA Cares enhances the quality of life for Pilipino Americans throughout Los Angeles County by providing a range of health and human services and community economic development programs P. 68

Urban Alchemy is a social enterprise that engages with situations where extreme poverty meets homelessness, mental illness, and addiction P. 70

72 Education

Profile – Michael Tubbs. Ending poverty in California P. 74

City Year Los Angeles is a place for young adults to make a lasting impact as they grow as leaders and professionals � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 76

Determined to Succeed provides the opportunity to underserved students to attend and graduate from college with the knowledge, life skills, and tools needed to succeed � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 78

Educating Students Together increases the access, retention, and graduation of youth in the foster care system and from low-income communities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to transform their lives P. 80

White Buffalo Land Trust practices, promotes, and develops systems of regenerative agriculture for local, regional, and global impact P. 82

Bayan Islamic Graduate School offers a worldclass, non-sectarian education and produces dynamic and ethical leaders and scholars grounded in the Islamic tradition P. 84

86 Emergency Services

Profile – Wilma Melville is proving the power of the human-canine bond � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 88

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation strengthens disaster response in America by rescuing and recruiting dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 92

LA County Fire Department Foundation was formed to turn your donations into equipment and education that saves lives � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 94

96

Family Well-being

Annenberg Foundation

Challenging the field to step up and achieve big things together P. 98

El Nido Family Centers helps empower families in low-income areas of L�A� to break the cycle of poverty, child abuse, violence, and academic failure through counseling and family support services P. 100

Para Los Niños believes in fostering pathways to success through excellence in education, powerful families, and strong communities for children and youth to thrive � P. 102

The Children’s Action Coalition hosts the Coalition Platform, an online hub enabling child welfare service providers to connect, collaborate, and leverage each other’s strengths

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 104

“I gravitate towards organizations that have strong ‘back of the house’ so I know that if I am engaging my network that every dollar, every hour, is going to be well spent and well used.”

– Elizabeth Faraut, LA LOOP P. 36

106

Fostering Care

Profile – Mona Sinha. Challenging gender inequities

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 108

A Home Within identifies, recruits, trains, and supports a network of licensed therapists who each provide free, weekly, one-to-one therapy to a single foster youth “for as long as it takes�”

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 110

– Wallis Annenberg, Annenberg Foundation P. 136

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 112

Happy Trails for Kids engages youth with unique learning and extracurricular opportunities, while simultaneously reinforcing the benefits of nature and outdoor experiences

World Telehealth Initiative provides sustainable medical expertise to the most vulnerable communities across the globe, where and when it is needed P. 132

iFoster provides a free platform of resources for foster care youth, caregivers, and organizations

� � � � � � � � � P. 114

KidSave provides programs to help older kids in foster care and orphanages find meaningful, lasting connections with adults and families

134

� � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 116

Ready to Succeed empowers foster and firstgeneration college students to graduate college, launch successful careers, and reach their full potential P. 118

Health

Profile – Wallis Annenberg. Making the extraordinary ordinary P.136

The Agency Meet two realtors with a real commitment to giving � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 140

Global Reach

Profile – Milt and Debbie Valera. Committed to the Valley P. 122

Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children the largest orthopaedic facility on the West Coast provides focused, personalized, world-class care to children and families from diagnosis to treatment to rehabilitation P. 142

National Health Foundation works to improve the health of under-resourced communities � � � � � � � � � � P. 144

P. 126

Dunn School community educates whole students to their fullest potential in preparation for a life of learning and responsible leadership in society

Kid Save | Ukraine – Kidsave is still rescuing children and families in Ukraine and providing humanitarian aid

P. 128

Lightforce One works to provide holistic longterm solutions, such as wells and irrigation systems, agriculture projects, trades, education and training

P. 130

UCLA - Rape Treatment Center/Stuart House provides highly comprehensive, specialized care for child and adult sexual abuse victims, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, free of charge, in a safe, compassionate setting P. 146

Vision to Learn is helping students to see clearly by providing eye exams and glasses at no cost to kids in underserved communities � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 148

“By shining a spotlight on the boldest, most audacious ideas, we hope they’ll be copied over and over, and our investments will be leveraged a thousandfold.”

150 Homelessness & Housing

Profile – Kalyan Balaven. Modeling educational inclusion P. 152

The Downtown Women’s Center envisions a Los Angeles with every woman housed and on a path to personal stability� Its mission is to end homelessness for women in Greater Los Angeles through housing, wellness, employment, and advocacy � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 154

Step Up delivers compassionate support to people experiencing serious mental health issues and chronic homelessness and helps them recover, stabilize, and rejoin their community � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 156

158

Public Square

Profile – Bobby Grace. Improving the criminal justice system from the inside

P. 159

166 Social Justice

Profile – Cliff Gilbert-Lurie. Inside the thinking of a quiet philanthropist � � � � � � P. 168

Holocaust Museum LA Empowering us to be more than bystanders � � � � � � P. 170

Compassion Prison Project helps create trauma-informed prisons and communities � Their main focus is on childhood trauma and how it affects the lives of men and women living and working in prisons P. 172

The Bail Project combats mass incarceration by disrupting the money bail system – one person at a time� It restores the presumption of innocence, reunites families, and challenges a system that criminalizes race and poverty � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 174

176 The Arts

Profile – Nike Irvin. Supporting a new generation of social entrepreneurs P. 178

Southern California Public Radio

The place where Democracy is heard and preserved P. 160

Boyle Heights Beat is a bilingual community news project produced by youth, offering “noticias por y para la comunidad,” or “news by and for the community ” P. 162

Stanford Social Innovation Review is a magazine and website written by and for social change leaders P. 164

Everybody Dance LA! transforms lives and communities through the power of high-quality dance education in low-income areas of Los Angeles � P. 180

The Museum of Latin American Art expands knowledge and appreciation of modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art through its Collection, ground-breaking Exhibitions, stimulating Educational Programs, and engaging Cultural Events P. 182

“The whole idea of philanthropy being only for people who are rich is a fallacy. I think you can be philanthropic in so many ways. Using your time to lift someone up or being a helping hand to somebody is also philanthropy. It’s the love of humankind.”

– Mona Sinha, Women Moving Millions P. 108

– Nike Irvin Civil Society Fellowship P. 178

184 Youth Development

The Power of Volunteering – One woman’s jour ney from a Jersey train station platform to the passion of volunteering � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 185

To learn more about joining The Giving List Community, please contact: partnerships@thegivinglist.com

CEO & Founder Gwyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net

President & Founder Tim Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net

Executive Editor

Daniel Heimpel dheimpel@thegivinglist.com

Art Director Trent Watanabe

Associate Editor & Director of Partnerships Vicki Horwits vicki@thegivinglist.com

Copy Editor

Lily Buckley Harbin

Graphic Design/Layout Stevie Acuña

Inside Cover Art Rachel Ngun & Yeah, Art!

Administration & Billing: Jessikah Moran frontdesk@montecitojournal.net

P. 186

Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles Harbor enables all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens

The Hidden Genius Project trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 188

Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration –creating inclusive playgrounds throughout the world that unite children of all abilities� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �P. 190

Unite-LA is redeveloping the educational system through a cradle-to-career approach that encompasses programmatic support, systems change, and local, regional, state and federal advocacy � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � P. 192

Contributors: Dana Bartholomew, Joe Donnelly, Les Firestein, Brenda Gazzar, Miranda Green, Stella Haffner, Jonathan Karp, Steven Libowitz, David Lurie, Cara Masset, Nadra Nittle, Lori Porter, Brian Rinker, Dan Schifrin, Holden Slattery, Elias Stern, Dipti Vaidya, Natalie Yemenidjian

the giving list

is published by: Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC. Corporate Offices located at: 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108

For inquiries: phone (805) 565-1860 email tim@thegivinglist.com

ontecito

media.group

“We must trust the leaders of the grantee organizations to steward the funds to the highest use. Some venture philanthropy donors believe it is they who should decide the strategies and tactics of the work. I heartily disagree with that approach. Trust first. Check out the recent trends around trustbased philanthropy. Give and then move out of the way.”

New Money

Philanthropy, incorporated for the public good, can and should make all its investments accordingly.

BY DANIEL HEIMPEL

In 2021, Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced a bill to more tightly regulate donoradvised funds, commonly referred to as DAFs. While the Accelerating Charitable Giving (ACE) Act’s reforms were far from sweeping, the bill set off a bitter debate over who controls charitable funds: the donor or the public.

The Act’s supporters plausibly argued that wealthy donors could use the increasingly popular philanthropic instruments for personal gain, and that DAFs allow them to hoard and perpetually control what becomes public money once those donors accept a tax benefit.

Its detractors plausibly argued that the bill would reduce char itable donations by constraining donors’ access to an easy way to commit large sums to charity, even if the gifts to nonprofits don’t happen immediately.

For the uninitiated, DAFs are like charitable bank accounts that allow a donor to make a “donation” of money or complex assets. The primary sponsors of these accounts are increasingly subsid iaries of large investment firms – like Fidelity, Schwab, and Van guard – and community foundations. The donor receives a tax deduction for the year that the gift was made but isn’t compelled to disburse those funds immediately.

“We want to make the timing of the deduction and the ben efit to the community closer together than the current some time from today until infinity,” says Jan Masaoka, the longtime CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits, which sup ports the ACE Act.

The bill, which hasn’t moved to a vote in the Senate, but was introduced in the House in early 2022, targets the estimated $160 billion DAF industry. Most importantly, it would compel donors to spend down those accounts within 15 years or submit to 5% annual payouts if they want to retain control for 50 years.

One of the bill’s most strident opponents is the Philanthropy Roundtable, a national association of similarly-minded charita ble foundations.

“Our mission is to help foster excellence in philanthropy, to protect philanthropic freedom, and to help donors advance the principles of liberty, opportunity, and personal responsibility,” says Elizabeth McGuigan, the Roundtable’s senior director of policy and government affairs. “This entire legislation is aimed at hypothetical problems. What we see is robust giving coming out of donor-advised funds… The best way forward is to protect phil anthropic freedom and donor privacy, which of course, the ACE

Act would violate in many ways.”

She has a point. Private foundations are compelled by federal law to give 5% of the value of their endowments out in grants every year. In aggregate they hew very closely to this number. The National Philanthropic Trust, a DAF sponsor itself, found, through its robust annual survey, that the 2020 payout rate for DAFs nation-wide was 23.8%.

For David Risher, who, alongside wife Jennifer, has in spired more than $33 million in giving through their grassroots #HalfMyDAF campaign, moving the massive wealth locked up in DAFs and charitable foundations requires an “all and” approach.

“Legislation is a pretty big hammer. But if that’s what the world needs, let’s do it,” Risher says. “But meanwhile let’s not wait for regulations to tell us what the right thing to do

is. Let’s get to it. Let’s inject some entrepreneurial spirit into philanthropy. That isn’t going to come from the government. It’s going to come from people like you and me and someone like MacKenzie Scott waking up and saying, ‘Let’s try some different things here.’”

More than the substance of the bill itself, the ACE Act’s intro duction showed that two senior senators were willing to question whether the tax benefit conferred to donors by the federal govern ment was being matched by sufficient public benefit.

And the government, working on the public’s behalf, is fully entitled to ask these questions. I would argue that it is also every individual American’s responsibility to ask whether philanthropy is living up to its purpose. After all, the donor’s acceptance of tax abatement by setting up a charitable foun

Charitable foundations can use the power of their balance sheets to offer unfunded loan guarantees to spur private investments in things like solar panel expansion or urban redevelopment�

dation or a DAF creates a legal trust wherein the trustee is the public – you and me.

Despite all the control that the philanthropic sector wields over its assets, it really is the people’s money.

In that context, we should be looking at how capital flows through the true seat of wealth in private foundations – their en dowments: the corpora.

The corpora refers to the more than $1 trillion held by chari table foundations in the United States. Remember, this collective of bodies is governed by an Internal Revenue Service rule that compels 5% of its totality be given to charity every year. The rest, the 95%, is largely invested on the private market.

Of the $485 billion that Americans gave out in 2021, charitable foundations made up less than 20% at $90 billion. As this makes clear, the real money lies in foundation endowments and – for individuals – within DAFs housed at the globe’s most successful investment banks.

So how is all that money, owned by the public, being spent? How should it be spent? And what can be done to accelerate in vestments that support, rather than degrade, this nation’s social safety net and the globe’s ailing environment?

Spending Down

Given the flood of issues affecting us – a teetering economy, an assault on reproductive rights, commonplace mass shootings, a West that burns – maybe it’s best to just spend the money held up in charitable foundation endowments or donor-advised funds as quickly as possible.

That was the tack Kathy Kwan took when deciding the fate of her and her husband’s $60 million Eustace-Kwan Family Foundation. “If all those dollars are locked up in savings accounts, they’re not going through the economy,” Kwan told me. “They’re not helping people.”

By the end of 2023 the total endowment will be spent down. Kwan isn’t alone.

In 2014, after the death of longtime Schwab COO Larry Stupski, wife Joyce declared that the foundation would “spend down” all its assets by 2029. “Spending down gives our team of staff and grant

ee-partners the opportunity to dream big, take risks, and make real change in our communities,” she said before her death in 2021.

Stupski and Eustace-Kwan are part of a growing roster of foun dations that have pledged to give all their money away sooner than the “perpetuity” the majority seek, which I will describe shortly.

Mr. #HalfMyDaf, David Risher, has a similar take, but applied to donor-advised funds. Under the model that he and his wife cre ated, anyone who commits to spending down half his or her DAF within a year is eligible to nominate nonprofits for matching gifts. These can be made by the cadre of DAF holders that have pledged to be HalfMyDaffers, or anyone who visits the website.

Since 2020, #HalfMyDAF has moved an average of $11 million a year, a little more in annual giving than a charitable foundation with a $200 million endowment would give according to the 5% rule.

But spending down means stamping an expiration date on the golden goose.

Perpetuity and Not Terrible Investments

Charitable

foundations and the firms managing DAFs, while not uniform in their investment strategies, have one key similarity: an unswerving focus on returns.

Foundations are fond of the concept “perpetuity,” wherein sage fiscal management renders the corpus immortal. To achieve per petuity, private foundation investments must produce more rev enue than their operating costs, which includes the 5% payout requirement. This requires a returns-oriented mindset, which can run counter to the public interest.

While some DAF holders may direct their sponsoring organi zations to spend down the money quickly, DAF sponsor fees are derived from the size of the assets managed. This creates a clear disincentive for managers to counsel their clients to give the mon ey away. And while that money sits, the goal is, again, profit.

Fossil fuels can be a very good investment. So too private pris ons and firearms. And investments with private equity firms that gobble up distressed apartment buildings and homes and convert them into market-rate rentals can also be lucrative.

But where is the public benefit in any of these?

Recognizing this incongruity with foundations’ missions, an increasing number have joined the now $40-plus trillion Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) industry. ESG simply means that investments in socially and environmentally unappetizing companies and funds are identified and screened out. So, if you are a charitable foun dation focused on climate change, your ESG screen will keep you from buying ExxonMobil stock.

That’s a start.

David and Jennifer Risher have moved more than $33 million of DAF dollars to nonprofits.

Using the Balance Sheet

When a rich kid wants to buy a home, his or her parents can either purchase the house outright or engender a modicum of self-reliance by putting up a loan guarantee to smooth the mortgage over with a bank.

Similarly, charitable foundations can use the power of their balance sheets to offer unfunded loan guarantees to spur pri vate investments in things like solar panel expansion or urban redevelopment.

The Community Investment Guarantee Pool (CIGP), launched in 2019, has pulled together major names in philan thropy and impact investing – the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Arnold Ventures, the Annie E. Casey and Kresge foundations, among others – to offer loan guarantees for a range of social ly-conscious private enterprises.

In 2021, the pool used $15 million in guarantees to leverage $131 million in capital to develop affordable housing.

“Affordable housing is an important new issue area for Arnold Ventures,” said Arnold Ventures Director of New Programs Chris Hensman in a 2022 CIGP press release. “We’re excited to par ticipate in the Pool and explore financial guarantees as a highly leverageable tool for helping to launch, test, and scale the most promising of these housing strategies.”

Better.

estate is one area where chari table foundations are finding double and triple bottom lines.

Patient Capital

In 1969, when Congress passed the Tax Reform Act – which included that 5% payout rule for private foundations – it also created something called a program-related investment (PRI).

Pioneered and lobbied by the Ford Foundation, which has al located more than $600 million to PRIs, these are investments, most often structured as low interest debt, that fulfill a founda tion’s mission.

Per IRS rules, making a profit cannot be the “primary concern” of a PRI. In exchange for accepting concessionary returns, the IRS allows a foundation to count these investments towards their annual payout.

This financial instrument has largely been deployed as “patient capital,” in the form of low-yield loans (1-3% over 5-10 years).

In 2015, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the JPMorgan Chase Foundation launched the Entrepreneurs of Color Fund in Detroit. Since, it has loaned out more than $10 million and helped create and retain 1,100 jobs.

But PRIs don’t need to be structured as loans – they can also be used to buy equity. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has deployed more than $1.5 billion in PRIs. To develop new vac cines, the foundation made equity investments into biotech start ups, while compelling those companies to make their products affordable in poor countries.

That’s promising.

Foundations are fond of the concept “perpetuity,” wherein sage fiscal management renders the corpus immortal

Real

Market Rate Returns Meet Social Impact

In 2017, the California Wellness Foundation, which holds a little north of $1 billion in assets, began experimenting with mission-related investments (MRIs). In essence, MRIs are a fancy way of saying market-rate investments that also generate positive social impacts.

“We started with $50 million and set up a mini-endowment with very similar asset allocations to our larger portfolio, and tracked performance,” says Wellness’ chief financial officer, Ro chelle Witharana. “We were able to prove that the MRIs tracked exactly the same as the broader portfolio.”

With a flourish Witharana adds, “We are now moving our en tire billion to impact.”

Despite increasing evidence that investments can yield accept able returns with acceptable risk, mission-related investing is far from the norm. The Global Impact Investing Network estimates that while growing, there is only around $715 billion in im pact-investing dollars under management globally. For scale, U.S. pension funds alone hold roughly $40 trillion.

The reason why philanthropy has been slow to step up, Withara na says, “is the old boy network [of foundation finance committees and staff]” who “believe that MRIs can’t make the same returns as traditional portfolios, which I feel is completely incorrect.”

The Ford Foundation’s $1 billion Mission Investments pro gram, launched in 2017, is showing that returns can not only ex ceed expectations, but can also feed the vaunted immortality of a foundation’s corpus.

“Mission Investments has generated a compound annual return rate of 28% from its inception in 2017 through 2021,” Ford Pres ident Darren Walker wrote in a 2022 reflection on the program’s five-year anniversary. “That’s triple the return required to sustain the foundation’s perpetual existence.”

While Ford’s MRI carve out is significant, it is far from shift ing the whole $16 billion endowment towards double bottom line investing.

There are only a handful of foundations across the country that have done that. In California, I know of only two large founda tions, other than Wellness, that have pledged to move their entire endowment to impact: the Weingart Foundation and the East Bay Community Foundation.

Valerie Red-Horse Mohl is the East Bay Community Founda tion’s CFO. Among many accomplishments in the world of fi nance, Red-Horse Mohl founded the first Native American owned investment bank in the 1990s. She came to the East Bay Commu nity Foundation in 2020 to not only change how it invests, but how philanthropy does as a whole.

“I think the way to make reparations is to allow us [Black and Native American People] to thrive and catch up in the wealth gap,” Red-Horse Mohl says. “For me, it’s not so much looking back, even though that’s important. It’s looking forward and how do we really narrow, if not eliminate, the wealth gap?”

Part of that is investing in Black and Brown financial managers, long excluded from the upper echelons of finance. “What hap pens when money comes into Black and Brown funds from Wall Street?” she asks. “It starts to then flow into companies that are all over America in communities of color. And then we raise the level of wealth in those communities and then the need for all the philanthropic support starts to lessen.”

Cynthia Muller is the director of mission investment at the $8 billion, Michigan-Based W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In 2007, the Kellogg Foundation was one of the first major national foun dations to commit to MRIs and has deployed more than $300 million since.

Being so early in, Muller says, Kellogg could set the table on diversity, equity, and inclusion, by making investments that “don’t hurt the underlying communities, but sway markets and practice. When the Kellogg Foundation comes in, it makes it okay for oth ers to come in.”

But don’t get too caught up on the good that mission-related investing can do; market rate returns are top criteria when invest ment officers like Witharana, Red-Horse Mohl, or Muller are con sidering an allocation.

Inasmuch, labeling these investments mission related may be too limiting. If we go back to the original premise of this essay, and accept that all these dollars are truly public, there is an argu ment to be made that all investments should be mission related.

But instead of compelling charitable foundations to align their investments, can the government incentivize philanthropy to in crease momentum towards impact investing?

California Wellness Foundation CFO Rochelle Witharana is one of only a few financial officers moving the entirety of their foundation’s endowments to impact.

Changing the Energy of Money

Since the creation of the PRI more than 50 years ago, the practice has become increasingly commonplace across philanthropy.

“In 2022, you can’t go to a foundation or family office without talking about a PRI,” Kellogg’s Muller says.

Community foundations are also taking a leadership role in directing their DAF holders towards program-related investments. The Cal ifornia Community Foundation, through its Home L.A. Loan Fund, has guaranteed returns for DAF clients who have in turn given out more than $11 million in low-yield loans to support affordable housing developments. And the East Bay Community Foundation regularly holds pitch sessions where social entrepreneurs take their ideas to the foundation’s DAF clients directly in the hopes of winning a PRI.

This is evidence that offering philanthropy an incentive can yield sector-wide change. But PRIs are still, most often, part of the 5%. How can we go bigger, move the 95%, the great corpora, to impact?

While the ACE Act uses a stick, albeit small, the federal government also can offer some carrots.

One is the excise tax. Currently, charitable foundations pay 1.39% of net gains on their investments in a calendar year.

The federal government could create an incentive for foundations by waiving the tax if, for example, a foundation’s portfolio uses an ESG screen or reacheds a minimum threshold of verifiable MRIs.

Another area for reform could be unrelated business taxable income (UBTI). If a nonprofit, including a charitable foundation, generates revenue from business activities that differ significantly from its mission, it can be taxed at the corporate or trust rate. This can create tax exposure for foundations or DAFs that invest in, for example, real estate funds with debt financing.

If a foundation focused on, for ex ample, alleviating poverty, invests in an affordable housing fund, it can still be taxed on some portion of the return. The IRS could waive UBTI.

While both the excise tax and UBTI are relatively small expenses, waiving these taxes would show the federal government is supportive of the idea of impact investing.

For Debbie La Franchi, who found ed impact investing firm SDS Capital Group more than two decades ago, the real reason why foundations have been slow to impact is more about them selves than federal regulation.

experience with MRIs is ei ther that foundations don’t have them, or they are very narrow, or they want to wait until you are on fund three or four when we don’t need the founda

“Our

“We started with $50 million and set up a mini-endowment with very similar asset allocations to our larger portfolio, and tracked performance,” says Wellness’ chief financial officer, Rochelle Witharana�

“We were able to prove that the MRIs tracked exactly the same as the broader portfolio�” With a flourish Witharana adds, “We are now moving our entire billion to impact�”

The Gates Foundation has made equity investments in vaccines.

L.A.-based SDS Capital Group has drawn millions in foundation invest ments to provide supportive housing to the city’s homeless population.

Investing in wind and solar can yield returns and environmental impact.

tion money anyway,” La Franchi says. “We need the money when we are launching a new concept, especially when it also has an impact.”

Part of the problem, as I mentioned above, is the whole notion of call ing out impact investments as mission related. Whether it’s La Franchi’s California-based homeless supportive housing fund, or her fund in the U.S. South, both lead with market-rate returns. Same too for a venture fund that invests in early stage solar, wind, and energy storage companies.

By labeling investments – that could come out of any asset class – as mission related, philanthropy is curtailing the full power of its corpus. Instead of a carve out, they should use their full endowments to build up the field of impact managers, who will create products with the scale and track record to draw institutional money. Remember, pension funds hold about 40 times the wealth that U.S. charitable foundations do.

Government can help through tax policy and other financial instru ments, but philanthropy doesn’t need to wait to act.

So, to my friends on the financial side of the philanthropic house, what are you going to do with that $1 trillion ball of our public money in your hands? Will you seek perpetuity through traditional means, or will you find immortality by changing markets, the energy of money?

Now that would be transformational.

Cynthia Muller of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation oversees one of the lon gest-lived MRI portfolios in the nation.

Back to Basics: How CSUN Helps to Ensure Student Success

By Jonathan Karp

The line grew steadily outside the unassuming build ing on the north side of campus. It was almost closing time on a Thursday afternoon, and the students knew it was their last chance before the weekend to pick up supplies they needed to keep their studies on track.

The supplies they received in red California State University, Northridge-branded bags were not textbooks, pens, or calcula tors, but rather something more basic: food.

“Let’s see, today I got canned beans and pineapple, pasta, and tomato sauce,” said Swapnil Doshi, a first-year graduate engi neering student, peering into his bag. He goes to the CSUN Food Pantry every Thursday and said the assistance provides meals for two to three days, which “definitely helps me” get by. The three fellow Indian students he shares an apartment with also visit the Food Pantry regularly.

It’s a far cry from life in his home state of Gujarat, where Doshi had a small business making flour grinders. He said he was surprised by how quickly the cost of living in California was depleting his savings. He was also surprised, pleasantly so, to discover at orientation that CSUN offers emergency food and basic necessities at no cost to all students.

“We don’t have anything like this in India,” he said. “Here, everyone gets a chance to benefit from this program. The uni versity cares about students.”

CSUN Food Pantry volunteers distributing supplies to students

Christel Bowen, CSUN Food Programs Coordinator

CSUN with a Heart

By caring for its students, the majority of whom come from low-income and underserved communities, CSUN has be come one of the nation’s top universities in fostering social and economic mobility, based on a respected index that measures how well nearly 1,500 colleges educate students from low-in come families and graduate them into well-paying jobs. The university has transformed lives by delivering academic excel lence, pioneering programs that opened doors for a largely di verse and largely first generation student body, and developing support services to foster stability, empowerment, and a sense of belonging among the now 38,000 students it serves.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid the hard ship of high inflation, CSUN is doubling down on its com mitment to its most vulnerable students. Under the banner of “CSUN with A Heart,” the ambitious initiative is seeking long-term funding to boost services that meet students’ basic needs outside the classroom – nutrition, shelter, clothing, men tal health, and stopgap financial assistance – so they can succeed in the classroom.

The centerpiece is a $200-million Basic Needs Suite, a one-stop shop for support services located in the University Student Union complex, the hub of campus life. The new building will house an expanded Food Pantry; community kitchen; Matty’s Closet, where students can borrow clothes for job interviews; and a centralized basic needs unit with staffers to help coordinate emergency shelter and connect students with housing resources.

“Our planned Basic Needs Suite is a forward-leaning and in novative project that will foster belonging for all Matadors and promote student success,” said CSUN President Erika D. Beck. “There are numerous programs on campus that make sure stu dents are fed, clothed, and have a place to stay. The Basic Needs Suite will bring them under one roof.”

Volunteers sorting donated food, clothing and hygiene items during annual drive

“We are really trying to take a holistic approach, making sure that we are keeping students focused on the main goal of their academic journey – graduation,” said Shelley Ruelas-Bischoff, who oversees the CSUN with A Heart program in her role as associate vice president for student affairs, student engagement, and well-being.

“Our planned Basic Needs Suite is a forward-leaning and innovative project that will foster belonging for all Matadors and promote student success. There are numerous programs on campus that make sure students are fed, clothed, and have a place to stay. The Basic Needs Suite will bring them under one roof.”

– Erika D. Beck CSUN President

In other words, closing the basic-needs gap for students is essential to closing the broader racial-achievement, or equity, gap. Consider the challenges that many students at Northridge and other CSU campuses face. A 2018 CSU study found that 41.6% of students system-wide reported low or very low food security, compared to 12.3% of U.S. households. Nearly 11% said they experienced homelessness one or more times in the previous 12 months. Black and first-generation CSU students were most at risk, with a combined 65.9% experiencing food insecurity and 18% homelessness.

And that was before COVID-19 compounded their adversity.

Like other universities during the pandemic, CSUN shut tered the campus and held classes online. But one of the few facilities it kept open was the Food Pantry. The university’s emergency-housing service also kept operating and during the pandemic, it formed an important partnership with a nonprofit called Jovenes, a leading provider of support services for home less youth. (See The Giving List Los Angeles 2022.)

“Both our housing- and food-security programs actually ex panded during the pandemic, which is quite remarkable” said Maria Elizondo, assistant director, basic needs. The Food Pantry extended operations to four days a week from two and for the first time, it opened during the summer term. Both changes became permanent.

Helping Students on All Fronts

The MataCare Emergency Grant program also kicked into overdrive. Before the pandemic, this service typically re ceived 100 to 200 applications each semester from students who needed funds for medical emergencies, car accidents, or

– Debra Hammond University Student Union Executive Director

living expenses after the loss of a job. In the Spring 2020 se mester, MataCare received 1,386 applications, said Emily Fitch, a CSUN financial aid, graduation, and retention specialist. In the 2018-2019 academic year, the average grant was $550 and total awards were about $63,000. In 2021-2022, those respec tive figures soared to $1,030 and $1 million (helped by federal aid from the American Rescue Plan Act). Fitch says demand remains high due to continuing economic challenges.

The push for basic-needs services at CSUN started in 2015, and it was largely instigated by students themselves. At the time, a few campus clubs were organizing food donations, but “stu dents started telling us of their need for the more sustainable, regularly accessible support that a food pantry can provide” Ru elas-Bischoff recalls. “That was the first call, if you will, for us as administrators to really better understand how this was impacting our students and then begin delivering the resources.”

The Food Pantry, one of the first in the CSU system, started distributing canned and non-perishable foods from a closet-sized room with one employee and one student volunteer. Today, it has a full-time coordinator and 10 volun teers, providing supplemental food sup plies to more than 250 students a week. CSUN faculty and staff are also eligible for food assistance.

After opening the Food Pantry, CSUN quickly added food-securi ty services, training students to help low-income peers apply for CalFresh financial assistance to buy food (for merly known as the food stamp pro

gram) and installing Electronic Benefits Transfer readers so students could use CalFresh to buy food on campus. More re cently, the Food Pantry partnered with Department of Health Sciences faculty and students to give CalFresh recipients nu tritional advice and introduced a fortnightly pop-up stand –visited by 350 to 400 students each time – with fresh fruit and vegetables donated by a San Fernando Valley-based anti-pov erty nonprofit called MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity).

Respecting students’ dignity has been CSUN’s guiding prin ciple in developing the Food Pantry and other basic needs programs. To accommodate the diverse student body, food is sourced for eight different dietary choices, from vegan to ko sher and halal. Students are limited to one visit per week, but

“In terms of health and well-being, some 3,000 people are visiting the fitness center each day, compared to 1,000 before the pandemic”

Carina Alvarado, CalFresh Student Assistant outside the CSUN Food Pantry

they give only their CSUN ID number, not their names, for record keeping. Students are neither asked to prove their need nor questioned if they request more provisions because they say they are supporting more than themselves.

At a university that prides itself on removing hurdles to stu dent success, “the last thing we want to do is create an extra barrier,” said Elizondo, the assistant director of the basic needs program. She adds that the visibility on campus of bright red bags emblazoned with “CSUN Food Pantry” helps advertise and destigmatize the service, leading to greater use.

And there is more room for growth. In the 2019-2020 aca demic year, a CSUN study found that a large majority of stu dents knew about the Food Pantry, but more than half of the most food-insecure students had not used it. Understanding the unmet need, CSUN is actively looking to endow this vital service, giving it steady resources to keep expanding its food supplies and campus outreach, which Elizondo says is crafted to help students overcome any embarrassment they may feel.

“I use the term ‘food aid’ to compare it to financial aid, which our students are very comfortable talking about,” she said. “We’ve been really intentional about our messaging that this is a temporary solution for a temporary problem.”

Education with a Place to Call Home

In 2018, CSUN turned its attention to housing insecurity, a significant, chronic problem for students due to ever-rising rents in greater Los Angeles. It created an emergency housing program – funded by grants and donors – that sets aside rooms to shelter students who do not have fixed, regular residences for up to 20 days. Many students who apply for this assistance – via the CSUN with A Heart website – have been sleeping in their cars or moving from couch to couch in friends’ apartments.

Because CSUN has limited campus housing and most stu dents commute, university counseling services and partnerships with community and faith-based organizations became integral to finding longer-term solutions. Advisors with the Educational Opportunity Program, which CSUN launched over 50 years ago to help low-income, educationally disadvantaged students, play a key role in connecting students with housing resources.

Housing-security services greatly expanded in 2020 after CSUN partnered with Jovenes, the homeless youth aid orga nization. CSUN is one of eight universities participating in Jovenes’s multi-pronged College Success Initiative, which pro vides emergency housing support, rent subsidies, long-term planning, and rigorous case management.

The Rapid Rehousing pilot program has been a particular success. Jovenes scouts housing possibilities, usually a room for rent, and secures it by paying the landlord the full rent. While providing this subsidy to the student, case managers work with the student to develop a plan for him or her to progressively pay more and eventually assume the full rent. They meet week ly to ensure that the student’s progress towards their goals and academics stay on course. Goals are different for each student – some may need support in creating a budget and savings plan, and others will benefit from guidance in accessing career ser vices or perhaps tutoring services.

“This is a highly individualized, academic-focused approach,” Ruelas-Bischoff said.

And the Jovenes partnership is paying off. After accommodat ing 10-20 students a year the first few years of the temporary emergency housing program, CSUN is now finding longer-term housing solutions for more than double that amount. In May, the Jovenes partnership produced its first CSUN graduate. These numbers increase even further when considering those individu als who may not enter the Jovenes program, but are able to access housing solutions with the support of basic needs staff.

Despite its promise, the Rapid Rehousing program needs to find a certain security of its own. The project is funded by the state for three years, with no guarantee of being extended. Even if CSUN and partners succeed in securing more government funds, private money will be needed to keep the program growing.

“In a short time, we’ve tripled the number of students that we’re serving,” Ruelas-Bischoff said. “And I really don’t think we’ve seen the full evidence of the need.”

Students studying in their dorm room

Students gathering outside of the CSUN Veterans Resource Center

In Turbulent Times, CSUN offers Stability

Since August, when CSUN students streamed back to campus in force for the first time since the pandemic, evidence of pent-up demand for a range of services can be seen throughout the University Student Union (USU) complex.

In terms of health and well-being, some 3,000 people are visiting the fitness center each day, compared to 1,000 before the pandemic, says Debra Hammond, University Student Union Executive Director. The Oasis Wellness Center, which offers guided meditation, nap pods, and stress-reduction workshops, is so busy that senior Giselle Olme do-Torres says she can’t get more than 15 minutes in a massage chair, compared to an hour each visit before the pandemic.

The crowds reflect a new sense of exploration for students post-pan demic. “My freshman year, people kind of brushed off these services,” Olmedo-Torres said. “Now, they are realizing the actual importance of each program, like the Food Pantry, and are reaching out.”

Olmedo-Torres is proof of the sustaining power of CSUN’s basic needs program. During the pandemic, she struggled to cope with re mote learning while caring for her mother during radiation treatment. Attending Zoom classes from the hospital brought her to tears, and she considered dropping out. But instead, she reached out to CSUN counseling services and got involved on the board of the USU to rejoin the community – albeit virtually.

Today, Olmedo-Torres chairs the USU board, heading up a stu dent-led, student-fee supported nonprofit that runs the USU facilities and sets funding priorities for student services with its annual budget of more than $19 million. During the pandemic, the USU awarded grants totaling $1 million to several basic-needs programs, including the Food Pantry, housing security, and the MataCare Emergency Grant program, which gives students up to $1,100 for sudden expenses rang ing from medical bills to car repairs.

For Olmedo-Torres, the future Basic Needs Suite will make CSUN’s programs more accessible and visible to students, and concentrate them in the heart of the USU, which also houses resources for veterans and undocumented students. In addition to existing services that will re locate, the center will add new ones, like the community kitchen and cooking and nutrition classes.

For the CSUN leadership, the Basic Needs Suite is the culmination

of efforts to embed these services in the ethos and experi ence of a CSUN education. It’s not just students and the administration who spread the word about basic-needs resources. Faculty members are encouraged to include on each syllabus an informational paragraph and link to the CSUN with A Heart website.

In addition to planning an all-in-one basic-needs hub, CSUN has created a centralized leadership structure for basic needs, led by Ruelas-Bischoff, and has hired dedi cated staff. For the broader CSUN community, she sees the Basic Needs Suite as an opportunity to “invest in stu dent success.”

It is also an opportunity to create a powerful example of how to mainstream services that often exist on the physical and mental fringes of campus life.

“We’re being intentional about our vision and goals because we’re putting it right on Main Street in the Uni versity Student Union,” Ruelas-Bischoff said of the Basic Needs Suite. “If there is any remaining stigma, we want to dispel that and help students understand that this is just like any other support resource on campus.”

SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CSUN FOUNDATION

Nichole Ipach President

Nichole.Ipach@csun.edu www.csun.edu/foundation (818) 677-4400 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge CA 91330 Tax ID# 95-6196006

| www.thegivinglist.com |

Students celebrating at commencement

J.P. Morgan Private Bank –A Partnership To Be Proud Of

Sage, personal guidance can help realize your goals, afford you the time to enjoy life to the fullest, while passing on a legacy that can endure generations. This journey requires a financial partner with a successful track record and expertise, plus that special commitment to un derstanding how its client-partners envision the positive mark on their family, community, and globe.

Enter J.P. Morgan Private Bank, one of the globe’s leading wealth managers and Global Finance’s Best Private Bank in the World. While the $1.8 trillion in client assets, the 288,400 employees it hires, and the thousands of clients it serves suggest a largely corporate entity, the Private Bank is so much more.

To its clients, it is a partner. A partner not only in growing wealth, but rigorously examining how that wealth can be turned to impact by working to pinpoint the best strategies to both accumulate wealth and help you discover the most potent means to effect change.

The following pages highlight J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s extraordinary commitment in the most concrete terms. It is for this reason that The Giving List – dedicated to donors and nonprofit leaders alike – is immensely proud to carry the Private Bank’s story.

Refining Goals to Maximize Social Impact

Rick Barragan, Los Angeles Market Manager, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

For more than three decades, Rick Barragan held leader ship positions that spanned J.P. Morgan’s vast investment bank. He helped global companies list their shares in the United States, ran a derivatives trading desk, and put together deals across the sports and entertainment groups.

Today, he’s leading a different charge at the financial giant – aggressively expanding J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s presence in greater Los Angeles. Barragan’s clients are high-net-worth individuals and families. And instead of focusing just on max imizing clients’ returns, his job includes advising them on how to maximize their societal impact – both by investing for good and strategically giving their wealth away.

“We take a holistic view,” Barragan, a managing director and Los Angeles market manager at the Private Bank, says about his team’s work with clients to define their goals, interests, and pas sions in order to structure a sound financial plan. “Philanthropy is integrated into everything we do. You can’t have a conversa tion about planning and balance-sheet optimization and man agement, if you’re not including philanthropic goals.”

Increasingly, J.P. Morgan Private Bank clients are looking be yond achieving financial security for themselves and their fam ilies. They want their investments to have far reaching social impact and they want to give back to their communities and to

causes they care about. Their affluence gives them the opportu nity to create profound legacies.

J.P. Morgan has positioned itself for more network-building and thought-leadership events as it expands in greater Los Ange les. While other companies retrenched during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Private Bank opened offices in Manhattan Beach and Pasadena in 2021. Barragan, who oversees the metropolitan area from the bank’s long-standing office in Century City, is a New York transplant who understood that expecting clients to make hours-long commutes to Century City from the suburbs was not a growth strategy.

“For us, it’s important to be local so we can be part of the community,” he says. “It’s certainly been eye opening because our presence is helping with the educational process so that people can understand who we are, what we do, and how we’re different. Being on the ground is really bearing fruit for us.”

Across greater Los Angeles, the Private Bank has embarked on its largest hiring spree, seeking to more than double its current team by recruiting up to 120 advisors over the next five years. The new locally-driv en teams will serve as a “powerful gateway to the global resources of J.P. Morgan,” Barragan says. The Private Bank also recently opened offices in Westlake Village and up the coast in Santa Barbara. While the Westlake Village office is in a temporary space, the firm is in the process of building a brand new permanent space for the team that will open in 2023.

The Los Angeles market exemplifies both trends. In addition to traditional local philanthropic priorities, such as education, healthcare, and affordable housing, sustainability and climate change are now top of mind for younger donors. And their passion for these causes is influencing their investment decisions as they direct more money to stocks of companies that champion, as JPMorgan Chase does, ESG – environmental, so cial, governance – principles.

The flood of global information on the Internet and social media has motivated young, wealthy donors, Barragan says. “It’s quite refreshing to see such pas sionate interest in philanthropy. The next generation is about impact.”

The rising social awareness creates opportunities for the Private Bank to deepen its work with families on intergenerational wealth transfer, which the Philan thropy Centre supports through its Family Gover nance Advisory practice.

“A lot of our clients use philanthropic planning as a way to engage the next generation,” Barragan says. The process helps instill a sense of how to be a good steward of wealth and carry forward the family legacy.

privatebank.jpmorgan.com/los-angeles

Deploying Assets for Impact: Putting Values into Practice

BJ Goergen Maloney Global Head of the Philanthropy Centre, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

In addition to building a global powerhouse armed with spe cialists in investing, banking, lending, wealth management, and estate planning, JPMorgan Chase & Co. has assembled a world-class team dedicated to helping its Private Bank clients maximize their philanthropic impact.

“It is part of the broader financial relationship,” says BJ Goergen Maloney, global head of the Private Bank’s Philanthropy Centre. “We take the philanthropy piece of that journey so clients can put their values into practice.”

Journey is an important word for Maloney. J.P. Morgan Private Bank created the Philanthropy Centre as a resource for the full spectrum of Private Bank clients, from those who are “getting started on their philanthropic journey” to longtime benefactors “who want to take their generosity to the next level,” Maloney says.

Just as the Private Bank offers clients access to bespoke financial research and investment opportunities, Maloney’s global team works with clients and their financial advisors, providing thought leadership and best-practices research, guidance on setting goals, and structuring charitable-giving entities, as well as the vetting of and introductions to nonprofit organizations.

“We talk a lot with clients about how making an impact requires having a goal,” she says. “And about moving from giving just to organizations that approach you or that you know to spending time thinking about: ‘What do I want to move the needle on in my lifetime? Where do I want to invest my time and resources more intentionally?’ That tends to lead to a lot of satisfaction.”

Maloney brings experience in nonprofit law, international development, and public-private partnerships after stints running a family foundation and working in the State Department and White House.

The Philanthropy Centre has become a force multiplier that serves giving writ large, not just its clients. Working with the National Philanthropic Trust, the Centre created a portal for donor-advised funds to access and then wire funds to nonprofits.

“We’re doing things like that to make giving easier and faster,” Maloney says. The Centre is also investing in a digital platform to encourage collaboration among clients through data sharing about nonprofit strategies and outcomes.

The Private Bank connects donors with J.P. Morgan’s prized

network of clients and contacts, as well. In addition to webinars on subjects like the psychology of giving and how to be a more effective nonprofit board member, the Centre curates events where Private Bank clients can learn from leading philanthropists and meet peers who share an interest in a particular issue – and perhaps a desire to collaborate.

The expansion comes amid two encouraging trends in philanthropy that play to the strength of the Private Bank’s holistic client services. One, in particular, is taking hold on the West Coast. “People want to have impact across their whole lives,” from how they run their businesses and how they get involved in the community to how they invest and give away their money, Maloney says. “It’s a different conversation than it used to be around charitable dollars because it’s not just about charitable dollars anymore.”

The second: “People are accelerating their giving,” she says. “They’re giving more away while they are living, rather than as part of an estate plan or an afterthought at the end of their lives.”

The decision by major philanthropies, such as the Gates Foundation, to set target dates for spending resources and The Giving Pledge, a commitment from more than 200 of the world’s richest people to donate most of their wealth to philanthropy, catalyzed this trend. Also, tech entrepreneurs are retiring earlier, and millennials are donating to charitable causes. Heirs on boards of family foundations are saying, “‘Let’s make bigger bets on organizations we care about and trust,’” Maloney says.

“It’s really important for givers to find a way to keep the joy in the journey and spend time either with an organization they’re supporting or communities that are benefiting from their gifts,” Maloney says. “That’s where the real magic happens.”

Financial Security and Community Support

Ayla Kalani

Westlake Village and Santa Barbara Market Team Lead, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

When Ayla Kalani joined J.P. Morgan Private Bank 10 years ago, the bank had high-net-worth clients throughout Southern California but only two offices to serve them. Today, the Private Bank recently expanded its presence to Santa Barbara, and no outpost is growing faster than the one on State Street.

As other companies retrenched during the COVID-19 pandemic, J.P. Morgan set up shop in new locations.

“Two years ago, we decided it was the right time to get closer to this community, to really understand what’s keeping people up at night and bring our global resources,” says Kalani, an executive director who oversees the Private Bank’s operations stretching from Encino to Fresno.

What J.P. Morgan’s local team – now four private bankers and growing – learned has made a showcase for the Private Bank’s full portfolio of investment and advisory services to help its clients do well and do good.

“Santa Barbara stands out because existing and prospective clients have an intense interest in philanthropy and sustainable investing,” Kalani says.

Increasingly, J.P. Morgan Private Bank clients are looking beyond achieving financial security for themselves and their families. They want their investments to have social impact and they want to give back to their communities and to causes they care about. Their affluence gives them the opportunity to create profound legacies.

“Philanthropy is an incredible way to educate the next generation on family finances,” Kalani says, because it’s a “humane and tangible way to instill a sense of how to be a good steward of wealth and carry forward your family’s legacy.”

Kalani, who immigrated from Iran, says diversity and inclusion programs are key to building a team that can attract a wider clientele. Her expansion plans include new Private Bank

offices in Santa Barbara and Westlake Village and employing 30 to 40 private bankers by 2027, up from 10 today in her service area. Outside of Santa Barbara, there are promising markets emerging.

“My job is to make sure my market gets to know us better and understands our full toolkit, whether it’s advising on investing, borrowing, or philanthropy.”

privatebank.jpmorgan.com/los-angeles

The Behavioral Science Behind Charitable Giving

Jeff Kreisler Head of Behavioral Science, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Jamie Hackleman Family Governance and Senior Philanthropy Advisor, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

With 16 people on four continents, the J.P. Morgan Philanthropy Centre team has deep and diverse expertise from the nonprofit world, business, government, and even the field of behavioral science.

“My purpose is to help both clients and advisors understand how emotion and psychology impact decision making so that ultimately our clients can make better decisions to reach their goals,” says Jeff Kreisler, the Private Bank’s head of behavioral science, who works on both investment and philanthropy strategies. A lawyer turned comedian turned best selling author and thought leader in behavioral science, says his work “isn’t therapy, but it’s laying out the types of questions clients need to answer” to define a path and remove behavioral obstacles in their way.

Broadly speaking, Americans are generous. In 2021, U.S. charities received a record $485 billion in donations, two-thirds of which came from individuals, according to Giving USA. Six out of 10 American households give to charity in some capacity. Among affluent households, the figure rises to nine out of 10.

With nearly two million registered nonprofits in the U.S., defining parameters can be daunting. Give locally, nationally, globally? Make larger donations to fewer nonprofits or cast a wide net? Just write checks or actively participate, perhaps by joining the board of a beneficiary organization? Set up a donor-advised fund or a family foundation?

Other choices pose challenges, too. Consider that there are about 6,300 stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, 7,500 U.S.-listed mutual funds, and 2,900 exchangetraded funds. Even with Treasury, municipal, and corporate bonds, derivatives, hedge funds, and private equity funds added to the mix, the number of investment options pales compared to the nearly two million registered nonprofits in the U.S.

Instead of “peanut butter philanthropy, where giving is spread thin across different issues and causes, we work with clients to narrow their focus and get more strategic and proactive to make it easier to construct a grant-making portfolio,” says Jamie Hackleman, executive director and senior philanthropy advisor who oversees the Centre’s operations for the West region.

Six out of 10 American households give to charity in some capacity.

Among affluent households, the figure rises to nine out of 10.

It starts with coaxing clients to clarify and articulate their goals. “Jeff [Kreisler] and I have been teaming up on a lot of conversations around the purpose of wealth, exploring clients’ motivations, values, and interests to understand why they want to engage in philanthropy, what they want to accomplish,” Hackleman says.

Next, they help donors assess nonprofits. Hackleman says she often hears clients say, “I don’t have any sense of what my money has done.” Centre advisors coach clients on how to conduct due diligence and streamline the process by screening funding opportunities themselves and arranging site visits, so clients can determine whether a nonprofit aligns with their values and impact goals.

“One of the biggest challenges in philanthropy is how to measure impact, especially for issues like homelessness or the environment,” Kreisler says. “That’s why we make such an effort to help clients think about their goals and identity. Part of the motivation to give is intrinsic – a sense of purpose that enables you to feel rewarded even if you don’t see carbon-dioxide emissions go down or something else that is numerically measurable.”

Case in point: Hackleman, who previously worked at the Gates Foundation and the family office of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, helped a Private Bank client find a meaningful way into climate change after years of unsatisfying support for conservation efforts in Africa. The Philanthropy Centre researched several climate mitigation strategies and gave the report to the client, who, having just finished an eco-friendly remodel of her home, embraced building efficiency as her cause and is funding organizations across the U.S.

“It was a perfect sweet spot of relevance to her own life and her desire to make a difference in the climate space,” Hackleman says. For Kreisler, the behavioral scientist, the example shows the motivating value of “completion bias,” breaking down a big problem into small, achievable goals. That the client also had personal knowledge of the green technology “gave her a feeling that she wasn’t just writing a check but was bringing her whole self, and that provides rewards and satisfaction that can help donors get over the hurdles to giving,” he says.

privatebank.jpmorgan.com/los-angeles

“One of the biggest challenges in philanthropy is how to measure impact, especially for issues like homelessness or the environment,” Kreisler says. “That’s why we make such an effort to help clients think about their goals and identity.”

A Career of Giving

Deb Langford

Head of Black Wealth Initiatives, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Deb Langford was mindful of the impact of giving long be fore taking up her role as Head of Black Wealth Initiatives at J.P. Morgan. In her current function, Langford guides afflu ent members of the Black community in the growth and pres ervation of their wealth, and in leaving generational legacies. Following a career of driving results, excellence, and inclusion in media and entertainment, Langford pivoted to deliver enter prise-level outcomes in diversity initiatives.

Most recently, Langford was named a 2022 NAACP Changemaker Award honoree. Now that she has made her foray into the finance world, she is working with the country’s Black affluent families to help build their enduring wealth and legacy in line with their values.

Culture often shapes wealth decisions.

believe that one’s culture and unique experiences can determine their decisions and choices in many areas of life, including where to invest their time, wealth, and resourc es. People can be inspired when they see a team who reflects their shared experiences and an organization which is action able in committing to building a lasting legacy and effecting real change,” Langford says. “A survey conducted by the firm in 2022 found that Black and Hispanic respondents expressed a greater inclination than their white counterparts to invest their money in a way that promotes equity more broadly. They really want to be change agents for their families, for their communi ties, and the world at large.”

J.P. Morgan Private Bank helps you realize the full impact of your wealth.

Working with the Private Bank and Black Wealth Initiatives, clients have the support and partnership of advisors dedicated to supporting your interest in creating a better world. At J.P. Morgan Private Bank we are dedicated to delivering specialized advice to help clients make the most of their philanthropic passions by incorporating this aspect of their lives into their overall financial plan.

The Private Bank brings together a range of specialized disciplines, including philanthropy advisory, to help clients

experience the full potential of their wealth.

Black Wealth Initiatives is the Private Bank’s intentional effort to be the bank of choice for high-net-worth Black individuals and families, and the employer of choice for Black advisors and investors. The group’s events-driven work is focused on building Black generational wealth by connecting with Black individuals and families across the country with tailored content, experiences, and advice.

“I

David Frame, CEO of J.P. Morgan U.S. Private Bank poses with attendees of the Black Wealth Initiatives Forum.

Giving With Impact During Times of Crises

Nicholas Smith Banker for J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Pasadena

Each time a new geopolitical crisis unfolds, we see an outpouring of news headlines and posts of solidarity all over social media. Increasing awareness and giving philanthropically to support those suffering is cru cial, but many people with the means to give philanthropically often don’t know where to start. It is important to set philanthropic goals and ensure that your donations have a lasting impact as part of your overall wealth management plan.

Identify Your Giving Goals

Most people initially think to donate emergency relief items including food, water, clothing, shelter, and emergency medical care. Doing your due diligence in researching the charities available to receive dona tions and cross checking them with those with proven track records of suc cess in conflict or humanitarian response is essential. It is also important to assess each organization’s leadership, relationships with local govern ment, ability to evaluate the needs on the ground, and capacity to manage an influx of funding.

In war-stricken countries, long-term care, which includes education, workforce development programs, and infrastructure, is just as important as emergency relief. The banking system often comes to a screeching halt, impeding businesses from continuing to operate or potentially causing the economy to tank. Living in a society under a basic rule of law quickly becomes a figment of the imagination when you are faced with trying to survive in a place where whoever has the biggest guns is in charge.

Planning for Impact and Legacy

Ensuring your donation will be used for your intended purposes and funding beyond the initial six months is key, as most fundraising efforts experience dramatic de clines after this mark. Conflict response and management works best when applied with long-term strategies for building and maintaining peace and security.

privatebank.jpmorgan.com/los-angeles

It is important to set philanthropic goals and ensure that your donations have a lasting impact as part of your overall wealth management plan.

Advocacy

Advocacy is about standing up for people in need and speaking up for those without a voice.

Whether global or local, we are thankful for the brave advocates you will read about in the following pages.

Closing the Loop: Elizabeth Faraut’s Purpose-Driven Life Combines Business with Philanthropy

By Lorie Dewhirst Porter

In addition to her innate style and fashion sense, Elizabeth Faraut is perhaps best known for two things: Her Los Angeles-based company, LA LOOP (where she’s the Creative Director and CEO), and her unwavering dedication to social justice through philanthropy Now she’s conjoined these two endeavors, creating an inspiring model for others seeking to live a purpose-driven life.

Famous fashion diva Diana Vreeland once proclaimed, “ e rst thing to do is arrange to be born in Paris. After that, everything follows quite naturally.”

Faraut did the next best thing; she was born in Los Angeles and spent most of her childhood in Paris. And ever ything owed from there. After graduating from Ohio’s Kenyon College with a BS in International Studies (she focused on China and also studied at Nanjing University), Faraut honed her fashion and luxur y brand expertise with stints at Figaro Madame in Paris, at fragrance powerhouse Guerlain in Ne w York, and at global lifestyle brand GUESS. In 1999, she came up with a chic necklace that holds eyeglasses. e design was so innovative, it earned a utility and design patent, and LA LOOP was born. It also became an “it” accessor y that’s never been on the “out” list. More than 20 years later, LA LOOP is a strong international brand, with products in over 1,000 stores across 28 countries.

But even as she pursued her professional career, Faraut re mained dedicated to community ser vice, something that was instilled in her while growing up

“My parents were incredible role models,” she says. “My stor y really starts in terms of giving back around the dinner table as a child. I heard my parents talking about people who were doing good in our community in Los Angeles, and they were the celebrities. My parents would get so excited about how these people were changing other people’s lives, so as a kid I just gravitated towards ser vice.”

For the past several years, Faraut has focused her time and energy on four organizations: e Downtown Women’s Center (DWC), a 40-year-old leading ser vice provider that ser ves and empowers homeless women in Los Angeles; e Rape Founda-

tion at Santa Monica-UCLA Hospital, a model program that provides treatment for victims as well as innovative prevention and education programs; and the Los Angeles Committee of Human Rights Watch, a support arm of the international NGO that conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

After going down two paths simultaneously for two decades, Faraut concluded it was time to combine her business and nonpro t activities.

“For twenty years I feel like I’ve had two jobs,” she says, “I would be sitting in my LA LOOP o ce, and then I would run to meet-

ings for my not-for-pro t work. Five years ago I felt it was time to try and create a model that incorporated my two worlds.”

Her idea was to connect her so-called LOOPERS – “people who wear our products, make our products, basically anybody who touches our products” – with meaningful opportunities to give back in their communities.

Appropriately named LOOPin, the program has awarded grants to select nonpro t organizations.

“We ask our global community to share and nominate nonpro ts in their communities that matter to them and make a di erence,” Faraut says. “Over the last few years, we have re ceived nominations across many countries from store owners who sell our products, to suppliers who source our materials, to people who wear our products.” Among other things, LOOPin has donated laptops to families in partnership with Para Los Niños and Common Sense Media, and purchased groceries for needy families in partnership with A Sense of Home.

Faraut modestly notes that “I had this opportunity to use my platform to share these stories with others, and the goal is to be able to inspire others to do good. We have found that LOOPin builds and strengthens our global community, and enables us to connect more deeply around doing good.”

For her part, before choosing a nonpro t to support, Faraut does “a lot” of due diligence. is includes reviewing the organization’s nancials and meeting the people who work there. “I gravitate towards organizations that have strong ‘back of the house’” she explains, “ so I know that if I am engaging my network that every dollar, every hour, is going to be well spent and well used.”

But the rst thing she does is volunteer. “My rst question is always, ‘How can I help?’, so that’s how I got involved with the organizations I’m involved with. I listen to the stories of people being ser ved and how the organization impacts their life, and then I talk to the people behind the scenes who are working within the organization.”

is is how she heard about the Downtown Women’s Center. “I was sitting around a dinner table with eight women and I turned to the woman to my left and said, ‘What are you working on and what really matters to you? What do you think is not right in our community, and who do you think is making an impact in people’s lives?’ As soon as you start asking those questions, the stories just ow out about people working on projects or making an impact, and I nd that tapping into that you really learn a lot.”

An important part of Faraut’s volunteer experience includes sitting on nonpro t boards. Currently, she chairs the Board of Directors of Downtown Women’s Center, and is President of e Rape Foundation’s Advisor y Board.

“ e rst thing I say when I speak to people who are interested in joining the DWC board is that we’re an active board, and that is to me the most rewarding, and in the end you get way more than you give. We really focus on meeting the board member where they are, and make sure that before they join the board that we’ve identi ed what we need as a board and as an organization, and that we’re bringing people on that ser ve a need and a purpose, not just taking people on.”

In the end, combining her two passions has not only increased Faraut’s philanthropic reach exponentially, it has also had an important impact on her business community

“It’s taken on a whole new level of my team’s work in terms of waking up and skipping to work, as opposed to just showing up,” she says. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to have created something for people to embrace in a way that makes them feel better about showing up to work. When you’re driven by purpose, the sky’s the limit.”

“I gravitate towards organizations that have strong ‘ back of the house’ so I know that if I am engaging my network that every dollar, every hour, is going to be well spent and well used.”

Protect Your Kids, Invest in Brady

"No one is immune to gun violence. And yet, after countless mass shootings and loss, this carnage continues and I continue to ask, when are we going to do something? That’s why I work with Brady, fighting tirelessly to push our lawmakers toward action and working in courts and communities to end gun violence in this country. But in order to continue this critical work, Brady needs your support — not just today, but every day. "

–

IIn contemplating the scope and destruction wrought by gun violence, it is understandable to despair. But inaction won’t save your children, family, and neighbors.

“We are fighting against the NRA’s message that this issue is hopeless,” says Kris Brown, Brady’s President, the national leader in ending gun violence. “When I am asked, ‘Why should I get involved?’ The answer is simple: This is a solvable problem. We know what to do. We are making progress. And, there’s no other choice.”

Since 1974, Brady has enacted solutions through litigation, legislation, and educational e orts to give America hope in the face of a deepening crisis.

One key way Brady is saving lives is through its national PSA campaign, End Family Fire, which alerts gun owners that lives could be saved if firearms are stored safely.

Roughly 76% of school shooters, under the age of 18, used guns from their homes or from the homes of relatives. An unlocked gun in the

home increases the risk of death from suicide by 300%.

Despite these harrowing statistics, 63% of Americans believe that guns make households safer and more than half of all gun owners store at least one gun without any locks or other safe storage measures.

Brady knows safe storage saves lives. End Family Fire is successfully encouraging the safe storage of guns to prevent the unintentional shooting of children, mass shootings, and gun suicide.

With generous support, Brady leverages each donor dollar 5 to 1 with pro-bono advertising investment. Across all media platforms, Brady is able to target specific groups, such as Black teenage girls who are disproportionately prone to gun-inflicted suicide, to stop this preventable carnage.

Since its debut in 2018, Brady’s End Family Fire Campaign has been nothing short of a standout success in public health awareness e orts.

Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in June 2022. This law strengthens background checks for 18 to 21 year olds, provides funds for states to raise awareness about 'extreme risk' laws and closes the 'boyfriend loophole' among other reforms. This was the first federal gun violence prevention law to pass in 30 years.

Gun owners who saw the ads were 400% more likely to seek out information about safe storage and 250% more likely to report talking to their family and friends about safe gun storage.

Most importantly, 48% of gun owners who saw the ads changed how or where they keep their firearms and stored them in a safer manner – a critical first step to ending the ravages of gun violence.

Steve Kerr Gun Violence Survivor & Coach of the Golden State Warriors

After the Bu alo and Uvalde mass shootings in May 2022, Brady's Team ENOUGH youth movement and fed up citizens across the country coordinated school walkouts and protests advocating for Congress to act on gun violence prevention.

4.6 million children live in homes with access to an unlocked or unsupervised gun. Join us in keeping kids safe by making sure firearms are locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition.

“Talk is the least we can do, which is why Brady’s work is so important. They’re taking action to curb gun violence in achievable, common sense ways by emphasizing education, litigation, and legislation, and by recognizing that gun violence a ects everyone in our country, and does outsized damage within black and brown communities.”

– Stephen Colbert

Host, Executive Producer and Writer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Invest in Our Safety

More likely than not, your life has somehow been touched by gun violence. Whether it’s your children experiencing lockdown drills or the loss of a loved one, firearms and the human su ering they cause have reached epidemic levels.

To staunch the bleeding requires expertise, dedication, and money. Brady is unabashed in its request of you, the donor. It needs $2 million to fuel its End Family Fire campaign this year.

Your donation pays for research to target the audiences that most need to hear Brady’s message, to produce the advertisements and to provide training for clinicians about how to talk about the risks of guns in the home and safe storage with patients.

“The next school shooter could be stopped. The suicide that you don’t know your teenager is contemplating with the gun in your closet can be stopped with this campaign,” says Brady President Kris Brown. “And even if it saves just one life, the investment will be worth it.”

76% of school shootings are facilitated by kids having access to unsecured and/or unsupervised guns at home.

Brady partners with the Ad Council (creators of 'secondhand smoke' and 'designated driver' campaigns) to promote safe storage of firearms in their End Family Fire program. This is one PSA print example of this data-driven and proven e ective campaign.

KEY SUPPORTERS

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RLC

Christy Callahan (Co-Chair)

Juano Queen (Co-Chair)

Dawn Alexander

Joel Becker

Trey Callaway

John DeFaria

Bill D’Elia

Erin Dunkerly

Joan Whitney Flagg

Anita Greenspan

Gary Holland

Rise Johnson

Jeremy Kagan

Nadine Lewis

Brady | United Against Gun Violence

bradyunited.org

840 1st Street NE, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20002

Contact: Liz Dunning (she/her/hers)

Gun Violence Survivor & Vice President of Development and Partnerships (202) 370-8149 ldunning@bradyunited.org

Paul Koplin & Jill Lawrence

Harry Litman

Alana Mayo

Ross Misher (Past Chair)

Adam McKay Claire Rudnick Polstein

Skei & Jeremy Saulnier

Allison Shaw

Randi Singer

Rose Ann & Ira Sharp

David Skaar & Diana Skaar

Je Vespa

Lena Waithe

Marlon West

Ben Wexler

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence 840 1st Street NE, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20002

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 52-1285097

By Credit Card: bradyunited.org/donate

It Starts at Home: Building Strong Families Through Multidisciplinary Advocacy

CLC is the largest children's legal services organization in the nation, advocating for over 30,000 children and youth in the Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Placer County foster care systems.

" C hildren who enter the foster care system deserve competent, caring, holistic representation, and CLC’s impact as an organization goes far beyond their outstanding legal advocacy. CLC has established itself as a true leader and changemaker in the child welfare field, and is recognized locally and nationally for its strident commitment to better outcomes for families in need. Their new, groundbreaking removal prevention project is just one example of this commitment, and we are proud to support the important work they do today and into the future."

Pauline, a 19-year-old in Los Angeles’ extended foster care program and a new mother, drew the unwanted attention of the Department of Children and Family Services. Terrified she might lose her baby and unsure of her rights, she turned to her attorney at Children’s Law Center of California (CLC).

Utilizing a unique multi-disciplinary model, CLC exclusively represents children and youth in the child welfare system. In Los Angeles, CLC’s clients number a mind-boggling 28,000, all of whom are subject to potentially life-altering decisions – up to and often including whether a child will be reunified with their family.

Launched in 1990, CLC has expanded its work beyond in-court representation to address a multitude of their clients’ needs – everything from mental health specialists to special education advocates and more.

“Our clients’ needs drive our work,” says CLC’s Executive Director Leslie Starr Heimov. “We focus on wrapping our clients and their families with the holistic advocacy and support they need to thrive.”

These e orts have promoted innovative projects and programs, including one focused on parenting youth like Pauline.

When CLC began its work with Pauline,

the team learned the complaints that initiated the investigation resulted from retaliatory, harassing calls to the emergency hotline by a former partner – an all-too-common occurrence. CLC helped guide Pauline through the investigatory process, supporting her at every stage. Once it was all over –without a case ever being opened – Pauline’s CLC advocacy team helped her develop a coparenting plan to avoid future issues.

“I got a lot of support from my CLC team, and I knew that whatever was going to happen, I could trust them,” Pauline said. “Even today, I know I can call them if anything comes up. I

– Dara and Conan Barker CLC Supporters

know my daughter is safe with them, and she’s going to be safe with me.”

Building on their current work for parenting youth in foster care, CLC is embarking on an ambitious new endeavor: a Family Advocacy and Support Center. This soon-to-launch program will build bridges into the community to support former clients and, in the long term, keep children safe and families together.

CLC's highly skilled and passionate sta fight to ensure CLC’s clients' well-being and future success through legal representation, multidisciplinary advocacy, and public policy. CLC's team includes expertise of national and state child welfare law specialists, social work investigators, a mental health advocacy team, and peer advocates with lived experience.

CLC Executive Director Leslie Starr Heimov with CLC client April and her son at the Art of Advocacy Gala.

As a young parent in foster care, April shared her story of resilience and how CLC helped her in reunifying with her son, Eric.

A $2,500 Gift Helps Create Stable, Healthy Homes for Former Foster Youth Who are Expectant or Current Parents

An overarching goal at Children’s Law Center (CLC) is to reduce the number of children in the foster care system. To that end, CLC is thrilled to launch a new Prevention Project, the Family Support and Advocacy Center, to provide young families with supportive legal services and resources to avoid child welfare court involvement.

The project will serve former foster youth who are now parents themselves. Research shows that young parents who grew up in foster care are at increased risk of having their children removed from their care. CLC’s model will include a multidisciplinary team of attorneys, case managers, and parent partners with experience navigating the foster care system and supporting families.

By providing this holistic support, this innovative program will reduce family separation and promote stable and healthy homes for young families.

Your gift of $2,500 would help us expand this vital program, breaking the intergenerational cycle of foster care.

Children's Law Center of California www.clccal.org

101 Centre Plaza Drive Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 980-1700

Ms. Maria Lara and her grandson Hector at the Art of Advocacy Gala. Family is at the heart of CLC’s advocacy — when a child cannot reside with their parents, the preferred placement is in the home of a loving relative. Thanks to CLC's advocacy, Hector was reunited with his grandmother.

"Asa CLC case manager, I often advocate for my clients in spaces where they are not heard – the hospital, at school, or in the courtroom. For CLC, it is about a strengthbased, people-first model to support each client in achieving their goals as young adults and parents. I’m proud of the innovative work CLC does every day to break the cycle of dependency and build stronger families."

– Ebony Porter CLC Parent Support Case Manager

KEY SUPPORTERS

American Business Bank Benjy Grinberg and Ellen Goldberg California Community Foundation Chay and Kim Lapin

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Dara and Conan Barker Dario Frommer In-N-Out Burger Foundation Joseph and Jean Mandel Neal Kaufman, MD, MPH

Contact: Stephanie Talavera Development Manager (323) 980-1538

TalaveraS@clccal.org

Pritzker Foster Care Initiative

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Reissa Foundation

Roland and Sally Kelly

Samuel and Helene Soref Foundation

The Barry and Wendy Meyer Foundation

The Durfee Foundation

Tyler Childs and Caitlin Youngs

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

Children’s Law Center of California

101 Centre Plaza Drive Monterey Park, CA 91754

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-4252143

By Credit Card: www.clccal.org/donate

Art from the heart! Young CLC advocates, Sydney and Aria, led guests through a tile decorating project. These beautiful and uplifting tiles are displayed at CLC's o ce, creating a bright and welcoming space for clients and their families.

CLC attorneys make over 145,000 annual court appearances to advocate on behalf of their young clients in foster care.

A Second Chance for Formerly Incarcerated Battered Women

Home Free is a program of Five Keys, a so cial justice nonprofit focusing on education, housing, workforce development, and reentry, which operates in 14 counties across Califor nia, serving over 30,000 individuals each year.

Five Key’s Home Free initiative has assist ed more than 40 abused women after they left prison, and has worked to get them on their feet.

For years, women like Palacios served prison time for either defending themselves against their abuser or because they were at the scene of a crime under the coercion of an abusive spouse or boyfriend. They were often forgotten.

A decade ago, criminal justice advocates led by Fiona Ma (now California State Trea surer) pushed legislation allowing imprisoned women barred from submitting evidence of their abuse at trial to seek a legal review of their long-term sentences.

"One of the issues I am most passionate about is incarcerated victims who are currently serving jail time...intimate partner battering was not a defense at the time... and so there are still many women who are basically stuck behind bars with no hope except for legislation and advocates."

– Fiona Ma California State Treasurer and Home Free Founder

suicide three times in prison.

As a kid, Nilda Palacios was sexually abused at home and at school. She tried to escape into a relationship, which turned abusive. She was sentenced to 27 years to life after killing her partner in self-defense during an altercation. Despite this salient his tory, the then-17-year-old Palacios was barred from giving evidence of her abuse at trial.

After 17 years behind bars, her sentence was reduced to involuntary manslaughter. But she struggled upon release. A program for drug abusers shut down. She ended up living in her car.

Palacios found her “first home” at Five Keys Home Free, the first transitional housing pro gram in the nation for formerly incarcerated survivors of domestic violence.

“I can’t believe that programs like this exist for people like us,” Palacios, who was among Home Free’s first residents, says. “When I first got the keys to my apartment, I couldn’t be lieve it… I had to learn how to open the door and then how to get in the house.”

The Home Free residence opened its doors in 2020 for up to 11 women in a converted apartment building on Treasure Island, in the middle of the San Francisco Bay.

“Home Free is righting a horrific wrong that was committed against these women,” says Five Keys Co-founder Sunny Schwartz.

Palacios, raised in Los Angeles, grew up with a history of abuse. She was molested by an uncle and stepfather and raped as a 15-year-old by a high school teacher. She lat er came to rely on drugs and alcohol, spent years living on the streets, and attempted

She is now literally “home free.” She works full time as a peer counselor in health educa tion. And she just bought a house in a suburb in the East Bay.

“I hope to help clients who are struggling with depression and other mental health is sues,” Palacios says.

“I don’t want anyone else to go through what I did.”

Nilda at the September 22, 2022 Home For Dinner II annual fundraiser and other criminalized survivors and advocates.

From Despair and Uncertainty to Hope and Opportunity

"Bank of America has partnered with JVS of Southern California for 30 years. Through grants, employee volunteers presenting financial education workshops to BankWork$® students, leadership service on JVS SoCal board and committees, and hiring graduates, we can help further our shared vision to empower and enable more individuals from underserved communities to enter lasting careers. Funding like ours and other supporters helps o er their training tuition-free to participants. Bank of America is proud to have hired more than 200 local BankWork$® graduates here in Greater Los Angeles over the past 10 years. This is an example of a true partnership that creates a more diverse workforce that can help individuals, businesses, and entire communities thrive and succeed."

Felicia Cates is a participant in one of JVS SoCal’s free vocational training and job placement programs. Having been raised in the foster care system, she has faced many challenges in life. With JVS SoCal by her side, she succeeded in starting a sustainable and meaningful career in healthcare.

When Felicia Cates first sought help through JVS SoCal’s career readiness and job placement centers in the Los Angeles area, she was struggling to provide for her son and living on social security disability. A single mother raised in the foster care system, Felicia felt like she had run out of options for a brighter future.

“I was feeling like my life was pretty much over,” Felicia says.

Each year, tens of thousands of people like Felicia, from all walks of life, veterans, youth, students, individuals with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, single moms, and those on public assistance, pass through the doors of JVS SoCal looking for help getting a job and ultimately a career.

– Raúl Bustillos Senior Vice President, Community Relations at Bank of America

That day she walked into JVS “literally changed my life,” Felicia says.

Since 1931, JVS has provided people from underserved communities with free resources and training programs to learn the skills to land a job with a foothold into a good-paying career.

“We are leveling the playing field for tens of thousands of Angelenos, reducing any barrier that stands in the way of our clients and a job,” says JVS SoCal’s Chief Executive O cer Alan Levey.

In Levey’s experience, most people who are unemployed want to work and provide for their families. They just don’t have the network or resources for training or interview attire, nor can they a ord to hire a career coach.

JVSWorks, the nonprofit’s suite of career training programs, o ers nocost, eight-week courses to launch clients into professional careers in the growing banking, healthcare, and apartment maintenance industries.

“We see every day in our work how careers and good-paying jobs change lives,” says Neal Mendelsohn, Chief Strategy O cer at JVS. “There’s an incredible transformation when someone starts a career, and it impacts not only their lives but their families and the communities where they live.”

Felicia enrolled in HealthWorks, a Certified Nursing Assistant program, where she received hands-on training at a skilled nursing facility. After graduation, and with the help of JVS SoCal, she was hired at a skilled nursing facility, and within a few years landed her dream job at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where her supervisor praised her positive personality and work ethic, saying Felicia always goes the extra mile for her patients. What is really exciting is that Felicia recently purchased her very first home.

As with all of our JVSWorks career training programs, upon completion of BankWork$®, our graduates immediately enter into an exclusive job fair with our funders and employer partners like Wells Fargo.

Now, with a well-paying job, Felicia feels good about herself and can o er her son more opportunities.

“It’s amazing to have some hope for tomorrow,” Felicia says.

U.S.

"For 91 years, JVS SoCal has been providing hope and opportunity to marginalized communities by providing career training and the resources leading to sustainable employment. We have been staunch supporters of JVS SoCal for nearly two decades, especially to support the Women’s Leadership Network co-founded by our dear friend Debbie Powell. Their life-transforming services help individuals from all walks of life: single mothers, working seniors, emancipated youth, veterans, those with disabilities – anyone with barriers to employment. They are literally changing lives, one job at a time."

– Terri and Jerry Kohl

Empowering Hope & Economic Opportunity For All

Many of the people who come through the doors of JVS SoCal do so at their worst moments – hopeless and desperate for work. Through JVS SoCal’s award-winning JVSWorks career training programs, clients are set on a path toward good-paying careers, where they can find rewarding jobs and economic stability for themselves and their families. Since 2006, JVSWorks has trained and placed over 2,500 clients, who collectively generate over $96 million dollars in income each year – a social return-on-investment of over 500%!

JVS SoCal is raising $250,000 so it can o er tuition-free career training programs to 50 low-income clients. Help JVS change a life – one person, one family, one career at a time.

KEY SUPPORTERS

The Ahmanson Foundation Ares Management Bank of America Belmont Village Senior Living Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation Joyce and Stanley Black Family Foundation The Boeing Company The California Community Foundation Capital Group Cedars-Sinai City National Bank Deloitte

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation

Grant Thornton

The James Irvine Foundation

Jewish Community Foundation Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

JVS Women’s Leadership Network Northrop Grumman

The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation UniHealth United Way

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Wells Fargo

The Many Ways to Give...

JVS SoCal

www.jvs-socal.org

6505 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200 Los Angeles, CA 90048 (323) 761-8888

Contact: Randy Lapin Senior Vice President, Philanthropy (323) 761-8598 rlapin@jvs-socal.org

By Check:

JVS SoCal

6505 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 200 Los Angeles, CA 90048

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-1691012

By Credit Card: www.jvs-socal.org/donate

Longtime JVS SoCal philanthropists and advocates

Graduates of JVS SoCal HealthWorks, a free eight-week training course that prepares participants to become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA).

Military men and women attending a veterans job and resource fair organized by JVS SoCal’s Veterans First team.

A hands-on exercise at JVS SoCal ApartmentWorks, a free eight-week training course that prepares participants to become Certified Apartment Maintenance Technicians (CAMT).

For the Children

Children are precious, sensitive, and impressionable. And they are the future. What they need more than anything are adults that will fight for them no matter how hard that fight may be.

Systems- Change Provocateur

As told to Daniel Heimpel

The 2013 murder of an 8-year-old named Gabriel Fernandez at the hands of his mother and her partner, dominated the headlines of the Los Angeles Times and every other news outlet in the region.

Outraged, the County Board of Super visors empaneled a Blue Ribbon Commission to make recommendations to improve the county ’ s sprawling child welfare system. On e called on child-ser ving public agencies to partner with philanthropy

Philanthropy stepped up with one of its most prominent cheerleaders, Wendy Garen, the longtime President and CEO of e Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.

In the near decade since, Garen, with partners across philanthropy and throughout the County’s Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, have collaborated and committed funds and ser vices. All this work leaves the county at an important point of in ection, with a cohered group of cross-sector partners ready to tackle ever bigger challenges. And importantly ser ves as a blueprint for other region’s looking to forge deep and lasting public-private partnerships.

Today, e Parsons Foundation, with Garen in the lead, in concert with key public and private partners, is aiming to end the foster care-to-homelessness pipeline in L.A. County A bold and achievable goal made possible because of the years of collective e ort spurred by that unforgettable 2013 tragedy.

Q. In 2014, you and a number of funders wrote a letter to the County supporting the Blue Ribbon Commission’s recommendations. How did this moment fertilize the blossoming of public-private partnerships in L.A. County?

A. In my time in philanthropy, which began in 1986, I had never obser ved us stepping up to use our voice rather than passively funding grants. We were compelled to express our values, motivated not just by the Blue Ribbon recommendations, but by the tragedy that led up to it.

All of us felt that they were our children, and we were failing them. And it was our personal responsibility to object to a system that was so damaging. So, we used our soft power, our informal authority, in a way that we’d never used it before.

Using our collective voices created a basis of collaboration around systems change, where instead of working as independent

funders, we were working as systems-change provocateurs. is was accomplished by working more closely with government.

Q. When is it appropriate for philanthropy to use that soft power?

A. I think we have to be careful, because with great wealth comes great responsibility. If you overuse any of your levers for change, you lose. Government players say, ‘Yeah, it’s just them talking again.’

Q. e Center for Strategic Partnerships is an agency within the L.A. County CEO’s Office, which matches philanthropy to govern ment initiatives. How has it accelerated reform in the county?

A. The Center creates those r elationships and pathways between the philanthropic and public sectors that make change happen.

When philanthropy focuses only on nonpro t organizations, we ’ re missing the primar y actor where the policy decisions and the execution happens. If you only focus on the nonpro ts, you’re missing out on who has the power and the control to actually make a di erence in children’s lives.

We don’t want to supplant government. We want to be the secret sauce, the innovation, the ability for them to do their jobs better And they embrace that! We can also help them do it faster. e reality is we must keep pressure up to create change because the bureaucracy is lumbering. It moves really slow. e children don’t have time to wait; they’ll be grown up. So, we must keep prodding in a helpful way to keep change happening.

Q. What lessons from the vibrant public-private work in Los An geles can be taken to the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Barbara, and beyond?

A. Having a formal way to interact with the human services-facing functions of government is critically important.

One of the things that philanthropy can do is help those departments talk to each other, help smooth this problem of silos where government has lines of business that are not collaborative.

Because the reality behind each of these human welfare programs is that they’re often ser ving the same people, but not often talking to each other. And we know that if we can get these departments talking to each other about these clients, we can get better outcomes. We can do more coherent, knitted together activities to help move people out of poverty or out of danger and into better circumstances.

Q. Has this strateg y yielded any home runs?

A. Research is very clear that children in foster care do better if they’re placed with family.

But family members are often constrained nancially And if it’s a young child, the cost of childcare is a barrier

We knew that we had to step up with childcare vouchers to make placements with kin possible. It’s a simple solution, but it requires government money because it’s an ongoing need. We funded a pilot in collaboration with the Department of Children and Family Ser vices.

It was a success. And we used that experience with Sacramento, and they stepped up with money and on a statewide basis. In 2018, the state launched the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program with $17 million funding, which grew to more than $40 million in 2021, and now more than $80 million. So, we solved a problem

I believe that it’s an anti-racist activity to place children with the family. It’s not just talk, it’s action.

Q. With this public-private ecosystem in place, what is next for L.A. County’s child welfare system?

A. What’s next is to step up and be bold. Too many children who mature out of foster care become homeless. at’s more trauma and tragedy And we know young people need adults standing by them in their twenties.

We know that the homeless crisis is something that ever yone is riveted by. And there’s something quite hopeful about stepping up for these young people who have su ered trauma just by being in foster care.

So, we, with our partners across philanthropy and the public sector, are stepping up to end the foster care-to-homelessness pipeline.

We’re working through bold, innovative, and deep collaboration to create 2,000 units of housing in Los Angeles, because there are roughly one thousand young people a year who exit care without permanent connections to adults. We want to ser ve them, help them go to college, nd work that’s meaningful, all in a safe place to live where they can thrive.

We can do it. It’s harder than most things, but achievable. We have the levers to make this happen!

“All of us felt that they were our children, and we were failing them. And it was our personal responsibility to object to a system that was so damaging. So, we used our soft power, our informal authority, in a way that we’d never used it before.”

Empowering Underserved Middle Schoolers to Succeed

On the night their 13-year-old daughter Emily was murdered, Michel and Ellen Shane thought of a way to memorialize her – a website that would encourage and chronicle people’s good deeds. Soon after, their inbox was flooded with testimonies from community members, strangers, and kids who attended middle school with Emily.

A year later, Michel and Ellen evolved this simple project highlighting good deeds into The Emily Shane Foundation, a nonprofit that empowers underserved middle schoolers at risk of academic failure via its Successful Educational Achievement Program (SEA). The program provides both individualized tutoring and mentorship for struggling students in the mainstream classroom, like Emily. The program aims to equalize disparities in accessing resources to allow all students to attain their best academic potential.

“I felt compelled to do something… something that would be significant to Emily and help others,” says Ellen Shane, cofounder of the foundation.

From a modest start in 2012, with three students at one school, it grew rapidly to the

current 13 sites throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties. To date, the SEA Program has supported 1,000 middle school students.

“We would love to grow and reach even more children, and we’re also seeking to increase resources for our SEA Program to ensure a sustainable future,” Ellen says.

While there are many after-school programs that help kids with homework, what makes the SEA Program stand out is their one-on-one approach to both mentoring and tutoring for at least one hour, twice a week, with an emphasis on organizational and study skills, as well. This approach is comprehensive and focuses on the whole student.

Mentors/tutors have access to students’ online school portals so they can view their grades, upcoming assignments, etc. and so they know where to focus their efforts to guide their students to improve. The mentors/tutors also advocate for students to their educators who may not see the challenges they have at home or beyond.

“Middle school is a critical time to catch a student who is failing,” Ellen says.

Mentors/tutors are typically college students

"I have been a strong supporter of this nonprofit, as my husband Je and I believe education and knowledge are the foundation upon which children obtain the ability to pursue meaningful paths as adults who will further contribute to society as a whole. The middle schoolers who match the SEA Program profile deserve the opportunity to receive the support they need to open doors to opportunities for their futures. The mentorship component is what generates results as the rapport and bond between mentor/tutor and student fosters accountability, motivation, and learning. We have witnessed the results, which are life changing, and why we contribute to this important cause in the loving memory of Emily Shane."

– Mrs. Elaine Hastings Edell Philanthropist and

who can relate to the struggles these middle schoolers are facing. Many of the mentors/ tutors have been where these kids are – unsure of themselves, unaware of their potential, and in need of attention and guidance – and who realize the necessity of outside-the-classroom support in order to achieve success.

To honor Emily’s gracious spirit, kids who participate in SEA are asked to share two good deeds (one per SEA Program session) that they performed during the week – the same way Michel and Ellen began their foundation. This embraces the foundation’s “Pass it Forward” motto, and fosters kindness and social consciousness in these youth.

“If another child sat alone at the lunch table, Emily invited them to sit with her,” Michel says. “Emily transcended cliques.”

Long Time ESF Supporter

Mentor/tutor Elodie working with her 7th grade student, Jocelyn, in South L.A.

SEA Program student Dominic with his mentor/tutor Matthew at the Westchester site.

Matching Funds Challenge!

You Can Help ESF Serve More Students

Thanks to generous supporters, for every dollar you donate, a dollar will be matched to fund the SEA Program, up to a total of $65,000*. Helping our foundation reach this goal will make it possible for us to reach and serve more students, and to operate at maximum e ectiveness. Your support will truly allow us to help equalize educational disparity, and make it possible for struggling middle schoolers to attain academic success. Middle school is a key time when help with serious learning deficits and acquiring the skills necessary to be a successful student are critical.

*This opportunity is available until May 31, 2023.

"As an educator for one of the largest school districts in the nation, I can attest to the vital need for students to have support, such as mentors/tutors, beyond the scope of the classroom (teacher). The Emily Shane Foundation provides necessitous students with the opportunities and resources needed to achieve academic and personal success. This foundation works to close the opportunity gap, a systematic issue, existing within the educational system, existing within my own classroom. This foundation is a vehicle in which I can work on this disparity on a more macro level."

– Ms. Sabina Goldstein ESF Board Member and Educator

From November 2021 to June 2022, 80% of SEA students who had failing classes finished the school year with passing grades.

Lifting Students Up Before They Fail

When you donate $1,000, you provide an entire year of support for a struggling or failing middle school student who has no other recourse. Children have access to one-on-one caring, learning and guidance. The Emily Shane Foundation sets children on a positive pathway so they may achieve the academic success that is directly related to reaching their goals and dreams.

Jonathan, Thousand Oaks SEA Program student, proudly displaying his math test on which he merited an "A."

KEY SUPPORTERS

Carolynn and Kevin Cozen Mr. Je rey Edell  and Mrs. Elaine Hastings Edell

Richard and Lisa Ellis

Karen and Cameron Farrer

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Garrison Emily Schmidt Goldstein and Dr. Mitchell Goldstein

Dorothy Lucey and David Goldstein

The Emily Shane Foundation www.emilyshane.org 29160 Heathercli Road #6762 Malibu, CA 90265 (213) 290-5441

Contact: Ellen Shane Executive Director (213) 290-5441 ellen@emilyshane.org

Deborah Zara Kobylt and John Kobylt

Kathy and Laird Landmann

Kendall and Amy Raine

Shamra and Brian Strange

Peggy and Robert Shapiro

Kristin and Curtis Swindal

Steven and Dana Weinberg

Diane and Rob Wilkins

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

The Emily Shane Foundation

29160 Heathercli Road #6762 Malibu, CA 90265

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 27-3789582

By Credit Card: www.emilyshane.org/donate

Jennifer Michelle Josephine Hardy and Christopher James Parke

SEA Program in Pico Rivera

Improving Children’s Lives One Book at a Time

commit ment to doing everything possible when it comes to reading proficiency. It’s re warding to see your dollars make an impact immedi ately. I see a lot of organiza tions asking for money, but working so inefficiently that the budget is absorbed just trying to prepare to do whatever it is they’re aiming to do. There is so much action that happens at J3. It is so well run that I don’t have to think twice about the actual support that’s being implemented. The organization’s growth has been exponential. The rate they’re scaling is just amazing. J3 sees every child's potential and never gives up on its mission."

– Carron Brown

Whether they are engaged in a mindful exercise, a book of the day read aloud, cozy reading time, or digging deep into multisyllable words, kids at the J3 Cozy Reading Club all come away with a tremendous learning experience.

Back in college, Joe Blackstone and his wife, Jamie Mohn, volunteered to read storybooks to elementary school kids. It was a wake-up call to the stark reality of childhood illiteracy, and they were appalled. “It’s shocking to see kids at that age falling so far behind the rest of their classmates in the most basic thing, and we as a society don’t do anything about it,” Blackstone recalls thinking.

The statistics for illiteracy are grim. California has one of the lowest literacy rates in the nation. 52% of 4th graders are not reading proficiently in L.A. County and two-thirds of those students will end up in prison or on welfare.

Blackstone and Mohn took literacy matters into their own hands in 2018 with the launch of a free after-school reading program, J3’s Cozy Reading Club.

The Cozy Reading Club, the flagship program of their nonprofit, J3 Foundation, partners with high-needs schools serving predominantly students of color in Los Angeles. The goal: To reverse those crippling statistics by equipping 4th and 5th graders with the reading skills, habits, confidence, and books they need for a lifetime of success.

Since its launch in 2018, in one school with 15 students, J3’s Cozy Reading Club has expanded into 14 L.A. County schools serving over 300 students annually. So far 89% of their students have seen improvement in their standardized test scores. On average, their students have achieved a 36-point gain in their standardized assessments, which equates to 1.5 grade levels of reading skills acquired in just 60 sessions. For Blackstone and Mohn, this is proof their program is working!

While the schools supply the classroom and access to the students,

J3 Advisory Board Member and Vice President of Strategy, Planning and Operations: Warner Bros. Discovery

J3 covers everything else – books, site coordinators, follow-ups, and they even pay the teachers at the school to help co-teach the program.

Most importantly, the books are culturally relevant to the students, with kids reading about people who look like them, such as Steph Curry, Cesar Chavez, and Mae Jemison. Their books engage the kids and make them excited to read.

Blackstone says he will never forget when a parent called to say, “My kid hated reading but now he actually enjoys it! The first time I saw him read in the car I almost cried with happiness. The first time he begged for five more minutes to read, I actually did cry. Thank you!”

"I appreciate J3 for the organization's

Currently serving Altadena, Compton, Glendale, and Watts, J3 Foundation is growing quickly. Our commitment to serving communities in need is reflected in our numbers. 90% of students are low-income, 70% of students are Latino, and 20% of students are Black.

“Before J3, I didn’t want to read because I thought it was boring. Now I look at books and think, ’Wow this book looks interesting. I think I should read it!’ I have more confidence to read new things.”

– J3 Student, McNair Elementary School

Struggling to Read, J3’s Cozy Reading Club Makes It Fun

Cozy Reading Club, J3 Foundation’s premier reading program, is special in how intentional every piece of the two-hour after-school program is,” Stacee Longo, Sr. Program Director of J3 Foundation says. “We take a holistic approach with our students by focusing on reading skills, mindfulness, social-emotional learning, restorative practices, and so much more.”

J3 Foundation is raising $864,000 to expand its Cozy Reading Club to 24 additional schools, double its book collection from 5,000 books to 10,000, and to reach 650 more students of color who are struggling to read.

A $1,500 donation will add 100 books to the J3 collection for our students to read. A $5,000 donation will support the costs of hiring highly qualified educators from our partner schools. A $12,000 donation can fund an entire trimester for a school in need. And a $36,000 donation will fund an entire year of the Cozy Reading Club for 30 students at one school.

“The magic of our program is that we provide a safe space where all students get to rediscover the joy and magic of a good book,” says Longo.

J3 Foundation www.j3foundationla.org 11693 San Vicente Blvd. Ste 404, Los Angeles, CA 90049 (310) 472-0405

Contact: Bobbie Boggs-Miller Director of Operations (310) 924-2422

bobbie@j3foundationla.org

"The J3 Cozy Reading Club teaches critical read ing competencies through an evidence-based and culturally-relevant curriculum. It allows our Comp ton students, regardless of income or background, to receive a high-quality after-school reading intervention program. As the Director of Educational Services and former K-8 school principal, I have seen how the J3 Cozy Reading Club has impacted our students’ aca demic and social development and continues to do so each year. Most importantly, our students love attend ing J3 sessions! Thank you, J3 Foundation!"

– Jennifer Kang-Moon, Ed.D.

J3 Client and Director of Educational Services

K-8 Compton Unified School District

J3 Foundation only hires its teachers from the schools its students attend, so the rigorous research-based training our teachers receive trickles into the school as a whole while building stronger relationships between struggling readers and caring adults in their community.

Seeing yourself reflected in books makes a world of difference. In addition to promoting diversity in the content of our books, we’ve met the unique challenge of building a collection that provides our struggling readers with high-interest books at THEIR reading level.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Morgan Stanley Gift Fund Oceankind Foundation

Richardson Charitable Foundation

Once Upon a Time Bookstore Armanino LLP

Barry Family Foundation Book Foundation

Brother International CTBC Bank Corp.

Glaser Weil LLP

Humberto & Maria Gray James Worthy

Joel & Sherry McKuin

Lido Advisors LLC

Macquarie Capital USA

TASCHEN Books

The Brentwood Inn Whitehead LLP

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: J3 Foundation

11693 San Vicente Blvd. Ste 404 Los Angeles, CA 90049

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 45-6192032

By Credit Card: www.j3foundationla.org/j3donate

Two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4th grade will end up in prison or on welfare.

“The

PUENTE Learning Center Helping to Make the American Dream Possible

“The immigrant story is the story of this nation and there is no timeline for when that story should end,” Jerome Greening, PUENTE’s CEO, says.

PUENTE, Spanish for bridge, grabs the opportunities that may seem out of reach and makes them possible through various programs that, in addition to their college program, include a preschool, an elementary school, career guidance and preparation, and adult education and workforce development classes.

Each year, 2,000 children, teenagers, and adults come to PUENTE’s 45,000-squarefoot community center. A critical piece of the learning curriculum for children – a third of whom speak Spanish as a primary language –is to help them achieve a solid foundation in English, which will prepare them to be more successful for middle school, high school, and then college, Greening says.

For Nicole, PUENTE Learning Center’s free college program was a lifeline during the pandemic. A first-generation college student who was raised in a singleparent household, Nicole joined PUENTE’s college program as a senior in high school and with its help went on to attend East Los Angeles College. Then the pandemic broke out and everything changed. School went virtual and Nicole needed to care for her ailing grandmother. She was so overwhelmed she nearly dropped out of school.

But her PUENTE case manager stepped in and connected Nicole to campus resources and persuaded her to stay in school. That support, knowing someone was in her corner, was just what Nicole needed.

PUENTE Learning Center, located in the heart of Boyle Heights, a largely immigrant community in East Los Angeles, has been a community hub for 37 years, providing educational and career pathways for the predominantly Latino residents as they strive to live the American dream.

The pandemic, Greening adds, has exacerbated the educational and economic divide for many students of color and from lower-income households. Without help,

hen I was 16 years old I got pregnant and dropped out of high school. I always dreamed of going back to school one day to earn my diploma, and PUENTE gave me that opportunity."

– Patricia Castillo PUENTE High School Diploma student

impacted students like Nicole are more likely to postpone or abandon their higher education dreams and goals.

“Because of PUENTE, I stuck with the school. Without PUENTE, who knows, maybe I would have dropped out,” Nicole says. “Now, I feel much more confident in pursuing my education, because I have people backing me up.”

"W

Latino college enrollment fell by 7% nationwide in the last two years, an especially alarming change, given that the Latino population has the lowest degree attainment of any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S.

$2,500 is Enough to Put a Young Person on a Path to College

PUENTE’s college readiness program has an astounding success rate, with 100% of high schoolers graduating and 90% going on to pursue higher education. From there, PUENTE follows the students through post-secondary school, helping them leverage their talents for the workforce.

In order to maintain its e orts in preparing young people on their path to college or the workforce, PUENTE is asking for individual donations to cover program costs including $2,500 scholarships for books, food, access to paid internships, case management, and counselors. The total amount of money needed is $500,000 to fund the program through 2023.

PUENTE Learning Center

www.puente.org

501 S. Boyle Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90033 (323) 780-8900

Contact: Matt Wells Vice President of Advancement (323) 780-5312 matt@puente.org

"For the past 35 years, our family has proudly supported PUENTE Learning Center’s e orts to build bridges between learning and opportunity for residents of Boyle Heights and beyond. PUENTE is a valued and trusted community resource, and an exceptionally successful public-private partnership that gives life to The Riordan Foundation’s mission to enable all individuals to have the tools to compete successfully in society. Thank you, PUENTE Learning Center, for sharing our belief in the power of education to change lives for the better. Los Angeles is blessed to have you here."

–

KEY SUPPORTERS

Citi Foundation

– Community Progress Maker Award

Helen and Wil Webster Foundation California Community Foundation UnidosUS

Best Buy

Coca-Cola Foundation

Richard and Elizabeth Riordan Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation

Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation

– HALO Award

Snell & Wilmer

Nike Community Impact Fund

Eugenia Riordan Mule

USC

– Good Neighbors Program

Leticia Acosta

Cody Press Asolva Inc. LA84 Foundation

Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

PUENTE Learning Center

501 South Boyle Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90033

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-4242175

By Credit Card: www.puente.org/donate

Former Mayor of Los Angeles, Richard and Mrs. Elizabeth Riordan

Holiday Joy Year Round, For All

– James Ya e, CEO Donor

If you find your way to Cortney Lofton’s workshop in Northridge, California, you will be transported to a functional winter-wonderland; a bona fide Santa’s Workshop. This is the headquarters for Lofton’s organization, the Red Sled Santa Foundation (RSSF), which aims to give back a sense of joy each holiday season to underserved and low-income kids and families.

Lofton’s appearance, complete with the flu y white beard, would be enough to convince you that you’re in the North Pole. But Red Sled Santa Foundation’s community work is truly what makes them a year-round Christmas Miracle.

RSSF began as a grassroots organization, partnering with churches, police departments, and other community groups to identify families in need and provide them with the gifts and experiences to have a joyful and memorable holiday season. Since their inception, though, their mission and scope have expanded. “It’s definitely kind of snowballed,” Lofton says, aware of the pun.

Last year, RSSF began a gift grant program. Any family, anywhere in the country, can submit a request for gifts on the Red Sled Santa website. They immediately received an avalanche of gift requests; everywhere from Oklahoma, to New York, to Kentucky. As a small organiza-

tion, the postage alone cost RSSF a significant amount of money.

But Red Sled Santa is committed to gift-giving, not just monetary assistance: “There’s something special about receiving a box of wrapped gifts with their childrens’ names on it; when they open it up, that is magical,” Lofton beams.

The beauty of RSSF lies in its holistic approach to community work. Not only does Red Sled Santa Foundation provide Santa visits, personalized gifts, holiday requests, and essentials to families in need, but they also bring in kids from underserved and at-risk communities to help build and package those gifts. “We can teach them a little vocational training… a little bit of empathy. They get to come in here, make some toys, and then turn around and give these toys back to their community,” Lofton says.

RSSF also runs year-long programs: car show fundraisers, parades, and 5k running benefits to aid their communities further.

Children in these communities are often lacking a true holiday experience as the hardships and necessities of life can overshadow celebrations. Santa Cortney, as he’s predominantly called, wants to give them back a sense of holiday joy. But mostly, give them a feeling of just being a child, even for a moment.

Moved by his own experience helping out in the Red Sled Workshop, a young child volunteer writes a personal note of cheer to another child.

“You’ll get a kick out of this,” Lofton jokes, “I’m Jewish. So that just makes this even better.” As the Red Sled Santa Foundation has proven, everyone deserves to experience the Christmas spirit.

"I nnovation, generosity, and caring for others. That is the mission of Red Sled. Never met a leader and team that only cares about families and their children. Core to what we look for in giving back. Love this team."

Cortney Lofton teaches a group of enthralled children how to make handmade toys at Red Sled Santa Foundation’s workshop at the North Pole. Oops, we meant Northridge, California.

Joyous kids help give back to their community by preparing gift boxes, to be filled with Christmas toys and donated to local families.

Santa Needs His Elves

Donations

for new toys, workshop supplies, postage, operating and overhead expenses, new designated workshop, other material resources, volunteers, adding additional workforce members to implement and manage the increased workshops and the foundation’s growth process, transportation vehicles for youths, and supplies. Financial donations are needed for the RSF Grant website program. With the ask, those funds will be used to increase RSF’s abilities to impact more youth and families. RSF with its limited resources has already answered the needs of over 18,000 families since conception three years ago with a small working budget of $100,000, founder-donated time, and resources. We would like to increase these numbers within the next year to accommodate 20,000 youths and their families per year.

To achieve this bold goal, we are looking to raise $500,000. Please support Red Sled Santa Foundation.

SANTA’S HELPERS

Red Sled Santa Foundation www.redsledfoundation.org 18639 Parthenia St. Northridge, CA 91324 (818) 886-1712

Contact: Cortney Lofton Founder (818) 886-1712 cl@redsledfoundation.org

@redsledsanta

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

Red Sled Santa Foundation

18639 Parthenia Street Northridge, CA 91324

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 85-3127834

By Credit Card: redsledfoundation.org/donation

– Brock Purpura, CEO Donor

A hardworking elf, on loan from Santa, helps Cortney Lofton prepare toys which will be donated to families in need of a holiday miracle on Christmas morning.

Red Sled Santa Foundation opens its workshop for children’s groups to learn toy making skills and the gift of giving.

Red

Santa Foundation with the LAPD in South Central Los Angeles giving out

along

Saving Young Lives With Car Seat Safety

Marc Cohen knows just how catastrophic an incorrectly installed car seat can be. On an otherwise ordinary day, his 21-year-old daughter was with his 22-month-old grandson when they were hit by an intoxicated driver.

They thought they’d done everything right. His grandson was strapped in the back, in his car seat. But the police who responded to the devastating car crash told Cohen that the car seat was installed incorrectly. His daughter and grandson both perished in the accident.

Instead of turning his agonizing pain into antipathy, Cohen channeled it into action. Within six months he had finished training to become a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). He learned exactly how car seats should be installed and how to teach other parents how to install them.

“It’s a certification of knowledge. Because every car seat has its own recipe for installation. Every car seat is di erent,” Cohen says. Beyond teaching car seat safety himself, Cohen is on a mission to save as many lives as possible as Executive Director of SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., a nonprofit based in Los Angeles dedicated to child passenger safety.

Co-founded in 1980 by Stephanie M. Tombrello, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. o ers free car seat checkups for parents and child caregivers throughout Los Angeles, sta ed by trained

“Acertified instructor at SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. o ered to help me with our two car seats. They took the time to explain and teach me how to install the seats and how to keep my children safer in the car.

A few months later, both children were in my Expedition. As we exited a parking lot, we were slammed on the right side where my one-year-old sat. He was not making any noise! I panicked. His side of the car was crushed. Finally, my little one started screaming.

Ignoring my pain, I climbed into the back seat and was able to see them. Emergency vehicles arrived and I was put in an ambulance (turns out I had a concussion, two spinal fractures, and two herniated discs in my back).

A firefighter told me that both my children were fine and that what saved them was how well their car seats were installed and how well they fit into them. I am forever grateful to SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. for saving my children’s lives that day, it would have been a lot worse had it not been for their car seats being installed properly.”

– Sally L. Mother

technicians and instructors. SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. teaches families, nurses, law enforcement, and community agencies about the importance of correct car seat usage through training, webinars, and participating in community events. SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. also holds several CPST certification training classes each year, creating 50-75 new CPSTs to help more children.

The need for car seat safety couldn’t be greater. In 2020, an average of three children were killed every day and an estimated 380 children were injured in tra c crashes across the U.S., according to the National Highway Tra c Safety Administration (NHTSA). Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for children. However, NHTSA says that when installed correctly, car seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers.

Alec Jaye, 2000-2002

There is no greater pain than seeing your baby leave this world before you. Car crashes are the number one unintentional cause of severe injury and death in children. Teaching parents how to select, install, and use car seats correctly saves lives.

But the simple fact is, most parents do not know if their child’s car seat is installed properly.

“Success for us is to teach parents to understand the importance of installing and using car seats correctly,” Cohen says. “The greatest risk of unintentional injury to children is car crashes. But properly installing and using car seats can significantly reduce that risk.”

Cohen tells the story of how SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. received a call from a parent that the nonprofit had taught how to install a car seat. She’d been in a car crash and was seriously injured. “I was afraid to ask if her children were in the car...but I did,” Cohen says. She paused. I couldn’t breathe. Then she told me. “Yes. Not a scratch on them.”

Another child’s life saved.

Sally and her boys, after the crash.

Dorotea V. was tearfully grateful she was stopped by Los Angeles School Police O cer and CPST, Leonard Boen. She wrote him a note stating “Thank you o cer for looking inside my car and giving me information to protect my child's life. I didn't know any of this." SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. conducts regular checkup events for the public. Sandra Medina, CPST, (inside car) provides a final checkup for Dorotea's child's car seat.

Six Simple Ways to Save Children

The correct use of a child restraint system appropriate for a child’s age SAVES LIVES. You can help SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. keep children safe:

$4,000: Covers production costs of public service announcements

$5,000: Funds a car seat checkup event in an underserved community

$8,000: Sends two Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPST) to a Safety Education Conference

$9,000: Funds the monthly webinars covering new laws, new seats, and reviews studies about child passenger safety

$10,000: Covers a distribution event of 100 free booster seats to schools

$11,000: Funds the training of 25 English-speaking and bilingual Child Passenger Safety Technicians

Any amount supports the nonprofit’s advocacy for correct child restraint usage.

SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.'s Heidi Heflin (MN, RN, CNS, CPSTI) gives an attendee information about car seat safety at the recent American Academy of Pediatrics conference in Anaheim, CA. SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. presents and exhibits at major conferences across the nation, including Lifesavers, Kidz in Motion, Advances in Child Injury Prevention, and Safer CA.

SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. www.carseat.org 27943 Seco Canyon Rd Unit 301 Santa Clarita CA 91350 (800) 745-SAFE (7233) (800) 747-SANO (7266) (Spanish)

Contact: Marc Cohen Executive Director (818) 469-1654 c/t director@carseat.org

Part of the powerful team of dedicated and trained Child Passenger Safety Technicians and Instructors. Jchanet Tan, founder of CPS Malaysia; Trisha Stites, Senior Consultant; Heidi Heflin, Senior Consultant and founder of Global CPS; Julie Mazoy, Consultant; Wendy Thomas, Board Member and Webmaster; and Marc Cohen, Executive Director. 2022 Kidz in Motion.

KEY SUPPORTERS

California O ce of Tra c Safety Los Angeles County Department of Public Health City of Torrance

American Honda Motor Co. Toyota Motors North America Volkswagen of America

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.

27943 Seco Canyon Road Unit 301 Santa Clarita, CA 91350

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-3676040

By Credit Card: carseat.org

In 2020, an average of three children were killed every day and an estimated 380 children were injured in tra c crashes across the U.S.

Community Resilience

Communities are built by the bonds that are forged among its members.

Nonprofits are often the connective fiber, giving communities the resilience they need in times of crisis and stress.

Philanthropy’s Opportunity to Leverage Trillions in Federal Spending Towards Equity

As told to Daniel Heimpel

In the summer of 2022, Don Howard, the President and CEO of e James Ir vine Foundation, penned an essay for e Chronicle of Philanthropy calling on the eld to ensure massive federal infrastructure spending was allocated with an eye to equity

Pointing to the $3.1 trillion pouring into the economy through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue plan, Howard called out the need to go beyond “repairing roads and bridges, upgrading water infrastructure, expanding broadband access, and building a national network of electric-vehicles,” but changing “who decides who builds and who bene ts.”

Before coming to Ir vine in 2012, Howard led Bridgespan’s San Francisco o ce, consulting with dozens of charitable foundations and nonpro ts. Since taking the helm of the $3.4 billion foundation, he has oriented its focus on low-income workers in California.

With tens of billions in federal dollars coming to the state, Howard sees this as an opportunity not to be missed.

Q. Why is it so damn important that philanthropy step up on infrastructure right now?

A. e resources of philanthropy and private foundations pale in comparison to the resources of state and federal governments. Philanthropy can leverage these public resources by helping communities prepare to deploy these dollars that help them achieve more inclusive and resilient economies, provide jobs for overlooked workers, and build wealth for minority businesses through procurement. Philanthropic support can also connect communities with federal and state agencies for more feedback loops and accountability

Here in California, there’s an increase in the appreciation of the need for workers to have a greater say in the economy. And low-wage workers are predominantly workers of color In many of the professions these workers are women, who are often quite vulnerable. I think Californians and the policy establishment have realized the importance of leveling the playing eld in the economy

We see the opportunity for inclusive economic development

planning, where di erent sectors, including grassroots and worker leaders, are setting the agenda and priorities for local economic development. ese leaders want to see an economy that o ers better jobs. ere’s also an opportunity to increase racial equity with these new resources. For example, if federal funds used for procurement to rebuild our infrastructure can build wealth for minority-owned enterprises, that is a huge opportunity to rectify some of the inequalities baked into the current system.

Q. You are calling out a very strategic and structural approach to fighting racial inequities. How have you brought that thinking to the Irvine Foundation?

A. We’ve organized our grantmaking toward a singular goal: ensuring that low-income California workers have the power to advance economically. Within that we have various initiatives to help advance that goal, focused on workforce, worker power-building, local economies, and statewide advocacy

Each of these have a set of core grantees to whom we pro vide exible grant funding. Flexible support allows institutions to do the work they need to do on their terms. a t’s one step

Another step is to ensure that the grantmaking processes are organized in ways that work for smaller institutions. Many of these institutions are led by people of color and have been historically undercapitalized because they’ve been excluded from the social networks of many grantmakers. So we need to have processes that can make smaller grants while also shedding the more onerous aspects of grant reporting for these grantees.

It’s also important for philanthropy sta and boards to represent the communities we’re trying to ser ve

Q. So you have this focused approach internally How do you bring that to bear when tr ying to guide billions in statewide infrastructure spending?

A. At one level you have on-the-ground support for communities to set their own agendas. And I think an important concept we’re tr ying to support is ‘community governance’ –not just a voice in setting the priorities but holding agencies accountable for achieving those priorities.

is requires being on the ground, knowing and supporting local, grassroots organizations in ways that build their capacity and exibility

e second is the actual spending of resources. ere’s an opportunity to ensure equity in hiring and equity in procurement.

ose are two areas we’ve focused on. As we looked at jobs post-pandemic, we realized that skilled trades and infrastructure were going to be big areas of growth.

We realized philanthropy can help support outreach to communities to better position them to secure these jobs. For ex ample, we have a pilot project with the Community Coalition in Los Angeles – for them to lead outreach in South L.A. for pre-apprenticeships that can turn into apprenticeships in the unions for infrastructure jobs.

e third piece is feedback loops between communities and the public sector. You have too few folks in the federal and state agencies, and the money is coming too quickly for communities to develop shovel-worthy projects. And we must ensure that communities can say that a grant program isn’t working, so that the implementing agencies can adjust over time. I call it ‘adaptive policy making’ – so that yo u actually have the chance to adjust course during implementation. is is really important.

Philanthropy can also build government capacity by funding time-limited technical positions in key agencies. ere is tons of money, and the agencies need that expertise critical to get the workforce piece of the new funding programs right.

Q. Your solution is somewhat technocratic. We have all these pressing issues surrounding us. How do y ou keep people focused on something as transformative as what yo u’re suggesting –that’s also highly complex – but not apparently meeting the immediate needs?

A. One thing we’ve done is set a singular goal for our work, and to put a group of people at the center of that goal: lowwage workers.

And that means there are some things that we don’t participate in that are very urgent needs, and we have to acknowledge that we are not the best to do that. Otherwise, we would spread our resources thin, like peanut butter. And you would end up not bringing anything to scale.

I think other institutions often move to the next shiny thing and diminish their impact over time.

I don’t know if that’s technocratic or not. I think of it as focus. And I think there’s too little focus in the philanthropic sector.

Don speaking on an Aspen Institute panel in Washington, D.C., with nonprofit and labor leaders on May 26, 2022. [in photo: Ai-jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance; and Dorian Warren, Co-President, Community Chang e and Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Economic Security Project.] (photo by Laurence Genon)

Destination Crenshaw is Transforming South L.A., and the Lives of its Residents

“I imagined I would go through all sorts of things as a lifer in a California prison for the 22 years and eight months that I served (in prison), and I did,” said Morgan.

“Never did I think that during this time I would learn to break free of my heart’s hang-ups and habits.” Morgan took advantage of the rehabilitative programs and services. “My incarceration was not just me paying for the crimes that I committed. It was also a journey of self-awareness.”

When a Metro light rail line running through Crenshaw Boulevard was announced years ago, it sparked fears of displacement and cultural erasure in this largely Black South Los Angeles neighborhood.

But community advocates, led by L.A. City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, asked locals how they could benefit from the influx of visitors the Crenshaw/LAX line would bring.

That ultimately led to the creation of Destination Crenshaw (DC), a 1.3-mile cultural infrastructure project with a mix of community spaces, hundreds of trees and over 100 public art projects commissioned to Black artists along iconic Crenshaw Boulevard, the largest Black business corridor on the West Coast.

“The No. 1 challenge that all communities of color in South L.A. face is: How does this place get better but ultimately not push me out at the same time?” says Jason Foster, Destination Crenshaw’s president and chief operating o cer.

A key component of this revitalization project is its workforce development program, which launched with the start of construction in 2021. They’re on track to meet the ambitious 70 percent local hire goal. This means hiring workers

from western South Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and specific areas of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

The DC workforce development program’s entry point for the program is through pre-apprentice programs that recruit and train people new to the construction trades, paying them a living wage, for programs that are typically unpaid to attend. Graduates work with the jobs coordinator, 2nd Call, to get placed with a construction project in the L.A. area, ideally through union sponsorship by a subcontractor on an active project. Once placed, Destination Crenshaw’s goal is to bring them to work on their project along the boulevard.

“We’re doing all we can to drive community residents to careers in construction, whether through new access, exposing them to a new career path, or reconnecting them to the trades,” Foster says.

South L.A. resident James Morgan, an Army veteran who spent more than two decades in prison, has worked as a laborer and a sponsored apprentice on the Destination Crenshaw project.

“Beautifying the neighborhood helps the self-esteem of the community,” Morgan says. “It

makes me feel good knowing I can be a part of this instead of destroying the community.”

The K-Line was opened to the public in October 2022 and the revitalization project will be by mid- 2023.

“This is about how we can put more people in the Crenshaw community in front of the changes, to be able to positively benefit from this increasing amount of investment,” Foster says.

Once completed, Destination Crenshaw will be a national model for creating a unique, culturally stamped business district, and will help sustain over 40 local small businesses and nonprofits.

The Destination Crenshaw project will act as a counterbalance to gentrification, solidifying the Crenshaw neighborhood by supporting legacy businesses and fostering a Black creative economic and cultural hub.

Improving South L.A. and the Career Paths of its Residents

Destination Crenshaw is seeking $400,000 in the coming year to expand its workforce development program with an eye toward hiring even more locals.

Funds would allow the nonprofit to recruit up to 100 more workers into its pre-apprentice program, enable more workers to apprentice on its revitalization of Crenshaw Boulevard, and place more people on construction projects throughout the region.

“We have to acknowledge that to improve our community, we have to also improve the opportunities to access careers for our residents,” says Jason Foster of Destination Crenshaw, who’s also a resident of South L.A. “In the midst of these ever-increasing costs of living in our city, DC’s approach is to focus on permanence for our current residents.”

KEY

Many Ways to

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 82-3003629

By Credit Card: DestinationCrenshaw.la/donate

“Destination

Pictured front row, left to right: L.A. City Mayor Eric Garcetti, Gabrielle Bullock, Perkins & Will, L.A. City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Greg Dulan of Dulan’s on Crenshaw and US Represenative (CA-37) Karen Bass.

Nourishing Essential Workers

Our team is a tight-knit group of committed individuals who come from all backgrounds. Comprised of chefs, bartenders, marketing brand workers, they come together every day, to work hard, and take care of the people who took care of them every day in their careers.

When Los Angeles experienced its first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, Damián Diaz and Othón Nolasco wasted no time helping one of the city’s most vulnerable groups – undocumented restaurant and hospitality workers.

locally and donations poured in, they turned their Boyle Heights office into a food distribution center. They distributed over 100,000 pounds of food weekly to over 1,600 families in crisis.

Christina Mociler volunteers as the Director of Marketing. As she states so eloquently, "I was raised by the restaurant industry. I've known many men and women who work two to three shifts a day, take public transportation to get to and from, and put in the hardest day's work, every day, to make a living. Our back of house employees are the backbone; a Michelin star meal doesn't work on a dirty plate. Our undocumented community, the street vendors, mariachis, and day laborers, help carry L.A.'s economy on their backs."

With restaurants shuttered, unauthorized immigrants working back-of-the house jobs, such as line cooks, dishwashers, and souschefs, were sidelined with no pay or government assistance. Diaz and Nolasco, founders of Va’La Hospitality, a bar consultancy group, immediately stepped in to ensure these workers would have enough to eat. They created No Us Without You LA, a nonprofit focused on providing food relief to undocumented workers struggling through the pandemic.

“We realized the majority of the people that we worked with in kitchens weren’t going to be able to get any unemployment insurance,” Nolasco says. “They really were worried; they were sharing with us that they didn’t know how they were gonna feed their kids.”

Initially, the duo set out to feed 30 families a week, using their own money to buy them groceries. During the height of the COVID crisis, their efforts expanded. As word spread

Today, No Us Without You LA continues to provide $100+ worth of food to roughly 700 families on a bi-weekly basis. Through 2023, the nonprofit will continue to feed undocumented workers in need in appreciation of the essential role these individuals play in the community.

The nonprofit has also expanded its reach beyond restaurant workers to serve housekeepers, day laborers, street food vendors, and other largely undocumented workers who can’t receive social services from the government despite paying taxes and contributing to the local economy. The immigrants No Us Without You LA serves mostly hail from Mexico and Central America, but they include individuals from countries such as Ukraine, Nigeria, Lebanon, and Haiti, Nolasco says.

“It’s not just a Hispanic thing,” he says. “It’s about anyone who comes to this country that just needs a little help.”

Dorian Dorsey moved to L.A. from New York and has volunteered with our organization since early summer 2020. The wealth of leadership experience Dorian shares with our in-field volunteers is crucial. He leads by example and is steadfast in improving our readiness to serve families.

We are grateful for volunteers like Andrea Borgen Abdallah. A hospitality professional who has managed, owned, and operated some amazing restaurants in her career. She has always led the service industry with projects such as One Fair Wage – a national coalition, campaign, and organization seeking to end all subminimum wages in the USA and increase the sustainability of wages and working conditions in the service sector.

Feeding the Future Generation

Donors to No Us Without You LA can feed a family of four for a week for as little as $33. In addition to store-bought groceries, the nonprofit built an organic garden in the heart of DTLA’s Arts District to provide additional produce for families. Finca Tachibana is an event fundraising space that provides a self-su cient path for No Us Without You LA.

Donations go toward regular meals for hospitality workers and their families and, during the holidays, for special treats. For the past two holiday seasons, No Us Without You LA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing food relief to struggling undocumented food industry employees, has provided turkeys for families and toys for their children.

“We’re literally taking care of mothers and children,” Othón Nolasco, the organization’s co-founder, says. “That’s how we see it; it’s not even about being undocumented. We’re just trying to show families that this too shall pass.”

Edwin Vladimir Rodriguez, Director of Operations, is diligent in fine tuning and overseeing the operational systems that No Us Without You LA utilizes to provide food security for nearly 700 families every week. Selfless, kind, and duty driven best describe Edwin's leadership style.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Lululemon Crafted Kitchen Diageo PLC Heinekin USA Tito's Everson Royce Northgate Beam Suntory Bacardi Hunter PR United Way of Los Angeles Casa Vega

No Us Without You LA www.nouswithoutyou.la 768 S. Boyle Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90023

Contact: Othón Nolasco Co-Founder (213) 645-8600 othon@nouswithoutyou.la

Celina Castellanos not only volunteers with our in-field food distribution, she also is the Director of Merchandise. She is always conscience of adding personal touches to every order that ships out. Please visit our Shopify store to purchase merchandise that directly supports our food security program.

This is why we show up and work every day. We believe that it's necessary for the next generation of leaders to learn why we fight. To teach kids whose skin is a similar shade to theirs, that a life of service to others in need, is the way.

Lush Life Productions Vesta Food Service Sysco Los Angeles Kids of Immigrants Chefs To End Hunger Pepsi Studio UNLTD Steve Siegrist Design Topo Chico Molina Family Foundation KAUSE

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: No Us Without You LA 768 S. Boyle Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90023

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 85-0878455

By Credit Card: nouswithoutyou.la/donate

Historic Filipinotown’s Oldest Youth Nonprofit, SIPA, Is an Institution Worth Investing In

ack home where we grew up... they never really taught us, like, in-depth things about our Filipino culture. It was just about the dances – they didn't really say or give us any story or any information behind it. So, when I would come home from work and I would ask the kids, "How was your day?", they always had some really cool, positive things to say about [SIPA] on top of things that I didn't even know!"

– Francis Filipino Summer Program Parent

Long before Allan Pineda Lindo, better known as Apl.de.Ap, would co-found the Black Eyed Peas with William James Adams, aka will.i.am, he was an 14-year-old Filipino immigrant to Los Angeles.

“When I immigrated here in 1989, my first encounter with Filipinos was not necessarily a positive one,” apl.de.ap says. “I had begun hanging out with a couple of other Filipinos in my school – ignorant that it was a gang. I’m glad I didn’t join.”

Instead, he found a safe space in the community events being put on by Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), Historic Filipinotown’s (HiFi) oldest community-based and serving nonprofit.

“SIPA community events were one of the first places Will and I would frequent when we were starting as b-boys and rappers,” he says. “There was a lot of positive support and reinforcement here that gave me the

motivation and inspiration to know that this was something worth pursuing.”

Beyond helping to launch one of the most successful musical groups of the 2000s, the nonprofit has been an institution for the Filipino diaspora.

Today, SIPA is led by Kimmy Maniquis, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in the early ‘70s. When she looks at HiFi she sees pressing challenges, but at the top of the list is a ordable housing.

“It’s a crisis,” she says. And SIPA is doing something about it. For more than two decades, SIPA has managed affordable housing sites and in 2023, will open their new headquarters, where they will also operate 63 units of permanent supportive housing – the HiFi Collective. “By being both operators and then also by providing social services and resident services, we’re doing everything we can to keep people

housed,” Maniquis says.

By the time of publishing, Maniquis and SIPA had secured the remaining $3 million in capital commitments to build the HiFi Collective. But there are ongoing service needs.

Maniquis recalls speaking with a “manang” or community elder who had waited 13 years for a Section 8 voucher, but could only a ord to rent an apartment in MacArthur Park, taking her away from the community that had been her world.

“Displacement is huge. It’s really big,” Maniquis says. But SIPA programs that assist elders in navigating public assistance and the inflated and highly competitive rental market help.

As the organization moves into 2023 with its new headquarters in the heart of HiFi, it will need ongoing support to ensure that youngsters like Apl.de.Ap flourish and that elders “feel heard” and served.

"B

SIPA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving Historic Filipinotown and other neighborhoods throughout Greater Los Angeles County. SIPA produces programs for youth and families including case management and counseling, after-school programs, senior programs, small business development, cultural enrichment, and a ordable housing.

For Asian American Pacific Islander youth, including Filipino American youth, suicide is the leading cause of death. As the pandemic progressed, the mental health crisis worsened, and teens in distress flooded pediatricians.

hat I found most valuable was finding comfort knowing that there are other Filipino families going through the same thing that we were with a teenage child that just recently identified as LGBTQ and that we were not alone in our struggles to learn how to best support our child.”

– Anonymous Parent Participant

Parenting our LGBTQ Children Course with Pastor Danny Cortez

Let SIPA Be Your Gateway To Giving To Historic Filipinotown

For Apl.de.Ap of Black Eyed Peas fame, investing in SIPA is a straightforward path to supporting Los Angeles’ vibrant and important Filipino community.

“A donor should care about HiFi because as Filipinos, we have been part of the city and neighborhood’s fabric in the creative capacity,” Apl. de.Ap says. “Donating and investing into this area means we’ll get to remain part of this community and continue creating opportunities for the next wave of work. SIPA has always done a tremendous job in keeping the community engaged, educated, and informed about how when we all work together, anything is possible.”

• A ordable Housing: SIPA’s newest project HiFi Collective is in partnership with Linc Housing, providing homes to 63 formerly unhoused individuals. Contributions will be directed to serve these residents.

• Youth Programs: SIPA’s flagship program aims to support and develop the next generation of leaders in Historic Filipinotown. A donation toward Youth Programs will support cultural education, after-school programs, enrichment, and leadership development of youth ages 6-17.

Sta at SIPA and Linc Housing's new a ordable housing community "HiFi Collective," which will also be the new home of SIPA's renovated headquarters and community center.

Search to Involve Pilipino Americans www.sipacares.org

3200 W Temple Street Los Angeles, California, 90026

Contact: Hannah Enriquez Development Director (213) 799-2768

KEY SUPPORTERS

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: Search to Involve Pilipino Americans PO Box 18922

Long Beach, CA 90807

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-2879339

“W

Murphy Family Foundation Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Weingart Foundation

The Ahmanson Foundation Cedars Sinai Medical Center Bank of America

SIPA celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with artist and former SIPA youth Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas.

Urban Alchemy Practitioners Calm the Streets of Los Angeles

For years, Los Angeles police have been challenged by how to respond to calls about unhoused Angelenos.

Then came CIRCLE, a new project initiated by the Mayor’s office and run by people who were once incarcerated and now work for Ur ban Alchemy. They were called to the scene because Urban Alchemy’s Practitioners know how to compassionately approach individuals struggling with homelessness and too often mental health conditions.

“The CIRCLE project provides alternative engagement, so when someone calls 911, in stead of police being dispatched, one of our Practitioners will go out and de-escalate the situation, often bringing unhoused residents to decompression centers that provide a safe and comfortable respite from the streets,” says Kirk patrick Tyler, Chief of Government and Com munity Affairs.

Since it was founded in 2018, the fast-growing nonprofit has helped transform men and women who’d done time behind bars for decades into community treasures. And they provide good paying jobs with a career path in four cities in Northern and Southern California, and Texas.

From parolees to Practitioners, the nonprof it’s more than 1,300 employees have engaged unhoused residents, promoted positive behav ior, and connected people to local services.

They’ve removed tons of garbage from the streets, restoring pride to neighborhoods. They’ve established and overseen bathrooms and showers, restoring dignity to those in need.

They’ve developed and operated safe camp ing, safe parking, tiny homes, and hotels, restor ing the security of a good night’s sleep.

In the past year alone, Urban Alchemy Prac titioners have saved the lives of more than 700 people through overdose reversals. In Los An geles they helped locate safe camping areas and tiny home villages for unhoused residents to re place blocks of lawless sidewalk encampments.

The Crisis and Incident Response Through Community-Led Engagement (CIRCLE) team has, since January, responded to 3,000 non-emergency incidents in Venice and Hol lywood. Due in part to Urban Alchemy’s work, these neighborhoods have seen a 50% reduc tion in unsheltered homelessness.

In 2023, Urban Alchemy Practitioners equipped with Narcan anti-opioid spray, face

– Loving Louie Hammonds Director of Recruitment and Training

masks, first aid kits, and other supplies will ex pand into the San Fernando Valley, South Los Angeles, and Downtown Los Angeles.

Practitioners operate from decompression centers where unhoused residents can get food and a place to rest. They focus on community engagement within homeless encampments and crisis response, ranging from noise com plaints, to loitering, to someone having an emo tional meltdown.

It’s working. Incidents are being defused, drug overdoses reversed, and unhoused resi dents allowed safe solace.

“It’s about building trust,” says James, man ager of L.A.’s CIRCLE project, who has done prison time. “When we first came around, peo ple saw our neon vests and thought we were police. Now people see us, and they know we’re friends.

“I was once part of the problem that created this mess, and now I am part of the solution.”

"Many Practitioners are driven by a need to make amends for damage they’ve done to their com munities. My job as a recruiter and trainer gives me a chance to help others have the opportunity to give back and know they are making a difference in individual lives.”

Urban Alchemy provides meaningful jobs to people who are often denied opportunities.

Over 20,000 formerly incarcerated individuals are on parole from state prisons in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas. They face a greater risk of unemployment, homelessness, and poverty. Urban Alchemy creates meaningful, living wage jobs that harness their skills and empowers them to give back to the community.

CIRCLE provides a new type of communi ty-based public safety, responding to the needs of unsheltered individu als by connecting them to services that will help them get off the streets.

Los Angeles Job Creation

Urban Alchemy is seeking support for its campaign to hire more people who have been incarcerated to help unhoused residents and keep neighborhoods safe and clean. For formerly incarcerated individuals with people skills, emotional intelligence, and empathy, Urban Alchemy provides a living wage with excellent benefits.

“What I’m most excited about is the opportunity to transform communities through the work that we do,” says Kirkpatrick Tyler, Chief of Government and Community Affairs. “What is most amazing are the stories, the character, and the charisma of people who have been incarcerated 10, 20, and 30 years. After a few years out, they’re able to stabilize their families, even buy their first house. It inspires me to be in a place that advocates to empower them to take hold of the life that they want.”

In the midst of an unrelenting homelessness crisis, Urban Alchemy is forging a hopeful path. You can join them.

Urban Alchemy works 24-7 on the streets of Los Angeles, serving our housed and unhoused neighbors.

"After having spent most of my life incarcerated, I am so grateful for the opportunities that Ur ban Alchemy has given me. I have been allowed to grow and advance. I have been able to truly give back for the first time in my life. I cannot think of another company that would have done this."

– Tom Bramer Guest Services Supervisor

KEY SUPPORTERS

Bartz Marr Family Foundation Bloch Foundation Trust

Crankstart Foundation

Dignity Health Eric Wimsatt

Feysan Lodde Google.org

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. Keith and Priscilla Geeslin Family Trust Lava Mae REDF

Saint Francis Foundation Sam Haynor

Silicon Valley Community Foundation SOMA Equity

St. Mary's Medical Center

Sutter Health

The Eucalyptus Foundation

The Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Foundation

The San Francisco Foundation

Tipping Point Community Virginia Smith

Willkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP

Yerba Buena Lodge No. 15 Zendesk

The Many Ways to Give...

Urban Alchemy urban-alchemy.us

1035 Market Street Suite 150 San Francisco, CA 94103

Contact: Jeff Kositsky Chief Growth Officer (415) 757-0896 jeffk@urban-alchemy.us

By Check: Urban Alchemy

1035 Market Street, Suite 150 San Francisco, CA 94103

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 82-5408579

By Credit Card: urban-alchemy.us/donate

Education

No great society has existed that didn’t grow its children and youth in the fertile soil of education. For their contributions, we applaud the organizations that put their shoulders to this important task.

Time to Switch ‘Our Investment Thesis’?

As told to Holden Slattery

Michael Tubbs was just 26 when he was elected mayor of Stockton in 2016. Raised by a low-income, single mother, he became the youngest-ever mayor of a large American city. Under his leadership, Stockton was named an All-America City in 2017 and 2018 by the National Civic League.

Tubbs was named a fellow at MIT media lab, was a member of Fortune’s 40 Under 40, and he launched a groundbreaking Universal Basic Income program in Stockton that has led to pilot programs in cities across the nation, thanks to his Mayors for a Guaranteed Income coalition. Made up of mayors in cities from Seattle to Pittsburgh, they advocate for direct, recurring cash payments for those living in poverty. He is now the founder of a nonpro t he recently formed called End Poverty in California (EPIC). e organization’s mission is right in its name: end poverty in California.

Q. As mayor of Stockton, you pioneered the guaranteed income experiment. Where did that idea come from, and why did you make it a priority?

A. Poverty has always been an issue that’s personal to me. My lived experience – being born in Stockton, having a single mother, having an incarcerated father, and watching my mother work incredibly hard but still struggle – gave me a passion at an even earlier age for guring out how to make our economic system more fair.

When I became mayor and began trying to solve a myriad of issues in Stockton, it became very apparent that at the crux of what we were tr ying to solve was poverty. I wanted my administration to be an anti-poverty administration. rough research, I discovered guaranteed income as a way to create an income oor It’s funny looking back at it – now that we have 90 mayors who are part of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), we have pilots happening every day in cities – but I mar vel at how ve years ago, it was just me. But I was very steadfast, and I just felt that this is what I got elected to do. If I’m not going to do it, why would I be in o ce?

Q. Many people recognize you for that program, as well as your age – having been elected mayor at 26. What’s something else you’re proud of from your experience in public office?

A. I’m proud of the Stockton Scholars Program. I raised all

the money for it myself – over 20 million dollars – and for the next half decade, every single student who graduates from Stockton’s largest school district is guaranteed a four-year, twoyear, or trade school scholarship For me, that’s a real legacy project because it’s about opportunity.

Q. You’ve started a new organization to end poverty in California. Tell me more about your agenda and strateg y. A. It’s a continuation of the wor k I started as mayor. California is a progressive state, but when you factor in cost of living it has the highest poverty rate in the countr y. And to me that’s unacceptable to have such extreme disparities.

e goal of End Pover ty in California (EPIC) is to do the work around the narrative, like what stories we’re telling about poverty, and also about policies. It’s also about building power in local communities because it’s not just about the state government. It’s county governments and local governments – from land use to policing to contracting – that are making decisions that impact economic development. It’s really about how we organize with our local leaders to make sure that our local governments are helping everyone enjoy prosperity

Q. How is your work applicable to Los Angeles?

A. Los Angeles is at this intersection of so many interesting things. On the narrative front, the creative world is created in L.A. at’s why L.A. is so central to this e or t. What are the stories we’re telling about poverty, about folks who are unhoused?

L.A. also has a lot of folks who are living paycheck to paycheck, a lot of folks who are in poverty, who are doing work we deem essential, doing work to power our economy L.A. is also ground zero for basic income. You have two of the largest pilots in the countr y in the City and County of L.A. So, you have folks who are looking at the problem and guring out how to x it.

Q. What can philanthropy and individual donors do to support these efforts?

A. Number one is narrative change. Help us invest in our narrative strategy to align the culture and art with public opinion and really change the conversation we’re having.

Number two, we’re spending a lot of time with local governments on pilots. People like to test ideas, so, for example, let’s test out how to make public bene ts more accessible to people. How do we create a tool that allo ws us in real time to track the progress the state and our local municipalities and counties are making on poverty?

Number three, we’re building our own internal capacity. Our team is expanding to bring on policy sta and community organizers, and support from donors can help make that possible.

Q. You have been appointed as a special advisor for economic mobility and opportunity by the Governor What are you trying to do in that role?

A. I’m trying to make sure that the administration’s e orts to end poverty are reaching local municipalities. Part of it is going to communities and saying what’s happening in the state government and how you can access it. And then making sure that there’s one persistently annoying, high-pitched, squeaky voice, saying: What about poverty?

Q. You have said we have everything we need to end poverty in California. What needs to happen now?

A. It’s a political question. It’s a power question. Do we want to end poverty in California? Because it’s going to cost something, but we’re already paying for it.

We pay for it in our criminal justice system. We pay for it in our hospital system. We pay for it in the loss of economic activity. We pay for it in premature death. So, the question is: Do we want to switch our investment thesis?

Q. If you are successful in your work, what will California look like a decade from now?

A. California will look like a place with opportunity for ever yone where ever yone can a ord to live. Ever yone has the opportunity to work. Ever yone has access to clean air and water. Ever yone’s able to contribute. Ever yone’s able to rest. Ever yone’s able to spend time with their family Ever yone has paid time o . Everyone has access to childcare. Ever yone has a living wage job or some sort of income oor that allows them to be fully human.

With City Year’s Support, She went from Being Misunderstood to U.C. Grad

In elementary school, Jennifer knew she was a smart kid. But, admittedly, she liked to talk back to teachers and that often landed her in hot water.

One day Jennifer happened to find the student file that the school kept on her left out. Curious to know what the teachers really thought of her, she took a quick peek.

“I read all the bad things teachers were writing about me throughout the years,” she says. “Dang, they really hate me,” she remembers thinking.

Then Vera Kwan, an AmeriCorps member with nonprofit City Year Los Angeles, started working full-time as a tutor and mentor in Jenni fer’s third-grade classroom.

Kwan was one of the 200 young adults with AmeriCorps who dedi cate a year of their lives for a modest stipend to work for City Year Los Angeles, helping students, like Jennifer, who are struggling academi cally and socially.

Every year City Year sends these young leaders to a number of system ically under-resourced schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The members – ages 17 to 25 – work side-by-side with teachers in grades three through nine, reaching a staggering thousands of students annually in Los Angeles alone.

City Year, founded 34 years ago in Boston, is a national network with sites in 29 cities across the country with international affiliates in the UK and South Africa. The goal is to harness AmeriCorps member ship for helping students in ways that resource-limited public schools can not provide. City Year L.A. is the largest site in this vast network.

City Year prides itself on having a “double bottom line”: helping stu dents gain the support to graduate high school and training AmeriCorps

ity Year corps members] are the freedom fighters of our generation. They are the best supporters of our teachers. They are the morning ‘hel lo,’ and the ‘see you tomorrow’ goodbye. They are truly inspirational.”

– Alberto M. Carvalho L.A. Unified Superintendent

members to view challenges students face through an equity lens.

“We’re hoping the experience in the schools instills an equity mindset in them so that when they go off into other careers they are cognizant of the need for educational equity and social equity due to systemic biases,” says Sandra Cano, the executive director of City Year L.A.

With Kwan’s mentorship and support, Jennifer gained the confi dence and skills to focus on her school work. Her school trajectory changed for the better. Jennifer was able to realize the potential she knew she had, going on to advanced classes in middle school and high school. Recently, Jennifer graduated from U.C. Davis.

“City Year was a safe haven for me and other kids to be children,” Jennifer says.

Jennifer and Vera have stayed connected over the years. “You are the reason I became a teacher,” says Kwan of the experience.

“[C

Jennifer realized her full potential after working one-on-one with her City Year Student Success Coach, Vera Kwan.

Schools

"City Year has pushed me to develop as a leader by challenging me to step out of my comfort zone, which is why I believe a big part of my role is to empower, inspire, and motivate others to reach their highest potential. The students we serve deserve to feel supported through this most challenging time, which is why COVID-19 has only added to my sense of urgency to transform myself and those around me."

– Silvia Fausto City Year Alum

Studies show that schools that partner with City Year are up to two to three times more likely to improve in English and math assessments.

The more time students spend with City Year AmeriCorps members, the more likely they are to improve on social, emotional, and academic skills and on attendance, with students who are furthest behind benefitting the most. The benefits of working with an City Year AmeriCorps member last for multiple years.

Social-Emotional Support for Students is Needed Now More than Ever

Students may be back in school, but they’re still reeling from the loss of learning and social development after 18 months of remote learning and social isolation due to the pandemic.

“Our students have a City Year AmeriCorps member in their corners every day helping them with academics and social-emotional support to navigate the return to school,” says Sandra Cano, the executive director of City Year L.A.

Helping these students has never been more urgent.

Please support City Year AmeriCorps members. They are the human capital that makes what City Year does possible, Cano says. City Year recently increased the amount of money it pays its AmeriCorps members from $17,400 a year to $25,000

City Year Los Angeles

cityyear.org

606 S. Olive St. 2nd. Floor Los Angeles, CA 90014 (213) 596-5900

Contact: Mia Henley Individual Giving & Foundation Relations Director (310) 770-0557 mhenley@cityyear.org

A 2021 student survey found that 84% of students feel that their City Year AmeriCorps member teaches them how to self-advocate and ask for help when they need it, which are critical skills for life and workforce success.

KEY SUPPORTERS

ECMC Foundation

Ballmer Group Philanthropy

Bronfman Hauptman Foundation Windsong Trust

Len Hill Charitable Trust

Rosenthal Family Foundation Hearthland Foundation

Vera R. Campbell Foundation

Comcast NBCUniversal Los Angeles Rams

The Walt Disney Company Marc & Ashley Merrill/Riot Games

Snap, Inc.

The Boeing Company

The Smidt Foundation CIM Group

Tracy & Justin Ward Hernan Lopez Family Foundation Apple, Inc.

Sony Pictures Entertainment Deloitte

Octavia Spencer

Natalie & Jim Burtson

Taco Bell Foundation

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

City Year Los Angeles

606 South Olive Street, Suite 200 Los Angeles, CA 90014

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 22-2882549

By Credit Card: cityyear.org/los-angeles

partnering with City Year are two to three times more likely to improve proficiency rates in math and English.

Free Pizza Sets Leo on a Path to Success

Leo* heard about free pizza after school.

The middle schooler happily got a slice and listened to a pitch about the Determined to Succeed (DTS) college prep program at his future high school in Los Angeles. When Leo told his mom about it, she said there was no way he could join with his failing grades and habit of cutting class.

But the program counselors said students don’t have to be at the top of their class. They only need to be, quite literally, determined to succeed. Leo surprised his mom by committing to the long-term program that guides first-generation, low-income college candidates from

8th grade through college graduation and into professional careers.

At Alexander Hamilton High School, where over 50% of students come from low-income families, Leo attended daily DTS programming where he met with his Advisor, received unlimited tutoring in all subjects, and developed friendships with his college-bound peers. Soon, the staff uncovered the reason behind his low self-esteem and poor middle school performance: an undiagnosed learning disability. Once DTS helped get accommodations in place, Leo realized he was capable of achieving. His grades climbed and he stopped skipping classes. When Mimi Neandross became executive director in 2017 she brought the nonprofit out from under an umbrella organization into an independent 501(c)(3) with 13 board members. Beyond academic and career development, DTS’s whole child approach also includes wellness and family

– Melanie Madrid Harvard ‘22

engagement. During the pandemic, when Leo struggled with depression, DTS connected him to and paid for mental health care. The organization also covers hidden college costs, from laptops to reading glasses, that can derail low-income students. 100% of students who remain in the program graduate from college in four years.

In August 2022, Leo moved into his freshman dorm at a Cal Poly University with help from his proud mom and a DTS alumna who also graduated from the college. Neandross says, “Leo’s story is just one example of the organization’s ability to identify and address each of our 80 students’ distinct needs.”

“A child who came in for a piece of pizza, left with a dream of a better life and the support he needed to achieve it.”

"DTS has been my champion throughout my journey to and through college. They not only prepared me for the rigor of Harvard, but also provided me with the resources to be successful and the attitude to put myself out there. They still encourage me to push myself and remind me that I am capable. Most importantly, they are always there for me."

Are You Determined to Help Students Succeed?

There are two important ways you can support DTS students. The first is with a financial gift:

• $7,500: Provides 12 months of comprehensive services for an underserved student and their family to support college preparation, college completion, and career development.

• $5,000: Supports college access workshops for 100 Hamilton High School students.

• $2,500: Supports DTS college scholarsips to help reduce the burden of exorbitant student loans.

The second way is by o ering career guidance through internship opportunities for college students or company site visits for high school students.

Please reach out today to help kids like Leo who are determined, succeed.

Determined to Succeed dtsla.org

: @determinedtosucceedla

2525 Ocean Park Blvd, Ste. 116 Santa Monica, CA 90405

Contact: Diana Monaco Director of Philanthropy (310) 922-0428 dmonaco@dtsla.org

“DTS demonstrates tremendous results and also brings out the best of humanity in everybody. How can you not want to get involved? I was a low-income and first-generation-to-college student, and the life-changing impact of a program like DTS resonates deeply for me.”

KEY SUPPORTERS

Elijah and Christine Adams

Peter and Alissa Bartle

Bilanin Family Foundation

Joe Blackstone and Jamie Mohn

California Community Foundation

Graham and Kimi Culp

Jared Cohen

Abdiel and Clara Garcia

Kim and Todd Goldstein

Kyle and Kim Harimoto

Heidi Hendrix and Ken Wimer

Jordana and Mark Ja e

Bertram and Raquel Lewitt

Sarah and Carlos Montoya

Jamie and Josh Phillips

Jessica and Eric Reid

Weingart Foundation

Zolla Family Foundation

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

Determined to Succeed

2525 Ocean Park Blvd. Ste 116

Santa Monica, CA 90405

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 82-1454808

By Credit Card: dtsla.org

– Abdiel Garcia

Determined to Succeed Board Member

To College and Beyond

“When my son was young, we chose a non-traditional ed ucation path. This meant a major reduction in income. As he began his junior year in high school, I panicked. Finances were tight and I knew he wanted to attend a four-year college. I heard about the College Access Program (CAP) through my church. It was a game-changer! The mentors, leadership staff, and guest speakers were phenomenal. My son received one-on-one ACT tutoring, which significantly raised his score. He was assigned a mentor who helped him write college application essays. CAP set him on a path to receive a full-tuition scholarship to his number one choice of college. In the fall, he will attend Pepperdine University in Malibu, California as a Posse scholar. CAP made our fam ily’s dream of college come true. We will be forever grateful to Dr. Delahoussaye and her fabulous team!”

The statistics are sobering. According to a 2021 Chapin Hall research study and National Student Clearinghouse data, just about 1 in 10 CalYOUTH (transition-age foster youth) had completed a college degree by age 23. And, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, only 14% of low-income students earn a college degree.

Yasmin Delahoussaye grew up in kinship care, which is as close to foster care as you can get. The relatives that took Delahoussaye in after her mother passed away when she was young had foster kids living in their home. She was low-income, a Pell Grant recipient and, by the time she was 18 years old, she was on her own.

Delahoussaye knew first-hand what a hard and tough life foster care kids had. She also knew how hard it was for those kids to get to and through college, because she was one of them. But she now holds a doctorate from UCLA because, as Delahoussaye says of herself, she was one of the lucky ones.

In 1987, Delahoussaye conducted her first Black College Tour, showing 35 amazed students a window into a life they could only have imagined. It was a huge success. This led her and her husband, Greg Delahoussaye, to establish Educating Students Together (EST), a college access program dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and improving the quality of life for foster and low-income youth by helping them access and complete higher education.

To combat this inequity, EST has developed a free, multi-tiered program to help its students during pre-college, in-college, and post-college. Their programs cover everything from assisting students with standing out from the crowd during the admissions process to workforce assistance once they graduate.

“We understand the value of education,” Co-founder and Executive Director Greg Delahoussaye says. “We understand what education did for us, for the young people we serve. They don’t have the resources… their counterparts have. And by giving them that support, it makes a real difference in their lives.”

This year all of the foster care youth EST worked with were accepted into four-year colleges and 64% of EST students received fullride scholarships (compared to the 1% of high school students nationally who receive such scholarships).

“We have two goals: It’s always to improve the program… and the other is to show impact… We help them get into their dream school… And then find the money to pay for it,” Yasmin Delahoussaye, co-founder and program director of EST, says.

"I strongly support EST because they work with students from disad vantaged communities in Los Angeles. EST teach es students how to raise their SAT scores to earn merit-based scholarships, provides mentors who help them write college essays that stand out from the crowd, and teaches them financial literacy. College affordability is a serious problem in this coun try, and the need has never been more acute since the pandemic started. Most of the students served by EST are first-generation students of color. The graduates of this excellent program have established a professional network that opens the doors for those behind them. If you visit their website, you will find that their results have been amazing!"

– Gene Hale Chairman, Greater African American Chamber of Commerce

"I entered foster care when I was twelve years old. During my senior year of high school, I received $350,000 in scholarships to attend USC. EST helped me with the whole college planning process, including writing my college essays. Foster kids don't usually get this type of one-onone help."

Opening the doors to college opportunities since 1987.

"Before meeting my mentor, I envisioned the essay portion to be a lot more complicated and stressful. However, with the help of Ms. Walker, I feel that my essays turned out well and the process in its entirety was very stress-free and productive. "

Yasmin Eady is a first-gener ation, low-income woman of color. With EST’s help, she received her bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science from North Carolina A&T in 2016. She will earn her master's and Ph.D. by 2023. Her career goal is to become a research data scientist.

Say Yes to Create College Access

Educating Students Together (EST) identifies qualifying low-income BIPOC students and provides no-cost tools and services starting in their junior year of high school. Each year they can help roughly 50 low-income youth and 20 foster youth, out of 200 deserving applicants, to pursue and achieve their college education dreams.

But with your donation, they aim to grow and expand their program to include 100 students in each of the four grades of high school, because the earlier they can begin working with high school students, the more effective and successful they can be in helping guide them on their path to their dream college and beyond.

Every dollar, up to $100,000, will be matched by the Valero Energy Foundation, Aaron and Diana Judovits, and Microsoft.

Colleg e Acc ess Pr og ra m

Educating Students Together

www.estcap.org

13101 W. Washington Blvd., Suite 452 Los Angeles, CA 90066 (310) 215-9522

Contact: Greg Delahoussaye Executive Director (818) 599-6150 greg@estcap.org

"As a young boy, I quickly learned the benefits of relying on a network of family, friends, teachers, and others for mentoring and opportunities. This network opened many doors. I later realized that there were many others who simply did not have the foundational support essential to tapping into the 'hidden' talents and resources. Fortunately, EST holds the key to unlocking these talents through its expansive, multi-faceted, and highly personal ized support system for thousands of richly deserving yet previously unsupported young men and women. My part ner (an HBCU graduate) and I are exceptionally proud to be longtime EST donors."

– Tony Lucente Lucente Consulting and EST annual donor

KEY SUPPORTERS

Aaron & Diana Judovits

Alaska Airlines Bank of America

Don & Ramona Munsell & Associates

Dwight Stuart Youth Fund

Erika & Justin Fogarty

Google

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Microsoft Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

S. Mark Taper Foundation

Sony Pictures Entertainment

The Annie E. Casey Foundation

The Change Reaction

The Conrad Hilton Foundation

The Gene Hale Foundation

The Matthew and Roberta Jenkins Foundation

Union Bank

Valero Energy Foundation

Walmart Whole Foods Market Yum Brands

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

Educating Students Together

13101 W. Washington Blvd., Suite 452 Los Angeles, CA 90066

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-4401305

By Credit Card: estcap.org/ways-to-give

75% of Los Angeles Unified School District counselors report that students at their school need more collegerelated assistance than they currently receive.

A Living Laboratory for Regenerative Agriculture

White Bu alo Land Trust has a vital purpose: to restore the ecosystem through agriculture and in the process directly address the climate, biodiversity, public health, and food security challenges we face today. It’s not a pipe dream for the Santa Barbara-based nonprofit as the trust has created the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at its 1,000-acre Jalama Canyon Ranch.

The ranch is perfectly suited for this reimagining of agriculture as Jalama possesses all five of the primary ecological sites of Mediterranean climates: Grasslands, Oak Woodlands, Vineyards & Orchards, Sage Scrub, and Riparian Corridors.

“We’re in a unique position with the opportunity to steward this 1,000-acre ranch,” says Founder and President Steve Finkel. “It’s truly a living laboratory that allows us to engage with each ecological site to grow food, fiber, and more in ways that create positive ecological outcomes. Our work supports climate, human, and soil health while bringing the bounty of the land into the marketplace.”

White Bu alo employs innovative monitoring and data collection systems to quantify their impacts and support research through its university partners including UCSB and Cal Tech. In turn, they share the knowledge through diverse education and training programs to raise the ecological literacy of the whole community.

The need for bold ideas and impactful change in agriculture is critical. According to NOAA, the Coastal Curve from Santa Barbara through Los Angeles to the Mexican border is warming at double the rate of the continental U.S. Transitioning to regenerative agriculture o ers solutions to climate change and builds more resilient and healthier communities.

Even though Jalama has only been operational for 18 months, White Bu alo has already trained 125 farmers and ranchers in regenerative principles and food grown at the ranch is making its way to the marketplace.

“We are just scratching the surface of what’s possible,” says Finkel. “Every day, every growing

have been deeply inspired by the White Bu alo team and their approach to regenerative agriculture; it has given me new hope that this generation can redesign our food systems to be a restorative force for people and planet. Manitou Fund is proud to support the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Jalama Canyon Ranch. Building regional resilience has never been more important and Manitou is thrilled to be part of this transformation at the leading edge with White Bu alo Land Trust."

– Nora McNeely Hurley Manitou Fund

season, we better understand the relationships between agriculture and ecology, refining our ability to accelerate ecological restoration through agriculture. We’re just getting started!”

"I

What We Need...

A Global Imperative with a Local Solution

White Bu alo Land Trust is currently seeking $1.5 million to endow the Director of Land Stewardship position in perpetuity; a position of leadership catalyzing the adoption of regenerative agriculture locally, regionally, and globally.

Contributors can rest assured that those dollars are spent responsibly. “The enterprise part of our organization puts us in an equally competitive environment as any for-profit entity, as part of our mission to demonstrate regenerative agriculture as the new business as usual,” says Finkel, a former investment manager. “We treat the philanthropic dollars that we receive as investments and we take an incredible amount of pride in how we steward those donations. We seek to provide a capital return on every donation, whether it’s ecological, intellectual, or financial.”

• 24% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from

current food, agriculture, and land use sectors.

White Bu alo Land Trust www.whitebu alolandtrust.org PO Box 5100 Santa Barbara, CA 93150

Contact: Ana Smith, Director of Programs (805) 637-5497 ana@whitebu alolandtrust.org

White Buffalo Land Trust was founded in honor of the life, work, and love of Lyndsey McMorrow. Her passion for the well-being of people, communities, and planet continues to inspire our work and is an invitation for everyone to participate in the regeneration and healing of the Earth, and the heart.

“This is a life-changing training course for those interested in improving the ecological outcomes of our planet through regenerative agriculture!

I am grateful for the opportunity to learn in such an inspiring setting with a supportive community of practitioners. This course is revolutionary in restoring our environment and also restoring ourselves so that we can e ectively restore the environment.”

– Holistic Management Training Course Student

KEY SUPPORTERS

Manitou Fund

Roberto Foundation

WOKA Foundation

JS Bower Foundation

GA Fowler Family Foundation

TomKat Education Foundation

Coyuchi Philanthropy Fund

Dancing Tides Foundation

Natalie Orfalea Foundation

Brownstein, Farber, Hyatt, Schreck

McMorrow Family Foundation

Santa Barbara Foundation

Zegar Family Fund

Gardner Grout Foundation

Saxon Family Fund

Williams Corbett Foundation

Cienega Capital

Land Trust for Santa Barbara County

Gaviota Coast Conservancy

Santa Barbara Food Action Network

CA Dept of Agriculture

US Dept of Agriculture

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

White Bu alo Land Trust

PO Box 5100

Santa Barbara, CA 93150

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 82-4562776

By Credit Card: whitebu alolandtrust.org/donate

• 70% of U.S. farmland is expected to change hands over the next 20 years

our

The time to act is now to ensure that we transition to regenerative agriculture in one generation.

Educating Leaders for a Pluralistic America

Bayan Islamic Graduate School, operating since 2011 in partnership with a leading Christian theological seminary, is the United States’ first Islamic higher education institution to o er an accredited Master of Arts in Islamic Studies, Master of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy, and Doctor of Ministry in Islamic Leadership. Bayan’s mission is to cultivate a world that understands Islamic values in a modern context, and in particular to produce religious leaders and scholars for the Muslim American community who can also enrich civic and interreligious spaces with thoughtful and meaningful contributions. To date, 70 graduates serve as imams, chaplains, educators, and organizational leaders throughout the nation.

Founding President Jihad Turk states, “Religion when done right can be a force of positivity and healing; that’s how we view the Islamic faith. We want to provide an understanding for Muslims and society at large.” Furthermore, he notes, “Our training isn’t just Islamic; it emphasizes civic engagement, nonprofit management, public speaking. It’s also about interfaith relations and conflict resolution.”

A name like “Jihad Turk” certainly grabs attention, sometimes even prompting apprehension. Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, he tried using the nickname “Jay,” but his father disapproved. Jihad recounts, “He told me, the essence of my name in Arabic is ‘The struggle to do the right thing,’” and he has tried to live up to that standard ever since. Born to a Muslim Palestinian father and a Christian American mother, Turk embarked on a journey of selfunderstanding, spending part of his college years exploring his roots in the Muslim world.

Later, after graduating with a degree in history from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree from UT Austin in Arabic and Islamic studies, he continued at UCLA. He was soon recruited as the forward-thinking religious director of a major Los Angeles mosque. As a scholar and interfaith bridge-builder, he was approached by the world-renowned Claremont School of Theology to run an Islamic graduate seminary program, and he knew it was so needed. Bayan now o ers its degrees in partnership with the Chicago Theological Seminary.

Bayan seeks to better integrate the diverse

t Bayan, we offer a world-class

– Jihad Turk President

Muslim American community – African American Muslims, several generations of immigrants from many nations, and converts. Black Muslims comprise one fifth of all U.S. Muslims. About 40 percent of Bayan’s students are African American. One of the most popular classes at Bayan, “Islam in Black America: From Slavery to Hip-Hop,” explores the historical and contemporary connections of Islam and the Black community, fleshing out an underappreciated aspect of our nation’s history. Enthusiasm for this material was so strong that Bayan made video recordings of the lectures available to the public. For $10 per month, anyone can subscribe to Bayan’s online courses, and the money goes towards a scholarship fund named after boxing legend and heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. Turk knew Ali personally, and he promised the Ali family he would carry on good works in Muhammad’s honor. His wife, Lonnie Ali, a rms, “His spiritual legacy will be maintained at Bayan.”

“A

non-sectarian education and produce dynamic and ethical leaders and scholars grounded in the Islamic tradition.”

Support Muhammad Ali’s Legacy

Bayan Islamic Graduate School is doing its part to o er opportunities to promising and dedicated students who are working in underserved communities to obtain graduate education. With the blessing of the family of sports legend and hero Muhammad Ali, the donor-supported, fulltuition Muhammad Ali Scholarship for Spiritual Leadership provides up to $75,000 to qualified students to further their studies as chaplains, teachers, imams, and nonprofit leaders. Graduates receive an accredited Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree.

As a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, Bayan’s educational programs help in the formation of American Muslim leadership that is positioned to inspire positive action rooted in the Islamic faith tradition to benefit society at large. In recent years, Bayan received significant grants from the Henry Luce Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, and a $1,000,000 grant from the renowned Annenberg Foundation’s explore.org initiative to contribute to sustainability and growth. Your support will enable Bayan to continue on a trajectory of success as an American Muslim higher education institution.

“I work in a community that revitalizes a blighted neighborhood. Bayan’s hybrid model worked wonders for me, as an imam, a father and a full-time teacher. Bayan is one of the most flexible and accommodating programs out there. One of the biggest strengths at Bayan is its diversity, and the ability for you to retain your identity but broaden your horizons at the same time.”

– Imam Hamzah Abdul-Malik

Midtown Mosque, Memphis, TN

his is an American institution that is firmly grounded in the broad diversity of the Islamic tradition, and also significant experience in di erent contexts that enriches the development of practical theology, of Islamic ethics, and of really important perspectives on how we can bring our principles and values as Muslims in a meaningful way to the context and communities in which we live.”

– Dr. Ingrid Mattson

Past President, Islamic Society of North America; Professor of Islamic Studies, Huron University

SCAN TO MAKE A DONATION...

Bayan Islamic Graduate School

Bayanonline.org

2854 N. Santiago Blvd., Suite 201, Orange, CA 92867

Contact: Munir Shaikh Vice President of Operations and Academic A airs (714) 862-2926 mshaikh@bayanonline.org

FRIENDS OF BAYAN

Lonnie Ali - Philanthropist, advocate, wife of Muhammad Ali Charles Annenberg Weingarten - Philanthropist, director

Hasan Minhaj - Comedian, actor

Rev. Ed Bacon - Author, Former rector at All-Saints Episcopal Churchin Pasadena

Mario Van Peebles - Actor, director, activist

Lena Khan - Hollywood writer/director

Dr. Omar Ezzeldine - School district director, Bayan trustee

Matthew Mengerink - Silicon Valley tech industry leader, Bayan trustee

Dr. Asifa Quraishi-Landes - Constitutional law professor, Bayan trustee

Preacher Moss - Comedian

Dr. Sara Deen - Dentist, interfaith leader, Bayan trustee

Saafir Rabb - Business strategist, Obama transition team, Bayan trustee

Seyed Hadi Qazwini - Scholar, Bayan trustee

Mohannad Malas - Real estate investor/developer, Bayan advisor

Dr. Rami Nashashibi - MacArthur Genius award recipient, Bayan faculty

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

Bayan Islamic Graduate School

2854 N. Santiago Blvd., Suite 201 Orange, CA 92867

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 46-2431099

By Credit Card: bayanonline.org

“T

...AND LEARN MORE ABOUT BAYAN ISLAMIC GRADUATE SCHOOL

Emergency Services

When emergency strikes and people are suffering, we need a swift, compassionate response.

Whether human or canine, these two organizations exemplify both.

Wilma Melville: Dogged Determination

By Les Firestein

Wilma Melville is the most inspirational person I’ve ever met. She has done more during her retirement than most people have done during their entire careers. I recently had the pleasure of visiting her at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation Training Center in Santa Paula, California, and then again in the hangar where she lives with her airplane. “Spark plug” is an overused term I have never used before. She is a spark plug. She is Annie Oakley. She is Amelia Earhart. Above all, Wilma Melville is an exhauster of my internal thesaurus of superlatives.

One of the things I nd so inspirational about Melville is she has achieved so much without having any particular advantages. She was a public school gym teacher from a working-class neighborhood in Newark. If there’s one advantage Melville thinks she had, it was her grandmother Pauline who mentored her and cared for her during the summers of World War II. at granny showed Melville the importance of hard work, self-reliance,

and charity – attributes that would eventually blossom into the $7 million-plus annual revenue National Disaster Search Dog Foundation and training facility Melville founded more than a quarter centur y ago

As Melville tells it, she always pushed herself and her body hard. “Lots of energy came my way from some DNA combination. Running felt so good, I wondered why so many people were walking. Right through high school, Phys Ed was my favorite class. Eventually I came to understand I had an adventurous spirit, so let’s get on with hiking, camping, and even endurance horseback riding.” Endurance rides are what brought Melville to Ojai – it was the incredible, beautiful, and plentiful network of trails. Having trained on those ro bust Ojai trails, Melville twice rode the Tevis Cup, a 100-mile horseback endurance ride in the Sierras of Nor thern California, in less than 24 hours. She has always pushed it, even now as she’s pushing 90.

“Some shelter dogs are extremely driven, hyper focused, and tenacious. It’s what makes them di cult but also what makes them great. It’s just their personality. But because of that, the dogs need a lot of tasks and much personalized interaction as an outlet for all that determination and energy. Is it a surprise I get along with that type of animal? Probably not.”

is is Melville in her own words: “Living 88 years is a lengthy time with endless opportunities to learn. I’ve learned a great deal in those years. Not everything, mind you, but I’ve gone through signi cant changes. Some of the happenings that changed me were painful, while others took growing up and simply becoming a realist.”

Melville’s journey to rescue dog royalty was by no means a direct path. She always loved animals even though she grew up in the city But it wasn’t until much later when she was “retired” in Ojai and her horse got injured requiring a lengthy recovery that the always-goal-oriented Melville decided to train a dog to “do something special!” e next goal would be to attain certication as a FEMA canine disaster search team. at requires developing skills in dogs and handlers that are highly unusual –such as training dogs to climb up and down ladders, or to walk upstairs backward, or to nd a missing person amid a myriad of confusing smells (including a generous drenching of jet fuel).

What especially appealed to Melville were many of the best dogs for search and rescue are those that were abandoned. “Many of these dogs would likely have been euthanized,” she says. “ e Search Dog Foundation looks for dogs that are extremely driven, hyper focused, and tenacious. It’s what makes them di cult but also what makes them great. It’s just their personality But because of that, the dogs need a lot of tasks and much personalized interaction as an outlet for all that determination and energy. Is it a surprise I get along with that type of animal? Probably not.”

Melville trained Murphy to be FEMA-certi ed in 24 months. Not long thereafter came the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building by domestic terrorists. Melville saw the carnage on the news and had the inkling she might “ get the call.” She was right. From Palm Springs where she was vacationing, Melville was deployed for 10 days with Murphy to the federal building (what was left of it). e truck bomb destroyed that building and damaged or destroyed 424 other structures within a 16-block radius. One hundred and

Melville on one of her Tevis Cup Rides in 1990

Melville at training with Murphy

IN WILMA’S WORDS

LF: To what do you contribute your moxie?

WM: I was an extremely shy child with many fears I missed out on a great deal of fun, so at about the age of 12, I decided on my own that fear was misplaced energy I had to face my fears and battle to overcome them one by one I did just that in the way of a 12-year-old, and have honed that skill ever since And it only took me about a century!

LF: As for your capacity to get things done?

WM: I think this is an attitude One has to “ get done what’s on one’s plate today” because tomorrow is another day Another group of demands will be made tomorrow If I don’t complete all my tasks today, how can I possibly handle tomorrow too? I don’t understand procrastination. Sometimes I have to think on a topic so that item does not get done today But to push o until tomorrow what can be done today is just going to make tomorrow very di cult.

LF: Where did you get the “bug” to become a pilot?

WM: My first husband, a physician, was out shopping for a plane thinking he would take flying lessons in that plane I immediately signed up for lessons thinking, I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit in a plane with him and not know how to fly. I had completed perhaps a dozen lessons and the guy never did buy a plane Dilemma. Since I do not like to stop in the middle and leave a project undone, I completed the course and became a licensed pilot. Flying added a tremendous lift to my self-confidence! My thinking wa s, If I could fly, I could do most anything. Then came a divorce with four very young boys to raise. Yep, that was one of the tough times and di cult decisions Fortunately that divorce was perhaps the best decision I’ve made over the years. [ Three of Melville’s four sons have become pilots.]

LF: What has made you so fiercely independent?

MW: The divorce taught me that no one would ever take care of me as well as I could myself I was enraged that I had bought into the culture of the 1950s. I was intensely angry with myself that I had even imagined that another person had to be counted on. I had worked as a teacher so that the now-divorced husband could go to medical school. He could pay enough child support so that with me teaching, the money flow was adequate Time passed. Some lessons are more di cult than others Eventually I met my next husband while hiking with my kids at Mount Baldy

LF: Would you say there is value in knowing not just who you are but who you aren’t?

WM: I realize I have only normal intelligence My education was adequate for a teacher I recognize that I was a “late bloomer” when it came to making a change in the tiny sliver of dogdom that we call “canine disaster search.” I learned to take anger and turn it into useful energy When a pilot in the air finds herself in a tough situation, what follows is an air tra c controller saying, “ What are your intentions?” That is a sobering question. My hair stands on end. There is no one else to answer One can delay by saying, “Standby.” But moments later, one’s intentions must be spoken. Becoming a pilot was an outstanding help in my life I give myself credit for a vision plus the knowledge that I had to surround myself with those who knew a great deal about things of which I knew very little To this day, I know very well the dir ection that the Search Dog Foundation must go The future and the horizon are clear to me At 88, I likely have little time remaining. What will be the best use of my time? Standby

Melville and Murphy

sixty-eight people were killed – 30 of them children in the building’s daycare facility. As Melville tells it: “I saw the best of humanity and the worst of humanity in Oklahoma. e destruction was caused by the worst of humanity, but the average Oklahoman was doing anything and everything they could to help We – the search dogs and their handlers – were own in on a militar y plane and every day our job was to go wherever the re department and other rst responders needed us. e blast had pancaked all the oors together, so as they excavated, you knew what oor you were on based on the contents of the

the accounting oor And sadly, when we got to the toys and little juice boxes, we knew we were in the daycare.

“Every day we would go in for 12-hour search-and-rescue shifts, and every night we’d come out with our dogs, and Oklahomans would be at the gates, asking us if we had found this person or that person. I remember this one guy was there every night, patiently standing vigil, waiting to hear what happened with his wife, holding out hope. Hope can be in nitesimally small, but so long as there’s still that ember, this guy was going to be there every night. I remember one night I was coming out with Murphy and the guy stopped me, and held up a picture of his wife and said, ‘Have you found my wife yet?’ I didn’t have the heart to tell him that because of the force of the blast, we were not nding a great number of intact bodies. So I just told him we would not stop searching until every single person had been accounted for. is was true. We certainly had the tools to do that.”

Almost 30 years later, this woman who seems so tough – this modern-day Annie Oakley – quietly and undramatically weeps as she tells that stor y. She talks about the importance of closure, of people holding out hope. Melville continues, “ When these dogs make a discovery, what it does is allow the family to close that chapter and eventually start a new one.”

From her experience in Oklahoma, Melville learned there were only approximately 15 FEMA-certi ed dogs in the entire United States – a completely anemic and insu cient number. increase that number, because the greater the number of local dogs spread out over the countr y, the faster they can be deployed and the greater likelihood of a “live nd.” After the Murrah Building bombing, Melville created the Search Dog Foundation. e rst goal was to train 168 certi ed canine disaster search teams – one for each person who died in Oklahoma. is was completed in Februar y 2020 and Melville was there to witness it. Today, the number 168 is engraved on the sculpture of Melville and Murphy that stands proudly at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation training facility in Santa Paula.

Murphy searching the ruins of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation at work at Ground Zero on 9/11

From the Tragedy of the Oklahoma City Bombing Was Born a Human-canine Bond That Relentlessly Saves Lives

"Over the years, the Search Dog Founda tion has paired many canine disaster search teams that serve the Los Angeles area and we are grateful to have these canines as a resource to call upon when needed for our urban search and rescue team as part of Los Angeles County Fire Department and California Task Force 2. Our task force is only one of two in the nation that deploys internationally, and the search dogs are a vital part of that response. Whether earthquakes, hur ricanes, mudslides, or missing person searches, these highly trained canines are instrumental in completing our search missions, whether close to home or abroad. The Search Dog Foundation provides these canines as invaluable assets for our department and task force free of charge, ensuring we stand ready to serve our community when called upon to help."

– Travon Espy

When two children got lost during a hike in rural New York with oncoming rain commingling with the darkening night, it wasn’t drones or thermal heat sensors that found them. It was Luka, a Belgian Mali nois search dog. His enthusiastic signal led his handler away from the search area to a steep ravine, where they were found in the dark, cold but unharmed.

It was only a few years earlier when Luka him self needed rescuing. Found by an animal con trol officer in Central California as a stray, a ro tating host of temporary owners deemed Luka “un-adoptable.” That is, before the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation found him.

The National Disaster Search Dog Foun dation is unlike any other organization in the U.S., having pioneered a model that has helped hundreds of dogs, created highly skilled search teams, and filled a critical need by pairing the rescued with rescuers.

Teams have been part of search-and-rescue efforts including 9/11, earthquakes in Haiti, the Camp Fire (in the Sierra Nevada Mountains;

this was the deadliest and most destructive fire in California’s history) and the deadly mudslides in Montecito in 2018.

Oddly, certain behavioral traits that often make dogs poor pets make for great rescue dogs.

“These dogs won’t quit,” says Denise Sanders, senior director of communications and handler operations. “We look for those that are super high energy, toy obsessed, and have laser-like focus on the job at hand. That’s what you need to ensure resilience during deployments when there’s difficult terrain and rough conditions.”

The foundation combs shelters, finding dogs that train for up to 12 months at their 145-acre National Training Center in Santa Paula, Cali fornia, and are teamed with first responders across the nation to complete their certifica tion. The foundation also provides a lifetime commitment of care for the dog and ongoing training for handlers.

“The reason that these search teams are able to do this work so well is because of the relation ship between handler and dog,” Sanders says.

“Our handler training program focuses on the depth and longevity of that bond, building on the historical foundation that humans and dogs have always partnered and been companions.”

This vision was born in 1995, when founder Wilma Melville combed through the rubble of the Oklahoma City bombing with her search dog, Murphy. That harrowing experience made her realize the need for more highly trained search teams.

She started with the goal of training 168 certified canine disaster search teams to honor the 168 victims of the bombing. The founda tion exceeded that goal in 2020 and has now trained and certified more than 229 teams, with 84 currently working across the country assisting with landslides, missing persons, and collapsed structures this year alone, including 21 in the Los Angeles area (12 in the Bay Area and 57 across California).

Battalion Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department; Program Manager, California Task Force 2/USA-2

The bond between handler and canine provides the solid foundation for their work together, and extends into all aspects of their lives, whether at home or on the job.

Disasters happen. It’s not a matter of if, but when...

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) has proudly served our country and the world since 1996, recruiting, rescuing, and training shelter dogs to become search dogs, looking for survivors in the wreckage of natural and human-made disasters alongside their first responder-handlers during more than 230 incidents, including Ground Zero after 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the devastating Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011, and the Montecito mudslide in 2018.

With active teams across the nation, SDF continues to support current teams and the next generation of search dogs, providing ongoing training and veterinary care for their entire lives. Dogs unable to complete disaster search training are placed in another career or loving home, and once rescued, they will never need to be rescued again.

Join us in supporting these incredible canine heroes and show them we believe in the power of rescued dogs becoming rescuers.

Be Part of the Search today.

Saving

Lives,

Both Human and Canine

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation has rescued and trained 279 dogs that have, in turn, rescued humans in disasters. Over 26 years, these expert teams have worked in the largest disasters: from 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the earth quakes in Haiti to missing persons and small structure collapses throughout the country.

The foundation has pioneered a model for screening, train ing, and providing a lifetime of care for each dog it rescues, along with ongoing expert support for handlers.

But the U.S. only has half the amount of search teams truly needed. The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation has a goal of training 20 teams in the next year, while ensuring every dog that enters its program will be suc cessful, whether as a disaster search dog or in another career, by foster ing the bonds that will create the next generation of working dogs.

With a gift to the foundation, you can save lives both human and canine.

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

6800 Wheeler Canyon Road Santa Paula, CA 93060

Contact: Rhett Mauck Executive Director (805) 646-1015

Rhett@SearchDogFoundation.org

atching the Search Dog Foundation grow from a small group of ardent volunteers into the nationally recognized or ganization it is today has been an inspiration and an honor. I value the opportunity to both encour age and be part of that growth."

– George Leis Chair, Board of Directors, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation; President & Chief Operating Officer, Montecito Bank & Trust

KEY SUPPORTERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

George Leis – Board Chair President and COO, Montecito Bank & Trust

Dennis Kuykendall – Board Vice Chair Project Executive, Balfour Beatty Construction

Mike J. Diani – Secretary President, Diani Building Corp.

Richard Butt Retired EVP, Executive Creative Director, VMLY&R

Robert Harris Battalion Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department

George R. Haynes, Ph.D. CEO, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

Crystal Wyatt Leadership in Board Governance and Creative & Sustainable Philanthropy

The Many Ways to Give...

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

6800 Wheeler Canyon Road Santa Paula, CA 93060

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 77-0412509

"W

By Check:

Intense drive, athleticism, and energy are innate traits we look for in the canines recruited for disaster search work.

Innovations That Save Lives

Los Angeles County is usually synonymous with entertainment, but the Los Angeles County Fire Department Foundation is giving Silicon Valley a run for its money in its commitment to innovation. Specifically, innova tion that saves lives.

The LA County Fire Department Foundation provides funding for Los Angeles County Fire

Department needs that are not covered by its constrained government budget. This can include new beds for paramedics, new gym equipment for firefighters, or community preparedness classes. But, more often than not, the Foundation provides the County with resources and tools to innovate, something the LA County Fire Department knows a thing or two about.

The Fire Department invented the paramedic role to better serve the community. “Paramedics were not a thing in the ‘sixties. In the ‘seventies, we invented the paramedic and then helped NBC launch the TV show Emergency! to help people become accustomed to receiving medical services,” Medical Director Clayton Kazan says. The problem, Dr. Kazan describes, is that the Los Angeles County Fire Department is evolving faster than government funding can keep up with.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department is one of the largest in the world: 177 fire stations,

162 lifeguard towers, an Air and Wildland Division with 10 helicopters and Task Force USA-2 – an international search and rescue team. With over 5,000 personnel, covering over 400,000 incidents per year, the fire department is stretched thin.

The Foundation fills those gaps. In the last 24 months, the Foundation has replaced oldfashioned jaws of life with modern equipment that can pull totaled cars apart faster – saving more lives. They also purchased 114 iPads in a single day, deploying telemedicine into disadvantaged communities during the pandemic providing the care people needed without transporting them to overcrowded hospitals.

“We’re the button that makes innovation possible because our processes are simple; we can operationalize quickly,” Foundation President Stacy Mungo Flanigan says with a smile.

And when things go quickly in the emergency field, it means more lives are saved.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Foundation supportlacountyfire.org 1320 N. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90063 (323) 793-FIRE foundation@fire.lacounty.gov

Help the County Breathe Easier

The Los Angeles County Fire Department Foundation has made it its mission to provide each paramedic unit with a mechanical CPR device by December 2023.

“We are trying to build a first-of-its-kind comprehensive cardiac arrest system in LA County, and it cannot be done without mechanical CPR devices,” says Medical Director Clayton Kazan. Mechanical CPR devices are extra hands for paramedics to help them care for our sickest patients. While the program is in its infancy, there are already four confirmed survivors. “Our team is so proud that these four people were returned to their lives, their families, and their communities, completely intact, because the Foundation’s donors provided the resources for us to pilot our vision.

“Government budgets are always based on paying for what has been established with no room for vision or innovation. My team is always saying, ‘If only we had some room in the budget, we could do so much more.’ That is why we are so grateful to the Fire Foundation and its generous donors,” Dr. Kazan adds.

By Check: Fire Foundation 3730 Industry Ave. #211 Lakewood, CA 90712

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 47-5572995

By Credit Card: supportlacountyfire.org

Family Well-being

Families are the foundational pillar of a stable and compassionate society. But here in this country, the bonds that tie families together are frayed and in need of leaders willing to provide support and services – small and large – that can ensure their well-being.

Challenging Los Angeles to Do More

Los Angeles is rife with challenges. Meeting those challenges requires people and institutions willing to step up. For the Annenberg Foundation, that willingness is embedded in its DNA.

From the environment to housing and harnessing the incredible burgeoning of the tech industry locally, the Foundation has developed a successful strategy to gently, but clearly, challenge partners across the public and private sector into joining hands to accelerate change.

April 2022, Earth Day, was case-inpoint. Political leaders including Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Alex Padilla, and Congressman Ted Lieu had joined other electeds, nonprofit leaders, and foundation staff for the groundbreaking for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. The crossing, spanning the ten lanes of the 101 freeway near Agoura Hills, is a monumental publicprivate partnership to protect and restore wildlife habitats in Southern California, and one which wouldn’t be anywhere near

construction if it weren’t for the Annenberg Foundation and its leader Wallis.

Cinny Kennard is the foundation’s executive director. Having spent most of her career as a journalist, Kennard is averse to hyperbole, but can’t help to underscore the power of that ceremony.

“It was a moment in California history that I was proud to be a part of, that Wallis was proud to be a part of,” she says. “It was just all of us together. No bickering. Just getting it done. The most wonderful part of this great Annenberg philanthropy story is we didn’t do it alone. We had partners in every shape and size, and that was everything to making this happen, so California could be an example. It was a great, great thing.”

It all started in 2016 when the National Wildlife Foundation (NWF) and CalTrans proposed a massive corridor across the 101 freeway in Agoura Hills to provide wildlife with a safe place to cross into other habitats.

Wallis Annenberg, steeped in a philanthropic tradition bent on taking big bets and bringing friends along for the ride, put up $1 million for a challenge grant.

“There’s a reason I wanted to support this crossing and issue this challenge: We need to move beyond mere conservation, toward a kind of environmental rejuvenation,” Annenberg said. “Wildlife crossings are powerfully effective at doing just that –restoring ecosystems that have been fractured and disrupted. It’s a way of saying, there are solutions to our deepest ecological challenges, and this is the kind of fresh, new thinking that will get us there.”

The initial challenge drew some $10 million in donations, but Annenberg and the Foundation were far from done. In 2021, they issued a record-breaking $25 million challenge grant to the NWF, dubbed the “Conservation Challenge Grant.” The

Governor Gavin Newsom and Annenberg Foundation

Executive Director, Cinny Kennard

Tours being given at the grand opening of the new South LA Teen Tech Center, supported thanks to a partnership between the Annenberg Foundation, Best Buy, and Vermont Slauson Economic Develop ment Corporation.

“The Annenberg Foundation was instrumental in making this public-private partnership a reality. The Foundation provid ed the financial momentum to get this visionary project off the ground and the sustained support and strong partnerships continue to foster excitement and global interest from local LA funders to international philanthropists. The Annenberg Wildlife Crossing has become a model for others committed to protecting wildlife and creating a legacy of conservation in California and beyond.”

– BETH PRATT

California Regional Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation

funds raised were not only enough to fund construction, but moved up the timeline to that fateful Earth Day – three years earlier than planned.

While the $25 million challenge is currently the largest such investment to date, it is far from a first for the Foundation.

In 1993, the Foundation, still led by founder Walter H. Annenberg, launched the unprecedented $500 million Annenberg Challenge for School Reform, which inspired public school reform in eighteen sites across the nation. This initial investment catalyzed more than $600 million in matching grants, and led to major reforms in school districts across the county.

Unlike many private foundations with a dozen or more board members, Annenberg’s is composed of Wallis and her three adult children, Lauren Bon, Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, and Charles Annenberg Weingarten. This, Kennard says, allows the foundation to be extremely nimble and able to meet the pressing needs of the day.

While many foundations still struggle to use their endowments as a vehicle for positive social change, Annenberg’s Board carved out $15 million more than 10 years back

to ensure that the Foundation used all of its tools for impact. They came up with “three pillars” to drive those investments: equitable access to capital, diversity in leadership, and Los Angeles.

With a deepening housing and homelessness crisis ravaging the city despite significant public investment, the Foundation made a $2.5 million investment in SDS Capital Group’s Supportive Housing Fund, which eschews public funding on the front end, and is building more than 1,000 units for unhoused Angelenos, fast.

In this case, the opportunity was brought to Annenberg by the Weingart Foundation, illustrating just how willing the Foundation is to forge meaningful partnerships. “The good thing that happens around investments like this is you have a foundation with good experience, so it’s colleague to colleague sharing to say, ‘This would be a good investment.’”

To wit, Annenberg helped to get SDS’s fund fully capitalized and it’s now building new housing every day.

But the Foundation is not only focused on the crises playing out today; it is always in search of opportunities to build a better L.A. for tomorrow.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ANNENBERG FOUNDATION

Alex Gilliland

Media Strategist & Writer agilliland@annenberg.org annenberg.org (650) 823-4575

2000 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1000S, Los Angeles, CA 90067 Tax ID# 23-6257083

In the mid 2010s, Kennard recalls how Los Angeles was increasingly becoming a hub for the tech industry.

“L.A. evolved into a tech ecosystem that was looked upon by everyone in the country, and arguably the world, as a place where there was exponential growth in tech,” Kennard says. “Wallis and I said to each other, ‘My God, the city is changing. What can we do as a philanthropic organization in this community to connect the tech wealth to those that need access and opportunity to it?’”

In 2018, the Annenberg Foundation, the Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti, and local venture capital (VC) and tech firms started convening tech industry leaders to ensure that the industry was not only benefiting itself, but the city as a whole.

This evolved into PledgeLA, a collective of over 200 VC firms and tech companies focused on growth in diversity, equity, and community engagement each year. The hallmark is an annual report that highlights opportunities and pain points to help create a more inclusive local tech and venture ecosystem.

Kennard calls this work “pathfinding,” setting the bar for where the field is and where it needs to be.

To lift up talent in a deeply neglected part of the city, the Foundation, alongside big names like the Hilton Foundation, Tony Pritzker, and Magic Johnson, launched the South LA Founders Fund, which is providing capital to startups led by Black and Latino founders from that community.

“The city changed,” Kennard says, “and Annenberg wanted to evolve and be there to help as it did.”

An Early Pioneer in Community Empowerment Continues to Break the Cycle of Poverty

Forty years ago, Liz Herrera was study ing to become a social worker at UCLA. Herrera told her field advisor that she wanted to work at an organization that was doing the best community work with families, children, and youth.

“I am not interested in working in a traditional mental health setting,” she remembers telling the instructor. “I want to work within the community, as part of the community.”

His response: Then you need to go to El Nido Family Centers.

Since 1925, El Nido Family Centers has been working toward its bold vision of ensuring that Los Angeles’ families and communities have the resources to thrive and break the cycle of generational poverty.

Herrera, the Center’s Executive Director since 2002, says that when she joined back in the 1980s, the agency was a pioneer: working across sectors with community partners, in schools and in homes directly with families and children in need.

El Nido staff still favor this holistic, hands-

on approach. Last year alone, their dedicated team of more than 150 credentialed counselors, therapists, and family coaches guided more than 12,000 individuals through a breadth of challenges, offering education and resources for new parents to ensure infants grow up healthy, mentoring struggling students and preventing youth from joining gangs, providing career guidance and financial aid to young adults, and providing rental assistance and services to keep struggling families housed.

A core focus for El Nido is helping vulnerable youth: They have robust youth development programming designed to provide comprehensive support to vulnerable young adults on their road to a college education. As part of this effort, they recently developed a Culinary Arts program, which offers a teaching kitchen that provides youth with entrepreneurship, business, and leadership skills.

“If we intervene at the right moment in a young person’s life, we can change the trajectory of their lives,” Herrera says.

“I was convinced I’d die an early violent death on the streets or spend the rest of my life behind bars. It could have ended with a tragic outcome for me if El Nido hadn’t been around… I always felt supported by El Nido starting at 15 and now as an adult. They’ve given me so much, starting with counseling. I want to see them continue to grow, just like they have helped me to grow. El Nido provided me with crucial scholarships that helped me complete my undergradu ate degree from UC Santa Cruz and now pursue my Ph. D. in History. When I got the first scholarship, it was such a morale booster. El Nido gave me a chance. They believed in me.”

Client

“El Nido absolutely believes in the power and potential of every Angeleno,” says Lisa Carloss, President of El Nido’s Board of Directors. “Our goal is to level the playing field, provide the opportunity, and watch clients soar on their own.”

– Carlos Cruz

Former El Nido Family Centers

El Nido believes that everyone has a right to a happy and healthy childhood and that families deserve resources to thrive.

El Nido builds strong relationships within the family to help children achieve success through positive parental support, tutoring, mentorship, and career exploration.

From workforce development, technology training, culinary program, coun seling, and college corner, we offer a broad array of vital services to nurture young adults, impart life skills, and help them plan for a prosperous future.

Change the Trajectory: Give Young Adults the Opportunity to Excel

For 97 years, El Nido Family Centers’ programs and services have evolved to meet new challenges faced by Los Angeles’ most vulnerable residents.

“Getting to where I am today wasn’t easy. But I was able to do it with the guidance, encouragement, financial support, and friendship from El Nido,” says first generation University of California at Berkeley college student and former El Nido client, Alexandro Garcia.

Your donations can help vulnerable youth thrive. With just $2,500, your gift goes towards holistic support, including mentorship, tutoring, mental health services, and scholarship funds, for a young adult preparing to enter college.

We hope to provide 50 youth with this comprehensive support this year.

El Nido provides youth development activ ities to support youth at high risk of joining gangs. Our services include comprehensive assessment and counseling for the entire family to address underlying risk factors.

We educate mothers and fathers in their role as their child’s first teacher through parenting, early childhood development classes, and infant and toddler socialization programs.

At age 14, Adela, a long-term survivor of child abuse, both physical and emotional, was the primary caregiver for her young siblings, often missing school as a result. “Then when I was 17, I sheltered fear fully in my bedroom struggling to keep my baby safe.”

“But ‘the turning point’ in my life came when I was referred to El Nido for counseling. Therapy, financial and parenting workshops, and multiple college schol arships ignited the determination to create a much better life for myself and my son. I learned to retrain my mind to set positive goals.”

Today, she feels deep gratitude to El Nido. Adela graduated from college this spring and was recently promoted to the post of Community Integration Coordinator at The Campbell Center, a nonprofit serving people with disabili ties. She is also chair of El Nido’s Alumni Association, a group of former clients, who are role models for future El Nido graduates..

– Adela Garcia

Former El Nido Family Centers client

KEY SUPPORTERS

Albertsons Companies Foundation

Bainum Family Foundation Bank of America California Community Foundation California State University Capital One Cedars-Sinai Medical Center De Miranda Foundation Eisner Foundation Guess Foundation Harold Edelstein Foundation

In-N-Out Burger Foundation Kaiser Permanente Foundation

El Nido Family Centers www.elnidofamilycenters.org 440 Shatto Place, Suite 417 Los Angeles, CA 90020 (818) 830-3646

Contact: Carter Calhoun Director of Development El Nido Family Centers (818) 830-3646 ccalhoun@elnidofamilycenters.org

Kyncl Family Foundation

Max Factor Family Foundation

Michael J. Connell Foundation

Mrs. Rose Norton

Pacific Western Bank

Providence Medical Center

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

The Annenberg Foundation

The Rose Hills Foundation

The Simms/Mann Institute and Foundation

Wells Fargo Foundation

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

El Nido Family Centers

440 Shatto Place, Suite 417 Los Angeles, CA 90020

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-3186429

By Credit Card: elnidofamilycenters.org/give-now

From Skid Row, Para Los Niños Is Giving Children a Path to Their Fullest Potential

In 1979, the Los Angeles Times published an article about the children of Skid Row. They were hardened by their environment, left to play amid broken glass.

Upon reading about the extreme deprivation these children faced, social worker Tanya Tull knew something had to change. Determined to provide resources, education, and enrichment to the most vulnerable members of Los Angeles County, Tull and friends established Para Los Niños (PLN).

Para Los Niños, meaning “for the children,” was founded with the belief that by providing children with the resources they need today, we build a stronger, more unified community tomorrow. More than 40 years later, this comprehensive nonprofit provides education and support to over 10,000 children, youth, and families each year. As the only mental health care provider to children under five on Skid Row, Para Los Niños prioritizes both children’s personal as well as academic lives.

“This is an approach that focuses on developing our students in a holistic way,” says President and CEO Drew Furedi. “It’s not just about making sure that they get A’s on their tests – it’s about making sure that they’re fed, making sure that they’re sleeping, making sure

that they feel comfortable, safe, and happy.”

Through the pandemic, Para Los Niños continued to provide education for children as young as six weeks old through 8th grade, support youth through college and career building, and respond to the ever-growing need for mental health and clinical services. Additionally, beginning in March 2020, PLN took on supporting critical needs such as: internet access, technology access, and food –distributing over 1.5 million meals and thousands of laptops, tablets, and headphones for students and families to stay on track.

Rachel Galdamez was in one of the first classrooms of children at Para Los Niños, but she is just one of tens of thousands who found encouragement and support there. “Growing up on Skid Row, I didn’t know people ate three times a day,” explains Galdamez. “Coming to Para Los Niños, I learned to ride a bike, to play board games, how to read, and how to trust. Everything changed.”

The Para Los Niños team attributes this success to their integration of services. The nonprofit brings together professionals from different sectors; working with social workers, teachers, and therapists to give vulnerable

t’s become very apparent to me during the course of the pandemic, what an endemic we have of mental health challenges facing young people. In vesting into children’s emotional well-being pays enormous dividends through the rest of their lives. I’m very grateful for the work that you do and valuing our younger children’s lives."

students and communities the support they need. Because of this, Para Los Niños is not just a center for children to learn, it is a center for families to build on their strengths and thrive –physically, socially, emotionally, and mentally.

More than 42 years after its start, Para Los Niños has proven again and again that support and empathy not only produce successful students but also healthy, happy citizens.

"I

– Congressman Adam B. Schiff Representative (D-CA 28th District)

We believe that all children, youth, and families should have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. No one should be held back based on their income, immigration status, home language, or zip code.

In keeping with our mission from over 40 years ago, our model – of early-education, TK-8th grade education, youth workforce services, and family and community services – provides a comprehensive, holistic approach to break the cycle of poverty and help children, youth, and families reach their full potential.

Para Los Niños families are still trying to overcome the additional hardships the pandemic brought. Your gift today can ensure our children, youth, and families receive the comprehensive education and support needed to reach their full potential. Invest today in the lives and potential of the over 10,000 we serve each year in Los Angeles.

Powerful Families: We partner with parents and pro vide opportunities to strengthen their leadership, provide support in stress management and education, plus counseling and clinical support, to ensure students and families thrive.

Give All Children a Chance to Reach Their

Full Potential

Para Los Niños (PLN) was established over 42 years ago to provide a crucial safety net for the most vulnerable families in Los Angeles County. Today, as an integrated service organization, PLN brings together education, early intervention, mental health, public health, community engagement, and leadership development to serve the whole child, whole family, and communities in which families reside.

Serving over 10,000 people annually across 200 zip codes, the unique work of PLN is not able to operate without the support of individuals. You can be the difference in advancing the opportunity for thousands of children, youth, and families to thrive. Make your gift today.

Join the Para Los Niños mission today and help support the next generation.

Para Los Niños www.paralosninos.org 5000 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90027 (213) 250-4800

Contact: Dan Nieman Vice President, External Affairs (213) 250-4800 Ext. 505 dnieman@paralosninos.org

"Iwas trying to give my daughter Savannah ev erything I didn’t have. PLN has a comprehensive and family-centric approach. Knowing that Savannah has other nurturing care takers there was really im portant for me. Para Los Niños was a great school, and they really became my family. To have consistent and high-quality childcare with nurturing teachers has been life-altering."

– Martha Ochoa Para Los Niños Parent

Strong Communities: We are active in our communities to create spaces that connect children, youth, and families to education and resources to lead and succeed. We have strategic partnerships with agencies and community stakeholders across L.A. to build trust and together give voice to our diverse perspectives.

Excellent Education: Our schools and youth centers use an inquiry-based approach with social-emotional integration to nurture a child’s healthy academic, physical, and social-emo tional development to succeed in school, work, and life.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Amazon

The Atlas Family Foundation

The Ballmer Group Philanthropy

Holly and Albert Baril

Andrea and Blake Brown

Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation

The Capital Group Companies

Charitable Foundation

The Carol and James Collins Foundation

Caruso Family Foundation

Cotton On USA, Inc.

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

Madeleine Heil and Sean Petersen

Herbert R. & Jeanne C. Mayer Foundation

Adria and Pedro Martí

Max Factor Family Foundation

Rhino Entertainment

The Ronus Foundation

Tikkun Olam Foundation

UnidosUS

Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald

Charitable Foundation

WHH Foundation & WHH Philanthropy

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: Para Los Niños 5000 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90027

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-3443276

By Credit Card: www.paralosninos.org/donate

Giving Nonprofits the Power of Information and Resources

"Before the pandemic, we were accustomed to going to a networking meeting and leaving with a handful of flyers and business cards. During the pandemic, we had no choice but to meet virtually on Zoom, which took away the personal touch of networking along with the access to our partners’ information. We have always relied on emails to communicate amongst each other, but during the pandemic, there was much change and turnover within organizations, leaving us without our go-to contacts. We have needed to adapt to a new way of collaborating and connecting with one another, which is why I am so excited to build up my network on the Coalition Platform. Through the Platform, we will be able to reach community members that we would have never reached before if they weren’t in our inner circle. I look forward to the possibilities the Platform will bring as we further adapt to this new way of working."

– Melissa Miller, LMFT Director of Child and Family Protective Services, The Help Group

During the COVID-19 pandemic, education advocate Kristina Brittenham was searching for free college counseling services for LAUSD students. Her friend and fellow education advocate Lindsay Weissert was searching for transportation for displaced schoolchildren in Tijuana. Finding the services vulnerable children need can take hours, or days; it can take emails, phone calls, and Zooms. At worst, searching can be fruitless; at best, it wastes valuable time. Kristina and Lindsay knew there had to be a better way.

Los Angeles is full of dedicated program managers, therapists, lawyers, social workers, doctors, educators, researchers, volunteers, and more at nonprofits dedicated to supporting vulnerable children. From the 18,000

“T he Education and Social Transformation undergraduate program at the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies is proud to partner with the Children’s Action Coalition. The Coalition o ers an important Platform to share resources and information, and nurture networks that are essential for community organizations servicing a wide range of needs of children and families. I am honored to have our students play a role in the activities and initiatives facilitated by the Coalition and look forward to future collaborations. "

–

Dr. Jason Nunzio Dorio

Associate Director of Undergraduate Programs for Community Engagement, School of Education & Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

foster youth in L.A. County to the estimated 3,400 unaccompanied minors who now reside here, the need has never been greater. Yet service providers have lacked an e cient way to connect, collaborate, and share resources and information across organizations. Blasting requests to mass email lists and sharing flyers in Zoom chats is not good enough.

The private sector has all the tech tools it needs; nonprofits deserve the same support. Kristina and Lindsay founded the Children’s Action Coalition to address this inequity, and now the better way to collaborate has arrived.

The Coalition Platform provides, at no cost to members, a private social network; a virtual space to share resources and information; tailored Discussion Groups organized around client type or service area; and online community events to discuss challenges nonprofit leaders face. Since launching in January of 2022, the Coalition has provided all of these services in a single online hub to members representing nearly 100 di erent organizations supporting children and families. Their members have found referrals and secured goods for clients in need; they have shared upcoming events and made new connections. The hardworking nonprofit leaders of L.A. know that children win when organizations can leverage each other’s strengths. The Coalition Platform cuts the red tape to make it easy.

As the hub for nonprofits, the Coalition will shine a light where services, funding, or volunteer support are critically needed for its members. It will investigate solutions with university-a liated members, building deeper relationships between academia and community organizations. In short, the Coalition will be the hub not only for service providers, but for thinking about child welfare from the 10,000-foot view.

The Children's Action Coalition Discussion Groups, providing child welfare service providers with secure online spaces to connect, collaborate, and leverage each other's strengths.

Support Child Welfare by Building Connections

The Children’s Action Coalition is a nonprofit internet startup without internet startup funding; it has been funded and run thus far by its founders and dedicated volunteers. Funding is needed to sustain the Coalition Platform’s sophisticated technology and create the tech tools its members need. The Coalition also needs people power for outreach to grow its membership and actively support its members, with the goal of tripling the number of organizations represented in the next year. Funding the Coalition means giving a limitless number of nonprofits access to the infrastructure they need to take their work to the next level, together.

e are so grateful for your assistance connecting us to Baby2Baby to secure back-toschool clothing and other essential care items for one of our dearest families in need. The process was seamless, and the response time was so quick. It is so reassuring to have access to the Children’s Action Coalition as we navigate resources in the community on behalf of our families."

– Jamie Olivas, MA Program Supervisor, Early Learning Centers, Child Development Institute

JOIN US!

he Children’s Action Coalition has been an incredible partner. They have been able to provide an extremely helpful Platform to our Unaccompanied Minors’ Collaborative. Through this Platform, agencies like Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project can be actively connected with other sister organizations, share resources, and support each other. By building and maintaining this bridge for communication, the Coalition is providing a valuable resource to many public interest agencies.”

–Mercedes

Núñez Roldán

Director, Youth Immigration Services, Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project

n the field of child welfare, creating collaborations and cross-connections between organizations is one of our most powerful tools. To be most e ective for the youth and families we serve, we need to embrace new approaches as they become available. The Coalition Platform is the innovative addition to the field we need... the next-generation opportunity to collaborate better, more easily, and more broadly.”

Children's Action Coalition childrensactioncoalition.org

1437 7th Street, Suite 200 Santa Monica, CA 90401

Contact: Kristina Brittenham Co-Founder/CEO kristina@childrensactioncoalition.org

The Children's Action Coalition o ers its free services to anyone working in support of vulnerable children. We welcome you to join us and our many nonprofit members! Please sign up at: www.childrensactioncoalition.org/join

“W

More than one in four children in Los Angeles County lives in poverty. Yet the many nonprofi t leaders who work to alleviate their burdens have had no centralized way to communicate – until now.

“T

“I

– Jennifer Perry Executive Director, Children’s Action Network and Co-Founder, FosterMore

Fostering Care

Despite the fact that roughly 400,000 children are living in foster care in the U.S. today, their fates are too often overlooked. Giving young people support – who have invariably experienced trauma before and during life in the system – is both noble and critical work.

Mona Sinha’s Journey to Gender Justice

By Gwyn Lurie

It’s a long way from Calcutta (now called Kolkata) for Mona Sinha , Board Chair of Women Moving Millions. Growing up in a family of three girls, Sinha could never escape the feeling that her parents had really wanted a son. Sh e’s since overcome this feeling of inadequacy, but it informs her world view and her approach to philanthropy which works to build a gender equal world where ever yone is valued for who they are. Supporting gender justice, for Sinha, is part of her DNA.

“I grew up very well cared for. I’d watch my mother dole out the food for the day and what needed to be cooked. Sh e would take a cup of rice and put it in a sack and it r eally intrigued me. At the end of the month, the sack would be filled up and she would give it away. So that was her form of philanthropy.”

At the age of 12, Sinha volunteered at Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity Orphanage in Calcutta, where her desire to aid humanitarian e orts in her local community sparked a revelation that gender bias in the adoption process was disproportionately favoring boys.

“She was a very revered gure in Calcutta. Volunteering each week was a wonderful experience because there were so many girls who were my age. One day, I realized that the reason there were so many girls was because the boys got adopted rst,” Sinha says.

Sinha’s understanding of the impact of philanthropy continued to take shape. At 19 she was accepted to attend Smith College, a private liberal arts school for women in Northampton, Massachusetts.

“My father told me, ‘I can’t a ord to pay for college in America.’” e p redicament was troubling, but Sinha’s tenacity to nd a solution in the face of challenges is a quality she’s always possessed.

“I was awarded a big scholarship, which made me realize that somebody I didn’t even know had the faith in a stranger, essentially, to pay their full tuition. at was an eye-opener.”

At Smith, Sinha’s determination and natural ability to lead through elevating others was nurtured on campus by the community’s commitment to foster female empowerment.

“Smith is a very activist campus, but it’s also a hugely supportive campus. With a very supportive network of not just students and alumni, but just the whole zeitgeist of people wh o’ve

been real big forces in the feminist movement. We had Gloria Steinem as a role model, and she remains so even to this day Smithies are all leaders who have, in some ways, de ned the course of some big changes in the world. And these were ver y formative years of my life living alone, guring out my identity as a young woman and being able to step into that space instead of feeling like an imposter… at’s what drew me to Smith.”

After graduating from Smith, Sinha secured a job on Wall Street, an experience she recounts as being a stark divergence from her time at school as she encountered a hierarchical culture in the workplace.

“It didn’t matter how good I was… it was a very male-dominated world. Four-letter words were tossed around in every sentence. e culture was quite sexist, but I did love the work and pivoted from there to marketing after I got my MBA and loved that too. It was all about learning how to build a brand. And then came a moment in my life where I had to decide, ‘Is this the best use of my time on Earth?’ And I decided corporate America probably wasn’t.”

ough at odds with the harsh realities dealt to women working in corporate America at that time, Sinha’s experience was far from a waste.

“The whole idea of philanthropy being only for people who are rich is a fallacy. I think you can be philanthropic in so many ways. Using your time to lift someone up or being a helping hand to somebody is also philanthropy.

It’s the love of humankind.”

“It made me a more e ective leader at large because my philanthropy’s not just about writing checks, it’s about building and supporting organizations. I come to it with a lens of restructuring; I have this unique ability to see where the easy and the di cult xes are. I will come in and start digging through, and not in a high-handed way, but just as a teacher, a mentor, and a collaborator all to help shape and grow strong organizations.

If you think about it from just a capitalistic point of view, philanthropy is risk capital because we are not looking for nancial returns. So, it’s a great way to engage in projects, to engage in solutions spaces, which could fail, which is ne. You’re never going to nd solutions if you don’t explore a few that fail and philanthropy is just the capital that can do that.”

Unlike on Wall Street, Sinha operates through “trust-based philanthropy.”

“I totally believe in trust-based philanthropy I don’t want to read a 60-page research report that took somebody six months to pull together because I gave them money I am happy to pick up the phone and say, ‘How are you doing? What do you need? And where have you seen the change and where have you made a di erence?’ at’s all I need.”

Today, Sinha chairs Women Moving Millions, a community of approximately 340 individuals who each make a minimum $1M commitment to organizations and initiatives bene ting women and girls, encouraging its members to use this form of assessing impact.

“At the end of the day, your impact is on people’s lives. And how do you measure people’s lives? It’s about letting people live with dignity and letting people have that economic agency to make decisions that impact their lives and the life of their families and communities.

“And some of that is ve ry di cult to measure from a purely investment statistic. Perhaps we can measure it when we encourage people to be investors with an impact or a gender lens. a t’s when you can ask wealth managers and investment portfolio managers to really prove that what your values are and what you would like to invest in are being showcased or realized.”

Among her many philanthropic endeavors, Sinha created the Asian Women’s Leadership University, which, as of early September, after 10 years of work, nally got its license.

“ What started as a little kernel of an idea started snowballing and we got invited by the government of Malaysia to create Women’s Leadership University in Malaysia in partnership with Smith.”

Sinha, a major force in the world of philanthropy, holds on to her deep-seated belief, from watching her mother put rice aside for those who might need more, that philanthropy is not only for the super-rich.

“ e whole idea of philanthropy being only for people who are rich is a fallacy I think you can be philanthropic in so many ways. Using your time to lift someone up or being a helping hand to somebody is also philanthropy. It’s the love of humankind. You can really express that in many ways, mentoring somebody, supporting someone, you could start with $25 or $5. It doesn’t matter what the amount is. It’s the thought and the action behind it. Also, I do believe that it is our duty to give back to the world that you’re living in.

Ever ybody should be engaged in philanthropy, no matter what you have or don’t have. It’s about sharing. It’s about coming from a place of abundance as opposed to thinking that re sources are scarce, because they don’t have to be.”

Helping Foster Care Survivors

‘Weather the Storms’

Mae Howard, LCSW, RPT

Anthony Pico was homeless, unemployed, and had aged out of the foster care system when he started seeing a therapist weekly from A Home Within. Today, the Los Angeles resident is a nation-

ally recognized keynote speaker on child welfare and works for a social care network that connects people with programs. He credits his therapist with helping him transition to “enjoying stability and happiness for the first time.”

“My therapist has been my anchor through this storm,” Pico, now a board member of A Home Within, says.

The national nonprofit was born nearly 30 years ago in San Francisco out of a recognition that foster youth deserve the opportunity to build a long-term relationship with the same licensed therapist through weekly, one-on-one sessions. A Home Within also has a large Los Angeles chapter and a robust partnership with UCLA, where post-doc psychology fellows are paired with clients for the duration of their program.

fraught and changeable, Reed Connell, the nonprofit’s President and Executive Director, explains.

“We are establishing lasting relationships for young people that transcend the many challenges and changes they go through,” Connell says.

Clients voluntarily request therapy, express their preferences, and, once matched, partner with their therapist to determine the goals and duration of therapy.

A Home Within serves foster youth as young as three years old and former foster youth through middle age. Most A Home Within clients, however, are young adults who have aged out of the foster care system and are no longer eligible to receive services.

"Having the opportunity to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with an individual impacted by the foster care system has been among the most humbling and rewarding experiences of my career to date. It is truly a privilege to bear witness to her story as it unfolds organically and without the external pressures of time, cost, or access to care. " - A Home Within volunteer

“There’s a really big need for therapists in Los Angeles,” says Mia Lewis, A Home Within’s Director of Communications. “We have a pretty significant waitlist for clients in L.A. because it’s the biggest county in California.”

For foster youth who often bounce around from place to place, the concept of “home” is

The average “match” between client and therapist lasts three years, though many last much longer. The nonprofit has served some 1,800 clients in California since its inception.

“A Home Within is helping people who have already survived a lifetime of rough waters build on that experience and see the strengths they have now, rather than the things they never had,” Pico says.

“B

eing part of the solution and making a commitment to one youth can have a valuable impact for an entire community.”

–

A Home Within Volunteer Clinical Director

"I believe in A Home Within’s mission because I know that growth comes from healthy, sustained connections.” - A Home Within volunteer

A Lifelong Ripple E ect

Home Within seeks $500,000 to grow its sta and quadruple the number of current and former foster youth it serves in California to 260 over the next year.

Their individual, relationship-based therapy not only helps their clients “heal and learn to thrive,” but also has a ripple e ect that radiates throughout the community, says Connell.

“Our young people talk about having healthier relationships with family, friends, and partners,” says Executive Director Reed Connell.

Donations to A Home Within help the organization recruit and support more therapists around the country, and provide them with clinical supervision, training and continuing education, recognition, and celebration – all of which combine to sustain and honor the commitment each volunteer makes.

"A Home Within helped me to feel capable, loveable, and worthy." - A Home Within client

"My own experiences with healing were facilitated with a pro-bono therapist who helped me change my life. I want to keep reaching back and holding the door open for others." - A Home Within volunteer

"Helping this population feels meaningful, adds dimension to my perspective, and brings me joy to o er a person psychotherapy, who otherwise might not have the opportunity." - A Home Within volunteer

“For foster youth, whose access to mental health services is often shortterm, episodic, or compulsory, the voluntary long-term one-on-one therapy provided by A Home Within’s therapists can be transformative. The May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust has long supported A Home Within because it is one of the few organizations that matches foster youth with volunteer therapists who build long-term relationships with youth and commit to working with them for as long as they need. A Home Within is meeting a critical need that has only grown during the COVID pandemic and as mental health challenges continue to be among the top pandemic-related issues cited by youth and youth-serving organizations, A Home Within’s work is more important now than ever.”

– Elisabeth Cutler

Senior Program O cer, the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust

KEY SUPPORTERS

May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust Sarnat-Ho man Family Foundation In-N-Out Burger Foundation Kaiser Permanente MYDAR Foundation Glass Half Full Foundation Mental Insight Foundation Aviv Foundation

A Home Within www.ahomewithin.org 195 41st Street, #11172 Oakland, CA 94611-9991 (415) 621-1749

Contact: Reed Connell Executive Director (510) 387-7518 rconnell@ahomewithin.org

The Louis and Harold Price Foundation

Renaissance Charitable Foundation

The Battery Foundation

CASA organizations throughout California

Foster Care Research Group at the University of San Francisco

11 California Family Foundations

Over 350 Individual Donors

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

A Home Within 195 41st Street, #11172 Oakland, CA 94611-9991

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# #94-3402610

By Credit Card: www.ahomewithin.org/donation

Since the start of the pandemic, A Home Within has seen a steady increase in referrals for young people seeking therapy. We need your help to expand our program to serve the over 100 people on our waitlist, and the dozens more who contact us every month.

A

Happy Trails for Kids Lets Foster Kids Celebrate Childhood

"Los Angeles County has the largest foster care population in the nation.

Happy Trails for Kids provides thoughtful, unique, and unparalleled programming that creates lifelong bonds between campers, their sta , and the program graduates. Happy Trails not only addresses the need in the moment, but o ers long-term support and solutions for the challenges that lie ahead for children in foster care. Actual impact is tangible and feedback from the children and caregivers involved in the program is incredibly positive. From a funder's point of view, the sta creates communication channels that are individualized, clear, and meaningful. Professional reports coupled with testimonials from program beneficiaries underscore the value and quality that this nonprofit o ers to vulnerable children in our community."

For most kids, summer equals fun. Vacations. Camp. Exciting adventures with families and friends.

But that is often not true for children in the foster care system. For them, summer can be a very lonely time. With the routine of going to school absent and limited extracurricular options, the sense of solitude can be overwhelming.

Happy Trails for Kids o ers California foster kids the chance to experience and enjoy summer camp for themselves. All too often, kids in the foster care system are forced to grow up fast and rarely get opportunities where they can just be a kid.

The foster care system is tasked with many responsibilities, but what’s missing is the importance of celebrating and acknowledging childhood, says Lindsay Elliott, Happy Trails for Kids’ executive director and a former child welfare lawyer.

“Camp is a place where being a kid is celebrated – where having fun and being happy is prioritized,” Elliott says.

Happy Trails for Kids was founded 13 years ago by Susan Abrams. That first summer in 2009 they welcomed 60 kids. Today, the L.A.based nonprofit serves as many as 400 campers from age seven to adulthood each year and, in addition to summer camp, o ers year-round outdoor activities and events.

A top priority is sibling reunification, as more than half of children with siblings who enter foster care are separated. For some siblings who’ve been separated, attending summer camps and Happy Trails events are the only time they get to be together.

Prior to the pandemic, foster kids reported feelings of isolation and anxiety. With COVID, those struggles have been compounded, Elliott says. Recognizing the need for increased opportunities for camp and social activities, Happy Trails for Kids expanded its summer camp from two to three weeks, allowing 150 more children the chance to get those lifelong memories of camp.

Campers don’t have to age out of Happy Trails for Kids either. The organization trains campers to be junior counselors. Nearly 70% of counselors hired have lived experience in foster care.

“When kids leave camp, they have a new confidence and believe in themselves,” Elliott says.

– Katie and Ross Dworman Donor, Tailwinds Charitable Foundation

"Having camp counselors who have been in foster care makes me feel like I can overcome my pain."

– Angela K., Camper

"Being with kids like me makes me feel like I am not alone."

–Nadia H., Camper

There are over 18,000 children in foster care in Los Angeles County. There are so many missing pieces – missing schools, missing homes, missing friends, missing parents… missing stories. However, with the right setting, you can rewrite the story and give new meaning to what summer, friendship, and belonging look like.

"I would be secretive about my life. I felt embarrassed of the truth. I was jealous of what the other kids had: a loving and caring family. So, when I was preparing myself for camp, I was planning to do the same as before. However, to my surprise, I learned at this camp, all the campers have been in foster care too. I was nervous, but excited to meet people in similar circumstances as mine.

"For the first time in my life, I felt welcomed. Getting to know my cabin, listening to their stories, and being able to bond with them made me feel like I found a forever home. On top of that, my counselors were very encouraging and supportive. They listened to me and made me feel comfortable enough to share my thoughts and emotions. The experience of hearing all those stories, finding friends that I can relate to, and being able to speak my true self made me feel not alone and impacted my life forever."

– Jania L.

Send a Foster Kid to Camp and Maybe Just Change His or Her Life

Each child growing up in foster care has their own story. And, while the trauma they experienced can’t be erased, Happy Trails is changing their personal narratives and life trajectories.

Happy Trails for Kids reminds foster children that they are resilient; they are important; and that they belong.

Each summer the nonprofit has hundreds of children waitlisted for its programs. Help Happy Trails expand its unique camp family and write a new chapter for these incredible kids.

Every $1,000 donation sends a child in foster care to summer camp and welcomes them into our year-round community of programming and support. Every $10,000 contribution sponsors an entire cabin of children.

“Long live summer!” says Lindsay Elliott, Happy Trails for Kids’ executive director.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s Foster Youth Initiative Fund administered by the Whittier Trust

California Community Foundation

Tailwinds Charitable Foundation

Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund

Salter Family Charitable Foundation

The William Gumpert Foundation

Milken Family Foundation

Barry and Wendy Meyer Foundation

Harriet Zaretsky and Steve Henry

Michael and Diane Ziering

Louis Lucido

Zolla Family Foundation

Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill

Pom Pom at Home, LLC

Corbel Capital Partners

O ce of Board of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl

Women Helping Youth

The Many Ways to Give...

Happy Trails for Kids

www.happytrailsforkids.org

2525 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 104 Santa Monica, CA 90405 (310) 452-7979

Contact: Lindsay Elliott Executive Director (310) 452-7979

Lindsay@happytrailsforkids.org

By Check:

Happy Trails for Kids

2525 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 104

Santa Monica, CA 90405

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-4453586

By Credit Card: happytrailsforkids.org

iFoster is Creating a Path to Self Sufficiency for L.A.’s Foster Youth

In spite of the tragic outcomes that impact the majority of children raised in foster care, Serita Cox beat the odds to become a Silicon Valley executive and then dove into nonprofit consult ing at The BridgeSpan Group.

Her husband Reid Cox, who has a background in corporate finance, was an executive at several publicly traded companies before helping the professional network LinkedIn go public.

But instead of parlaying their talents into launching the next hot for-profit start-up, the couple focused their experience on creating an innovative nonprofit start-up instead to help children, youth, and families ensnared in this nation’s sprawling child welfare system.

“Everyone said at the time, ‘I want to build the next billion-dollar business,’ and Serita and I said, ‘Let’s take what we’ve learned and build something for the population that most needs a community, purchasing power, and collective influence.’” Reid says. “This is what we can do for foster care – build a community to help address their needs.”

So, in 2010, the two co-founded iFoster.org, now the largest national virtual network for those children, youth, and families. The goal is to ensure every child growing up outside their biological home “has all the resources and

opportunities they need to become successful, independent adults,” Serita, iFoster’s CEO, says.

iFoster connects over 125,000 children and youth each year to hundreds of partners who provide the resources and opportunities they need, including everything from basic needs such as food, clothes, housing, and laptops; to mental health therapy, self-care training, and Medicaid enrollment assistance; to instruction in school, life, and job skills.

iFoster provides such services, which L.A.

County’s child welfare department simply can’t provide, for free or at low cost. The nonprofit is all about “scaffolding youth to self-sufficiency,” they say.

In Los Angeles County, the nonprofit serves current and former foster youth between the ages of 5 and 26, including some 3,800 transition-age youth.

Krisha was a high school dropout who had aged out of the foster care system when she entered the first cohort of iFoster’s month-long jobs program. She quickly landed a clerk job at Ralphs, where she ultimately became a manager.

“Because of the iFoster program, I had newfound confidence,” she told a Congressional panel in 2017. “I had grown. I walked in the door knowing the job was mine.”

Today, Krisha’s a college grad, does merchandise marketing for the grocery industry, owns a home with her boyfriend, and is a new mom.

“We have thousands of such [success] stories,” Serita says.

“O

ur families may have abused us, been unable to take care of us, or abandoned us, but we still matter… I’m alone, but I still want to be a part of this world, so please take us into account and give us an actual fighting chance.”

– Current California Foster Youth

iFoster staff with foster youth graduates of the iFoster Jobs Program

Mural commissioned for Serita Cox, CEO of iFoster, winner of a James Irvine Leadership Award 2022.

Help Thousands of Young People Exiting Foster Care

Largely due to the success of its jobs program, iFoster also launched a year-long internship program, which won best new AmeriCorps Program in 2019. The internship program trains transition-age youth (TAY) to help their peers connect to resources they need to become independent.

iFoster is seeking funds to match federal funds for its TAY AmeriCorps program, allowing the nonprofit to train 262 additional youth in 2023, who will provide peer navigation to tens of thousands of young people in foster care, while at the same time building their jobs skills and paying their way through college.

“It’s a professional development pathway for our young people who are able to support the children in the system that are coming along behind them,” says iFoster Co-Founder Serita Cox. “We’re empowering thousands of new Seritas who have an innate passion to give the next generation of foster kids a fighting chance,” adds Reid, proudly.

iFoster www.ifoster.org PO Box 159 Truckee, CA 96160 530-550-9672

Contact: Reid Cox Co-Founder / CFO (530) 550-9672 reid@ifoster.org

KEY SUPPORTERS

ENKONE

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: iFoster Inc

PO Box 159 Truckee, CA 96160

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 80-0627614

By Credit Card: www.ifoster.org

Forever Families and Connections for Older Kids in Foster Care

joined thinking, ‘These kids are older, may

don’t need parents,’ but I

Stacey and Mary Kidsave Host Family

Matt, a Los Angeles teenager living in fos ter care, was “mad, irritated,” and most of all “disappointed” when his social worker told him that he wouldn’t be going home.

The thought of adoption was “embarrassing.”

Like so many of the 1,000-plus young people that will leave Los Angeles County’s foster care system every year without a permanent connection to an adult and family, Matt was circumspect about adoption. That is until he was connected to Kidsave, a two-decade-old organization that has used the simplest of strategies to gently give youth the power to decide if adoption is something

worth considering.

“It’s a huge issue for a lot of these kids,” says Kidsave CEO and President Randi Thompson. “They’re so hurt that they don’t want to take the chance at connection again, because they don’t think anybody will want them. They don’t think they can connect.”

Despite this understandable reticence, Kidsave has, over the years, exposed more than 15,000 foster youth to the chance at adoption in the U.S. and internationally. About two thirds have found adoptive families or lifelong permanent connections.

The nonprofit organizes engaging events where youth and families meet and get to know each other in a group setting. Kidsave also partners to run “Camp Connect,” a safe space in the mountains above Los Angeles, where youth get the chance to come together to listen to shared experiences, and begin to redefine what connection could mean to their lives. “Often kids are ambivalent about or not interested in adoption before coming to camp. This is a chance for them to test the waters. Many of them leave changed, open to the idea that a connection to a caring adult could benefit their lives. They don’t have to be in it alone.”

Matt was one of the campers last year. He left camp with a sense of hope that maybe adoptive parents were out there somewhere.

Matt soon would meet a couple at one of Kidsave’s events. After they expressed mutual interest, they were “matched through Kidsave’s hosting program.” From there it was weekend events: hiking, visiting the mall, and attending a football game. The teenager’s defenses melted. A year later, Matt is in the final stages of being adopted.

“They are supportive,” Matt says of his soonto-be adoptive parents. When they suggest he do something, he says, “It is never because they want it for themselves, but because they know it is good for me. Because they want me to have a better future.”

In the fall of 2022, Matt was on a panel with his parents at Camp Connect, a partnership with Kidsave, the L.A. Department of Child and Family Services, FosterAll, and Expressions58. He shared his story with kids, like him, who were wary of making new connections. Many have now gone on to participate in Kidsave’s events themselves with the hope of finding forever families of their own.

“W e

be they

was wrong; these kids need family, they need permanency, and we want to be there for them at all stages of their life.”

–

Kidsave partners with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, FosterAll, and Expressions58 to bring older kids from foster care to a weekend camping retreat called Camp Connect.

Kidsave’s programs have been helping older kids in fos ter care find forever families for more than two decades.

Kidsave's families are volunteers. They choose to spend their weekends with older kids in foster care. Kids often feel valued and supported by these families who genuinely want to spend time with them.

50 Opportunities to Keep Kids from Aging Out Alone

The road from Los Angeles to Crestline quickly takes you out of the throbbing metropolis, thousands of feet up, into a different world. One many of the foster youth who attend Camp Connect have never seen.

Over three days, 50 or more young people enjoy the outdoors and have group discussions where they explore the idea of being adopted.

For many older foster youth, the system’s plan is for them to “emancipate,” a strange euphemism for exiting the system alone, left to fend for themselves. Instead of freedom, one quarter will experience homelessness within two years.

Kidsave wants to send another 50 young people up the mountain again in 2023 at a cost of roughly $50,000. The L.A.-based nonprofit has secured $25,000 in matching funds, meaning your gift will be doubled.

When asked why a donor should step up, Kidsave CEO and President Randi Thompson says: “Here’s your chance to make a direct impact. Your gift will expose them to a new way of thinking, in the peace, tranquility, and safety of a camping trip. You can give these kids a weekend that will change their lives.”

KEY SUPPORTERS

Ahmanson Foundation California Foundation for Stronger Communities County of Los Angeles

Max and Karel Guefen Foundation The Hicker Family David and Janyce Hoyt Foundation

John Gogian Foundation

Leonard Green Foundation

M B Seretean Foundation Inc.

Max and Karel Guefen Foundation

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Venable Foundation, Inc.

The Many Ways to Give...

Kidsave kidsave.org

100 Corporate Pointe, Suite 380 Culver City, CA 90230

Contact: Randi Thompson CEO and Co-Founder (310) 642-7283 Randi@kidsave.org

By Check: Kidsave P.O. Box 39293 Los Angeles, CA 90039-0293

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 91–1887623

By Credit Card: kidsave.org/giving-list

Ready To Succeed is Ready to Take the Next Leap

"M y grandparents only made it to 7th grade, and my parents made it through 9th grade. I am one of the first college graduates in my family and that is a really big deal because of my experience in foster care and my family’s history of mental health struggles. RTS’s support helped me graduate and really start taking my career seriously. It's given me the courage to continue moving forward."

– Jae RTS Alumna

Ready To Succeed, which has set countless youth exiting the turbulence of foster care on their paths to career stability and success, isn’t resting on its laurels or planning to slow down anytime soon.

The brainchild of co-founders Romi Lassally and Patrick McCabe, the L.A.-based nonprofit started in 2016. That year, Lassally and McCabe helped six college-aged foster youth become career ready, by opening up their professional networks, providing one-on-one career coaching, and placing the students – Scholars – in internships.

“In the early days, when it was just Romi and me,” McCabe says. “We’d personally arrange internship opportunities for our students and even drive them to their interviews. If a student needed professional clothing, faced an emergency, or just needed a listening ear, we were always available to help.”

Through the nonprofit’s explosive growth, Lassally says that this kind of help is a hallmark of RTS’s mission.

“We’ve operated on the idea that foster youth

need someone in their corner who coaches and encourages them to get to where they want to go,” she says. “It’s what we do for our own children and that’s exactly what we do at Ready To Succeed.”

Over the last six years, the organization has formalized its high-touch, personalized career accelerator program by providing one-to-one personal coaching, networking, mental health and wellness, internships, and financial support to all its Scholars. Key partners like Sony, DreamWorks, Johnson & Johnson, and LA Tech play an instrumental role in helping RTS Scholars throughout through internships, jobs, and career advice.

As a result, the organization has seen their Scholars achieve extraordinary results. More than 90% have graduated college and secured career-track jobs, beating the odds stacked against most foster youth who too often struggle and fail to complete a four-year degree.

In 2022, the nonprofit expanded its reach to include low-income first-generation college students.

This expansion came when Kayne Scholars, a scholarship program for low-income firstgeneration college students, saw RTS’s success. They asked RTS to o er the same career accelerator programming to their students.

“We couldn’t say no,” Lassally says. “Our expansion is all about helping under-resourced youth reach their full potential. We know that foster youth and first-gen college students are capable of so much, and we are excited to work with both extraordinary populations to help them achieve their dreams.”

Alex M. is case in point. After he started college, Alex quickly lost motivation in his mechanical engineering classes, when his true passion was entertainment. His grades plummeted.

“I didn’t have the want or desire to finish my degree,” Alex says. “I honestly thought about dropping out, but the last year with RTS has been a game changer. Growing up, I didn’t really have much, but I’ve been able to benefit from all that RTS o ers. Truly the work that RTS does here is life changing.”

Ready to Succeed Scholars walk in front of the Downtown L.A. skyline. Thanks to the holistic career support these foster youth and first-gen students have received, they are ready to start great jobs and take on the city!

The RTS di erence is remarkable. While only 4% of foster youth obtain a bachelor’s degree by age 26 and only 11% of first-generation youth graduate college, more than 90% of RTS Scholars graduate with 4-year degrees and pivot into career-track jobs within months of completing their degree.

to Succeed

– Jarl Mohn

President Emeritus of NPR, RTS Supporter, and Former Foster Youth

Unlock Opportunities for Foster Youth and First-Gen Students

Since 2016, the Los Angeles community has rallied around Ready To Succeed’s foster youth and first-generation college students, steadily growing the number of enrolled students and alumni who’ve completed the program to 374.

With more foster youth and first-gen students wanting to join Ready To Succeed than ever before, and 210 enrolled in the career readiness program in 2022, RTS needs your help to raise $100,000. Your generosity will make it possible to help current and future foster youth and first-gen students to graduate college, launch successful careers, and reach their full potential.

Networking

KEY SUPPORTERS

Ric and Suzanne Kayne Foundation

Snap Foundation

ECMC Foundation

Chuck Lorre Foundation

Edward A & Ai O Shay

Family Foundation

LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl

LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell Angell Foundation

Anthony & Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation

Councilmember Mike Bonin

Aramont Charitable Foundation

Ralph M Parsons Foundation

Herbert R. and Jeanne C. Mayer Foundation

Sam Simon Charitable Foundation

Dwight Stuart Youth Fund

Ready to Succeed readytosucceedla.org

1514 17th St. #201

Santa Monica, CA 90404 (424) 581-6296

Contact: Romi Lassally Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director (310) 422-2923 romi@readytosucceedla.org

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: Ready to Succeed

1514 17th St. #201

Santa Monica, CA 90404

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 83-2282113

By Credit Card: readytosucceedla.org/donate

"B

eing a Ready

Scholar is a pivotal opportunity for foster youth. It truly is life changing."

Recent RTS graduates celebrate their achievement of a 4-year degree and a bright future ahead at the annual RTS Graduation Celebration

Global Reach

Los Angeles County, more populous than all but 10 U.S. states, is basically a nation unto itself.

And we feel the costs of what happens across the globe - environmental crises, the erosion of democracy and conflict - close to home. These nonprofits are not only extending this region’s philanthropic strength, but its reach. Be a part of making them stronger still.

Island Boy’s Philanthropic Reach

Fills the San Fernando Valley

By Joe Donnelly

In his childhood, Milton Valera lived near the airport on the Garden Island of Kauai, where at a young age, he had started setting his internal clock to a ver y speci c hour “ is is a true stor y,” Valera says. “Seven o’clock on Kauai was very, very signi cant for me, because at seven o’clock in the evening, the last plane left the island. And, as young as I was – I don’t know, I was eight years old – I just felt trapped until seven o’clock the next morning when a new plane would come back in.”

Valera, it seems, couldn’t wait to escape paradise.

“I mean, talk about ridiculous,” he laughs, something he is quick to do. “But that’s just the way I was.”

Many decades and thousands of miles removed from that little boy, Valera, now 80, wears the years and the miles with the kind of ease a life well-lived can earn you. We are talking on a sparkling, early autumn afternoon that nds him and his wife, Debbie, comfortably perched on a lush, leather couch in the living room of their Woodland Hills home. Debbie, as we’ll see, has traveled just as far as Milt to get here.

For the Valeras, paradise is where you make it, and these two found it in the San Fernando Valley, where they have become important civic benefactors and community-minded philanthropists, focusing their giving primarily on education and on improving opportunities therein for foster children.

e foremost object of their philanthropic a ection has been California State University, Northridge, or CSUN, to which the couple donated $11.1 million in 2020 to support a variety of programs and colleges across the often-overlooked, higher-ed powerhouse that is home to more than 34,000 undergraduate and 4,000 graduate students.

CSUN is one of the engines that drives Milt and Debbie’s beloved San Fernando Valley and the entire region. Milt will let you know that nearly one-fourth of the county’s CPA rms are headed by CSUN grads, and with more than 50 percent Hispanic enrollment, it ranks as one of US News & World Report’s diversity leaders. It also ranks consistently high in social mobility.

Not to mention, In the late ‘60s, CSUN was one of the epi-

centers of the Chicano/a Rights Movement, part of the larger Civil Rights Movement pushing for access and equity for underser ved communities.

Milt Valera happened to graduate from CSUN in the fertile year of 1968, the year African American and Latino students demanded better student and faculty representation and educational support ser vices at CSUN and schools across California. e university responded by initiating the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) to help attract and retain traditionally under-represented and poorly ser ved students. CSUN now has the largest Department of Chicana/Chicano Studies in the countr y. It also boasts the EOP Milt and Debbie Valera Re silient Scholars Program, which provides higher education and advancement opportunities for, perhaps, the most underser ved community, emancipated former foster youth.

Paradise Made

Unlike his boyhood days in Kauai, Valera has not once thought about straying more than a few miles from campus since he graduated from CSUN.

“It just never occurred to us to go anywhere. is is our home. is is where we like it,” Valera says. “I went to school here; we have our business near here. It’s not unusual for me to spend three, four days on campus, just with professors and other people.”

Debbie, who hails from just outside of Pittsburgh and graduated from Syracuse University, says she’s kind of adopted CSUN as her surrogate alma mater. “I think what Northridge has to o er is just incredible,” she says.

One of the things it has to o er is a terri c undergraduate journalism program. And that’s what Valera found himself gravitating to when he arrived in Los Angeles in the early ‘60s, though it wasn’t supposed to be this way. He was meant to stay close to home and go to the University of Hawaii. Two weeks before enrollment, though, he decided he had to tell his mom he was going to leave the island to pursue his dream of going to the mainland.

“Well, I did break her heart,” he confesses. “I said, ‘You know, Hawaii’s nice, but I can always come back here… I gotta go to the mainland.’”

Valera had been accepted to the University of Oregon, among other mainland schools, but by the time he made his decision to venture to new horizons, enrollment was already

closed. Los Angeles Community College, though, had rolling enrollment and, also, a strong contingent of kids from Hawaii. Valera says he had a lot of fun hanging out with his islander friends in the big city, but remembers, too, being somewhat in awe.

“It was also very humbling for me because it was big,” Valera says. “When I left home, we had a population of 27,000 on the island. Today, closer to 70,000 and the idea that all of those 70,000 could t into the L.A. Coliseum was just mind blowing.”

Valera, who was passionate about sports in his youth – in high school he’d thought he “ was going to be the big jock” but “realized I wasn ’ t, you know, good” – kept close to his passions by writing about them for the school newspaper. After moving to Los Angeles, he worked for a couple community newspapers while attending LACC. When he matriculated to CSUN, he majored in journalism. After graduating, Valera worked for the dearly departed Los Angeles Herald Examiner and had a stint with the Los Angeles Times before it dawned on him, earlier in his career than most, that “if I was going to stay in journalism, I wasn’t going to make any money.”

“There is a tendency on our part to really get involved. It’s not just a case of writing a check and then going away. We want to see results. We want to see individual results. We want to see group results and we want to hear firsthand that people are being helped.”

An Empire of Signatures

Valera smartly started his own public relations and marketing rm in the ‘70s, which led to gig writing a newsletter for the National Notar y Association, initially founded in Chatsworth in the late ‘50s by Raymond R othman as the California Notar y Association. e association was something of a hobby for Rothman, whose primar y business interest was insurance. With millions of notaries across the countr y needing ser vices and support, Valera saw the potential in growing the association and professionalizing the sector When Rothman was ready to retire, Valera bought him out and took over the association, which had about eight or nine employees at the time.

Today, the National Notar y Association has more than 300 employees providing professional ser vices to about 4.4 million notaries in the U.S. e growth is just part of the stor y, though. Valera also played a critical role in establishing professional standards, educational ser vices for notaries, and in generally improving remuneration and respect for notaries public.

“People out there who were notaries were dying for education,” Valera says. “I might add that today we have notaries making over $100,000.”

Among its many ser vices, the association publishes the Na tional Notar y Bulletin, a weekly newsletter, and e National Notar y Magazine. Some time ago, the magazine needed an editor. “So, I started advertising for an editor for our magazine and, lo and behold, Debbie answered,” says Milt, laughing.

“It just never occurred to us to go anywhere. This is our home. This is where we like it. I went to school here; we have our business near here. It’s not unusual for me to spend three, four days on campus, just with professors and other people.”

While intero ce romances have pretty much been consigned to the dustbin of histor y, that used to be how you met your wife. ere, or at a bar. Besides, Debbie was more than quali ed for the editing job Writing for her high school newspaper, she’d already traveled from Pittsburgh to Florida to cover vice presidential candidate Edwin Muskie as he stumped for his running mate in the 1968 presidential election, Hubert Humphrey.

A journalism major herself, after graduating from Syracuse University, Debbie cut her teeth on the murder-and- res beat at the Beaver Falls Ne ws Tribune, near Pittsburgh. Sh e nally escaped the low skies and terminal gray of the inland No r theast and made it to L.A. in the early ‘70s. After working in local journalism, she met Milt and eventually took over editing the association’s publications. Currently, she’s executive director of the National Notar y Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the National Notar y Association, for which Milt still ser ves as chairman.

ese days, though, most of the couple’s time is spent giving back to the community they are both grateful to for having provided a bounty of opportunity for them. It starts with CSUN, where their gifts have supported the business school, the librar y, the performing arts center, journalism and education departments, and, of course, the EOP Milt and Debbie Valera Resilient Scholars Program.

In recognition of their contributions, CSUN named its administration building Valera Hall and the lobby at the Soraya Performing Arts Center is now the Milt and Debbie Valera Lobby.

e Resilient Scholars Program builds on the couple’s involvement with a similar program at LACC called the Guardian Scholars program. “Foster youth are one of our primar y targets for philanthropy,” Valera says.

e programs focus on pathways to education and social mobility for a former foster youth, a segment of the population that is too often bereft of resources and left to triage its own needs – starting with food and shelter In those circumstances it can be hard to imagine how, where, or when college ts into the picture, but Resilient Scholars provides guidance, mentorship, and nancial support spanning preparatory courses through community college to attaining a bachelor’s degree.

Having matriculated from LACC to CSUN himself, Valera is a true believer in the critical role the outstanding community colleges in our region can play in building better lives than ones we might have imagined possible. He’s living proof and he’s not afraid to say so to guidance counselors and unsure foster kids.

It’s not surprising that a couple of journalists are all about education. Valera also ser ves on the board of the Kauai High School Foundation, his alma mater He and Debbie also endowed the Alliance Milt and Debbie Valera Middle Academy, part of the Alliance Marine-Innovation and Technology 6-12 Complex, a college-prep charter school in Sun Valley, with 92 percent Latino enrollment.

Milt and Debbie are far from billionaires and their giving goes much deeper than getting their name on a wall and calling it a day.

“ ere is a tendency on our part to really get involved. It’s not just a case of writing a check and then going away,” Valera says. “We want to see results. We want to see individual results. We want to see group results and we want to hear rsthand that people are being helped.”

And? “I’m encouraged with what I see out here.”

“If I was going to st ay in journalism, I wasn’t going to make any money.”

Saying Yes to Students Who Need a Supportive School Community

“

Ne Tentes Aut Perfice.”

This is the Latin motto that students and faculty at Dunn School, a private co-ed college prep boarding and day school in Los Olivos, live by. It translates to, “Attempt not, but achieve.” And it perfectly represents the school’s deeply-felt community and entrepreneurial spirit.

Kalyan Balaven, Head of School at Dunn since 2021, talks about the important interlocking puzzle pieces that embody the school’s spirit and set Dunn School apart from other private schools.

The first is a dedication to Whole Student Education, the guiding philosophy Dunn was founded on more than 65 years ago. Says Balaven, Dunn student life focuses on an allencompassing experience – emotional, mental, physical, and social – and its goal to help students find their moral core.

The second is Dunn’s entrepreneurial mindset. “That idea of getting it done. Not just talking about it, or attempting it, but to achieve it – we have to get it done,” Balaven says.

Finally, Dunn is also a residential school, where the curriculum takes place “24/7.”

Students often share meals, walks, and the give and take of ideas with their teachers throughout

the day and evening.

Nowhere is this spirit more evident than in Dunn School’s push to provide financial aid and scholarship money to deserving students both locally and abroad.

“It’s really, really hard for me to say no to an impressive young person who’s trying to do something better for themselves… You feel the potential and just try to make it happen,” Balaven says.

And happen it does. In 2014, with help from generous grandparents of Dunn alumni students, the African Scholars Program was established to help up to three African students attend Dunn. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the school quickly reached out to their Central Coast community for help and the Emergency Ukrainian Student Scholarship was born, enabling the school to welcome six Ukrainian students to campus.

“We’re taking kids who’ve had a traumatic situation as a result of poverty or as a result of war and we’re supporting them,” Balaven says.

Founded by Anthony Dunn in 1957, the school sits on 55 bucolic acres and includes a middle school (added in 1978) and high school. Classes are small, teachers are passionate about the

hen the war in Ukraine started, school was canceled, and we spent most of our time in shelters. An airplane exploded over my house at 4 am. At Dunn,

Dunn Student

experiential curriculum, and graduates are so invested in their school that they’ve returned after becoming successes in life and endowed both an entire program (Jurgensen Entrepreneurship Program) and a dorm (Boone Hall).

With so much to o er, Balaven just wants to be able to o er more underserved students the opportunity to be able to experience that Dunn School spirit.

"W

I feel safe here, like I can relax."

–

Emergency Ukrainian Student Scholarship Recipient

Building Community: The annual all- school color run.

Each year, student leaders are tasked with helping new students become oriented with the Dunn campus and culture, which can include a gelato break on a warm day.

Helping to Build Generational Wealth for the Underserved Student

Dunn School is seeking donations to build an endowment to provide financial aid and opportunities to local underserved students as well as students fleeing foreign countries.

“The phrase ‘generational wealth’ is important to me,” says Kalyan Balaven, Dunn’s Head of School. “By giving to this they’re giving in perpetuity for perpetuity. Our goal is to set up our students to be generational wealth builders for their villages, their communities… We only have six Ukrainian kids at this one moment in time, but we can have greater impact if the philanthropy is there.”

Every donation of $70,000 provides tuition, travel, legal support, full room and board, school supplies, clothing, and allowance. Each time this goal is reached it allows Dunn School to rescue one more student in need, to prepare them for a successful life and, imbued with the school’s entrepreneurial spirit, learn to be the catalysts for generational wealth.

Dunn School dunnschool.org

2555 West Highway 154 Los Olivos, CA 93441 (805) 688-6471

hole student education really is a holistic approach to learning and teaching, and it reflects the opportunity for the students to learn not just the academic, but the social, the cultural, and some of the softer nuances about being successful in life."

– Guy Walker Alumnus & Board of Trustees Chair

The first-ever student from his school in Uganda to come to the United States, Isaac is the latest success story in Dunn's African Scholar program, which has provided four-year, fully paid scholarships for students like Isaac since 2014.

Outdoor

Contact: LynnRae Dunn Director of Philanthropy (805) 686-0627 ldunn@dunnschool.org

KEY SUPPORTERS

Robert Day & W.M. Keck Foundation Jonathan Day Mike Boone

Autumn & Steven Badelt Janet & Barry Lang Arn & Nancy Youngman Cindy & Adam Bronfman Eric Roberts George & Leanne Roberts Stephane de Bord & Kimberly Branagh Whitney & Philip Arnautou Stephanie Bailey

The Many Ways to Give...

Maria Zhang

Tina & Jonathan Grunzweig

Kristen Carlson

Scott & Lisa Ramsey

Mary & CJ Jackson

Susan Jorgensen & Alice Gillaroo

Ike & Lara Zekaria

Tim & Virginia Bliss

Janice & Julian Gangolli Randall Day Guy R. Walker

"W

Education: Enjoying a zipline adventure trip o campus.

55. The percentage of students that receive need-based financial aid, and without it, would not be able to attend.

Saving Ukraine’s Vulnerable Children, Now and Into the Future

Since 2016, the U.S.-based nonprofit Kidsave has been in Ukraine working to find older kids living in orphanages and institutions, or those who aged out, lasting connections with adult mentors and forever families.

But with the onset of war in February 2022, Kidsave expanded its work dramatically.

As the world watched, stunned at the ruthless invasion of Ukraine, sparking an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, Kidsave volunteers jumped into action. What started with a small “boots-on-the-ground” volunteer team grew into dozens. And then hundreds more, as Kidsave mobilized to aid the humanitarian e orts and move the children and families they worked with to safety.

CEO, President, and Co-founder Randi Thompson says, “Children in institutions facing fear, don’t know what’s going on… They have no loving family to count on.” Kidsave volunteers risked their lives and worked to evacuate women, children, and families into safety. Since the start of the war, Kidsave has helped evacuate more than 30,000 people out of active combat zones while feeding another 35,000 each week.

Kidsave’s priority has always been children and families.

Through its Family Visit Model, Kidsave works with local social workers and psychologists to find permanent family care, adoption, or long-term foster care for older children and orphans languishing in institutions. When family placements can’t be made, their model promotes long-term mentoring, providing children support and guidance.

According to The New York Times, Ukraine had 91,000 children in institutional orphanages before the invasion. And certainly, when the fighting is finally over, there will be more children left orphaned.

Kidsave will be there to help them now and after the war is over. “We’re restoring families and investing in trauma therapy. We know that thriving adults, thriving communities, raise healthy children. Kids can be the impetus for the healing of Ukraine,” Thompson says.

While Kidsave shifted its resources from family placement and mentoring to rescue and evacuation during the war, Kidsave has never lost sight of its mission: helping vulnerable kids in foster care and orphanages find families.

Recently, Kidsave’s Ukraine team was gifted 2.4 acres of land in western Ukraine. On that land, Kidsave will plant the seeds of the new Ukraine – by building a center to restore and

Kidsave continues to rescue children and families from war zones as long as people need help. Kidsave has rescued more than 30,000 people this year.

build families, train professionals on trauma therapy and Kidsave models, and provide a safe place for children in transition.

Kidsave’s goal is to be operational within the year. “It’s a big project, and we’ll be renovating for years,” says Thompson. “But if we can fix up the existing buildings, put in a professional kitchen, and build the training center, we can launch by next summer… and be one step closer to ensuring orphaned children get a fighting chance to rebuild and thrive.”

Kidsave's Angels of Hope are meeting today's needs for children and families in Ukraine and planting seeds of hope for tomorrow.

Kidsave’s Corporate Mentoring program is going strong during the war, helping older youth who have aged out of orphan care plan for their future.

Matching Challenge!

The Hirsch Family Foundation will match every dollar raised, up to $50,000.

Help Build a New Life for Orphans in Ukraine

Kidsave is building a new center on land in western Ukraine to serve as a gathering place for orphans and potential forever families and as a training facility for child welfare professionals. They are raising funds for major renovations.

Your gifts can help build this property and rebuild the lives of orphans.

$25,000: Will help renovate three existing structures to provide a safe place for children needing trauma therapy and to give them weekend visits with potential forever families.

$25,000: Will help build a professional kitchen so Kidsave can provide healthy meals for children and the families who come to meet them.

The Bob and Nita Hirsch Family Foundation will match every dollar raised, up to $50,000

Kidsave has delivered more than 750 tons of humanitarian aid to villages that are su ering without food and supplies.

Kidsave kidsave.org

100 Corporate Pointe Walk, Suite 380 Culver City, CA 90230

Contact: Randi Thompson CEO and Co-Founder (310) 642-7283

Randi Thompson Randi@kidsave.org

KEY SUPPORTERS

Jackie Autry Boeing Company

Hirsch Family Foundation BlueCheck Ukraine David and Janyce Hoyt Foundation GlobalGiving Foundation

The Hicker Family Holt International Jones/Ruschman Charitable Trust

The

By Check: Kidsave P.O. Box 39293

Los Angeles, CA 90039-0293

Leslie L. Alexander Foundation, Inc. Leet Foundation

Plante Moran Trust

Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation

US-Ukraine Foundation

Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 91–1887623

By Credit Card: kidsave.org/giving-list

"Kidsave's team of dedicated, humble Angels of Hope have been helping in war-torn areas that other organizations were too afraid to venture into, rescuing those most in need – orphans, children, and families – and getting them to safety. BlueCheck Ukraine is proud to support Kidsave's heroic e orts."

– Liev Schreiber Actor and co-founder of Blue Check Ukraine

Ordinary People Making an Outsized Impact on the World

Determined to make the world a better place, Dave Bauer vowed to give 10% of his net income to people less fortunate. Bauer isn’t rich. He doesn’t have a high-pay ing job, a trust fund, or a large nest egg in the stock market. Bauer runs a small business in Los Angeles, with a big heart and a belief that if everyone donated a tiny fraction of their dis posable income, the world would be a much better place.

So far he’s invested in an orphanage in Ugan da, helping hundreds of children without fami

lies access clean water, food, and education.

“Most people have no idea just how big of an impact they can make in a world with a small investment,” Bauer says.

That first successful philanthropic investment in the Uganda orphanage led Bauer to create the secular nonprofit Lightforce One in 2018 with the mission to offer ordinary people the chance to have their modest contribution have an outsized impact on people’s lives. Bauer per sonally sources and vets every potential Light force One project.

“I evaluate what’s going on on the ground,” Bauer says. “And I pick out the biggest, easiest holes to fill.”

Lightforce One’s approach to giving is based on the classic proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Over the last four years, Lightforce One has heeded that mantra by investing in projects that support independence and sustainability for im poverished communities – from funding chick en coops to wells to educational scholarships for children to introducing revenue streams. In to tal, he estimates the organization has improved the lives of 2,000 people.

Bauer knew that Lightforce One was his

do believe since Lightforce One came into our lives, people's thinking in the village changed. The children are now confident that they have a future and they now have big dreams of what they want to be after their education. Members of the village learned that there is an entry point for them to do business like poultry. I have also learned to think bigger in all that I do. Also, people have changed the way they deal with nature."

– Mawanda Abel Executive Director, St. Kizito Hope for Orphans

calling after he received photos from the or phanage in Uganda showing the fruits of his investment in a well and irrigation system. The first photo was two men digging a hole with shovels and pickaxes followed a week later by a picture of a 40-foot hole with water at the bottom.

“When I saw that picture, I knew that I just made a lasting impact on 1,000 lives,” he says.

"I

Lightforce One works to uplift and empower the underprivileged and marginalized of the world. Most of our work has been focused in Africa where we have funded a well and irrigation system, crops, chicken farming, brick-making, and more. We are now expanding our reach to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Lightforce One funded a chicken farming project in Uganda to raise money for the orphanage.

Conservative estimates state that 52% of those living on Pine Ridge live below the federal poverty line. 41% of Ugandans are reported to live in poverty. We would argue that this, too, is a conservative estimate.

"Lightforce One is unique in its focus on clear-cut, achievable goals that can be accomplished by their target communities with the right help – interven tions that generate self-sufficiency and create lasting change. Providing a tool that makes it easier to make better bricks? — it sounds simple but it means the com munity can provide shelter for its people and activities and also create a means of production that scales up to support individuals and the larger group. Making it possible to dig a viable well means that women and girls don’t spend their days traveling across the countryside for water, and that the community can grow food for consumption and for sale. Lightforce One is far-sighted, imaginative, practical, and effective — and I’m a proud supporter."

– Susan Painter, Ph.D. Research Psychologist

We purchased a brick-making machine that makes perfect bricks every time and they interlock to make beautiful, sturdy walls. 100 people from the village showed up to learn how to use it! They were very excited.

Using the traditional method of making bricks, the bricks are irregularly shaped and require a lot of mortar to build with. This wall was recently built with traditionally-made bricks. Not only are they ugly, but they are not very sturdy.

The Light Within Us

Lightforce One will be expanding its reach to help the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where the community suffers an 80-90% unemployment rate and is consistently ranked as the poorest area in the country. A staggering 80% of families are affected by alcoholism.

Help Lightforce One raise $300,000 over the next year. The money goes towards establishing substance abuse recovery meetings, insulating homes, supporting a farming co-op, and purchasing farming equipment in Pine Ridge, and continuing the work in Uganda building a new campus and introducing more revenue streams.

“No problem is insurmountable,” says Dave Bauer, founder of Lightforce One.

“Lightforce One is about taking the light (the goodness) that’s within each of us and sharing it throughout the world.”

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: Lightforce One

10875 Wheatland Avenue Shadow Hills, CA 91040

Here is a nearly finished wall using the bricks made with the brick-mak ing machine. The difference between the traditional walls and walls made with these new bricks is night and day! Not only is it much better looking, but it is also sturdier. The total investment was $2,000, including materials.

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 83-2419834

Providing Healthcare to the World’s Most Vulnerable Communities

he World Telehealth Initiative program is the most emerging, innovative, and helpful health program for patient care. Our physicians are exposed to very experienced consultants from different disciplines, sharing their knowledge with them and learning from them. Patients are also satisfied to receive specialist healthcare services from foreign doctors by telehealth device. They express their excitement and satisfaction to us.”

MBBS,

Esperanza was 19 years old and living in Malawi when she faced a serious health crisis. While giving birth to her first child, she suffered an obstetric fistula, one of the most devastating childbirth injuries that requires intricate, advanced surgery to correct.

In the small southeastern country in Africa, many women in Malawi do not have access to the necessary care. They typically have few options, and like Esperanza, often become ostracized from society due to the incontinence and smell, and are forced to live out their lives, in pain, hidden away. According to the World Health Organization, more than two million women in Africa have suffered from obstetric fistulas.

Fortunately, Esperanza had two surgeries performed by a local surgeon who built her skills through the World Telehealth Initiative surgical mentorship program in Malawi. Through the program at Bwaila Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, novice surgeons are mentored by surgical

experts from Baylor College of Medicine. The local surgeon is now able to perform almost all fistula repair surgeries independently and allow these women reentry into society. It is World Telehealth Initiative’s mission to provide sustained, quality healthcare to the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Telehealth technology enables World Telehealth Initiative’s volunteer medical specialists to deliver healthcare expertise to anywhere in the world that has internet. World Telehealth Initiative uses a global cloud-based network and telehealth devices donated by Teladoc Health, the world’s leading virtual care company. The devices are used to teach and mentor local providers diagnostic and surgical skills, which embed these skills into their communities for years to come.

The World Health Organization reports that 50 percent of the world’s population does not have access to essential healthcare services. World Telehealth Initiative is the

only humanitarian organization that utilizes telehealth to provide peer-to-peer training, surgical mentoring, clinical consults, and emergent high-acuity care to serve patients and strengthen health systems in underserved communities worldwide.

According to Co-founder and Executive Director Sharon Allen, access to healthcare should not be determined by where you were born. She adds that World Telehealth Initiative is working to transform global healthcare by providing quality medical expertise where and when it is needed.

As for Esperanza, she made a full recovery, thanks to her local doctor and World Telehealth Initiative. She became an ambassador for World Telehealth Initiative and, with a phone and bicycle, has been traveling to nearby towns letting other locals know about the program.

“T

– Dr. Saiful Islam,

MPH Physician and Clinical Coordinator at HOPE Field Hospital in the Rohingya refugee camp

World Telehealth Initiative cares for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh by supporting HOPE Field Hospital in the refugee camp. The program provides medical expertise in various specialties to care for the Rohingya’s diverse health needs. Scheduled telehealth consultations enable specialized healthcare for patients and learning opportuni ties for local clinicians.

World Telehealth Initiative serves two children’s hospitals in Northern Argentina with high-acuity, emergent care. Spe cialists from Buenos Aires connect at a moment’s notice to pediatric hospitals in Salta and Santiago del Estero to avoid high-risk transfers of fragile children. They assist with diagnosis, care plan development, and guide complicated surgeries.

Help Get Healthcare to Where It’s Needed Most

Imagine you or your child has a medical emergency and you’re unable to get the necessary care or specialized treatment because the only doctor that can help is over 100 miles away and your only means of transportation is on foot.

World Telehealth Initiative strives to make quality medical care accessible to under-resourced communities, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, wherever, whenever it is needed. Technology makes this possible.

World Telehealth Initiative is seeking to raise $1.5 million so they can expand their services to more underserved communities. Currently they have 33 programs across the globe, in areas as diverse as Togo, Bhutan, and Kashmir. By the end of 2022, World Telehealth Initiative’s goal is to expand to 40 programs and, by the end of 2023, they hope to expand to 65 programs in order to double the number of patients served per month to 500.

World Telehealth Initiative because of the care and hope they provide patients around the world without access to critical health needs. Not only do they provide quality health care for patients today through their telemedicine technology, WTI also builds the skills of local clinicians to serve future patients. I am proud to be part of their important work globally."

– Sheri Sobrato Brisson Social Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

Mortality rates from oral cancer in West Africa are among the highest globally, in part because there are not enough dentists. World Telehealth Initiative’s program provides den tal students in Guinea with training from global dental experts. The students are now qualified dentists who provide quality dental care in West Africa.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Intel Pfizer

Teladoc Health Jan Campbell

Virgil Elings

Matt and Sheri Fay

Susan Hackwood

Jody Dolan Holehouse

Angel Iscovich

Robert Skinner

Yulun and Susan Wang Ron Werft

The Many Ways to Give...

World Telehealth Initiative

www.worldtelehealthinitiative.org 7402 Hollister Avenue Goleta, CA 93117 (805) 886-8016

Contact: Erin Goldfarb Chief Development Officer (818) 687-3700 egoldfarb@worldtelehealthinitiative.org

By Check:

World Telehealth Initiative

7402 Hollister Avenue Goleta, CA 93117

By DAF : Tax ID# 82-4657634

Stock Transfer: Contact Erin Goldfarb

By Credit Card: worldtelehealthinitiative.org/donate

"I support

World Telehealth Initiative’s volunteer medical specialists host virtual lectures and hands-on skills training for clinicians in Cambodia to build their capacity. Additionally, bedside con sultations are educational opportunities for local clinicians, while simultaneously providing specialized care for patients.

“8.6 million people in middle- and lowincome countries die annually from treatable conditions.”

Health

Mind and body, our health is fundamental. Whether on horseback, through the gift of improved vision, or care at the end of one’s life, each of the nonprofits highlighted here is making a significant contribution to our most fundamental need.

The Extraordinary Impact of a Philanthropist Who Revels in Life’s Ordinary Things

As told to Gwyn Lurie

Wallis Annenberg never set out to be a public person. Even today, as the head of a legendar y family foundation (one of the 50 largest private foundations in the U.S.) she still feels most at home watching tennis or the women’s college world series, spending time with friends and family, and doing, what she calls, “the most ordinar y things you can imagine.”

But when it comes right down to it, there is really nothing ordinar y about Wallis Annenberg the person nor the Foundation she leads. Founded in 1988 by her father, Walter Annenberg, publisher and U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, the Annenberg Foundation has, since its inception, given away more than $5 billion dollars.

Under Wallis’ leadership, which began in 2009, this family’s foundation lives on the center stage of L.A.’s philanthropic world and beyond. Today the Annenberg Foundation funds and has created some of the most groundbreaking programs across a wide swath of Los Angeles’ and indeed the world’s most pressing issues. ese programs include changing the conversation around aging, animals and wildlife, gender equity, social justice, climate, education, housing, performing arts, and healthcare.

Given Wallis’ deep and diverse philanthropic footprint, we wanted to understand how she thinks about her work to which she is so deeply devoted.

Q. Your family has such a storied legacy in diplomacy, journalism, business, and, of course, philanthropy in Los Angeles and around the world. Can you tell us about your upbringing and its impact on your personal passion for philanthropy?

A. My greatest childhood memories are of the simplest things, with the least frills, and the least pretense: playing with my friends, the most ordinar y things you could possibly do.

Of course, with an ambitious and successful father who also became an impactful Ambassador to the Court of St James’s – I

was exposed to many extraordinar y people and events – and that helped shape me in di erent ways. ankfully with all my travels and interactions and challenges along the way, I learned compassion and empathy. I also saw triumph, tragedy, and suffering in life as well. I suppose that ’s why my family was drawn to giving back because – truly we were given so much and so much was expected of us.

And I think that’s why I’m a philanthropist now, focused on investing in people and lifting communities and helping to make people’s lives better So many people don’t have what they need for a fair shot at life and at Annenberg we are always looking at ways to cut through and help adjust and improve the systems preventing that.

Wallis Annenberg at a recent event hosted at The Wallis Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills

Winston Churchill famously said that ‘we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ I’ve certainly found that to be true.

Q. e Annenberg Foundation supports a diverse array of causes. Where do your personal philanthropic passions lie?

A. From my rst day running the Foundation, I realized that the key to successful philanthropy is giving from your heart, leading with your greatest passion, and that is what I’ve tried to do.

My passions are many, including investing in and empowering leaders, especially women, around the world; stepping in where needed to address the critical issues of our time including a ordable housing, food insecurity, conser vation, education, access to healthcare, and supporting social justice. Of course, the Foundation has long invested in using visual and performing arts in stor ytelling as engines of social change. And most recently I’ve had such joy from our philanthropy around animal welfare, strengthening the human-animal bond, and changing the conversation around longevity and aging.

I was a woman in the working world long before the women’s movement really took hold, so the gender gaps and discrimination we still see all around us – not to mention the true subjugation of women around the world – are very personal to me.

Visual art has always been a great love of mine – especially photography A stunning photograph or an incredible piece of theater can provide some of the greatest insight into ourselves and the human condition.

And as for strengthening the human-animal bond, I haven’t just loved my own animal companions, I’ve learned from them. How to be present. How to be playful. How to live fully, without grudges, without expectations. at motivated my launch of the Annenberg Pet Space in Playa Vista, a cutting-edge facility where we take in dogs from overcrowded area shelters and make them available for adoptions. Our programs are focused on educating the public on the human-animal bond – how our mental and physical health is improved thanks to animals.

Animals and wildlife have a way of uniting people and there’s no better example of this than the Annenberg Wildlife Crossing now under construction across ten lanes of the 101 freeway in Agoura Hills north of Los Angeles. A public-private partnership

of monumental scope, it will be the largest animal crossing in the world and the rst with signi cant private support. People have rallied around this project and it’s inspiring to see what we’ve been able to accomplish together in our e ort to protect L.A.’s beloved cougars and other wildlife while addressing one of the world’s global biodiversity hotspots. We are hoping to have an announcement shortly after the rst of next year on a campaign fund for additional crossings in California and across our nation.

Q. What is the most exciting thing that you’ve seen come out of your philanthropy?

A. It would be impossible to narrow it down to just one, every project is so di erent.

e wildlife crossing represents years of work and collaboration coming to fruition. State and local agencies, elected leaders, nonpro ts, and the private sector all came together to make this a reality

e newly opened Wallis Annenberg GenSpace is changing the way we think about aging in America and providing older adults with a welcoming place to connect and pursue their interests. e number of Californians aged 65-plus is projected to increase sharply in the next decade and we need more places for older adults to enjoy themselves and pursue their curiosities. I was extremely disturbed by seeing the amount of aging peo-

Wallis and her father Walter Annenberg, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom

“By shining a spotlight on the boldest, most audacious ideas, we hope they ’ll be copied over and over, and our investments will be leveraged a thousandfold.”

ple so isolated, which was made worse by COVID. GenSpace, which has not even been open six months, brings people together – intergenerationally – inside an innovative new building that de es ageist stereotypes. I’m proud of the way we’re changing the conversation around aging.

I’m also enormously proud of e Wallis, our Center for the Performing Arts, right in the heart of Beverly Hills. By creating a world-class center for the performing arts, we preserved and restored the old Post O ce – a real part of Beverly Hills histor y. We established a new venue for great performances and productions. And we found a way to engage the whole community – young people from all over our city – to enable them to actually practice the arts, to see the di erence it can make in their own lives. I think it rede nes what an arts center can be. And it achieved so many goals at once. It still thrills me to sit in the audience there, as the curtain is about to go up, and remember when it was all just a dream – a tiny grain of a vision.

Q. Are you, as a family foundation, more likely to bet on ideas or people?

A. Being a family foundation does enable us to cast a wide net and to be nimble, exible, and take risks in a timely fashion. Overall, I would say that we tend to put ideas rst as we all strive to address challenges and critical issues in our community and beyond.

And innovation is really the basis of our giving. When you consider the scope of the issues we’re tr ying to tackle – gender inequality, social justice, people’s disengagement from the arts, a broken animal adoption system, the challenge of aging in an ageist culture, the climate crisis – no foundation could ever write a check big enough. So, we work to nd and bet on the real innovators. e rule breakers. e fresh new paradigms for solving old problems.

By shining a spotlight on the boldest, most audacious ideas, we hope they’ll be copied over and over, and our investments will be leveraged a thousandfold.

If you have an incredible person running a nonpro t that is very important to all of us, but there isn’t a real, scalable model that they’re pushing – well, what if they take a sabbatical? What if they retire? Ideas always trump cults of personality, as alluring as those can sometimes be. at said, we absolutely believe in leadership to take those ideas for ward and we are careful to vet all projects for good, strong leadership before providing the resources.

Q. At a time when journalism has come under such strong attack, how has your family’s background in journalism impacted your work in philanthropy?

A. I think that when truth and facts are under assault, we are all under attack. e whole basis for a free and democratic society is under attack. ese are very challenging times in this regard.

Yes, I was a working journalist myself, and my father started the Annenberg Foundation to focus on communication around the world. And that does have some impact on what we do. Our commitment to the USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism and the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication – which are training the next generation of journalists and those who will work in communications who will have to push through all of these attacks on the media – and our Justice for Women Journalists Award – these are things that we do because the world needs the facts, the world needs strong and courageous journalism and communications, more than ever before. Ever y other goal of ours depends on it.

Q. What advice would you give to grassroots organizations that are trying to get on the radar of some of the larger funders and foundations like Annenberg?

A. My father was a big proponent of telling me: ‘Don’t do it the way I did. Do it your own way.’ And I have found that to be extremely good advice. I would say: Be di erent. Be bold. Break some rules, take some risks. Find a new path to solving an old problem. at’s what we like to fund. You might say that we don’t give money as much as we nurture and support real innovation. And there’s incredible innovation out there, if you’re willing to look.

Wallis Annenberg addressing the crowd at the groundbreaking of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills

Q. What advice would you give to those who newly find themselves in a position to make a difference through philanthropy?

A. One of the most gratifying things for me in recent years has been welcoming my children, Lauren Bon, Gregor y Annenberg Weingarten, and Charles Annenberg Weingarten, to big roles at the Annenberg Foundation. I love seeing them reinvent it and make it their own – as I tried to do when I took over back in 2009. So, this is what I’d say to anyone starting out in philanthropy: do it your own way Focus on the things that re ally matter to you. You’ll give better and smarter that way. You’ll know how to tell a good investment from a bad one. And what fun is it to do anything if you can’t put your own stamp on it?

Q. How do you measure ROI?

A. at’s a good question, and a complicated one. We’re not running a hedge fund, after all; returns in the notfor-pro t sector can be measured in so many di erent ways. Plus, we do tend to fund things with very broad goals – like changing the conversation around aging in America, or reforming a broken animal adoption system. I think we consider ourselves successful if we make a bit of noise in a given area. And, of course, if we can e ect real change in people’s lives, which is a lot easier to see and to measure.

Q. Do you think philanthropy can have a meaning ful impact on systemic change for people of color, women, and more generally those who fall on the margins of gender equity questions?

A. Absolutely it can. You just have to support initiatives that are working to address those problems. It’s why our founda-

tion has been so deeply involved in things like PledgeLA, which is increasing diversity, equity, and community engagement in L.A.’s tech and venture capital sectors.

It’s why we’ve supported women’s empowerment around the world. When COVID hit, we focused our grant-making on hospitals, clinics, food organizations, Boys & Girls Clubs, and other organizations that provide support to under-ser ved communities. e goal was to ensure everyone – no matter where they lived – could access basic support ser vices. Equity and access are enormous problems, and they are systemic – woven into the fabric of institutions. But there is a lot of great work being done to remedy the problems, and we need to support and shine a spotlight on it.

Q. Do you practice trust-based philanthropy?

A. As I understand the term, you’re talking about a kind of philanthropy that isn’t just writing big checks and then telling people what they can do with the money It’s about collaboration, listening, trust, nding the real innovators and letting them do their thing. In that sense, yes, I believe we do practice it. Our real mission is to nd the best ideas, support them, and then get out of the way. Unless we are creating our own organization from the ground up, like e Wallis or like GenSpace, the people on the front lines will always know better than us anyway Our grantees have the autonomy to make decisions based on what is best for the people they ser ve.

Q. So much of your foundation’s focus is on Los Angeles. What do you think is most important for people to understand about philanthropy in Los Angeles at this point in time?

A. Los Angeles is really many di erent cities at once. Rich, poor, creative, industrious, highly diverse, highly entrepreneurial – I think we are a laborator y for everything that’s great about this countr y, and also for many of its problems. We are so much more than people’s stereotype of L.A. And our philanthropic community is really rolling up its sleeves, and developing national models for change in so many areas: animal welfare, aging in America, the digital revolution, and the future of journalism around the world, of course the arts and culture too.

L.A. is so much more than meets the eye – and we are tr ying to help meet as many of its challenges as we possibly can.

Wallis and her three children Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, Lauren Bon, and Charlie Annenberg Weingarten

For These Leading L.A. Realtors, Philanthropy Is a Way of Life

Ask Craig Knizek and Marco Rufo and they’ll tell you how their global “luxury lifestyle” real estate brokerage rm stands out in a few key ways.

As Managing Partners at e Agency, they and their teams help clients buy and sell real estate that’s used as primary residences, investment properties, and for aspirational vacation destinations, including the Caribbean, Amsterdam, Canada, Hawaii, and Malibu, and across the entire Los Angeles basin.

ey serve their communities not only professionally, but through their philanthropic e orts largely inspired by the tragic deaths of family members and their own hard knocks.

While they’ll sell your grandmother’s

$200,000 condo if needed, the biggest advantage they present to their clients is their mastery of the luxury space, says Knizek, the former producer of Sony/ NBC’s hit series Mad About You and an original producer on e Simpsons before he pivoted to real estate.

“If you’re trying to sell a $4.5 or $5 million dollar house in the San Fernando Valley, there is nobody who does it better than we do,” Knizek, who leads e Agency’s San Fernando Valley o ces ($2B in sales), says. “We understand the psycho-demographics of that buyer, we understand that seller, we ‘get’ that house and we know the valuation of the location and what de nes a luxury lifestyle.”

Secondly, their agents take a “collaborative” rather than a competitive approach with one another, which is bene cial for all involved, says Rufo, who was born in Italy and leads e Agency’s Paci c Palisades o ce.

“If there is something we feel like we’re competing over, then we work together,” Rufo says. “ is is now the family. Our workplace is an extension of our home.”

Rufo, past president of the Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors®, currently Chair of its Professional Standards committee, and Past President of the MLS, has done more than $1.7 billion in sales over 25-plus years in the industry. Knizek, who also founded a real estate design and development company that renovates and builds spec homes, has repeatedly been named by e Wall Street Journal as one of the top 250 brokers in the country.

Yet these leading real estate professionals are just as passionate about their volunteerism and philanthropy as they are about helping their clients nd their dream homes.

- CRAIG KNIZEK Managing Partner, The Agency

- MARCO RUFO Managing Partner, The Agency

Marco Rufo, Managing Partner of the Pacific Palisades o ce, celebrated Global Service Day with a beach clean-up event.

For Rufo, the adoring father of two teen girls, donating his time and money to local breast cancer foundations is something that’s close to his heart. He recalls as a young boy playing with “two half-moons” that his grandmother, Cesidia, had on a table inside her bedroom when she visited them in Boston. Rufo realized much later that they were silicone “breasts” that his grandmother, who died of breast cancer when he was eighteen, would place inside her bra.

“When I found out what I was playing with and what was going on, it just a ected me,’’ he says. “ at’s been my cause. I do it for her.”

Rufo also enjoys giving to Toys for Tots and the Los Angeles Homeless Shelter.

In his late twenties, after getting involved with the “wrong group of people,” he found himself living on and o the streets for about

THE AGENCY:

SHERMAN OAKS, STUDIO CITY & CALABASAS

Craig Knizek

Managing Partner cknizek@theagencyre.com (818) 618-1006 www.theagencyre.com/agent/craig-knizek DRE #1377932

two years. Rufo got into “countless ghts” and even went to jail as a result – but managed to get through this rough period relatively unscathed, he says.

“I have bus benches for advertisements,” Rufo says. “ e reason I have them is every day I drive by them, it reminds me that I used to sleep on them.”

His colleague, Knizek, also has a personal reason for his philanthropic work. His rst child, Adam, died at the age of 8 and a half months from viral pneumonia after he had suddenly stopped breathing and was rushed to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 1995.

“It was really, really painful; a lot of bereavement and grief counseling,” Knizek says. “It’s the absolutely worst club in the world to belong to.”

Soon afterward, Knizek and his wife,

THE AGENCY:

PACIFIC PALISADES

Marco Rufo

Managing Partner marco@theagencyre.com (310) 488-6914 www.marcorufo.com DRE #01362095

- MARCO RUFO Managing Partner

Allison, created the Adam Hunter Knizek Memorial Endowment Fund at Children’s Hospital. e fund supports the Child Life Program, which uses developmental experts to promote understanding, coping, and play for hospitalized children undergoing care so they have a more positive experience.

e specialists give the children and their families “non-scary” versions of what will happen to them, so the children are less likely to freak out, which helps the medical and healing process, Knizek says.

e Knizeks are also extending their support to teach patients and their families how to create books to express or memorialize their feelings while they or their loved ones are being treated at the hospital.

After their rst daughter was born, the couple wrote a children’s book about their late son, Adam, describing his life with them. at book became “a wonderful keepsake” for the family, Knizek said, and inspired them to support the bookmaking project through the Child Life Program.

“It’s a way that continues to memorialize my son proclaiming to the world he existed, he was important, he mattered, and to serve in that capacity for someone else going through fear or grief who doesn’t know how to deal with that,” Knizek says. “ is might give them comfort. is might inspire them.”

“In

honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I helped organize a fundraiser to bring awareness and financial aid to those su ering from this debilitating condition. Alongside me are two incredibly strong women who have su ered from and are now survivors of breast cancer.”

CHILDREN

Building the Bones of Something Great

According to the World Health Organization, significant orthopaedic injuries account for more patient cases worldwide than cancer and HIV-AIDS combined. The impact of these injuries on young children’s lives, and the barriers to access high quality medical care, repre sent a serious threat to families.

For over a century, Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children (LuskinOIC) has stood with open doors to address children’s musculoskeletal issues, from bone injuries to congenital orthopaedic disorders. Established in 1911, during the rise of polio, LuskinOIC has expanded into a first-class center for research, education, and medical care.

Today, its focus is on providing care where it is most needed: delivering compassionate, comprehensive treatment to children from underserved families. As Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer Michael Sullivan says, “Our parents, particularly the uninsured, are already nervous coming into a healthcare organization. But as we say: ‘We’re kid first, not insurance first.’”

LuskinOIC makes patient accessibility central to their mission as care providers. “The psychology of being welcomed is an important part of the healing process, particularly for parents. These are families that are used to being told no,” says Sullivan.

Contributions from donors help ensure accessibility. Donations allow LuskinOIC to relieve the burden on low-income families by supporting the cost of treatment.

Take Efrain for example. Efrain was born with a significant limb deficiency and was unable to walk. Doctors in his home country considered amputation or leg-lengthening procedures, but the family had reservations and little funds to afford either option. When they relocated to Los Angeles, they saw a pediatrician and a nurse who immediately suggested they visit LuskinOIC.

Under the care of Dr. Anthony Scaduto, LuskinOIC’s President and CEO, Efrain underwent a rotationplasty – a very rare, unique, and painful surgery. But this amazing procedure gave him the opportunity to easily wear a prosthesis, allowing Efrain to have two functional legs, and for the first time let him walk without any

crutches or assistive devices. Efrain is simply one example of the thousands of children who count on LuskinOIC for care.

The expert medical staff are trained in 21 subspecialties and treat over 70,000 patient visits a year. They see children from Los Angeles County and around the world, regardless of ability to pay. All of the care for children, research in orthopaedics, and education is possible thanks to private support.

“R enee and Meyer Luskin are two of Los Angeles’ most generous philanthropists who have long supported our mission and our belief that every child should have the opportunity to grow well and play well.”

– Dr. Anthony Scaduto LuskinOIC President & CEO

Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children believes in kid first, not insurance first.

The expert medical staff at LuskinOIC work to provide access to care for all patients.

Helping Children Grow Well and Play Well

LuskinOIC is the largest provider of pediatric orthopaedic care on the West Coast. Eighty percent of patients are of color, and 93% are underinsured or uninsured. California is ranked 47th of 50 states in Medicaid reimbursement for children’s healthcare. Donations help offset the lack of insurance reimbursements for underinsured children.

For patient Efrain, for example, non-reimbursed costs include such things as prosthesis ($25,000); physical therapy visits ($300 per visit); and X-rays ($129 per visit). Every donation goes to help kids like Efrain walk. Funds also allow LuskinOIC to train the next generation of medical personnel and conduct groundbreaking research.

For the past 22 years, Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children has been the sole provider of pediatric orthopaedics for the UCLA Health System, and is ranked among the best pediatric orthopaedic programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

LuskinOIC providers talk to their patients, not at their patients, establishing lifelong bonds.

Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children

403 West Adams Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90007 (213) 742-1500

Contact: Mary Beth Perrine Assistant Vice President (213) 742-1534 mperrine@mednet.ucla.edu

reading books to children to help exercise their imagina tion while also providing a ‘healthy distraction’ for what may be a scary time

– LuskinOIC Volunteer

Each child gets to choose their cast color. It is part of the adventure – they have fun picking it!

KEY SUPPORTERS

Renee and Meyer Luskin Valley Orthopaedic Clinic Ahmanson Foundation

Stella L. Spencer W. M. Keck Foundation

The Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation

The Fred L. Hartley Family Foundation Vice Admiral George Davis and Jean Carroll Davis Callie D. McGrath Foundation

Dr. Harry A. McKellop and Tovya Wager Andrea and Donald Goodman

The League, Caring for Children with Orthopedic Needs

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Searchlighters

The Fred and Peggy Hartley Family Foundation

Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation

QueensCare

Ned and Nancy Fox

Charitable Children's Guild

Ruth L. Sawyer

Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation

Dr. Robert Nichols Family Exela Technologies

Sharon and Par Chadha

Sarah and Andrej Jonovic

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children Foundation 403 West Adams Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90007

By

Online: www.ortho-institute.org/ways-to-give/donate-online

“I enjoy

for them.”

Mothers witness the miracle of their child’s first steps!

LuskinOIC puts more casts on kids annually than any other institution in the United States. You could fill Dodger Stadium eight and a half times over with the number of days our kids are in a cast per year!

Alleviating Homelessness by Providing Recuperative Care

mitted to National Health Foundation’s recu perative care center in Mid City, Los Angeles. Bill took control of his health and began to feel hopeful again.

What has the pandemic taught us? Never take good health or access to healthcare for granted. This is the backbone of the National Health Foun dation’s mission.

Founded in 1973 to conduct research and programs related to healthcare, the organiza tion found its footing by studying the needs of the Los Angeles community.

“There are at least 58,000 people experienc ing homelessness in Los Angeles County. And unfortunately, there are not 58,000 beds avail able for all those individuals,” says Scott Twom ey, director of special projects.

At the forefront of National Health Founda tion’s services is their emphasis on alleviating homelessness by providing recuperative care. The recuperative care facilities run by the orga nization provide interim housing to those who have recently been discharged from a hospital but have nowhere to go.

Bill was one of many who found himself in this situation.

“Over the last decade, I lost almost ev erything I have ever valued: my parents, two brothers, marriage, business, home, wealth, and

health,” Bill, age 63, says.

Destitute, homeless, and needing intensive nursing care after a complicated operation, Bill felt as though his life was over: “I thought I was done at age 60 and, as I told many, I did not expect to live until 65. I believed this, lived with this prediction, and even made uncomfortable peace with my impending demise.”

But Bill’s fortune changed after being ad

NHF believes in a community-led approach to addressing health inequities in the neighborhoods it serves. NHF works closely with the Comunidad de NHF, a group of community leaders in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles who provide feedback of needs of the community to NHF and help distribute culturally and linguistically specific information and resources to the neighborhood about health and wellness. Every year, NHF hosts a community fair in the neighborhood to share resources, build trust, and create a space for joy and celebration.

By providing people like Bill with a place to safely recover, where they will be looked after and fed, National Health Foundation is reduc ing the strain on an already stretched healthcare system. In providing recuperative care services, National Health Foundation has saved the American healthcare system over 20 million dollars. But more importantly, National Health Foundation is protecting the welfare of a vul nerable group.

“My respect for National Health Foundation, its management, and its staff cannot be over stated,” Bill says. “They have provided a foun dation of support from which I have been able to resume a valuable and productive life.”

"I really like it here. It's a place where someone could get themselves back together."

– Carolyn NHF Recuperative Care Guest

National Health Foundation (NHF) has provided recuperative care to those experiencing homelessness for over a decade, giving our unhoused neighbors a place to recover from illness or injury, receive much-needed social services and medical oversight, and increase their chances of finding permanent housing.

Unsheltered older adults make up the largest growing segment of the homeless population in Los Angeles County, expected to grow to 45,000 by 2030, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. There are no recuperative care facilities in the state designed specifically to serve this population, who have complex and distinct social, mental, physical, and behavioral health needs.

Help Build the Arleta Recuperative Care Facility

Continuing on their mission to provide resources and services where it is most needed, National Health Foundation (NHF) is currently building a new 148 bed recuperative care facility in Arleta, California, a neighborhood of Los Angeles. The center will specialize in the needs of the most vulnerable: older adults who have experienced homelessness.

By supporting this initiative, donors will ensure that older adults experiencing homelessness in Southern California are given the resources and care needed to improve their health and well-being and transition to permanent housing. $250 per day will provide trauma-informed recuperative care support, such as medication management, referrals to direct medical and behavioral health providers, daily nutritious meals, and job and permanent housing placement assistance to one adult experiencing homelessness.

Join the supporter’s list today to help build NHF’s Arleta Recuperative Care facility.

National Health Foundation (NHF) www.nationalhealthfoundation.org

515 S Figueroa Street, Suite 1300 Los Angeles, CA 90071 (213) 538-0700

Contact: Shikha Bhatnagar

Director of Development (646) 408-3561

sbhatnagar@nhfca.org

At the ribbon-cutting/ grand opening of NHF's recuperative care facility in Glendale. As an organiza tion committed to building multi-sector partnerships to effectively end our health and homelessness crises, we work closely with stakehold ers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to achieve our mission.

NHF's Community Initiatives team is dedicated to providing health and wellness support to the un der-resourced communities we work with. During the COVID pandemic, NHF helped distribute hundreds of boxes of food to families in need in Los Angeles.

NHF's recuperative care program is built on the commitment to treat every guest that walks through our door with dignity and re spect. It offers comfortable beds, semi-private rooms, trauma-informed staff, 24/7 access to food, laundry services, community areas, and a "store" where guests can freely select needed clothing and hygienic supplies.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Ahmanson

Cedars

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

National Health Foundation

515 S Figueroa Street, Suite 1300 Los Angeles, CA 90071

By

By Credit Card: nationalhealthfoundation.org

"I have been able to resume a valuable and productive life."

– Bill Recuperative Care Guest

UCLA Rape Treatment Center is Healing, Empowering, and Creating Change

One out of every five American women has been the victim of a completed or attempted rape in her lifetime.

“The Rape Treatment Center (RTC) at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center was created in 1974 to provide expert and compassionate care for victims 24 hours a day, and to work to change the attitudes and practices that, for too long, had kept victims silent,” says Gail Abarbanel, the founder of the Center.

Prior to its founding, there were no specific standards or protocols for the care and treatment of rape victims. If they sought help in hospital ERs, they were low-priority patients, often left to sit for hours in busy, crowded public waiting rooms. Abarbanel, a social worker, spent years advocating for special standards and protocols for the care and treatment of rape victims, which were adopted throughout the United States.

The Rape Treatment Center created the

Verna Harrah Clinic, a dedicated 24-hour “ER” within the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. In a private, safe, therapeutic setting, victims receive highly specialized emergency medical care, forensic services, crisis counseling, advocacy, and information about their rights and options to support them in making informed choices and decisions. The RTC also provides ongoing therapy for victims and other support services. To enhance the treatment victims receive wherever they turn for help, the RTC trains first responders and other providers of victim services. The RTC also advocates for public policy reforms, including removing archaic discriminatory standards in our rape laws and establishing rights for victims.

“Everything we have created, all of our model programs and advocacy e orts, have been inspired and guided by what we learn from victims,” Abarbanel says.

The Rape Treatment Center’s programs have become national models and, in 1988, the RTC created Stuart House to meet the special needs of sexually abused children.

One out of every five American women has been the victim of a completed or attempted rape in her lifetime.

RTC’s Stuart House –A Special Place for Child Victims

One in four girls and one in 13 boys are sexually abused. Nine out of 10 know their abuser, according to the CDC. Child victims come from every part of our community. Whether living in poverty or luxury, no child is immune.

Beyond the abuse is the aftermath. If a child discloses sexual abuse, and the family seeks help, they are often sent to multiple agencies and subjected to repetitive interviews in cold institutional settings (e.g., police stations, hospital ERs). Many parents feel their children are more hurt than helped by the traditional system. Stuart House was designed to remedy these problems with a unique child-friendly UCLA facility located nearby UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center.

Stuart House is an internationally recognized model program, created to meet the special needs of sexually abused children and their families. There, child victims can receive all of the specialized services they need in a single child-friendly facility. Police, prosecutors, child protection workers, and expert child forensic interviewers are co-located at Stuart House and work as a team to investigate cases and expedite child protection actions.

Child victims also receive trauma-informed therapy and many other support services. Stuart House provides therapy for family members to help them with their own traumatic reactions and to give them tools for supporting their children. For children who must testify in criminal court proceedings, Stuart House also provides Court School and court accompaniment services.

In its unique environment, Stuart House fosters the healing and resilience of very traumatized children. As one child victim told Abarbanel, “This place feels like a big hug.”

Extraordinary Courage

All services at both the Rape Treatment Center and Stuart House are completely free.

Your donations support comprehensive free treatment, advocacy, and support services for adult and child victims.

The Many Ways to Give...

UCLA Rape Treatment Center and Stuart House

www.uclahealth.org/medical-services/rtc 1250 16th Street

Santa Monica, CA 90404

Contact: Ellen Haddigan Durgun Sr. Executive Director, Hospital Initiatives (310) 321-8366 ehaddigan@mednet.ucla.edu

By Check: The UCLA Foundation P.O. Box 7145 Pasadena, Ca 91109-9903

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-2250801

Memo: Stuart House

One in four girls and one in 13 boys are sexually abused. Nine out of 10 know their abuser.

Eyeglasses: The Critical Difference for So Many Struggling Students

hen we sat down with the folks from Vision To Learn... we were just blown away at how many children didn't have access to glasses, and how the opportunity to have an eye exam, the follow-up from an eye exam, and the opportunity to get glasses would increase their opportunity to learn."

– Michelle Figlar Vice President, Heinz Endowments

Five-year-old Noah was almost legally blind, pressing his nose against the page to make sense of the words. Then a mobile eye clinic showed up at his kindergarten and or dered him his first pair of glasses, for free.

“When I didn’t have my glasses I couldn’t see with my scooter, and I always fell,” Noah says, beaming. “Now that I have my glasses, I can ride my scooter.”

Noah is among the nearly 500,000 kids across the nation with poor eyesight given a clear shot at the blackboard by Vision To Learn, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit agency dedicat ed to ensuring each child has the glasses they need to succeed in school and in life.

More than two million students across the country lack the glasses they need to succeed in school. Students with uncorrected vision prob lems often avoid reading, suffer headaches, and have trouble focusing in class because most learning in the first 12 years is visual.

Many end up failing grades, dropping out of school, or engaging in disruptive behavior. Up to 70 percent of juvenile offenders have issues related to uncorrected vision, the non profit reported.

Enter Vision To Learn, founded a decade ago

with a single mobile eye clinic in Los Angeles and the vision of its founder: businessman and philanthropist Austin Beutner.

“Every child, every school, everywhere in the country should have the glasses they need to succeed in school and in life,” says Beutner.

Bringing the care involves rolling up in a spe cially designed mobile vision clinic. A licensed optometrist then provides eye exams for all stu dents who fail an initial screening. Kids who need glasses then choose among a variety of frames.

Two weeks later, Vision To Learn returns to hand them a free pair of prescription glasses.

If they’re lost or broken, they’re replaced free of charge.

Studies at UCLA and John Hopkins Univer sity show that the free eyeglasses from Vision To Learn have enabled kids with poor vision –especially those at the bottom of their classes – to do better in school.

Vision To Learn helps thousands of students throughout Los Angeles, Long Beach, Ingle wood, and Compton. Nationally, they have 42 clinics that serve more than 750 underserved communities in 13 states and the District of Columbia. This year, the organization expects to give 100,000 pairs of prescription glasses to needy kids, an agency record.

“Time and time again, every day, when a child gets their glasses, they put them on their nose, and then there’s this huge smile on their face,” says Ann Hollister, Vision To Learn’s president.

For Noah, the new glasses were a godsend.

“He was actually two lines away from being legally blind,” his mother says, choking with emotion during a YouTube testimonial. “Amaz ing, just to see the growth that has happened since he’s gotten his glasses – he just seems like a happier child.”

"W

Vision To Learn was founded in Los Angeles in 2012 to ensure that every child in America has the glasses they need to succeed in school.

We serve kids in 13 states, Washington, D.C., and more than 750 communities, from Honolulu to Baltimore.

More than 2 million children in the U.S. do not have the glasses they need to see the board, read a book, or participate in class, and according to a study published in The Journal for the American Medical Association Ophthalmology by researchers from the Center for Research and Reform in Education and the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, children who received glasses did better in school and the impacts were greater than more costly measures such as lengthening the school day, providing computers, or creating charter schools.

hen we're thinking of challenges related to attendance, academic interventions, behavior challenges, not being able to see, in my opinion, comes before all of those interventions and all of those supports."

– Chelsea Montgomery Executive Director, Office of Student Supports in Fulton County Schools

Each of our mobile clinics is serviced by a trained optician and a licensed optometrist, and is outfitted with the exact same equipment that you’d find in a eye doctor’s office.

No Kid Without the Glasses They Need

Vision To Learn is looking for the support it needs to give free eye glasses to every needy kid in America. That means it won’t stop until the two million kids who need glasses, have glasses.

“Our goal is to scale this so that no kid goes without the glasses they need to succeed in school,” says Ann Hol lister, Vision To Learn’s president. “We want to go wherever there is a need not being met.”

Vision To Learn

visiontolearn.org

12100 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1275 Los Angeles, CA 90025 (800) 485-9196

Contact: Damian Carroll National Director (310) 893-2336 damian@visiontolearn.org

We are committed to providing high quality eyecare and continue to strive to help as many kids as possible, because as our founder Austin Beutner is fond of saying, "Every day we help at least one child get glasses is a good day."

KEY SUPPORTERS

Beutner Family Foundation

Blue Meridian Partners

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation W. M. Keck Foundation L.A. Clippers Foundation

Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation

OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation

Rotary District 5280

Shea Family Charities

Warby Parker

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: Vision To Learn

12100 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1275 Los Angeles, CA 90025

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 45-3457853

By Credit Card: visiontolearn.org/donate

"W

Homelessness & Housing

The United States is riven by a crushing

homelessness crisis. Many have tried and failed to make an impact, but these organizations are all –from different tacks – making a positive change.

The ‘Other,’ Kalyan Balaven

By Gwyn Lurie

As the rst person of color to ser ve as Head of Dunn School in Los Olivos, California, Kalyan (“Kal”) Balaven is, in many ways, a long way from his youth in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his family found itself houseless, sur viving on what Balaven calls community wealth.

From an ethnic perspective, Balaven says that he’s always thought of himself as “other ” An outsider identi cation that informs his work today as the head of an esteemed private residential school with a rich histor y that didn’t always include leaders (or many students) that looked like him.

“ e idea of being part of a globally Black diaspora community was part of my upbringing. At 18, I became Muslim, but I identify myself mostly by my faith practice now because I feel it identi es me more as a human. But I know who I walk through the world as. I’m part of the larger African diaspora; I’m also part of the Tamil diaspora. But every time I tried to belong to a group, I found myself on the outskirts somehow. When confronted with boxes, I’m like, where do I t in? So, I resonate with outliers. I want to make sure the outliers are taken care of Because they’re the afterthoughts who are often not seen.”

Chasing Mr. Lindsey

It was in high school, and completely by accident, that Balaven ended up in a rhetoric class with a teacher named Tommy Lindsey who, despite Balaven’s attempt to conceal his family’s transient living situation, saw what was going on and reached out to help Lindsey became a lifelong friend and mentor and supporter of Balaven. “ is man really saw me,” Balaven says.

It’s to Mr. Lindsey that Balaven attributes many of his important life choices. “I think I got to UC Berkeley because he really encouraged me. en I attended law school at UC Davis, but realized that wasn’t a t, so I got into education and I became a teacher… My whole life, my whole educational career has been chasing Mr. Lindsey.”

Identifying as “other,” and a deep appreciation for the impact that one Mr. Lindsey can have on a student, have greatly informed Balaven’s career as an educator committed to creating opportunities for outliers to feel seen – something Balaven sees as a key element of “inclusion” that is very hard to measure. But that didn’t stop him from trying.

It was as the number two at e Athenian School in Danville, California, and head of diversity, equity, and inclusion, that Balaven set out to nd a way to measure the idea, out of which came the creation of the Inclusion Dashboard.

“It was a great victor y moment,” Balaven says. “But then I started to see Athenian and many other schools using the dashboard as an indication that inclusion was happening as opposed to a tool to respond to exclusion, which is what it was meant to be. It became the very thing it was tr ying to identify ”

When Balaven arrived at Dunn School, he recognized Santa Barbara as a good “lab” in which to begin exploring ways to respond to exclusion.

“So, the dashboard is telling you there’s a problem,” Balaven says. “In the lab you start to identify how to approach that problem and solve it.”

With this in mind, Balaven created the rst-ever Inclusion Lab in Santa Barbara County, regularly bringing together educators from private and public school worlds to collaborate on this issue.

“There’s always a war somewhere on the planet. I want to do it for Dunn and to inspire other schools, in Los Angeles, in the Bay Area, and beyond, to create refugee endowments to save students from these conflicts, wherever they are.”

“It’s an imperative as far as an educational outcome, that the world is represented at the school that is trying to graduate students to do good in the world. But the world is not all privileged people with the means to write a check for tuition. But the program is as important as the people in the class. Our philanthropy at Dunn is tied to providing students nancial aid so that they can have that experience. Our mission is about responsible leadership in society. And the philanthropic piece is... How do we give students, the afterthoughts, that opportunity?”

The Public Purpose Of Private Education

Balaven believes that schools like Dunn have an important public purpose. “So there’s two veins. One is giving students that are afterthoughts, the opportunity And then what public purpose can you, as a school, have?”

Under Balaven’s leadership, Dunn has found that purpose by expanding the concept of inclusion not just to “others” like himself, but to students around the world, forced into “other” or refugee status by ongoing con icts.

Dunn School got into the business of taking in refugees completely by accident when Balaven received a call from a mother in Ukraine, desperate to place her student in a safe educational environment. at call sparked Balaven’s interest in creating an ongoing opportunity for refugees from around the globe to attend Dunn School. Since receiving that call, Balaven has raised the funds to pay the tuition of six Ukrainian students. But to guarantee that these students can remain at Dunn for all four years, they are now faced with raising an additional $450,000.

Balaven has no intention of stopping there.

“I want to nd the right partners to create a refugee endowment,” he says. “ ere’s always a war somewhere on the planet. I want to do it for Dunn and to inspire other schools, in Los Angeles, in the Bay Area, and beyond, to create refugee endowments to save students from these con icts, wherever they are. So we have a place for them to land and we can set them up for life, like only residential boarding schools can. You have a home, you have a place to stay, you have all of it.”

“I also want to create a program for refugee studies so the students graduating from a school have all been part of a program and they understand the impact of con ict, and when someone seeks refuge, what happens in terms of culture? What happens in terms of politics, economics, etc.? And as they go on to seek responsible leadership in society, that is part of their toolkit. S o as people in positions where they can stop or start wars, they deeply consider the human impact because they’ve lived it, and they’ve been around it.”

Balaven likens this work to the building of water wells – a metaphor he was introduced to while helping, as a student at UC Berkeley, at a fundraiser in Hayward, California, to build wells in Sudan and Bangladesh.

“ ere was a speaker on the stage, and he was talking about the wells, and he said, ‘ When you build this well, you’re going to be quenching thirst for generations. Even when you’re gone, people will be able to drink clean water ’ And I was... Wow ere’s only one other thing like a well, and that’s a school. When you build a school, generations will come and get knowledge. For me, philanthropy is that thing that will last longer than you do And if you believe in the school’s mission, and in what it can do for students, you give to the school because it sets up the next generation and beyond.”

Women Helping Women

For over 40 years, the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) has been the only organization in Los Angeles focused exclusively on serving and empowering women vulnerable to and currently experiencing homelessness.

Of the more than 66,000 unhoused people living on Los Angeles County’s streets, over 20,000 are women.

One of them was Vikki Vickers, who spent four and a half years on the streets of Santa Monica. She says she was lucky, living next to a group of homeless Vietnam Veterans who looked out for her. Now, 11 years later, having worked helping women experiencing homelessness herself, Vickers says the “stories are horrific.”

But Vickers and hundreds of other unhoused women have found hope and healing at the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC), a multiservice agency that changes lives while shining a light on what is possible in the midst of the rolling humanitarian crisis playing out on L.A.’s streets.

Beyond the services it o ers are the people Vickers met there, and the person that meant the most to Vickers was DWC’s CEO Amy Turk.

“The thing with Amy and DWC is that there is no closed door,” Vickers says. “She is there to support you and all the women there.”

Turk and the DWC team are always listening to women like Vickers to ensure that their programs are guided by the womens’ needs. That is a large part of why the nonprofit has a retention rate of 98%, ending homelessness for hundreds of women.

“Core to our mission is really listening to the

voices of women experiencing homelessness and designing all our services around that,” Turk says. “This trauma-informed approach is really looking at what has happened to you, and how we can meet you where you’re at.”

Beyond owning 119 supportive housing units in Los Angeles’ Skid Row Community, housing hundreds more across L.A. County, and serving some 5,700 women annually, DWC also runs a social enterprise cafe, resale boutique, and handmade product line, MADE by DWC.

“It’s an ‘employment program’ but I observe so much self-esteem come out of it that I see it

“I take this work very personally because it pretty much saved my life. I love that I'm able to train women that were just like me and guide them. So I'm gonna be here forever. It's my career now, that's how I look at it.”

– Alexandria Pineda MADE by DWC Associate

more like a mental health program,” Turk says. “We’re not trying to career path candle makers or co ee baristas unless they really want to pursue that. But I hear women say, ‘I didn’t know that I could do this’ or ‘I needed this job training program, it gave me time to regain my confidence.’”

For her part, Vickers has surely regained her confidence. She has advocated for state level homelessness legislation, and is currently leading a new program in South L.A. connecting seniors to services so that they can stay in their homes.

“I get to solve these problems for people and it feels so good,” she says. “Like they [at DWC] did for me. I had no house, I was mentally ill, but they made appointments for me and helped me.”

For Turk and the team at DWC, this sentiment is baked into their core values. It’s all about women helping women.

Participant Vikki Vickers at DWC's Health Clinic.

The Downtown Women’s Center provides job training for women experiencing homelessness. MADE by DWC has three businesses that equip women with job training and skills to return to the workforce.

*Source: 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress

Let Your Legacy Be Saving Women’s Lives

The Downtown Women’s Center recently launched its legacy circle. Thus far, 36 people have joined, writing the life-changing nonprofit into their bequests.

For Vikki Vickers, a one-time DWC resident, it’s about the best investment you can make.

“Ninety eight percent of women housed at DWC never return to homelessness,” Vickers says. “In giving money to DWC, you are saving a life, changing a life, giving them a foundation, support, and someone to trust. You’re not just giving money, you’re actually saving a life.”

Please consider making the Downtown Women’s Center part of your legacy.

“F or more than four decades — as a journalist, a volunteer, a board member — I have been continually impressed and amazed at the work of the Downtown Women’s Center. For the tens of thousands who have been touched by the DWC, it is a life-changing and a life-enhancing gift. It is an honor for me to be part of this work.”

–Marylouise Oates

Downtown Women’s Center Advisory Council Member and Former Board Member

KEY SUPPORTERS

Otis and Bettina Chandler Foundation

Maria Bamford

Carla Barboza

Joanne Kozberg

Eileen Goodis and Eric Strom

Billie Greer

Lynn Hall Russell and L. Michael Russell

Kellie Hawkins Davis

Shelli Herman and Stewart Gleischman

Elizabeth Karatz Faraut

Marilyn and Je rey Katzenberg Foundation

Ti any Mayberry

The Downtown Women's Center

downtownwomenscenter.org

442 South San Pedro Street Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 680-0600

Contact: Holly Hight

Director of Donor Relations and Events (213) 213-2834

HollyH@DowntownWomensCenter.org donate@downtownwomenscenter.org

Christy and Stephen McAvoy

Linda Griego

Elizabeth Naftali

Marylouise Oates and Robert Shrum

Eleanor and Glenn Padnick

Brenda Levin

Valerie Salkin

Silton Family Foundation

Andrea Van de Kamp

Weingarten Family

John and Marilyn Wells

Cindy Starrett

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

Amy Turk, CEO

442 South San Pedro Street

Los Angeles, CA 90013

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 31-1597223

By Credit Card: downtownwomenscenter.org

DWC case managers provide comprehensive services ranging from placing women in housing to finding employment.

Unaccompanied women make up nearly 1 in 3 of all unhoused individual adults in the U.S.*

Nonprofit Pioneer Step Up Leads the Way in Ending Homelessness in Los Angeles

Jerry became a member of Step Up six years ago after experiencing homelessness for more than a decade, and it was the beginning of his new life. Step Up’s Permanent Supportive Housing helped Jerry build a strong founda tion in his recovery and most importantly, get his son back.

“I recently came to understand the need for philanthropy to cover expenses not reimbursed elsewhere – rent deposits, fur nishings, supplies. But even more impactful is the magic provided by skilled caseworkers delivering compassionate service long past their work shifts. It’s like the support you get from friends and family — like the dinner that is served outside because the individ ual did not feel comfortable dining inside. The case workers in the field are the secret sauce to nonprofits like Step Up.”

At Step Up, which offers permanent supportive housing to the unhoused in Los Angeles, eviction is not an op tion. Instead of kicking out a man who woke up screaming at 3 am every morning, Step Up’s wraparound case management team worked with him – understood him. Yelling was a sur vival mechanism he learned while experiencing homelessness. With just a few weeks of mental health support, the screaming stopped.

The team at Step Up understands that when people are given housing first, healing follows. And it works. Ninety-eight percent of people housed with Step Up stay housed for at least a year.

“It takes up to a year for people to unlearn survival skills that were helpful to them on the street,” says Step Up President and CEO Tod Lipka. “The outcome we are working toward is a sense of belonging, and ultimately recovery.”

Step Up provides member-driven services to people experiencing serious mental health conditions and chronic homelessness with the goal to help them recover, stabilize, and

integrate into the community. Their unique model makes an incredible impact on the communities it serves, including homeless veterans, youth transitioning out of foster care, unaccompanied women, and other adults.

“So many people say that Step Up saved their lives,” Lipka says. “It is wonderful to know that we are making an impact in such a meaningful way.”

The nonprofit has successfully housed or found housing for more than 1,850 people in California, as well as in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. Their model of creating housing by converting blighted motels is one-third the cost of building the same apartment-style developments from the ground up and takes one-third the time. It has become a model for the state’s Project Homekey.

“In the ‘90s, we realized that you can’t solve homelessness without housing,” Lipka says. “What people received was usually an ascending level of services: food and clothing, then shelter, then temporary housing, then

maybe permanent housing. The people who needed it the most rarely ever got housing.”

With Step Up that is exactly what our neighbors are getting and the results are transformational.

– Richard and Anne Hallock Step Up Donors and Volunteers

The Housing First model prioritizes safe housing as the first step in the recovery process. The Kaufmann Apartments at Step Up on Colorado provide this first step to 32 of our most vulnerable neighbors in Santa Monica.

Last year, Step Up provided permanent supportive housing and wrap-around case management services to over 740 individuals in L.A. County who were previously experiencing homelessness ~ with a retention rate of 98% once housed. The need remains great! According to the 2022 Point-InTime count by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, there were over 69,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County, including more than 3,900 veterans and more than 2,000 transition-age youth.

This year Step Up will provide more than 500 permanent homes to veterans, transition-age youth, and adults in L.A. County ~ the need for philanthropic support is greater than ever!

Home for the Holidays – Help Save a Life This Holiday Season

You can help save the lives of thousands of our unhoused neighbors this holiday season.

Step Up’s 2022 Home for the Holidays campaign will help more veterans, transition-age youth, and people in need find permanent supportive housing and compassionate wraparound services. Their goal is to raise $5 million.

Your gift will help fund new housing developments throughout Southern California, where individuals experiencing chronic homelessness can access onsite mental health services, positive social and learning environments, vocational training, and other life-changing support.

Envision a world alongside Step Up where everyone has access to mental healthcare, a safe home, and the opportunity to live a fulfilling life. You can help ensure that people are surrounded with compassion, essential supportive services, and most importantly a place to call home.

When Sunnie aged out of the foster care system at 18, she had nowhere to go. Years of failed foster placements had left her without a support network, and she quickly became homeless. Step Up’s Transition-Age Youth services (age 18-28) helped Sunnie find housing, healing, and recovery.

hen I left rehab, I was told that if I had a place to live, I could get my son back. Honestly, I didn’t have much hope. I had experienced homelessness for so long that I didn’t think anyone would be able to help me. But after a few phone calls, I met Brittany from Step Up. Within a few weeks I was signing a lease and nine days later my son came back home to live with me. That wouldn’t have been possible without Step Up. When they handed me the keys, that turned everything around. They helped me believe that I could change my life, and when you start to believe, anything is possible.”

– Jerry Step Up Member

KEY SUPPORTERS

Ahmanson Foundation Annenberg Foundation

Senator Ben Allen

Assemblyman Richard Bloom and Robbie Black California Community Foundation

The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Don and Lorraine Freeberg Foundation

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation Dr. David Foster George Hoag Family Foundation

Aileen Getty

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: Step Up

1460 4th Street, Suite 200

Corky Hale

The Home Depot Foundation

Kaiser Permanente Foundation

Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation

Senator Sheila Kuehl

Congressman Ted W. Lieu Janet Montgomery

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Martin and Janet Sheen Weingart Foundation

Zev Yaroslavsky

Step Up www.stepup.org 1328 Second Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 (310) 394-6889

Contact: Lynne S. Elwan Chief Development Officer (310) 696-4510 ext. 2200 LElwan@stepup.org

Santa Monica, CA 90401

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-4109386

By Credit Card: stepup.org/givinglist

“W

Public Square

“One of the objects of a newspaper is to understand popular feeling and to give expression to it; another is to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments; and the third is fearlessly to expose popular defects.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Creating Partnerships to Advocate for Change

by David Lurie

Growing up in the Inland Empire, east of Los Ange les, Bobby Grace’s parents fervently hoped he would become a doctor. Upon taking math and chemistry at UCLA, Grace realized that was not a likely path for him. Then he wandered into a political science class and discovered a different calling.

Three years later, Grace was elected Undergraduate Student Body President of UCLA. Upon graduating, he saw his friends head off to law school; feeling compelled to continue to use his leadership skills for public service, he followed suit.

Today, Grace works in the L.A. County DA’s office as the Assistant Head Deputy of the Hardcore Gang Division where he is the supervisor for gang prosecutions at Airport, Compton, Inglewood, Long Beach, Norwalk, and Torrance courthouses.

Grace explains that he fell in love with his work as a prose cutor because a disproportionate number of people that come through the criminal justice system are people of color, and a high percentage of those are Black. He believed he could make an impact on this disparity by voicing the perspectives of those who were accused and fostering a recognition of the circum stances that led them to commit violent crimes.

After over 32 years as a prosecutor, Bobby sees a great need for criminal justice reform. He questions, though, the ability of government alone to address this issue. “You can change poli cies, but when you don’t put the money behind the change you want to see, the status quo persists,” says Grace.

Furthermore, he says that people are upset about homeless ness and crime, but they don’t see how those are interconnected with poverty, lack of economic opportunity, and lack of educa tional opportunity.

“Politicians move from crisis to crisis instead of trying to deal with issues from a systemic point of view,” says Grace. “Govern ments,” he’s concluded, “could truly impact homelessness by put ting money into things like drug counseling and mental health treatment, as well as providing working people, who can’t afford to pay rent or a mortgage, with affordable permanent housing.”

Given the failings of government to address such entrenched problems as homelessness, Grace believes that nonprofits are cru cial partners in advocating for change, as well as filling the gaps in resources. This belief prompted Grace to help create the Win ston Doby Legacy Scholarship Program at UCLA, in response to a drastic decline in the enrollment of Black students at the university. This scholarship program, established posthumously in honor of a former UCLA Vice Chancellor who worked to create scholarship opportunities for Black students, and served

as an advisor and mentor to Grace, has raised almost $7,000,000 since its inception, and provided over $5 million in scholarships.

Grace is also involved in Our Brother’s Keeper, a nonprofit that provides backpacks containing toiletries to people who are homeless and living on Skid Row.

Grace sees legal advocacy as a particularly important need. “Much of the advancement that came about during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ‘60s came about because nonprofits, such as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Christian Leadership Conference, stepped into the breach and advocated for legal and social action,” he explains. “It is no sur prise that these nonprofits were funded through philanthropy.”

“Philanthropy serves a crucial role in supporting nonprofits that currently don’t have enough money to fully carry out the work that’s needed,” continues Grace. “And it must continue to be a driving force in addressing the serious problems our society faces.”

- MOLLY

Southern California Public Radio Is What Democracy Sounds Like W

hen Herb Scannell took the helm at Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) nearly four years ago, he found himself scribbling down the words “democracy needs to be heard.”

The longtime industry executive, who once led Nickelodeon and BBC Worldwide America, had been thinking in early 2019 about the striking rise in partisanship and polarizing discourse playing out across the country. Scannell, SCPR’s president and CEO, had no idea then that the slogan he created, which was used in the company’s capital campaign brochure and radio messaging, would ring prophetic. The need for journalism to be “a stalwart of democracy” is more important today than ever, he says, and lives large in local communities like Los Angeles.

“Local elections and school boards are having a profound impact on what books your kids read or don’t read,” Scannell says. “Election officials who were not high profile…are all of a sudden being named and are sources of criticism and even threatened.”

Founded in a broom closet in 2000 at Pasadena City College, SCPR has since blossomed into the most-heard public radio news service in Southern California with some 700,000 listeners and 80,000 annual members. The award-winning public media

company also includes the news site LAist. com and a growing slate of popular podcasts. Across platforms, SCPR reaches an audience of 3.5 million people a month.

SCPR started thinking about its role as a guardian of democracy more earnestly after the January 6, 2021 attack on Capitol Hill rocked the nation. People had converged on Washington, D.C. from around the country, including California, and it felt like the time was ripe for the media agency to embody the mission of strengthening civic engagement and civic culture.

“When you see an insurrection like that play out on live TV, it begs the question, ‘What are we doing to help people understand how we got here and what changes are taking place?’” says Kristen Muller, SCPR’s chief content officer.

When their longtime political reporter left for another job, they seized the opportunity to re-orient that beat. Frank Stolze was tapped to become their civics and democracy correspondent to produce voter-centered political coverage.

“The thought was that doing the traditional campaign and horse race coverage was not centered on voters but focused on politicians and power brokers,” SCPR Managing Editor Tony Marcano explains. “Why should we continue to report on that?”

“I agree wholeheartedly that ‘Democracy Needs to be Heard.’ With creativity, diligence and fairness, the journalists at KPCC and LAist help equip us all to sustain our precious civic life.”

MUNGER Donor & Philanthropist

“... the empathy that will hopefully come as we walk in others’ shoes, will help us all to live in peace together. That’s important in a well-functioning democracy.”

– GORDON CRAWFORD SCPR Active Life Trustee

So, they shifted their focus to down-ballot races, including local judges and city controllers, and watched their digital traffic soar.

Many assume that people don’t care about such races. “But maybe it’s because they don’t have the information to make these decisions,” Muller says.

SCPR has also beefed up its Voter Game Plan, which includes not only candidate information but what each elected official is responsible for and what qualities to look for in a candidate.

Beyond elections, SCPR has examined how L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has defied civilian and watchdog oversight on the flawed premise that he has an electoral mandate, Marcano says. They’ve

also explored how sheriff’s deputies in the Antelope Valley have disproportionately targeted Black teens on public school campuses, something later validated by the county’s inspector general.

“This reporting takes a lot of work and upkeep,” Muller adds. “It’s not just about elections coverage. It’s about a free press and checks on power.”

Defending democracy is especially important as journalism disappears or is gutted with the rise of corporatization, Scannell says. Because SCPR is membersupported, it’s not dependent on advertising that has undermined traditional media.

Journalism has been under siege as TV and radio stations have resorted to car chases and Kim Kardashian to boost their ratings while cable networks passionately espouse political positions and commentary over news, notes Gordy Crawford, an active SCPR life trustee, philanthropist, and retired senior vice president of Capital Research and Management Company.

Meanwhile, he says, social media algorithms feed users their own viewpoints – along with extreme and controversial posts – to keep

SCAN TO SUPPORT

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO

For more information contact:

Carla Wohl

Senior Vice President of Development at SCPR cwohl@scpr.org

support.kpcc.org

Checks can be mailed to: SCPR, 474 S. Raymond Ave Pasadena, CA 91105-2629

Attn: Development

them engaged.

In contrast, Southern California Public Radio offers in-depth and unbiased news about the region’s most important issues including crime, homelessness, and healthcare, which is vital to democracy, Crawford says. It’s also done in a manner that’s – ahem – civil.

“The tone and the quality of the coverage is critical,” he says.

SCPR’s second essential role is that it serves as “a centering institution” where L.A.’s diverse communities can hear or see stories that relate to them while allowing others to learn about what’s happening in other parts of the city.

“That knowledge, and the empathy that will hopefully come as we walk in others’ shoes, will help us all to live in peace together,” Crawford says. “That’s important in a wellfunctioning

democracy.”

“W hen you see an insurrection like that play out on live TV, it begs the question ‘what are we doing to help people understand how we got here and what changes are taking place?’”

- KRISTEN MULLER SCPR chief content officer

SCPR newsroom on election night.

Host Brian De Los Santos conducts an interview for the podcast “How to LA.”

Boyle Heights Beat is ‘Por y Para la Comunidad’

As news deserts expand across the country, the tight-knit historic immigrant community of Boyle Heights is home to a groundbreaking journalism project that has become the community’s trusted source.

Praised nationally for its unique model of community reporting, Boyle Heights Beat is driven by journalist-trained high school reporters who are often the first-generation children of immigrant residents. The news agenda is driven by youth and input from the community members who read it. This is news done di erently.

“That’s what we pride ourselves on, “por y para la comunidad,” which means, ‘for and by the community,’” says Kris Rivera, executive director and publisher. “This isn’t about reporters from outside the community, scooping in and doing a story and heading back out. We train youth re-

porters who live and are invested in the community.”

This was never more important than during COVID. As Los Angeles was asked to lock down and work from home, the narrative was very di erent for communities like Boyle Heights.

“This is a community that was really a ected by COVID,” Rivera says. “We did a lot of amazing pieces about what it was like for parents, uncles, aunts, who had that fear of going to work every day. They didn’t have a choice. They worked in fast food or as janitors or as first responders. Many residents here didn’t have the luxury of working from home.”

They also sought out answers for residents, especially those seeking information in Spanish to questions about vaccines, testing, why numbers were so high or simply what was safe.

Boyle Heights Beat publishes bi-lingual Spanish and English quarterly print editions with a circulation of 38,000 and a monthly podcast Radio Pulso. A fixture in the community after 12 years, they are now followed by mainstream publications looking for insight.

This year, Boyle Heights Beat opened a dual o ce/community space in the heart of the neighborhood and were able to hire a former student reporter as a full-time community news reporter after he graduated from college.

“Boyle Heights Beat o ered me the guidance and mentorship I needed to find my way in life,” says Alex Medina, that newly hired community news reporter. “My mentors helped me transform my hobby of writing into journalism. As a recent college graduate, I’ve returned to the program that gave me the support I needed in order to give back and support other students and community members.“

Its unique model also provides vital support and education, including professional mentorship for hundreds of student reporters. Most go onto college and some into journalism. Many return to give back to Boyle Heights.

“You see them become curious and care and develop a relationship with their own community,” says Rivera. “It’s inspiring. It’s what this is about.”

oyle Heights is a special neighborhood, rich in immigrant history and alive with activism for social justice. In my role as a media grant-maker at The California Endowment, I was thrilled to support the creation of Boyle Heights Beat as a new forum for storytelling by and for the community. I love that youth reporters continue to be at the heart of Boyle Heights Beat, bringing fresh energy and ideas. It’s rare for independent local news outlets to thrive in these challenging economic times, especially in places like Boyle Heights that haven’t received their fair share of investment. That’s why it’s so important to continue supporting Boyle Heights Beat as a vital news source for the community and an innovative model for the nation.”

– Mary Lou Fulton Former Program Director, The California Endowment

“B

“I joined Boyle Heights Beat to grow my writing skills and I gained so much more. I didn't always know what I wanted my career to be, but Boyle Heights Beat helped me build confidence to make that decision. I am currently a journalism student at Long Beach State, a College Journalism Network Fellow with CalMatters, and I am back working with Boyle Heights Beat as community outreach coordinator. My first ever story with BHB was a print and radio story about a homeless community college student who had aged out of the foster care system and was struggling in college. During my interview I remember how appreciative she was towards me for caring about her story. At that moment I realized how powerful it is to be able to help tell someone their story. This story caught the attention of a Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees member and the radio story got picked up by KCRW and resulted in donations for housing three college students. I will always take pride in how this story informed listeners and readers and also motivated them to take action.”

– Carmen González Bilingual writer/Radio Host, CSULB Student

Boyle Heights Beat is the only Eastside nonprofit news source in Los Angeles.

A groundbreaking model, the Beat supports and trains student journalists, who source news from their own community, providing vital information on COVID, news, politics, and local profiles that the community trusts.

This year, the nonprofit is raising $50,000 to start a fellowship program for new college graduates for professional training to become community journalists.

With good sources of local information more important than ever, you can help sustain local journalism and expand Boyle Heights Beat’s vision of local news, “por y para la comunidad,” for and by the community.

KEY SUPPORTERS

California Community Foundation California Humanities The California Endowment Elevate Youth California Emerson Collective LLC

USC Good Neighbors Weingart Foundation Yerba Buena Foundation YR Media

BHB community journalist Alex Medina interviewing residents at the opening of the 6th Street Bridge.

The Social Sector’s Preeminent Source of News and Knowledge

The year was 2003, and the philanthropic sector was going through a period of significant evolution. Every day, new technologies were emerging that changed the way that people were engaging with one another and learning about issues that mattered to them. Many of these same new technologies were also bringing newfound wealth to the people who were pioneering them, who in turn, started looking for new ways to apply their talent and treasure to address societal and environmental challenges.

At the same time, traditional philanthropists and grantmaking institutions began exploring new methods for achieving greater impact on the issues they were addressing, and nonprofits and social enterprises (still a relatively new idea) were adopting successful strategies and approaches from the for-profit world to make their work more effective and efficient.

These converging forces inspired a group of individuals at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business to launch a quarterly print publication that would inform and inspire the emerging field of social innovation: Stanford Social Innovation Review

As the first Editors’ Note explained, the publication would be “dedicated to presenting useable knowledge that will help those who do the important work of improving society do it even better!” SSIR’s approach “is based on a philosophy of dissolving boundaries and brokering a dialogue between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors…”

The publication still takes this “cross-sector” approach, bringing together ideas and insights from philanthropists and foundations, nonprofits, and NGOs, businesses and social enterprises, policymakers, academics, and

leading thinkers and doers.

In 2010, SSIR became a part of the Stanford Center on Philanthropy & Civil Society, the preeminent academic research center dedicated to expanding the body and reach of quality research on, and improving the practice and effectiveness of, philanthropy, civil society, and social innovation. It was at that time that the leadership of SSIR decided it was necessary to live the ideals that the publication espoused, becoming itself a social enterprise of sorts.

SSIR receives no funding from Stanford University, relying instead on earned revenue from subscriptions, conferences, webinars, and other editorially-related products and services to provide the income needed to cover its ongoing operations.

Today, that quarterly print magazine – which at one time was mailed out by hand – has grown into a modern media enterprise, reaching a global audience of nearly three million people each year. With six locallanguage editions (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish), SSIR produces print and online articles daily, along with webinars, conferences, podcasts, and an array of educational and informational resources to help inform and inspire those who strive to make the world a better place.

The first Editors’ Note said it best: “‘Social innovation’ stands in our name for a reason: to remind our authors, our audience, and ourselves that this journal’s purpose is to lead in the search for new and better ways to redress social problems… We invite you to join with us in exploring new ideas and thinking more broadly about these issues.”

ndividuals are the backbone of the philanthropic and nonprofit world… people who are willing to give of their time, talent, and treasure to make things better! SSIR’s job is to help provide people with the insights and in spiration they need to be more effective, and realize the change they hope to see in the world.”

– Michael Gordon Voss Publisher, Stanford Social Innovation Review

“

SSIR isn’t here to tell you what or how to think. We’re here to provide you with the latest information and perspectives on innovative solu tions to social and environmental issues so that you can make your own decisions and achieve greater impact on the issues that matter to you.”

– Eric Nee Editor-in-Chief, Stanford Social Innovation Review

“ S tanford Social Innovation Review is one of my top ‘go-to’ sources for the latest thinking, research, ideas, and innovations happening in the social sector – both in the U.S. and around the world. Audience en gagement with people working in foundations, corporate philanthropy, NGOs, government, and business steadily grows year-over-year as more people find, and contribute to, this top-notch content and share it in their networks. The cross-pollination of seven different language issues of the magazine – English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean – has also added to the richness of the SSIR content.”

– Lindsay Louie Program Manager (f.), Effective Philanthropy Group, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

nearly two decades, I have counted on SSIR to present the cutting edge ideas and the key debates of our field. The Stupski Foundation has valued the opportunity to partner with the team at SSIR to explore critical ideas with foundation leaders and renowned experts.”

– Glen Galaich CEO, The Stupski Foundation

Change starts with individuals. Whether you’ve been a donor for years, or are just starting on your philanthropic journey, you need up-to-date information to help you make informed decisions about your giving. Stanford Social Innovation Review provides readers with the latest research and practice on social issues and solutions, giving you the tools you need to be a better partner in social change. With a cross-sector approach that includes perspectives from philanthropists, foundations, nonprofits, social enterprises, government, business, and academia, SSIR is the preeminent global publication for anyone looking to be more effective and efficient in helping to support positive change.

“I

“F or

Social Justice

Striking a course to justice is not straight, rather it is a path that fades in the darkness of bigotry and indolence. Whether in the courts or on the streets, maintaining that path requires people dedicated to seeing justice realized.

Inside the Mind of a Quiet Philanthropist

As told to Daniel Heimpel

While you will often see him in the “pit” right in front of the stage at L.A.’s top nonpro t galas held at the Beverly Hilton, Cliff Gilbert-Lurie is neither ostentatious in his work nor in his giving.

As a managing partner at Zi ren Brittenham LLP, one of the city’s most prominent law rms representing the entertainment industry, Gilbert-Lurie doesn’t su er for high-pro le clients. His family’s move a few years ago to Brentwood, however, came at the urging of his philanthropist wife, Leslie. Cli and Leslie were about to become empty nesters, they were looking forward to a new adventure, and a move would be closer to Cli ’s o ce. As it turned out, the move also placed them at the center of L.A.’s philanthropic world, where their home would become a venue for innumerable nonpro t fundraisers and political events.

While he says, in his characteristically humble way, that his role is typically relegated to that of “wine and beverage consultant,” it has o ered him a chance to “evolve,” and become a “more thoughtful person.”

So let’s spend a little time getting into the mind of Mr Gilbert-Lurie.

Q. Your wife, Leslie, is a very prominent local philanthropist. You too, albeit more quietly, support many causes whether that be serving on boards or giving. What are the causes that matter most to you and why?

A. I am mostly focused on the Alliance for Children’s Rights, which is dedicated to protecting the rights and needs of children, whether legal rights, health care, or education. ese issues are at the top of my list.

Our own children, and those of most of my friends and colleagues, are lucky to have loving families, and access to nancial and other resources. Too many children in Los Angeles do not have these things, and they need outside advocates to help them reach their potential. My family has “adopted” the Alliance for Children’s Rights as our “family” charity. Leslie helped to launch it, and over the years we’ve both been board chairs, and remain active in policy and fundraising. I support other charities and political causes, nationally and internationally, too, but the Alliance has a special place in my heart.

Q. You left your home in the Valley, to be in the epicenter of Los Angeles’ philanthropic world. You have opened up your home to innumerable events in support of nonprofi ts that range from global human rights to those serving children here in L.A. How has that move shaped your thoughts on giving?

A. Living in the city has made it easier to attend and host events, but I’m not sure that it altered my view on giving.

Honestly, Leslie has been the primar y in uence in opening our home for our political and philanthropic work. She allows me to act as the wine and beverage consultant, however.

But in all seriousness, I’ve learned so much from the political leaders and policy experts who’ve spoken at our home over the years. We’ve hosted events for Human Rights Watch, Kamala

Harris, Gavin Newsom, Vision to Learn, Ted Liu, Facing History, Democratic Senate Committee, Joe Kennedy, Karen Bass, the Alliance, UCLA, John Hopkins, and e Rand Corporation, just to give you a avor of the types of events we’ve welcomed.

It’s been mind-opening. Sort of like having mini-TED presentations in our backyard. It has engaged me and others as community members, and helped me evolve into being a more thoughtful person.

Q. You collect stamps, love show tunes and model trains. How have these passions bled into your giving?

A. Ha! You forgot to mention astronomy.

I’m by nature a passionate and curious person, and that bleeds into everything I focus on. Once I’m locked in, I tr y to deliver 100%. I tr y to bring that same energy and focus to my board and charitable work. So I limit the amount of boar ds on which I’ll ser ve, to make sure I have adequate time, focus, and energy to do a good job

Q. How does a worthy nonprofit get your attention?

A. Usually Leslie or a trusted colleague or friend introduces me to a nonpro t or an urgent need. I’ll listen, and if I’m moved, I’ll think about whether I can be uniquely helpful and whether I have the time, focus, and nancial resources to make a di erence. ere are so many worthy causes, but I think if you spread yourself too thin, you aren’t doing any of them the due they deser ve.

Q. You are a co-managing partner at a major Los Angeles law firm. One that gives out grants, and regularly buys tables at galas and other nonprofit events. What should a nonprofit know before soliciting a law firm for gifts?

A. Key for us at Zi ren Brittenham is whether an honoree of a charity is a rm client, or whether one of our partners ser ves on the charitable board.

All my partners are very philanthropic; the rm matches their personal giving, up to certain limits. I’m proud to say our rm is the leader in giving amongst all the entertainment law rms; and I challenge our competitors to try to steal that crown from us!

Q. You have a chance to speak to L.A.’s donor community What areas of need are you focused on in 2023 and where else would you like your peers to be looking, and donating?

A. Aside from the child welfare issues that I’ve mentioned, which will exacerbate under a recession and the lingering e ects of COVID, I would focus on homelessness and climate change. In California, if we don’t address climate change, wild res, and water reclamation, we might all be moving eastward in the next ve years!

Q. I know you consider yourself a philatelist, but do you even think of yourself as a philanthropist?

A. Well, for those of your readers that may not know, a philatelist is a fancy word for stamp collector; it literally means “lover of paper.”

I consider myself philanthropic, but not necessarily a “philanthropist.” “Philanthropist” sounds like a title I would consider when I hang up my spurs on my day job, and have more time to focus on raising money for worthy causes. Ask me

another 10 years.

again in

“All my partners are very philanthropic; Zi ren Brittenham matches their personal giving, up to certain limits. I’m proud to say our firm is the leader in giving amongst all the entertainment law firms; and I challenge our competitors to try to steal that crown from us!”

Holocaust Museum LA is Encouraging Upstanders

The oldest Holocaust museum in the country isn’t in New York or Phila delphia – it’s in Los Angeles. Nestled in Pan Pacific Park, Holocaust Museum LA overlooks both the city’s major Jewish neigh borhoods and the site of L.A.’s most import ant civic protests. This geographic confluence, connecting the Jewish experience and Amer ica’s growing political and social challenges, speaks volumes about the expanding rele vance of the museum’s mission.

“It’s not just about Jewish history. It’s not even just about history,” explains Omar Sharif Jr., the museum’s new Chief Advancement Officer.

Over the last few years, the institution has “re doubled its efforts to address the pressing chal lenges in the world, including the rise in hate crimes. The many communities that visit the museum see in the narrative of the Holocaust

lessons for their fight for justice. Unfortunately, these lessons are all too relevant today.”

With the dramatic rise of antisemitism and bigotry of all kinds in the U.S., the California State Legislature awarded the museum $8.5 million in support over the last couple of years to help continue the museum’s educa tion initiatives that inspire change.

The goal of a Holocaust Museum LA visit, says Museum CEO Beth Kean, is partly to understand that unique historical trauma. But it’s also to encourage people to transition from bystanders to “upstanders,” encouraging them to “speak out and stand up to hatred, bigotry, and antisemitism,” whether it’s in their community or the larger society.

The majority of the visitors to its current cam pus are not Jewish, and most school groups come from Latino, Black, and Asian commu “This is why we have to educate the young people about what happened. The only way is through education.”

- JOE ALEXANDER Holocaust Survivor

nities. Admission is free to all students, and the museum also pays for school bus trans portation, often the biggest stumbling block for field trips.

“I never want to tell a school, ‘Sorry, we can’t accommodate you,’” Kean says.

The museum began as a grassroots effort on the part of Holocaust survivors in 1961, some meeting in an English as a Second Language class held at Hollywood High School. The fo cus, then as now, was personal, with an em phasis on survivors sharing meaningful ob jects and stories in real time, but always with the intention of education. Survivor founder meeting notes from the 1960s have the word “education” mentioned in English and Yid dish, as the survivors knew the importance in learning from this history. This means that the history of Los Angeles, and the experience of its refugees and immigrants, is woven into the fabric of the museum. Today every school tour is paired with a survivor’s story, either in person or by a virtual meeting.

The move to Pan Pacific Park in 2010 vast ly exceeded the museum’s expectations, with a 400% increase in visits since opening. In 2020, they announced a significant expan sion, helmed by architect Hagy Belzberg (who also designed its current, iconic build ing). Among other goals, the new campus will increase student visits from its current cap of 28,000 to 150,000.

With a recent $5 million gift from the Smidt Foundation, the museum is closing in on its fundraising goal of $50 million, and the new Jona Goldrich Campus is on track to open in 2024. The expansion will double the mu seum’s footprint and will include the new, first class S. Mark Taper Foundation Theater, along with 20,000 additional square feet for exhibitions and educational activity. The new building will also house the USC Shoah Foundation Dimensions in Testimony pro gram, a pioneering virtual reality tool where visitors can meet and talk with survivors even after they are gone. Holocaust Museum LA

SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOLOCAUST MUSEUM LA

Omar Sharif Jr. Chief Advancement Officer omar@hmla.org

www.holocaustmuseumla.org

(323) 651-3704

100 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Tax ID#: 46-0503824

HELP TEACH AND INSPIRE THE YOUNGER GENERATION

The Smidt Foundation, led by Eric and Susan Smidt, has given Holocaust Museum LA a $5 million matching grant for its expansion. This gift means that the Foundation will match each donation two-to-one, effectively raising $7.5 million. The Smidt gift emphasizes the importance of welcoming more young visitors, with the goal of keeping both admission and transportation free for school groups.

will also be creating, designing, and curating a brand new exhibit around their largest arti fact: an authentic boxcar from Poland. This exhibition design will pair artifacts, media, oral history, and text to present a didactic and narrative exhibit that will produce a sense of identification and empathy for Jewish life be fore, during, and after the Holocaust and will offer visitors a profound emotional, reflective, and informative experience. Visitors will also be able to enjoy a new outdoor courtyard, along with a cafe and gift shop. The museum is betting that the combination of technology, primary sources, and personal stories will transmit the lessons of the Ho locaust to the widest possible audience, am plifying its reach, and engaging students in an innovative way. In a unique partnership with L.A.-based Magnopus, a pioneer in im mersive experience that has worked closely with Disney and NASA, the museum, using augmented reality technology, will be able to drop a classroom anywhere in the world into the geography of a concentration camp, and learn from a survivor about his experience and escape.

As falsehoods and fake news proliferate on line, Holocaust Museum LA believes a knowl edgeable population can transform the lessons of the Holocaust into positive civic action. Kean notes that their updated motto – In spire Humanity Through Truth – reminds us that education is the critical tool for building “acceptance, empathy, and community” in a world desperately in need of all three.

98% of People Living in Prison Experienced Childhood Trauma

are an Intensive Care Unit for childhood trauma.”

Abused children can grow up believing that violence is a solution. Childhood trauma can lead to imprisonment.

When a child experiences extreme adversity, their brain lives in flight or fight and their decisionmaking skills and empathy are compromised, sometimes to the extent of being incapacitated.

Childhood trauma is defined as:

• Physical abuse

• Emotional abuse

• Sexual abuse

• Physical neglect

• Emotional neglect

• Substance abuse

• Parental separation

• Mental illness

• Domestic violence

• Incarceration of a family member

In 2018, Fritzi Horstman volunteered at a prison expecting to encounter hardened, malevolent o enders. Instead, what she discovered was a correctional facility full of men traumatized by childhood experiences.

“This isn’t a prison; this is a trauma center – and nobody knows it,” Horstman exclaimed.

As a result, in 2019 Horstman founded the Compassion Prison Project (CPP) to deliver trauma-informed awareness, education, and care

to prisons nationwide. The foundation is based around the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study, a body of research that correlates childhood trauma such as poverty, abuse, neglect, and parental incarceration, with a higher risk of poor physical and mental health.

Since its inception, the organization has been gaining traction by delivering its trauma-informed curriculum to several prisons in California and other states around the country, transforming prisons from punitive human warehouses into rehabilitative environments.

The program earned an endorsement from (now former) California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris.

CPP hosts a podcast called Compassion in Action, a series of interviews with trauma experts including Dr. Bruce Perry, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Gabor Maté, and Dr. Peter Levine.

The organization conducts healing circles inside prisons. In some instances the circles have attracted over 200 incarcerated participants at a time. This gives them the opportunity to talk about how childhood trauma impacts their lives, and they learn how those experiences negatively impacted their brain, body, and spirit.

95% of people in prison will return to our communities one day. If you could help a traumatized child who ended up incarcerated become a more compassionate, empathetic

Why I give to CPP

been supporting CPP since spring of 2021. My heart broke open after viewing the minidocumentary Step Inside the Circle and I wanted to know more.

“I believe in CPP’s vision to ‘turn prisons from trauma centers into healing centers,’ aiming to shine a light on the many challenges and perpetuating traumatic circumstances that continue to happen in prisons – at all levels.

“Many of our incarcerated brothers and sisters will return to our communities one day – do we want them to return further traumatized? Wouldn’t it serve the greater common good if we could bring in opportunities for education, self-awareness, and emotional healing through the listening ears and compassionate hearts of the team and volunteers of CPP?”

– Denise Marie Comb Donor

human being, would you?

Horstman adds, “By shining a light on what’s going on in prison, we’re able to transform society. Because when we stop seeing people in prison as pariahs, as the worst of the worst, and see them for the trauma they’ve endured, we become a compassionate society.”

“I’ve

235 men gather inside Lancaster State Prison to experience the Compassion Trauma Circle.

“Prisons

– Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, former California Surgeon General

The Goal

Compassion Prison Project has developed a traumainformed program consisting of a 14-part video series with accompanying workbooks. This program is to be disseminated throughout the U.S. prison system, encouraging prison residents to watch the videos, complete the workbooks, and share their experiences in facilitated trauma-group discussions.

“The idea is to get everybody in prison into a regulated state, reducing violence and increasing compassion and empathy, as well as owning accountability. This creates safer communities both inside and outside of prison,” says Horstman, the organization’s founder and executive director.

The goal this year is to raise $2 million to continue getting the program to as many prisons as possible in the United States.

“When we change the lives of the men and women living in prison, we also help change the lives of their children and families, and this ripples into our communities and society,” says Horstman.

"Personally I gained a lot of insight and knowledge from this program. It really showed me why I act how I act, why I do the things that I do, even though these things for a long time were things we were told not to bring up, things not to talk about, this group really helped bring that out in me and showed me that these are the right things to talk about. The trauma, the things that we’ve gone through in our past, they’re what makes us us, what makes us tick, what makes us do what we do for the reasons that we do it. I really feel like every institution needs a program like this."

KEY SUPPORTERS

Compassion Prison Project

www.compassionprisonproject.org 8726 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Suite D #4201, Los Angeles, CA, 90045 (310) 929-0535

Contact: Jayme Younger Chief Operations O cer (310) 929-0535 jayme@compassionprisonproject.org

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

Compassion Prison Project

8726 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Suite D #4201 Los Angeles, CA, 90045

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 83-4253779

By Credit Card: donate.cpp1.org

– Tarzan Compassion Ambassador

California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) The Good People Fund The State of California Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Former CA Surgeon General

Herb Alpert Foundation Anne Eppley

Kristin and Je Worthe Barbara Malatesta Santa Barbara Foundation Paul J. McCann

A Compassion Prison Project volunteer and program participant embrace during our program at Kern Valley State Prison.

95% of the people in prison will be returning to our communities. Let’s make sure they return healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

Cultivating joy by bringing playful camp songs into the prison.

Putting an End to Wealth-Based Detention

The Bail Project, a national nonprofit based in Los Angeles, provides free bail assistance and pretrial support to lowincome people while working to end the cash bail system.

They help people like Sandra – a mother in Los Angeles who faced assault charges after defending herself in a fight last December. Sandra would have spent six more months in jail and risked losing custody of her children if The Bail Project hadn’t paid her $50,000 bail.

Stories like Sandra’s inspired The Bail

Project’s CEO, Robin Steinberg, to found the organization in 2017. As a public defender in the Bronx, she told her clients not to plead guilty for crimes they didn’t commit, but without money, most pleaded guilty simply to go home.

“Standing by somebody and watching that was heartbreaking, and frankly turned on its head, for me, everything that I thought our justice system was supposed to be about –equal justice under the law,” Steinberg says.

Defenders of the cash bail system claim money incentivizes people to show up for court. The Bail Project’s data say otherwise. To date, their clients have shown up for 92 percent of their required court appearances – even though they had no personal financial obligation to do so. “What this really tells us is that the cash bail system was built and premised on a myth,” Steinberg says.

The Bail Project operates in 31 cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Houston. Their “bail disruptors” work to understand their clients’ needs – assisting them with text-message reminders of their court dates, transportation to and from court, and connections to community-based partners, including mental health services and job readiness programs.

Meanwhile, The Bail Project’s data, policy,

actively working to transform the criminal jus tice system and put itself out of business. There's simply no other organi zation like it that works across the country to secure freedom for lowwealth people while also working to make real and lasting policy change. I'm grateful that Endeavor has been able to support The Bail Project financially, and I'm looking forward to the day that freedom is truly free."

– Romola Ratnam Senior Vice President and Head of Impact and Inclusion at Endeavor

and communications teams track their clients’ outcomes and share clients’ stories to support the case for a more just and equitable pretrial system.

The Bail Project’s work in Chicago is winding down as Illinois abolishes cash bail by January 2023. Steinberg hopes for the same in California, where the state’s Supreme Court ruled that setting unaffordable bail is unconstitutional, but legislation to completely end cash bail has fallen short. If The Bail Project achieves its mission, they’ll be able to close their doors everywhere for good.

"I'm

inspired by The Bail Project

because it's

On any given night, nearly half a million people who sleep in jail cells across America have not been convicted of anything. Most are there simply because they can’t afford bail.

Help Make Freedom Truly Free

Since launching five years ago, The Bail Project has worked to combat mass incarceration by transforming the pretrial system in Los Angeles and across the U.S. – posting more than $66 million in bail money to secure freedom for over 24,000 people and counting. In Los Angeles, The Bail Project partners with the L.A. County Public Defender and UCLA Law’s Criminal Justice Program to provide free bail assistance and community-based support to lowwealth residents. In the coming years, The Bail Project seeks to expand its capacity to bail out more people and work with partners to achieve lasting pretrial reforms. Donors will help bring us closer to ending mass incarceration and racial and economic disparities in the criminal legal system.

KEY SUPPORTERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Reginald Dwayne Betts

Brandon Buskey

Donna Byrd

Brian Chapman

Lisa Gersh

Zach Herz-Roiphe

Elizabeth Luckett

Lili Lynton

Michael E. Novogratz

Vince Southerland

Robin Steinberg

hank God The Bail Project helped me and I was able to get out. It is safer and easier to fight your case outside of jail."

– Sandra Los Angeles client with her daughter

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Danielle Allen

Richard Branson

David Feige

Danny Glover

John Legend

Robin Lenhardt

Richard Williams AKA Prince Ea

The Bail Project www.bailproject.org

PO Box 750 Venice, CA 90294 (323) 366-0799

Contact: Chris McCain Director of Philanthropy (323) 366-0799, ext. 2 giving@bailproject.org

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

The Bail Project, Inc.

PO Box 102592

Pasadena, CA 91189-2592

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 81-4985512

Online: www.bailproject.org/donate

"T

The Arts

The arts, and aligned artistic pursuits, breathe imagination and inspiration into communities. From the design of our open spaces to giving young people an avenue of expression, the arts are far more than additive; they are essential to the human experience.

A Practitioner of Social Entrepreneurship

As told to Gwyn Lurie

As Managing Director of the Civil Society Fellowship for next generation community and civil society leaders, Nike Ir vin has planted herself at the cross section of leadership development and democracy

Ir vin, a longtime veteran of Los Angeles’ philanthropic world, calls fellowships “a value-based leadership program.” Organized as a partnership between the Anti-Defamation League and Aspen Institute and its Aspen Global Leaders Network, Ir vin works closely with social entrepreneurs – the next generation of community and civic leaders, activists, and problem-solvers from across the political spectrum.

Prior to leading the Civil Society Fellowship, Ir vin led the California Community Foundation’s grantmaking, overseeing grants to arts, education, juvenile justice, and health.

Living in Los Angeles – a center of strong leaders and grantmaking powerhouses – has given Ir vin a front-row seat and a lot to say about the change-maker role philanthropy can play in a large community like hers where she sees a strong need for renewal and partnership

Q. Why did you choose to go from running a major charitable foundation to running the Civil Society Fellowship?

A. e nonpro t years of my career have been marked by alternating phases of work with emerging leaders and times as a grantmaker with charitable foundations.

In the late ‘90s, I led a nonpro t based at UCLA’s Anderson School that brought diverse high school and college students to campus for business school exposure and mentorship at experience eventually led to my ser ving as president of e Riordan Foundation in which we helped fund and build teacher professional development and computer literacy in public and parochial schools.

at pattern echoed itself years later when I led grantmaking at California Community Foundation… and now I am back on the direct ser vice end by leading the creation of the Civil Society Fellowship

Certainly, making grants is a wonderful privilege. But one can only get so close to where the dollars make their di erence –in the human beings and their communities that can be in sore need of renewal and partnership I love working with my Civil Society Fellows, all 25- to 50-year-old social entrepreneurs.

Q. Can you talk a little about your upbringing and how that impacted your passion for philanthropy and nonprofit work?

A. My dad was born in 1923 and my mom in 1931. eir upbringing was marked by the Great Depression, Jim Crow, and the absence of rights to move around freely, to vote, and to feel safe in one’s home.

My upbringing was full of safety, love, and well-being, thanks to my parents’ commitments to education and economic responsibility – and the advancement of rights and a more inclusive democracy.

When I was in my late 20s, my grandparents would ask me to help them write out the checks to pay their bills as their vision was waning. Technically they were my step-grandparents, but they treated me like true kin… a common and beautiful thing in the African American community Blood doesn’t make family, love and sharing make family Grandma Willie and Grandpa John always ended our check-writing sessions by asking me to make a small check ($10-$15 usually) out to the latest widow or widower who lost a spouse. “Just a little something to help them in a time of grief.” ey’d have me put the check into a sympathy card and mail it o After a few years, I realized I was ful lling a philanthropic act on behalf of my grandparents. ey didn’t have a formal foundation, but they were making contributions to their community’s well-being. at example planted the seed for my later work in foundation charitable giving and community-building.

Q. What do you think about when you decide whether to support a cause or a nonprofit?

A. For me, it’s often about the leadership of an agency. I like to appreciate who is at the helm, what are their values, how do they show up in the work.

When I was at e Riordan Foundation, I’d pay attention to how the school principal interacted with their sta and students. I remember greeting a principal who never stepped outside of their inner o ce, and the o ce sta was tense and ill at ease. Conversely, when a principal walked the campus, warmly greeting students by name (and vice versa!) while picking up an occasional piece of trash… those were the leaders and schools we relished supporting.

In my own personal philanthropy, it may be about a special need. I’ve been a fan of the Daniel Pearl Foundation going back to when Danny was a Wall Street Journal reporter in Europe and the Middle East. He lost his life in a gruesome abduction in Pakistan. His parents set up a charitable foundation supporting music, education, and journalism, causes I care about. Philanthropy is a very personal act. I’m admiring the way MacKenzie Scott is prioritizing getting money ‘ on the street’ as we say, without getting hung up in lots of layers of process.

Q. What are the causes to which you find yourself most committed?

A. I was born in the 1960s. e cause of leadership development matters to me. e cause of healthy democracy matters to me. e intersection of these two is what inspires me about the Civil Society Fellowship. We recruit emerging leaders from conser vative and progressive politics to sit at the same table in ve seminars in places like Aspen, Amsterdam, Jerusalem, and Montgomer y.

I have a ve-year-old great nephe w, Coltrane, who I want to see in a countr y that respects and values him and his suc cess. Put concretely, I want to help build a democracy that can deliver a solid public education, a functional health care system, a society allowing Coltrane to have dreams that place no limits on him.

Q. What advice would you give to those who have just found themselves in a position to make a difference through philanthropy?

A. Know that the money matters. Give it generously but give it freely. Don’t place excessive constraints or conditions on the dollars. We must trust the leaders of the grantee organizations to steward the funds to the highest use. S ome venture philanthropy donors believe it is they who should decide the strategies and tactics of the work. I heartily disagree with that approach. Trust rst. Check out the recent trends around trust-based philanthropy. Give and then move out of the way

Q. Are you more likely to bet on ideas or people?

A. I love a good idea… for sure. Seabiscuit was a winner, yes, but it was the jockey who inspired the winning performance. It’s the people who create the conditions for an idea to soar Bet on the jockey, not the horse.

Q. Do you see philanthropy as having an important role in driving systemic change?

A. Philanthropy, in the best case, can be a convener and partner in systems change. Yet, it’s the public (voters, activists, nonpro ts) who hold systems accountable and ultimately enable change.

e Gates Foundation attempted to revolutionize public education. It did not work. Many local foundations have huddled to address California’s persistent homelessness and a ord able housing. Underneath systems are values. It’s not clear that philanthropy has gotten to the values level of change. at, I believe, is where and when we will see true change.

When philanthropy – whether institutional or personal – begins to see the people it funds and humbly understand their daily challenges, maybe then we can aspire to change systems. When we have changed ourselves and our relationship to one another, that’s when systems may change.

“We must trust the leaders of the grantee organizations to steward the funds to the highest use. Some venture philanthropy donors believe it is they who should decide the strategies and tactics of the work. I heartily disagree with that approach. Trust first. Check out the recent trends around trust-based philanthropy. Give and then move out of the way. ”

Through Dance, She Found the Confidence to Speak

hen I first learned about Everybody Dance LA! the vision behind its mission touched me to the core; I was blown away. Dance arts elevate confidence, create a sense of belonging, and improve academic achievement. Low-cost access to outstanding dance instruction thriving in the heart of our city’s most economically challenged community inspires my ongoing support of Everybody Dance LA! I am so proud of the growth, reach, and professionalism realized over more than two decades. Dance on Everybody Dance LA!”

At 13, Sophia Vasquez moved from Mexico to Los Angeles with her family. Sophia struggled to assimilate into the new culture and suffered with such severe anxiety that she rarely spoke to anyone in public.

As she fought to learn English and find her voice, Sophia found another way to express herself – through dance classes at Everybody Dance LA! (EDLA!), a nonprofit organization that uses the power of dance to transform the lives of children living in under-resourced Los Angeles area communities.

Everybody Dance LA! was founded in 1999 by Liza Bercovici in memory of her 13-year-old daughter, Gabriella, who loved to dance. Today, Everybody Dance LA! has blossomed into a robust sequential dance education program for students of all levels. Through hard work and dedication, students in the program can progress from beginner to conservatory-level performer. EDLA! is proud that 100% of its students graduate high school on time, are accepted into college, and a few alumni have even gone on to dance professionally in well-

known programs such as the Royal Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet.

Every year, students get to experience selfexpression, creativity, discipline, and the joy of dancing – from hip hop and salsa to jazz and ballet. EDLA! reaches students through its highquality After-School Program as well as through its energetic In-School Program that serves over 5,000 children each week throughout Los Angeles County.

“Everybody Dance LA! provides not only formal dance training, but also enrichment programs that focus on the whole child. At EDLA! students do not just learn to dance, they gain confidence and learn the importance of being engaged in their communities,” says Executive Director Alexandria Dilks Pandola.

Over the years Sophia learned to express herself without judgment or fear at Everybody Dance LA! Now, at age 18, she has transformed into a confident and powerful young woman who was accepted with a full academic scholarship to the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering program at Carnegie Mellon University. Today, a thoughtful Sophia speaks eloquently:

Sophia Vasquez received a full academic scholarship to Carnegie Mellon University where she plans to study Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. In 2022, 100% of EDLA! youth graduated high school on time and were accepted to college. In addition to Sophia, two other EDLA! students received full academic scholarships to Duke University and Pitzer College.

“For all the young ones,” Sophia says with enthusiasm. “You got this! Keep pushing and I promise all your work pays o later in life.”

“W

–Liz Levitt Hirsch

President of the Board of Directors at the Levitt Foundation

EDLA!'s Conservatory 3 Ballet Students performing at the 2022 Celebration at SoFi Stadium. Many of these students have been taking dance at EDLA! for 8-14 years.

Everybody Dance LA! is not a tuition-based program. One hundred percent of our students receive scholarship support. EDLA! fundraises 90% of program funding annually. Your contribution to Everybody Dance LA!’s dancePARTNER Program bridges the gap between what our parents pay and the true cost, $1,500 per student each year.

part of a company that values the highest quality of storytelling and entertainment for all, Warner Brothers Discovery’s contribution to EDLA! is fundamentally in alignment with their ability to bring the art form of dance to children and communities that would not otherwise participate. We could not more readily encourage other corporations to follow suit by recognizing the hidden gem that is Everybody Dance LA! for all their incredible work in fostering positivity in the next generation of creative minds.”

– Kathleen McCa rey SVP of

EDLA! has partnered for the last four years with Los Angeles Dance Project to provide a master class that exposes our students to professional dancers and choreographers. In addition to master classes, EDLA! provides tickets to students and their parents two to three times a year to see professional performances with the Los Angeles Ballet, as well as other professional dance companies.

Transforming Lives and Communities Through the Power of Dance

Its name says it all – Everybody Dance LA! wants everyone to dance. That is why the organization asks families to pay just $15 a month ($150 a year) for its After-School Program.

“If families invest a little bit in dance education, both the parent and the child feel a sense of pride and commitment to the program,” says Director of Development Pamela Bash. “But we never turn a child away due to an inability to pay.”

The true cost of the program is $1,500 a year per student. This year, EDLA!’s fundraising goal is $1.2M and they hope to raise $100,000 through The Giving List.

Hip Hop is a popular form of dance at EDLA!. During the 2021-22 academic year, EDLA! had 1,712 students participating in both our In-School and AfterSchool Hip Hop Classes.

KEY SUPPORTERS

American Dance Movement

California Arts Council

Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation

Dwight Stuart Youth Fund

Hearst Foundation

Herb Alpert Foundation

Jane Jelenko

Joan Herman and Richard Rasiej

Johnny Carson Foundation

Joseph Drown Foundation

Inara George and Jake Kasdan

Meg and Lawrence Kasdan

Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation

Larry A. Ginsberg and Rob Levine

Leah and Samuel Fischer

Ninety-eight percent of EDLA! students identify as persons of color, 48% of AfterSchool Participants take classes in multiple dance forms, 90% of our In-School and 80% of our After-School Students qualify for the free and/or reduced lunch program.

Los Angeles County Arts Commission

Los Angeles Department of Cultural Arts

Luppen Family Foundation

Lynne and James DeWitt

Maja Kristin

National Charity League of Los Angeles National Endowment for the Arts

Oder Family Foundation

Play Equity Fund

Rose Hills Foundation

The Green Foundation

The Louis L. Borick Foundation

The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

United Talent Agency

The Many Ways to Give...

Everybody Dance LA!

www.everybodydance.org

3138 Wilshire Blvd. #196 #K22 Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 365-0065

Contact: Pamela Bash Director of Development (310) 897-5977 pbash@everybodydance.org

By Check:

The Gabriella Foundation

3138 Wilshire Blvd. #196 #K22 Los Angeles, CA 90010

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-4773654

By Credit Card: www.everybodydance.org/support

“As

Programming at HBO

MUSEUM OF LATIN AMERICAN ART (MOLAA)

Museum of Latin American Art –Expanding an Appreciation of Art

On the importance for the students to have access to bilingual teaching artists at MOLAA: “…I had a connection because [the teacher] was Mexican and I am Mexican and I could understand him speaking Spanish, and I could also talk to him in that language. So it was really fun having someone that knows Spanish, like me, that we can talk with languages like that. It was really fun.”

– Emma C. 2022 Summer Camp participant

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), founded in 1996 in Long Beach, California, is the only accredited Museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American, Latinx, and Chicanx art and culture. Its five galleries span over 55,000 square feet, showcasing local, national, and international art, with new exhibits opening year-round. Its permanent collection boasts more than 1,300 works of art and is considered one of the more unique and culturally significant collections. MOLAA is free to the public every Sunday. And in recent years, the Museum has gained recognition for its educational programs, outreach, and accessibility e orts.

MOLAA’s mission is to expand the reach and appreciation of modern and contemporary Latin American art through its collections, unique exhibitions, immersive educational programming, and cultural events. In the last few years, they have further diversified their collection, creating one that is more reflective of Latinx and Chicanx artists.

“Latin art can increase the understanding and sensitivity around us,” says Solimar Salas, the Museum’s vice president of content, innovation, and outreach. “The more we learn about others, the more we have a sense of empathy for our neighbors.”

Beyond MOLAA’s expertly curated, permanent, and rotating exhibitions and their 15,000-square-foot sculpture garden (which features 14 artworks representing artists from nearly every Latin American country), the Museum o ers an impressive variety of arts education programs and cultural festivals. MOLAA’s family festivals, online programming, virtual exhibitions, one-on-one Zoom discussions with featured artists, and traveling exhibitions are designed to bring meaningful cross-cultural experiences and accessible educational resources to the public.

At its core, the Museum is a transformative place for learning. It showcases and studies works from underrepresented artists and seeks to bridge historical representation inequalities. Through a recent exhibition featuring artist Judy Baca, primarily known for her large-scale public artworks such as “The Great Wall of Los Angeles,” MOLAA provided a rare opportunity to see a more private side of Baca by highlighting her sketch journals, promoting her, and making her works accessible to the public.

The Museum’s most popular o ering is a docent-led tour followed by a hands-on art workshop based on the Museum’s current exhibition. Many scholarships are o ered to K-12 students in school districts throughout Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Bernardino, Riverside,

and Orange County who benefit from this free educational opportunity.

“The impact on children in our community is at the core of everything we do,” Salas says. “If a child can find a museum enjoyable and something they can learn from, even when they don’t know they’re learning, they become facilitators for their family.”

More than a Museum, MOLAA is part of the global social, cultural, and historical fabric and invites us to connect deeper with the different perspectives and roots of Latin and Latin American art and culture, rediscover the joy of learning through art, and deepen our understanding of one another.

Main entrance of the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA).

Students at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) showing their final artworks after their tour and workshop experience at MOLAA.

The Museum was envisioned as an integral part of a much larger whole and has proudly taken multiple roles for the community it serves, such as a school, a community center, a laboratory, a library, and an archive of stories and culture.

MOLAA is FREE every Sunday! Your donations ensure we can keep our doors open and o er scholarships to underserved communities and schools.

"As the Co-Chair of MOLAA's Board of Directors, I have observed firsthand how one intimate experience with art can change a life forever. MOLAA's exhibitions and programs showcase the important contributions of Latinx, Chicanx, and Latin American art and artists. It is vital for our community that the museum exists because, for some of the families we serve, MOLAA is the only museum many have ever stepped foot in. To see yourself in the future, you need to see yourself represented."

– Dr. Robert N. Braun Co-Chair, MOLAA Board of Directors

MOLAA’S 2021 TOP DONORS

The Museum of Latin American Art's most significant donors and donations in support the Museum’s operations and programming in FY 2021.

Benefactor Robert Gumbiner Foundation Investor Bank of America lnick TGIS / Sofia Riley

Advocate

Dr. Robert Braun & Joan Friedman, Ph.D. California Humanities Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Cástulo de la Rocha and Zoila D. Escobar Cordoba Corporation

Michael and Caryl Deovlet Wanda Lee Graves and Stephen Duscha Zach Horowitz and Barbara Horowitz Hope Miller Port of Long Beach Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) molaa.org 628 Alamitos Ave. Long Beach CA 90802 (562) 437-1689

Contact: Luis Cortes Director of the O ce of the President & CEO of MOLAA (562) 216-4115 LCortes@molaa.org

By Check:

Museum of Latin American Art 628 Alamitos Avenue Long Beach CA 90802

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 33-0786070

Memo: MOLAA-Museum of Latin American Art

Youth Development

Young people’s minds are plastic; they live in the throes of “developing” every day.

In this tender development, these organizations are all doing their part to ensure the generation coming of age has the tools it needs to be better than the last.

The Power of Volunteering

Years ago, I was incredibly fortunate to attend a won derful college in Northern California. I got a stellar education that helped set me on a path to success. Many years later, my own son was equally fortunate to attend an excellent university on the East Coast. He, too, received an unparalleled education that has helped steer him towards a successful, happy career.

For years I have felt beyond grateful for these blessings and wanted to find a way to pay it forward. But, more importantly, I wanted to find a way to give every high school student what my son and I had – the power of higher education. I just didn’t know how I could best do this.

Until one day, I was standing on a train platform coming back from visiting my son at college in New Jersey, when I got to talking to a pair of total strangers who were also wait ing for the train. I don’t normally talk to strangers on a train platform. Even though I’m from California, I know enough East Coast train etiquette to know you don’t talk to people on the platform and that pushing people out of the way to get off the train car is totally acceptable. But on that day, that couple, who turned out to be from the Midwest, started up a conversation. East Coast etiquette be damned.

As we sat together on the train, opening small talk long exhausted, we got down to more interesting personal details. And, lo and behold, this couple from Missouri ran a nonprofit called Mentors for College. And that nonprofit just happened to offer free mentoring services to underserved high school kids who needed help with their college application process.

I’ve never been that “kismet-believing” kind of person. But

there had to be a reason I was on that train, at that time, on that day next to that couple. We talked all the way into New York City and I signed up to volunteer with them just before I pushed them out of my way to get off the train. Okay… I didn’t really push them out of my way. They were from the Midwest, and so nice, so I let them off first, even though other die-hard New Yorkers were glaring at me.

I’ve been volunteering with their nonprofit ever since, about seven years now. They trained me to be one of their mentors to work with students and their families to help them navi gate the often-overwhelming college application process. I’m part of a cadre of volunteer mentors who are helping level the playing field for high school students who don’t have the abundance my son and I had. It’s my dream “volunteer” job. I’m euphoric every time our students are accepted to colleges they had never dreamed of applying to. I’m also now on their Board of Directors.

You don’t need to stand on a train platform in New Jersey to find an organization you can be passionate about, volun teer for, and make a difference with. We have a book for that. From donating an hour a month to something more substan tial such as becoming a board member, every organization in these pages can use your passion, your skill set, your dedica tion and your wisdom.

As for me, I’m still mentoring. And I do find myself talking to more strangers on train platforms now and, frankly, that hasn’t gone as well. My last conversation, a month ago, ended with me “losing” my wallet and some young man in Connecti cut getting a new iPhone at Best Buy.

– Vicki Horwits Associate Editor

All Roads Head Toward Success at Boys & Girls Clubs L.A. Harbor

The long tail of the pandemic has students still struggling to catch up. Isolation and fitful reintegration have led to a whole generation of students being years behind in their social, emotional, and academic development. And the toll is heavy.

“We see the kids not wanting to interact with each other, having a hard time working with

each other,” says Tony Tripp, chief development o cer at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor. “Kids have lost hope – we can see it on their faces.”

To counter this disturbing trend, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor launched the Pathways to Success initiative to ensure that every aspect of the club’s programming is geared to inspire kids about their futures. Through the initiative, kids work with sta to design a roadmap that will guide and encourage them to identify goals that will help them get to where they want to go. With Pathways to Success, kids see how passing a math test isn’t just about a grade, it’s a stepping stone to getting into college or landing that electrician apprenticeship.

“They see how all these small goals along the way are contributing to what their future is going to be,” Tripp says. “That way they’re not bogged down by ‘the right now.’”

BGCLAH High School Seniors at the 2022 College Bound Signing Day. 1,141 seniors participated in our College Bound program, with 99% graduating high school on time, with 97% attending a college or university this fall. Additionally, $17.9 million in financial aid and scholarships were secured for our Class of 2022.

In May 2022,

Boys & Girls Clubs is a national organization, yet the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor has a special significance. It is the oldest on the West Coast – founded in 1937– and the largest in L.A. County. The Los Angeles Harbor branch alone has 21 club sites from Gardena to the Harbor and serves upwards of 2,400 youth a day.

Pathways to Success runs through the entire fabric of the organization, helping kids move toward a positive destination after high

he BGCLAH sta has always kept me motivated when I wanted to give up. They helped me overcome my fear that I will not be able to follow my dreams due to my green card status in high school. I’ve always had a passion for technology because it’s never failed to amaze me, and I’ve been able to see the impact that it has on the world. Career Bound has allowed me to pursue that passion and helped me get an internship at a great IT company. After I completed my internship, I was even able to get hired as a service engineer in the IT department!"

– Ibuki Wada BGCLAH Alumni

school, whether that’s college or a career in the trades. Kids interested in higher education can, from an early age, join the College Bound program, where they receive one-on-one case management to prepare them for college. For those kids who want to jump straight into the workforce after high school, the Club’s Career Bound program sets students up for apprenticeships and internships that can lead to good-paying jobs.

“We want all of our youth to see that they have a future and to know they can achieve whatever it is they want,” Tripp says.

"T

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE LOS ANGELES HARBOR

BGCLAH member Andrew (pictured here with BGCLAH Coordinator Jasmine Gudino) became a first-generation high school graduate. In August 2022, Andrew began his first semester at California State University, Long Beach majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He credits finding his Pathway to Success to the BGCLAH’s College Bound program.

True to its mission since 1937, the BGCLAH helps young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. The BGCLAH serves over 2,600 kids per day, ranging from K-12th grade at 20 sites across the Los Angeles Harbor area.

Back Boys and Girls on Their Pathways to Success

Boys & Girls Clubs is raising $250,000 to steer students onto Pathways to Success so that kids can realize the futures that they want. The Club has been a life changer for Nicolas Velazquez, who grew up in a family su ering from alcoholism in Wilmington, California, a city fraught with violence. Thanks to the Club, Nicolas got the structure and support he needed to prosper in school where his GPA is now a 4.3. His goals are to attend a university and to give back to his community by becoming an elected o cial.

“Not bad for a kid who wasn’t supposed to be here,” Nicolas says. “I am walking proof of what the Club can produce and I want to let it be known that Great Futures truly do start here at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor.”

A $5,000 donation is enough to sponsor one young person like Nicolas as they journey toward a rewarding career and hopeful future. Each donor will be assigned a boy or girl and receive a photo, thank you letter, and periodic updates on the child’s progress.

"T he BGCLAH has played a significant role in planning my future and ensuring a rewarding academic career. I’ve found a community that fostered a degree of confidence and self-assurance that I didn't know I was capable of having. The Club has cultivated an environment that promoted exploration and growth, and what I’ve gained from the programs and people here is immeasurable. Because of the BGCLAH, I graduated from San Pedro High School with a 4.68GPA and will be attending Columbia University, majoring in sociology. After undergrad, I hope to pursue my Ph.D. with the goal of establishing a platform for people with similar experiences as myself. I want to be able to elevate voices and create a more equitable society with diverse perspectives."

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor www.bgclaharbor.org San Pedro, CA 90731

Contact: Tony Tripp Chief Development O cer (310) 833-1322 ext 255 tonyt@bgclaharbor.org

Nicolas Velazquez at the 2022 BGCA Pacific Region Youth of the Year competition. In October, Nick will be representing the BGCLAH and the entire Pacific Region in the BGCA National Youth of the Year competition in Los Angeles, CA.

KEY SUPPORTERS

California Community FoundationLASIF Windsong Trust Ballmer Group Eisner Foundation Rose Hills Foundation

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check: Boys and Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor 1200 S. Cabrillo Ave. San Pedro, CA 90731

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-1661682

By Credit Card: www.bgclaharbor.org/give

–Kelly Yoshimura BGCLAH Member

Inspiring Black Male Youth to Build a Bold, New Future

The Hidden Genius Project was named 2021 Inc. Best in Business honoree for Youth Entrepreneurship.

"Being a part of The Hidden Genius Project has been a transformative experience for me. Initially serving as an advisor and eventually becoming Board Chair, has given me an appreciation for the commitment the team has for the mission to educate, inspire, and support every young Black male in our program. Every year, we are reenergized by the excitement in our new Geniuses that join. I consider it an honor to support the organization, especially for what can be achieved when you expose a young mind to technology and a network of like-minded individuals committed to improving themselves and their communities. I encourage others to support the work by giving so we can continue to expand the number of young Black males reached each year."

Well before Silicon Valley’s diversity problem routinely made headlines, The Hidden Genius Project began to tap into the talents of Oakland’s Black male youth population. With training and mentorship, these young people thrived in fields that have traditionally excluded African Americans –particularly technology, business, and leadership.

“Our young people are already constantly innovating with tech, be it by social media or other avenues,” says Dr. Brandon Nicholson, executive director of The Hidden Genius Project, which began in 2012. “We weren’t necessarily trying to build the next wave of engineers for a specific company. It’s really about trying to inspire young people to build di erent products.”

The Hidden Genius Project has developed their own teaching model called “Catalyst Opportunities” where they o er free single and multi-day technical workshops designed to expose youth of color to its mission.

Catalyst events have been held as far away as England and South Africa. Having received training in a variety of computer science concepts, including web development and robotics, Hidden Genius alums teach all of the Catalyst curriculum.

“Working in South Africa, taking Geniuses who are from Oakland and training them up and having them… train other kids and ultimately

being able to take them around the world was another amazing point on this journey,“ says Sean Valentine, director of strategic initiatives for The Hidden Genius Project.

Increasingly, Catalyst participants are successfully applying to The Hidden Genius Project’s core, award-winning 15-month Intensive Immersion Program for Black male high school students. This free cohort-based training program teaches them leadership, entrepreneurship, and coding skills.

All Hidden Genius participants graduate from high school, and about 90 percent enter college. They have received college acceptances to the University of CaliforniaBerkeley and Nicholson is especially pleased that a student on the autism spectrum was

Known for its flagship 15-month Intensive Immersion Program, The Hidden Genius Project provides Black boys and young men in grades 9 through 11 more than 800 hours of training in computer science education, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills.

– Bi Clark Board Chair, and Managing Partner, Coe cient Technologies

admitted to California Institute of the Arts.

After students finish the Intensive Immersion Program, their journey with The Hidden Genius Project doesn’t end. Inspired by the Ron Brown Scholar Program, which provides college scholarships to Black students and works to develop a lifelong network for positive social change, The Hidden Genius Project aims to grow its network as its alumni pool widens.

“They’re Geniuses for life, and we try to hold young people to that standard,” Nicholson says.

The Hidden Genius Project has been rooted in the value of the African proverb Ubuntu, “I am, because we are,” which emphasizes the deep bond between the youth and helps them visualize their greater selves. Because of this, the program boasts a 98% high school graduation rate.

Since its inception in 2012, The Hidden Genius Project has served over 8,400 young people of color through its Intensive Immersion, Catalyst, and Community Partnership Programs.

Invest in the Brilliance and Leadership Potential of Black Male Youth

That’s how The Hidden Genius Project’s Executive Director Brandon Nicholson describes the organization’s approach to hiring and expansion. The Hidden Genius Project has made a concerted e ort to hire the young men who’ve undergone training and mentoring through its programs. Last year, the organization hired two of its alums full time and it annually hires alums in other capacities, Nicholson says.

The Hidden Genius Project grads facilitate programming that reaches well beyond the organization’s core demographic. Every dollar invested in the organization supports the leadership development of young people, Nicholson says. “We’ve been able to serve over 8,400 people in the last decade through all of our programming,” he adds. “We’re having a greater, lasting e ect on our community all the time.”

After initially serving Oakland students, The Hidden Genius Project has since expanded to serve youth in Richmond, Los Angeles, and Detroit.

Isaiah Martin, Oakland Cohort 2 Alum and Software Engineer at Microsoft, shares, "The Hidden Genius Project played a major role in not just exposing me to the tech industry, but also in teaching me how to think critically, solve problems, and use a growth mindset to further my skills."

The Hidden Genius Project www.hiddengeniusproject.org

Headquarters 1441 Franklin Street, Fourth Floor Oakland, CA 94612

Contact: Brandon Nicholson, Ph.D. Founding Executive Director (510) 995-0447 contact@hiddengeniusproject.org

"Since first learning about The Hidden Genius Project’s work, I’ve been impressed not only by their clear ability to impact the lives of young people, but also by how they go about serving students and their families. In a world full of quick fixes and transactional results, The Hidden Genius Project invests in young people over a long period of time. In a field too often focused on what’s missing, The Hidden Genius Project has always been about celebrating the genius that Black male youth possess. I’ve seen firsthand over the years I’ve supported their work that this approach truly leads to transformative change."

–

Precious

J.

Stroud

Principal, PJS Consultants and Founder, BlackFemaleProject

KEY SUPPORTERS

Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy

Autodesk Inc.

Bank of America

Cestra Butner Family Foundation

Charlie and Karen Couric Charitable Foundation

Comcast NBC Universal East Bay Community Foundation

Google Inc. NBA Foundation

Patrick J. McGovern Foundation

Sony Playstation Warriors Community Foundation

WarnerMedia - Blavatnik Family Social Justice Fund Workday Foundation

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

Hidden Genius Project

1441 Franklin Street, Fourth Floor Oakland, CA 94612

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID #46-0689949

By Credit Card: hiddengeniusproject.org/donate/

Will You Play With Me?

As a boy, Spencer Hawk loved school field trips to a playground where he could soar on the swings, slip down slides, and make new friends. It was a childhood rite of passage that was only available to Hawk – an elementary student with TAR Syndrome, resulting in amputated limbs – in a few places in the world in the early 2000s. One of them was his hometown of Los Angeles.

At that playground built by the L.A.based nonprofit Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration, Hawk played with typically developing kids on the field trips, which are part of an innovative education program that teaches social inclusion.

Creating equitable playgrounds where children with disabilities can “form friendships and be honored and respected” is the mission of Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration, says CEO Ti any Harris, who co-founded the nonprofit with friends Catherine Curry-Williams and Scott Williams in memory of their son Shane Alexander Williams, who died from complications of spinal muscular atrophy as a newborn.

"At the playgrounds created by Inclusion Matters, I've always felt accepted, included, and able to participate. I was never left out. Nothing separating me from others. But inclusion is one thing. Kindness gives it life. The simple question, 'Would you like to play with us?' is enough to turn a kid's world upside down. The experience of thoughtful inclusion, that's the real magic of these playgrounds."

– Spencer Hawk Inclusion Advocate

In Shane’s memory, the friends rallied community support and built a playground for kids of all abilities in Los Angeles’ Gri th Park in 2000. Then they heard from a parent who said driving across the city was tiring for their son Aidan who had special needs. Could they build another one on the West Side?

Inclusion Matters is now a global inclusion movement with 40 inclusive playgrounds around Los Angeles and 35 and counting on four continents. The playgrounds are designed for ALL kids while accounting for wheelchair mobility needs, hearing and sight impairments, sensory processing challenges, and more. The nonprofit’s inclusion curriculum for schools

has been delivered to 50,000 Los Angeles students in 250 schools, downloaded in 65 countries, and a new graduate-level curriculum is rolling out at universities.

Today, Hawk is in college and an inclusion advocate for Inclusion Matters, as well as a Kindness Ambassador for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation (BTWF).

“What made the playground so amazing wasn’t just the equipment, but the kindness that blossomed everywhere,” he said when he was invited to speak about the value of inclusion at a virtual BTWF Talk on kindness and family in 2020. “I would not be who I am today without that kindness.”

Rocket's Universe at North Weddington Park in North Hollywood, California.

At inclusive playgrounds, friendships between children of ALL abilities flourish.

Approximately 15% of people within every community have some form of disability, with 1 in 44 children found to be on the Autism spectrum according to the CDC. These children with disabilities are 60% more likely to experience bullying. Social inclusion through play creates powerful opportunities to eliminate harmful misconceptions which lead to bullying, bringing children together in friendship, laughter and respect.

KEY SUPPORTERS

GOVERNING BOARD

Kurt Marsden, Wells Fargo

President

Katherine Bell, Paul Hastings LLP Vice President Ed Czajka, Preferred Bank Treasurer Je Garavanian, City National Bank Secretary

An inclusive playground in Cuenca, Ecuador, a partner country of the organization's for over a decade. Current work includes a U.S. Embassy grant to expand the education program curriculum into three universities, and a design award from the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing that will create inclusive playgrounds throughout the country.

go some-

feel like

BOARD MEMBERS

Je Applo , Producer

layground field trips where kids of all abilities learn to play together are vital to the mission of Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration. The field trips teach typically-developing kids compassion and advocacy as they learn to play with di erently abled kids. You can help fund transportation for this program:

$450: Bus for up to 5 students using wheelchairs.

$2,500: Multiple buses for a single field trip, serving up to 55 students.

$25,000: Buses for all field trips for a year.

Corporate and philanthropic organizations are invited to partner with Inclusion Matters on developing playgrounds in Los Angeles or globally, with budgets ranging between $500,000 - $2,500,000.

Inclusion Matters

by Shane's Inspiration www.inclusionmatters.org

15213 Burbank Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA 91411 (818) 988-5676

Contact: Ti any Harris CEO/Co-Founder (818) 988-5676 Ti any@inclusionmatters.org

belong? Almost instantly, the weight and worry about judgement about being 'too di erent' suddenly is lifted and you can suddenly be free, so comfortable in your own skin you don't even know where to begin to try and describe it. Well that's what was going on inside us today when we visited the Shane's Inspiration playground in Gri th Park for the first time."

Ti any Harris, Inclusion Matters by Shane's Inspiration Tommy Hollenstein, Artist/Advocate Dr. Carol Kurz, Kaiser Permanente Georgianna Junco-Kelman

Los Angeles Special Kids Attorney Kat Scudder, Disney Vinisha Vijay, City National Bank Anita Wright, Northrop Grumman

PLAYANTHROPISTS®

Madelyn Alfano & Je Tucker

Mary Ann Hunt-Jacobsen & Eric Jacobsen

Rick Kessler

Debie & Kurt Marsden

Pat & Nancy McCabe

Gina Goldman & Walter Schupfer Michelle Schumacher & J.K. Simmons

Steve Soboro

Ned Solot

Katherine Bell & Gabe Ste ans

Catherine Curry-Williams & Scott Williams (Founders)

www.inclusionmatters.org/our-partners

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration 15213 Burbank Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA 91411

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-4760497

By Credit Card: inclusionmatters.org/donate

"You know that feeling when you

where and you just

you

– Dustin Willis PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, FAAOMPT Father of Dorian Willis

P

If you build it, they will come –but only if they have a ride.

Boldly Changing Career Access for L.A.’s Youth

UNITE-LA connects thousands of young people to internships and scholarships through programming every year. Los Angeles Cash for College demystifies the college-going process for first-generation college students and their families – AND has been nationally recognized for their scholarship program.

Alma Castillo was a rising junior in high school in South Los Angeles. A time when students begin making their col lege and career plans. When they begin dream ing of their future, of who they want to be and the impact they want to have on their community.

In Alma’s family, money was tight and they struggled to pay the rent and make ends meet, limiting Alma’s opportunity to plan and prepare for life beyond high school. She had no time to “job shadow” or “intern,” or even learn about the vast array of career choices that might be available to her.

In 1998 she founded UNITE-LA, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit. UNITE-LA prepares underserved students with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to succeed in college, career, and civic life. Working with private businesses and the City and County of Los Angeles, UNITE-LA helps students from lowincome backgrounds find transformational summer work and paid internships.

“We work closely with students from historically marginalized communities where students would not normally have access to the

employer partners we work with or to the career pathways that UNITE-LA makes available to them through jobs or internships,” says Bridget Netter, senior vice president of programs and talent development. “Our programs help build their confidence and develop their social and economic mobility.”

UNITE-LA’s dynamic career pathway programs include:

L.A. Youth At Work where young adults (ages 16-24) are trained by private sector employers with skills for entry-level employment, Real World of STEAM which provides career exposure/awareness to high-demand, highwage STEAM careers, South L.A. Scholars which provides paid work experience in a health care setting for low-income students, and Tech Pathways which connects underserv ed talent to careers in technology.

All of these programs are free of charge and provide either paid internships, job shadowing or paid work experience. Of the 7,500 students served by UNITE-LA’s college access and career pathways programs this year, many

have been placed in rewarding internships with leading employers like Kaiser Permanente, Metro, SNAP Inc., and United Airlines.

“We have tons of talent among young people in Los Angeles,” says Lisa Catanzarite, vice president of research and evaluation. “We’re bringing learning opportunities and professional contact to those who may not otherwise have avenues where they get to learn about what it takes to become a professional in a particular occupation that piques their interest.”

And that’s exactly what happened to Castillo.

“As a first-generation, low-income student, I was given the opportunity to learn about careers in healthcare,” Castillo says. “This influenced me to apply to the public health major for undergrad at UC Berkeley… Where I’m currently a sophomore pursuing a bachelor’s degree.”

“We have big goals,” Catanzarite says. “It’s all about equity and better outcomes… It’s about paving the way to help support young people, capitalize on the talent that is in Los Angeles, and develop that talent and support our community and regional prosperity in L.A.”

“T he most valuable thing I’ve learned was to be confident. People who came to talk to us provided me with faith to believe in myself and encouraged me to be part of the medical field.”

– 11th Grader UNITE-LA South L.A. Scholars Participant

Los Angeles County has 156,181 Disconnected Youth. Young people aged 1624 who are not in school and not working.

Success Is When Talent Meets Opportunity

As part of UNITE-LA’s goals for 2023, they plan on expanding their career pathway programming to include a new Cleantech Academy, offering students exposure and pathways to careers in the environmental and clean energy sectors.

They hope to raise $75,000 from new donors. If UNITE-LA can meet this goal, the Kresge Foundation, a long-time funder of UNITELA, has committed to unlock an additional $75,000 in unrestricted funding for the organization.

$1,500: Helps provide a student with a one-year college scholarship

$4,000: Helps a young person to explore potential professions through a 160-hour paid summer internship

KEY SUPPORTERS

Annie E. Casey Foundation Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation Ascendium Education Group Atlas Family Foundation Bank of America Boeing California Community Foundation California Department of Education Community Schools Grant California Student Aid Commission Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation Carol and James Collins Foundation City of Los Angeles - Mayor's Fund: Hire LA's Youth Coca-Cola Foundation College Futures Foundation Conrad N. Hilton Foundation ECMC Foundation Evelyn & Walter HAAS Jr. Fund Farmers Insurance First 5 LA/Community Partners Green Foundation Heising-Simons Foundation JPMorgan Chase Kaiser Permanente Kayne Family Foundation L.A. Lakers Youth Foundation L.A. County Department of Public Health - Office of Diversion and Reentry

"I was empowered to delve deep into my potential. The rich resources helped me to land my first profession al internship as an operations intern. I gained many professional business skills from my first internship, and it allowed me to reach my full potential in terms of skills such as marketing/sales, manage ment, and project organization. I was in love with the company culture and its community value that I was blessed to work with."

– College Student and Intern

UNITE-LA’s South L.A. Intern Initiative

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell

LA/OC Regional Consortium

Los Angeles City Economic and Workforce Development Department

Lumina Foundation

Michelson 20MM Foundation

National Skills Coalition

Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Rattray Kimura Foundation

S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation

Sierra Health Foundation

Sobrato Family Foundation Stuart Foundation

The Ahmanson Foundation

The Alliance for Children's Rights

The California Wellness Foundation

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

The Ford Foundation

The James Irvine Foundation

The Kresge Foundation

The Stein Family Foundation

United Way of Greater Los Angeles

Valero Energy Foundation

Weingart Foundation

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

W. M. Keck Foundation

Youssef and Kamel Mawardi Foundation

UNITE-LA

www.unitela.com

1055 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1750 Los Angeles, CA 90017

Contact: Chelsey Holmlund, Senior Director

Partnerships UNITE-LA (619) 254-7098 cholmlund@unitela.com

The Many Ways to Give...

By Check:

UNITE-LA Inc

1055 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1750 Los Angeles, CA 90017

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 82-0576380

By Credit Card: www.unitela.com/donate_internships

A true cradle-to-career agenda for youth starts early! UNITE-LA has played a critical role in the development of programming for little kids including: the implementation of transitional kindergarten and the launch of Educare Los Angeles at Long Beach.

Index

A Home Within 110

Annenberg Foundation: Social Sector Leader 98

BAYAN 84

Bobby Grace: Profile 159

Boyle Heights Beat 162

Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles Harbor 184

Brady: United Against Gun Violence 38

Children’s Action Coalition 104

Children’s Law Center of California 40 City Year Los Angeles 76

Cliff Gilbert-Lurie: Profile 168

Compassion Prison Project 172

CSUN: Social Sector Leader 20 Destination Crenshaw 64 Determined to Succeed 78 Don Howard: Profile 62 Downtown Women’s Center 154 Dunn School 126

Educating Students Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

El Nido | Family Centers 100

Elizabeth Faraut: Profile 36 Emily Shane Foundation 50

Everybody Dance LA! 180 Five Keys 42

Happy Trails for Kids 112

Holocaust Museum LA: Social Sector Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 iFoster 114

Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration 190

J.P. Morgan: Social Sector Leader 26 J3 Foundation 52

JVS SoCal 44

Kalyan Balaven: Profile 152

Kid Save | Ukraine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

KidSave 116

LA County Fire Department Foundation 94 Lightforce One 130

Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children 142

Michael Tubbs: Profile 74 Milt and Debbie Valera: Profile 122 Mona Sinha: Profile 108 Museum of Latin American Art 182 National Disaster Search Dog Foundation 92 National Health Foundation 144

Nike Irvin: Profile 178 No Us Without You LA 66

Para Los Niños 102

PUENTE Learning Center 54

Ready to Succeed 118

Red Sled Santa Foundation 56

Safety Belt Safe U.S.A. 58 SIPA Cares 68

Southern California Public Radio: Social Sector Leader 160 Stanford Social Innovation Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Step Up 156 STUART House 146

The Agency: Social Sector Leaders 140 The Bail Project 174 The Hidden Genius Project 188 UCLA Rape Treatment Center 146 Unite-LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Urban Alchemy 70 Vision to Learn 148

Wallis Annenberg: Profile 136

Wendy Garen: Profile 48 White Buffalo Land Trust 82

Wilma Melville: Profile 88 World Telehealth Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132