The Giving List 2024 by Montecito Journal

| Los Angeles |

Los Angeles

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Welcome to The Giving List Los Angeles, 2023/24

t is my great pleasure to present to you The Giving List Los Angeles, 2023/24 edition. I love Los Angeles. With its cultural and geographic diversity unmatched, growing up here, each street felt to me like its own neighborhood with its own unique character and rhythm. But like so many urban centers today, L.A. is straining under the weight of these complicated times. And as economic challenges rise, so too do the needs of our local communities. That’s why we are more grateful than ever for the hard work and unrelenting commitment of L.A.’s local nonprofits! On the frontlines of a cataclysmic housing crisis, massive environmental challenges, assaults on women’s reproductive rights, and the growing need for greater racial and gender equity, these organizations are what stand between L.A.’s most vulnerable residents and what lies beneath the safety net they provide. The Giving List was created to help nonprofits tell their powerful stories in a way that would allow donors to better understand and appreciate the critical services they provide. It was also intended to expose donors to nonprofits that may otherwise not make it onto their radar. We hope that this publication will help you break through some of the noise created by so many pressing needs. The organizations in this book are not the only ones that are doing great work in our communities. But they are certainly representative of L.A.’s vibrant nonprofit and philanthropic culture. They are organizations doing vital work at a critical moment in this community’s history, and we believe

that they are among the best of L.A.’s nonprofit organizations and are worthy of your strong support. This Giving List would not be possible without the continued support of one of Los Angeles’s premier higher education institutions – California State University, Northridge (CSUN). As one of the nation’s top universities fostering social and economic mobility, CSUN transforms lives not only by delivering academic excellence, but by pioneering programs that open doors for a large first-generation student body. As Jonathan Karp writes about in his editorial, CSUN, priding itself on the fact that most of its students graduate with little to no student debt, recently launched an ambitious project to build a database to help analyze and improve the impact of philanthropic scholarships on student success. It is because of this deep commitment to better serving its vast and diverse student body, through educational and philanthropic means, that we are so proud to have CSUN as an invaluable community partner. We hope that you will use this book as you decide where to invest your much-needed resources at this time.

| Los Angeles |

With Gratitude, Gwyn Lurie CEO, The Montecito Journal Media Group

Giving Back

How to DAF?

e 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.

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

Confronting the myriad and mounting challenges facing communities, the nation, and globe requires the ingenuity and dedication exhibited by the nonprofits that fill our 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 you, we have the chance to invest in organizations with the potential to take on some of our most pressing challenges.

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 to zero start-up fees, making it possible for donors at any level to DAF.

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 environment. We will all be better for it.

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How To Read This Book

he Giving List was created to make it easier for you to navigate the dizzying array of worthwhile causes and nonprofit organizations. To that end, we have distributed The Giving List 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 partnerships with the nonprofits in these pages do not end with the printing of this book. Each profile will live on TheGivingList.com through 2024, 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. 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 Giving List Newsletter, has become a venue for updates from our nonprofit partners and stories from the frontlines of philanthropy. We would love for you to join The Giving List Newsletter; please visit www.TheGivingList.com and follow the prompts.

You can also join our newsletter...

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... by waving your phone’s camera over this QR code.

Contents Social Sector Leaders:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles Harbor

California State University Northridge

enables all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. ��P. 34

All in for its students �� P. 12

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. 36 Private School Axis partners with Los Angeles area independent schools to create pathways for underrepresented students and families of color to access, navigate, and thrive in private education. ��P. 38

Connecting Youth to Opportunity

Profile – Yasmin and Greg Delahoussaye.

Who Will Fill the Gaps in the Immigrant’s Struggle To Succeed for Themselves and Their Children?

Scholarships Are a Lifeline for BIPOC Youth Pursuing Higher Education. �� P. 40

ACCESS U Foundation believes that every soccer player deserves a chance to succeed. They provide Black and Latino scholar-athletes with mentors who guide them through the college recruitment process and help them fulfill their academic and athletic potential and succeed in education, work, and life. ��P. 28

Dismantling Hate, Crime, and Violence

Editorial – P. 22

Children’s Law Center of California provides

legal representation for children and youth impacted by abuse and neglect. . ��P. 30

Da Vinci RISE High seeks to create a highly

responsive, holistic, and integrated model that meets the unique needs of youth navigating foster care, housing instability, probation, and/or other circumstances that have caused disruptions in their academic journeys. Through the facilitation of a flex-scheduling, credit recovery model, students are given the voice and choice necessary to pursue their academic goals while honoring the additional responsibilities they have in their lives. ��P. 32

The Pressing Need to Protect the Younger Generation from Rising Violence and Crime in Los Angeles Editorial – P. 44

Brady Center to Prevent 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. 50 Kidsave provides programs to help older kids in

foster care and orphanages find meaningful, lasting connections with adults and families. �� P. 52

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Social Sector Leaders:

One Love Foundation is a national nonprofit with the goal of ending relationship abuse. It empowers young people with the tools and resources they need to see the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships and bring lifesaving prevention education to their communities. ��P. 54

Skirball Cultural Center A place of meeting guided by the Jewish tradition of welcoming the stranger and inspired by the American democratic ideals of freedom and equality. We welcome people of all communities and generations to participate in cultural experiences that celebrate discovery and hope, foster human connections, and call upon us to help build a more just society. �� P. 74

Holocaust Museum LA is the only cultural institution in Los Angeles with a sole focus on the horrific impact and the enormity of the Holocaust that is free for students. Through customized tours, artifact-rich exhibitions, creative educational programs, and intergenerational conversations with survivors, the Museum teaches students and visitors to think critically about the lessons of the Holocaust and its social relevance today. ��P. 56

Profile – David Bolton.

Learning From the Past: Preserving California’s Mission History ��P. 76

StrengthUnited is dedicated to ending abuse,

empowering families, and developing leaders in San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys. ��P. 58

Profile – Kimberly Marteau Emerson.

Helping to Seed the Next Generation. �� P. 60

The Bedrock Right of Housing

Art as a Catalyst for Change

No One-Size-Fits-All Solution to L.A.’s Homeless Crisis Editorial – P. 82

The Importance of the Arts Spark

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. 88

Editorial – P. 66

Debbie Allen Dance Academy is a world-class academy that focuses on disenfranchised Black and Latino communities, using dance, theater, and performance to enrich, inspire, and transform the lives of their students. ��P. 70

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. 90

Neighborhood Music School Association (NMS) strives to connect students, teaching artists, and community with the vast cultural, creative, and generative opportunities that the Los Angeles landscape has to offer. They actively seek out partnerships, collaborations, and professional development to ensure that the music created at, in, and through NMS is anchored in growth, transformation, and creative inquiry. �� P. 72

Venice Community Housing believes we must challenge root causes of housing injustice and homelessness and actively confront all forms of racism in order to ensure equitable communities with access to healthy, safe, and affordable homes for all �� P. 92 | Los Angeles |

Wayfinder Family Services ensures that children, youth, and adults facing challenges always have a place to turn. They strive for a world in which every child and family can overcome the obstacles they face – a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. ��P. 94

120

Fighting Food Insecurity How Grassroots Organizations Are Fighting Food Insecurity, One Meal at a Time

Profile – John B. Emerson.

The Ambassador Shows How Good Works Can Be Done in Public and Private ��P. 96

Editorial – P. 122

100

Crop Swap LA has grown from a small monthly neighborhood swap of fruits and vegetables, to a globally recognized institution and movement. Their mission is to grow food on unused spaces, creating sustainable jobs and local, nutrient-rich food in communities affected most by food insecurity. �� P. 128

Empowering Kids to Succeed

No Us Without You LA currently provides food security for over 700 families bi-weekly. They plan on offering food relief packages through 2024 as a way to show undocumented BOH workers that they are not forgotten. ��P. 130

Empowering Students to Grow Into Educated Adults Editorial – P. 102

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. 108 Lightforce One works to provide holistic long-term solutions, such as wells and irrigation systems, agriculture projects, trades, education, training, etc. ��P. 110 Ready to Succeed empowers foster and firstgeneration college students to graduate college, launch successful careers, and reach their full potential. ��P. 112 PUENTE Learning Center: People United to Enrich the Neighborhood Through Education. Building bridges to learning and opportunity in Boyle Heights and beyond. �� P. 114 Vision To Learn is helping students to see clearly by providing eye exams and glasses at no cost to kids in underserved communities. �� P. 116

Profile – Miguel A. Santana.

From Growing up in Poverty To Challenging and Solving Some of LA’s Toughest Social Issues. �� P. 118

132

Animals Lead the Way The Power of the Human-Animal Bond in Community Philanthropy Editorial – P. 134

Happy Trails for Kids engages youth with unique learning and extracurricular opportunities, while simultaneously reinforcing the benefits of nature and outdoor experiences ��P. 138 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. 140

Profile – Rabbi Laura Geller.

Harnessing Philanthropy to Help People Grow Older With Dignity ��P. 142

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

CEO & Founder Gwyn Lurie

gwyn@montecitojournal.net President & Founder Tim Buckley

tim@montecitojournal.net Executive Editor Vicki Horwits

vicki@thegivinglist.com Art Director Trent Watanabe Deputy Art Director Stevie Acuña Director of Partnerships & Operations Jessikah Fechner

jmoran@montecitojournal.net Copy Editor Lily Buckley Harbin Administration & Billing: Valerie Alva

frontdesk@montecitojournal.net Contributors:

Zachary Bernstein, Madeleine Connors, Anna Dimond, Guillaume Doane, Joe Donnelly, Karen Gaspin, Brenda Gazzar, Carmen Gonzalez, Miranda Green, Stella Haffner, Jonathan Karp, Steven Libowitz, Gary Marks, Nadra Nittle, Brian Rinker, Karen Romero, Holden Slattery, Dipti Vaidya, Jeff Wing

Special Thanks To: Amanda Moose

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JOURNAL

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

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Nonprofit by Category Index Advocacy

Para Los Niños . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Social Justice

Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence . . . . . . . . . 50

Private School Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Da Vinci RISE High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Kidsave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

PUENTE Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Downtown Women’s Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

No Us Without You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Ready To Succeed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Five Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

StrengthUnited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Skirball Cultural Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Holocaust Museum LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Venice Community Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

StrengthUnited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

J3 Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Vision To Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Private School Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Animals

Venice Community Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation . . . . . 140

Environment

Happy Trails for Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Crop Swap LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

The Arts Debbie Allen Dance Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Children

Family Well-being

Holocaust Museum LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor . . . 34

Para Los Niños . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Neighborhood Music School Association . . . . . . . . 72

Debbie Allen Dance Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

StrengthUnited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Skirball Cultural Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Happy Trails for Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Wayfinder Family Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

J3 Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Youth Development

Kidsave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Foster Care

Para Los Niños . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Children’s Law Center of California . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor . . . 34

Wayfinder Family Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Da Vinci RISE High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Happy Trails for Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

One Love Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Community Resilience

Kidsave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Private School Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Crop Swap LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Wayfinder Family Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Ready To Succeed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Access U Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Five Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Lightforce One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Global Reach

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation . . . . . 140

Lightforce One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Neighborhood Music School Association . . . . . . . . 72

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation . . . . . 140

No Us Without You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Education

Health Crop Swap LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Access U Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Downtown Women’s Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence . . . . . . . . . 50

One Love Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor . . . 34

Vision To Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

California State University Northridge (CSUN) . . 12 Da Vinci RISE High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Homelessness

Debbie Allen Dance Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Downtown Women’s Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Five Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Venice Community Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Holocaust Museum LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Wayfinder Family Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

J3 Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Neighborhood Music School Association . . . . . . . . 72

Public Square

One Love Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Skirball Cultural Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 | www.thegivinglist.com |

Data in the Service of Students and Society By Jonathan Karp

alifornia State University, Northridge (CSUN) has long distinguished itself as a leader in public higher education by combining academic excellence with pioneering support services to help students from diverse, largely disadvantaged, backgrounds achieve life-changing success in the classroom and then the workplace. Two major investments underscore CSUN President Erika D. Beck’s vision for enhancing both educational opportunity and student well-being far into the future: A stateof-the-art technology facility that will be a hub of equity education and student innovation and a $20 million center that consolidates services for basic needs like food aid, clothing, and emergency housing. Sites have already been set aside for what are sure to be campus landmarks. But one of the university’s newest, most ambitious initiatives – an undertaking that could have far-reaching benefits for students and donors alike – is nowhere to be found on campus. Or even in California, for that matter. It is a database that is being built outside of Las Vegas, analyzed in Atlanta and funded by a tech billionaire who didn’t even go to CSUN. The research team is compiling troves of information from myriad CSUN, state, and federal sources on students’ grades in high school and at CSUN; their majors, course loads, completion rates, and times; their socio-economic backgrounds and family educational history; and, crucially, their unmet tuition needs and financial aid packages. The project – called the Scholarship Data Dashboard – aims to create a powerful tool for data-driven analysis to increase the impact of philanthropic scholarships on new student enrollment, retention, timely graduation, and equity-centered academic success. By following statistical leads, CSUN will be able to refine scholarship criteria and advise donors on how they can best contribute to student success. “We often get asked, ‘How much money should I give for a scholarship? What’s most meaningful to students?’” says Nichole Ipach, Vice President for University Relations and Advancement and President of the CSUN Foundation, which manages the university’s endowment and is overseeing the Dashboard project. “We have anecdotal evidence,

Erika D. Beck, CSUN President.

but we don’t really have data to help inform those conversations. That’s what this project is about.” The Dashboard – which is in development and is expected to be unveiled by year’s end – is a novel tool. CSUN’s effort to become the first large Cal State – and one of the first U.S. universities – to implement a rigorous, continual assessment of scholarship data comes amid worrying trends in higher education and philanthropy due to economic pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and higher interest rates. Cost of attendance continues to be a challenge for many CSU students. Yet, 60% of all CSU students already receive various types of California state financial aid, while more

| Los Angeles |

The project – called the Scholarship Data Dashboard – aims to create a powerful tool for data-driven analysis to increase the impact of philanthropic scholarships on new student enrollment, retention, timely graduation, and equity-centered academic success. than half of CSUN students come from low-income families and qualify for federal Pell Grants, as well. However, as the cost of attendance continues to rise, scholarships will be all the more crucial to supplement public financial aid, reduce dependence on costly student loans, and keep CSUN accessible to as many students in the community as possible. In the 2021-2022 academic year, nearly 2,500 CSUN students received university-administered scholarships totaling $4.8 million. The average scholarship award was $2,214, just under one-third of the cost of annual tuition, and a far small-

er percentage of the total cost of attendance, though many CSUN students receive assistance from multiple sources. At the same time, philanthropists are becoming more selective, and turning to data analysis to maximize the impact of their gifts. It’s called data, or rational, philanthropy. A study published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review in 2022 found that accessible and objective metrics “shifted donations from charities with only a good pitch to those with demonstrable results.” So, however passionate CSUN’s 400,000-plus alumni

Celebrating CSUN graduates.

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Chairman, and CEO of The Trade Desk, a leading data-driven platform to help marketers target digital ads. A Giving Pledge signatory and data philanthropist whose family foundation’s motto is “Dismantling Disparity Through Data,” Green didn’t attend any Cal State. But he was impressed with the many CSUCI graduates who worked at his company and was deeply committed to equity-based education. When CSUCI data revealed higher dropout rates among students who did poorly in their freshman year, Green funded a peer mentorship program. Retention improved, and he has since funded the expansion of the mentorship program. Green has also endowed a scholarship that offers financially needy freshmen up to $20,000 over four years if they stay in school and continue to meet the scholarship’s criteria. Green has teamed up with Beck again and is underwriting the research and development costs for CSUN’s Dashboard. To construct the database, Beck enlisted Nevada State University scientist Sandip Thanki, another veteran of the CSUCI project whom Beck has known since her tenure as a professor and a dean in Henderson, Nevada. Jeff Green, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Trade Desk.

are – and they are – they, too, want more measurable bang for their philanthropic buck. CSUN officials hope the Data Dashboard will help deepen engagement and even increase donations from former Matadors and non-Matadors alike. Student scholarships are among CSUN’s top philanthropically supported institutional needs. Funds designated for scholarships account for 31% of the CSUN Foundation’s $195.3 million endowment. A recent fundraising campaign in which the Foundation offered to match up to $9.5 million in donations drew $14 million in gifts from more than 2,000 donors. More than $5 million in new money will go toward scholarships. “Support from the CSUN Foundation and our donors provides life-changing opportunities for our students, with scholarships that enable their ability to pursue their dreams, faculty who are endowed to advance knowledge and engage students in high-impact research, and support for students’ basic needs,” says Beck. “Aided by CSUN’s innovative Scholarship Data Dashboard, these gifts will increase our ability to facilitate the transformative power of higher education, disrupt intergenerational inequity, and advance social mobility.” Beck launched CSUN’s Dashboard project about a year ago, seeking to build on a data initiative she commissioned when she was president of California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI). Her strategic partner then was Ventura-based billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Green, Founder,

| Los Angeles |

Nichole Ipach, Vice President for University Relations and Advancement and President of the CSUN Foundation.

CSUN Economics Professor Mary Beth Walker, who until recently served as Provost, is heading up the Dashboard analysis from her home in Atlanta. A statistician at heart, Walker says her deep dive has been fascinating because integrating scholarship information into traditional student databases is a new and timely frontier in research on higher education. “Universities look at student success through a variety of lenses, including financial need and government grants,” she says. “Adding the ability to monitor scholarship recipients separately gives us a new lens, a more in-depth way to examine the overall picture.” State student aid programs like the California Middle Class Scholarship are one part of that picture, but CSUN’s goal for the Dashboard is to use data to highlight successes of and opportunities for “private-label” grant programs. “We want to be able to look at the impact of the Middle Class Scholarship, but we also want to be able to pull out donor-funded scholarships and look at what is successful there,” Walker says. “We’re trying to provide a real resource for our advancement people and donors to use to understand the impact of their dollars.”

Nevada State University scientist Sandip Thanki, who is constructing the new Scholarship Data Dashboard database.

CSUN Economics Professor Mary Beth Walker, who is heading up the Scholarship Data Dashboard analysis.

Those dollars fund more than 160 – and growing – scholarship opportunities administered by CSUN. And these scholarships are at the heart of the new Dashboard. They include grants designated for first-time and first-generation freshmen. For community-college transfer students and Matadors at each undergraduate and graduate school level. There are awards based on financial need, merit or, often, both. Merit could be strong grades, strong character, and strong commitment to campus leadership or community service. Some 32 CSUN departments or colleges offer scores of grants to pursue majors from the Arts to STEM. Scholarships are endowed for students with disabilities and those studying to eventually treat those disabilities. Many students from marginalized and traditionally underserved communities receive CSUN aid – though the law bars donors from limiting eligibility by race, ethnicity, or gender identification. “Parent scholars” – who are likely also “working parents” – have a named scholarship. In other words, philanthropic scholarships reflect the full gamut of the life experiences of both students and appreciative alumni donors who are motivated to give back to the campus that gave them a leg up.

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The Scholarship Data Dashboard will be integral to improving CSUN’s understanding of what’s most important for a student’s academic success and thus how best to deploy philanthropic gifts so that students achieve their dreams and CSUN continues its legacy of contributing to the greater good.

Many grants are one-offs; others offer multi-year stability. Besides generally requiring a full-time course load, CSUN scholarships range widely in terms of grant size, as do GPA thresholds: In the 2021-2022 academic year, nearly four out of five available scholarships required at least a 3.0, but some only a 2.0 minimum. The average GPA of scholarship recipients that year was 3.57. Averages in large, disparate samples, however, don’t hold the answers as to which scholarship programs work or where greater support is needed. That’s where the Dashboard comes in: Its vast database will enable it to analyze student profiles, performance, and needs in granular detail. The CSUN team hopes to find data correlations that add further insights into questions, like:

Students and faculty engaged in their classes at CSUN.

| Los Angeles |

· Do scholarships keep students in college and moving towards completion? · Do scholarships benefit traditionally underserved students? · How can scholarship criteria be tweaked most effectively to boost student success: lower GPA requirements, increase the size of grants, increase the number of grants? · How effective is tying a scholarship to internships, research posts, or other campus engagement such as mentoring? Current research offers some guidance. For one: Give early and often. Full scholarships awarded between 2012 and 2016 to economically disadvantaged students to attend any Nebraska four-year public college increased graduation rates by 8.4 percentage points, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research study. Importantly, students who had lower grades and standardized test scores “enjoyed the largest scholarship-induced boosts in degree completion.” CSUN Foundation President Ipach says that research at CSUCI corroborated both of those findings. Supporting freshmen so that they fully engaged in their first year increased retention, but scholarships ideally needed to be recurring. Likewise, students with below-3.0 GPAs who received scholarships recorded higher retention rates than students with higher grades who did not receive scholarships. That data underpins the CSUCI scholarship endowed by Jeff Green. CSUN is far bigger and more diverse than its sister campus in Camarillo, so its Dashboard findings might differ, Ipach says. But she notes, “An institution could look at this data and decide, ‘We might want to rethink our GPA criteria.’” The Dashboard’s data will be continually updated as CSUN regularly assesses the scholarships and whether to adjust criteria as solutions emerge or student needs change. Ipach says CSUN is eager to pilot some new scholarship criteria to test its impact and see if it could be scaled. Walker, who is leading the data analysis, agrees that the Dashboard is a pioneering tool that could become a model for other major universities. At the same time, she understands that data has limitations: It doesn’t always produce clear-cut answers, and there’s always more data out there that isn’t being captured. For her, two key factors in crafting effective scholarships are “unmet need,” the gap between a student’s financial need and his/her financial aid offer, and the “total cost of attendance,” which comprises tuition, housing, transportation, books, and other costs. Neither calculation is as straightforward as it seems, and it varies from student to student. CSUN students generally have large unmet needs that aren’t captured by the financial aid forms. More than half of the students will be with extended families, whom they have to support. For instance, students typically have to cover

CSUN scholarship recipient and first year master’s program student, Sandra Illescas.

their unmet needs by taking out unsubsidized loans taking on a second or third job. For now, the Dashboard doesn’t incorporate that data. “I really want to look at how scholarships could reduce outside working. If a student could cut their work week in half and take an extra course each semester, that would be huge in terms of helping move through their undergraduate experience,” Walker says. “But it’s really hard to get good, solid data on how much students work, and how much they get paid.” Sandra Illescas typifies CSUN students whose full unmet needs aren’t factored into their aid, yet still move mountains to get an education and support their families. “I’ve been in school for a long time,” she says. Illescas grew up fatherless, dropped out of high school to care for her grandmother, and then traveled a winding road for 10 years to get her bachelor’s degree in biology. While studying at Los Angeles Valley College, Illescas, herself a single mother, worked multiple jobs to support herself and her young daughter. As a CSUN junior in 2020, Illescas maxed out on Pell Grants and received one small CSUN scholarship, offering little relief. Now in the first year of a master’s program at CSUN, and with more time to master CSUN’s scholarship portal, Illescas applied for 20 grants and received four,

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“Support from the CSUN Foundation and our donors provides life-changing opportunities for our students, with scholarships that enable their ability to pursue their dreams, faculty who are endowed to advance knowledge and engage students in high-impact research, and support for students’ basic needs.” – CSUN President Erika D. Beck

CSUN President Erika D. Beck recognizing and celebrating the students’ achievements at a CSUN graduation ceremony.

| Los Angeles |

Joyful, proud CSUN graduates.

including a prestigious $5,000 STEM scholarship. Add in one external scholarship and the total aid comes to $14,500, liberating her to work in a research lab, mentor community college students, and spend time with her 13-year-old daughter. “It’s been life-changing for me. I retired my 20-year-old car and 10-year-old laptop just as they were about to retire on their own,” Illescas, 41, says. “Scholarships haven’t just helped me survive. It’s helped me thrive.” The Scholarship Data Dashboard will be integral to improving CSUN’s understanding of what’s most important for student success and thus how best to deploy philanthropic gifts so that students achieve their dreams and CSUN continues its legacy of contributing to the greater good. “The lasting effects of philanthropy begin with, and end with, a better society for all of us, says Robert D. Taylor, Chair of the CSUN Foundation Board of Directors “The more we create opportunity – which philanthropy does – the more we grow our society, the better functioning our society is, the better off we all are.”

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

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Connecting Youth to Opportunity Ensuring struggling young adults can bridge the gap between destitution and opportunity and secure a meaningful, successful, and engaged future.

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Who Will Fill the Gaps in the Immigrant’s Struggle To Succeed for Themselves and Their Children? BY MADELEINE CONNORS

ccording to researchers at USC, Los Angeles is currently home to 3.6 million immigrants – making one in three of its ‘residents’ immigrants. While Hispanics largely dominate the immigrant population, Los Angeles is home to a diverse range of ethnic groups and cultures. In the U.S. education system, many immigrant and first-generation children are often overlooked. Without the proper funding and attention, it’s common for the needs of immigrant children to be neglected. Fortunately, with the help of nonprofits, some of these gaps can close as they provide multifaceted support for those with the most need. Gabrielle Oliveira, who studies the educational trajectory of immigrant children at Harvard University, argues that immigration can be a traumatic event for children, but education can be stabilizing. “They went through the border, for example. They’ve been detained or separated and a lot of trauma has happened through that,” Oliveira explains. “It’s an entire family that is trying to exist and heal. Education becomes this space that is probably the most stabilizing space for children.” With immigrant parents struggling with language barriers, jobs, and their own societal integration, educational systems can be a helpful influence on the lives of immigrant children. “Even though there’s a bunch of gaps in the schooling, it remains the space where these kids are for six or seven hours of the day, where there’s a sense of safety,” says Oliveira. School can be a place where children can culturally and socially bond with their peers, providing an outlet outside the family. While English language learning is important, Olivei-

ra stresses the importance of extracurriculars outside the classroom that are just as crucial to immigrant children’s well-being. “Sometimes these students are labeled as English language learners, then there’s too much focus on that. Maybe they’re these amazing musicians, right? Or they have a lot of knowledge in math, and they’re interested in engineering, or they want to play soccer,” says Oliveira. She argues the best education programs for immigrant children are multifaceted where children can develop their own interests, often bolstered by nonprofits. One nonprofit that is helping bridge the gap in youth development – specifically immigrant youth – is ACCESS U Foundation. With the unique challenges that first-generation immigrant children face in Los Angeles, Brad Rothenberg, the executive director of ACCESS U Foundation, explains that soccer can be a motivator that helps Latino children strive toward college. Having soccer in a child’s life can be a great source of stability and a confidence booster.

| Los Angeles |

Through ACCESS U Foundation, Rothenberg helps connect Latino students with resources they need, not just on the field but academically. “In the Latin community, there’s a language barrier and a cultural barrier, especially for these kids,” he says. There’s also a financial barrier that disadvantages Latino student athletes. “They can’t pay for private tutors that we can provide. They can’t pay for a private college counseling service that we can provide. And they certainly can’t pay for recruiting advice.” Extracurriculars like soccer can keep children on the right track, Rothenberg argues. Nonprofits like ACCESS U Foundation not only strengthen athleticism but a sense of responsibility and teamwork that immigrant children need when they arrive in Los Angeles. For Erin Whalen, the co-founder of the Da Vinci RISE High School, the success of immigrant children can be assured through a customized program. “The biggest thing about our school is that everything is first based on personalization of services for a student. And then the second is relationships,” explains Whalen. In an education system that often feels impersonal, Whalen argues that individualized attention is key to supplying a well-rounded education. “My belief is that if we could build a school with the most at-risk kids in mind, versus a school with the most stable kids in mind, we can actually create a universal design that can support any kid,” says Whalen. Support also needs to be holistic and include family wide support, which can often include legal help with Da Vinci RISE High graduate standing proud.

“Education becomes this space that is probably the most stabilizing space for children.” | www.thegivinglist.com |

Aniya Williams dribbling down the field at an ACCESS U Foundation match.

immigration. “If you’re coming to us from Mexico, we understand that in our intake process. We can partner you with our nonprofit partner who does direct immigration services and coaching to support you and your family, not just you, because we commit to the entire family.” Alongside immigration support, language barriers can inform teaching. For recently immigrated children, Whalen explains that the Da Vinci RISE High School has bilingual teachers who are attuned to the specific needs of ESL students. In the case of an immigrant, Whalen says “all the teachers know that this student is working on English. We have bilingual teachers and folks who can work in that language. We’re trained to support them in that, too.” On the legal front, organizations like the Children’s Law Center of California also stress the importance of dual-language support when aiding immigrant children. The Children’s Law Center of California is an organization that provides legal services to every child who has an open welfare case in Students of Para Los Niños enjoying time in the classroom.

| Los Angeles |

Los Angeles County, Sacramento, and beyond. While working primarily with Spanish speakers, their efforts support Eastern European and Middle Eastern immigrants as well. “We serve several hundred young people at any given moment, who are here, first generation, who are undocumented, who don’t have status,” says Leslie Heimov, the executive director of the Children’s Law Center of California. “In addition to helping them secure their legal status, we have a bilingual staff, so we’re able to speak with them in their original language, which helps a great deal in terms of just building trust,” explains Heimov. In addition to other specialty teams, the organization has an immigrant unit to assist immigrant children with their legal status. “We have an immigration unit to help our clients who

are undocumented so that they can attain status before their child welfare case closes, so that they won’t be in a sort of jeopardy of being deported,” says Heimov. With youth development, the organization extends aid beyond legal help. With donations, the organization can subsidize “things like summer camps, sports equipment, musical equipment, anything that is really important to child development.” According to Heimov, the organization gets 100 requests for these resources a month. Dr. Drew Furedi, president and CEO of Para Los Niños, explains that building community can help set up immigrant families for success. Para Los Niños is a nonprofit organization that operates schools that service a wide range of ages for family support. “We provide mental health case management,

Important message from Da Vinci RISE High students reminding you to VOTE!

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“Without the proper funding and attention, it’s common for the needs of immigrant children to be neglected. Fortunately, with the help of nonprofits, some of these gaps can close as they provide multifaceted support for those with the most need.”

Art of the Heart table at the Children’s Law Center of California Art of Advocacy Gala. (Photo courtesy of Genesis Productions)

| Los Angeles |

A glimpse at the Para Los Niños leadership team, hard at work.

Students at Private School Axis’ Spring Family Orientation Day 2023.

concrete services as needed to help with either stopping eviction or finding food. It’s really been our main mission since we started in 1982,” explains Dr. Furedi. With immigrant parents often working multiple jobs, Para Los Niños ensures that children will be cared for during work hours. “These children are with us for up to 10 hours a day, at least two meals, sometimes three,” explains Dr. Furedi. “These parents know that their children are getting everything that they need and are building strong relationships.” The key to success at Para Los Niños is helping children build relationships and creating a network. “Building strong relationships with children is really how we can give people the space to feel comfortable sharing what they’re going through,” says Dr. Furedi. “Those relationships give somebody a sense of hope, and a sense of motivation, and drive and excitement which is really key for anyone’s growth.” Collette Bowers Zinn, the founder of Private School Axis, understands that one of the ways education can help immigrant children succeed is by representation in schools at every level. “We place educators of color in our private schools because our kids need to see themselves reflected in the adults in their learning environment.” Zinn believes that bolstering immigrant faculty can motivate students. “Our goal is to have our populations that we work with reflect the populations in Los Angeles. So, we are currently trying to connect with more Latinx community organizations to be able to reach more Latinx populations.” At Private School Axis, increased representation also means language help for parents. “We do things like provide Spanish translation to our materials at our events, and we will send volunteer Spanish translators out to the schools with these families, so they can fully engage in the admissions process,” says Zinn. Millions of immigrants have built lives in Los Angeles. Immigration provides unique challenges to new students who are navigating the school system – socially and culturally. Because of socioeconomic backgrounds, immigrant children are disadvantaged in youth development. Thanks to the tireless and dedicated work of nonprofits, immigrant children can access a well-rounded education filled with language support and extracurriculars.

Children’s Law Center of California staff working inside the courtroom.

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ACCESS U FOUNDATION

Making College Dreams Come True for Underserved, Talented Student-Athletes

ulie López played soccer for as long as she can remember. Growing up in a family of seven in Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley, she watched her brothers play soccer and fell in love with the sport. “I remember going to my brother’s games with my father and seeing the love he had for the game, getting noticed and recognized, feeling proud for him and wanting to be where he was at,” says López. “It was a goal of mine… My dad never thought I actually wanted to play.” At the urging of her brothers, López attended a tryout for Hispanic players. Her determination and abilities caught the eye of coaches and mentors with the ACCESS U Foundation. The ACCESS U Foundation helps talented soccer players from Latino and Black communities access their college academic and athletic dreams with resources that are otherwise inaccessible or unaffordable. The nonprofit not only connects low-income student-athletes with recruiters and college coaches through a network of extensive contacts, they also spend four years mentoring students through the admissions process and college academics. “In Black and Latino communities, there are elite soccer players who are not being scouted,” said Brad Rothenberg, CEO of ACCESS U Foundation, noting that college soccer recruiters often draw from a network of expensive athletic academies that require dues, travel, and equipment. These high-priced academies often overlook talented, low-income players. “To play soccer in this country, you have to pay your way in,” he says. This is especially true for women’s college soccer, where women of color are underrepresented. ACCESS U turned its focus to female athletes in 2022. For López, ACCESS U’s guidance helped her dreams come true. Not only did she travel to India and play for the Mexican National Team in the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, she also started at

Brad Rothenberg and Joaquin Escoto launched ACCESS U to help scholar-athletes pursue their college dreams by offering free academic tutoring, college counseling, and recruiting guidance.

Long Beach State as a freshman this past fall. Since its inception in 2016, ACCESS U has helped more than 100 student-athletes attend college at institutions like UCLA, UC Berkeley, Harvard, and Duke. Fifty are currently playing college soccer with over 12 playing in the last two NCAA Division I tournaments. “If we get a kid into our foundation, we will change their lives,” says Joaquín Escoto, ACCESS U co-founder. Noel Ortega, a high school standout in Van Nuys, credits his ACCESS U mentor for turning the possibility of playing Division I soccer in the Ivy Leagues into a reality. “He would be in constant communication with the college coaches and always advocated for me as a soccer player, student, and most importantly, a human being,” says Ortega, now a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. “The experiences that I lived at Cornell University will stick with me forever and that journey was thanks to everyone that made it possible at ACCESS U.”

he ACCESS U initiative is an integral part in empowering these scholar-athletes to get recruited, secure financial scholarships, and play college soccer. I’m proud of our support investing in their future, breaking down barriers, and providing equal opportunities for these talented young Black and Latino boys and girls to pursue their dreams and achieve success on and off the field. Let’s support their journey to a brighter future.” Edwin Dominguez (Harvard '25) from Riverside, California is the first in his family to attend college. ACCESS U and its partners helped him secure financial aid to offset 100% of his tuition costs. ACCESS U also secured grants to pay for travel and other expenses.

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– Jenny Macintosh

Sr. Partnership Marketing Specialist, Corporate Affairs, Chevron USA

Help Level the Playing Field for All Student Athletes

any standout student-athletes in Latino and Black communities never get a chance to be recruited to play their sport in college because it is unaffordable or not accessible to them. ACCESS U helps them fulfill both their college academic and athletic dreams. It costs ACCESS U $12,500 to help level the playing field for one student-athlete. This provides academic support, college guidance, and mentorship to guide them through the college recruitment process over the four years of high school and to help them succeed in education, work, and life. The Foundation is seeking $500,000 to double their current roster of 40 female athletes in the coming year and continue supporting male athletes. They are seeking a $3 million goal over the next three years to continue their mission of serving 100 students per year and to expand with recruiting tournaments, enrichment programs for college freshmen, and other resources.

ACCESS U Scouts attend free, open tryouts for Black and Latino high school soccer players produced by our partners across the country. Scouts screen for talented players who upload their academic details to the ACCESS U online registration system.

College graduates age 22-27 have median salaries 58% higher than high school graduates the same age.* -money.com, February 14, 2022 * Highest wage gap on record with the NY Fed ACCESS U Foundation www.accessufoundation.org PO Box 292 Kentfield, California 94914 (415) 305-5575

Contact: Brad Rothenberg CEO ACCESS U Foundation (415) 305-5575 brad@accessufoundation.org

CCESS U creates a more inclusive and equitable environment in college sports, offering high school students opportunities to improve their lives and fostering a stronger sense of unity within the college soccer community. ACCESS U opens doors too often closed to young people dreaming big."

– Leonard Griffin

Head Coach, UC Berkeley Men’s Soccer Team

KEY SUPPORTERS Adidas Allstate Insurance Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Dick's Sporting Goods Ford Motor Company PepsiCola Team of Champions Dena Fischer Trust For Soccer Ventures Yours In Soccer Foundation

Rothenberg Family Foundation Judge James and Jessica Dabney Family Emily and Phil Ginsburg Family James Horowitz Jared and Katherine Doumani Jennifer Betti and Peter Jackson Over 100 additional donors

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: ACCESS U Inc. PO Box 292 Kentfield, California 94914

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 81-1380491 By Credit Card: www.accessufoundation.org/donate

CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER OF CALIFORNIA

Meeting Young People’s Greatest Needs with Trusted, Credible Voices

CLC is the largest children's legal services organization in the nation, advocating for over 24,000 children and youth in the Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Placer County foster care systems.

lonie will never forget the day she nearly lost her home. Her apartment’s new management company moved her rental payment dates from the 15th to the 1st of each month. Alonie had relied on mid-month payments from a government program to pay her rent. Alonie was also caring for her young daughter and trying to find a full-time job. Unable to make the next month’s rent, Alonie was on the verge of homelessness. She reached out to Beautiena Mataele, a peer advocate for transition-age foster youth with Children’s Law Center of California (CLC). Mataele was once in foster care herself and knew personally the challenges Alonie faced. Mataele and CLC’s housing team supported Alonie by providing one-time financial support to avoid eviction and connecting her to financial literacy and job readiness training. Thanks to their help and immediate intervention, Alonie never experienced homelessness and landed the job she had wanted. “If you are constantly worried about where you are going to live, you cannot focus on anything else,” says Mataele. “Our clients

need to be housed to be successful.” A Los Angeles-based nonprofit, CLC has about 600 staff, including 25 staff with lived experience. These positions are all filled by people, like Mataele, who have directly experienced the child welfare system. “Hiring people with lived experience and infusing their experiences into our work was a game-changer for us,” says CLC’s Executive Director Leslie Starr Heimov. “We learn so much from them every day.” CLC exclusively represents children and youth in the child welfare system using a unique multi-disciplinary model. In Los Angeles, CLC represents 24,000 young people in court cases that can determine whether they are separated or reunited with their families. Launched in 1990, CLC has expanded its work beyond incourt representation to address a multitude of their clients’ needs, including but not limited to educational advocacy, parenting support, services for trafficked youth, and mental health and wellness. While most transition-age youth need a lot of support, meaningful support can only be provided once trust has been established. That’s where CLC’s model excels. | Los Angeles |

“There’s an understandable distrust, and when our youth are meeting with someone who has lived experience, there’s a different level of understanding because they actually have walked in their shoes,” Heimov says. “They can relate and provide empathy and be a credible voice.” CLC also engages in policy advocacy to improve the system. They are working to advance racial equity in the child welfare system and create a future where families of color are no longer separated at higher rates than others, Heimov says.

“H

elping my clients feels like I am helping my younger self, because I have been in these situations. If you are constantly worried about where you are going to live, you cannot focus on anything else. Our clients need to be housed to be successful. "

– Beautiena Mataele Housing Peer Advocate

Help Give Youth a VOICE in Their Own Lives

“T

he Family Support and Advocacy Center helped my small family with legal advice and got our DCFS case closed. Parent Support Case Manager Christopher Fry and attorney Maria Griglio were super supportive, friendly, and consistently checked in on me to see how they can help with finding resources or even directing me in the right direction. They gave me updates consistently throughout the duration of working through my DCFS investigation and helped put my mind at ease. I would recommend FSAC to any family in need of support because they are a great team.”

s Law Center of California is working to help youth raise their voices and be heard. CCLChildren’ is expanding its multidisciplinary approach by launching a youth advisory council made up of former foster youth. The council will be comprised of young people who have had a variety of experiences in the system, such as being reunified with their family, being adopted, or aging out of the system. Through this council, young people will have the opportunity to inform and inspire a reimagining of the child welfare system based on their experiences. The council’s honest reflections will help CLC to meet their goal of continuous quality improvement and ever greater impact. A gift of $2,500 will help seed the creation of the youth council and ensure that the youth members have the support and resources they need to meet the goals they set.

– Marilynn F.

Client

SCAN TO MAKE A DONATION... ...AND LEARN MORE ABOUT CHILDREN’S LAW CENTER OF CALIFORNIA

A gift to Children's Law Center of California fulfills a critical need for our young clients including new clothing, food, rental support, and access to enrichment activities. KEY SUPPORTERS CLC’s Executive Director, Leslie Heimov, standing alongside Assembly Member Mike Gibson – a champion for children in foster care. Each year, CLC works closely with legislative partners to improve the lives of California children and their families. CLC has successfully sponsored over 50 pieces of legislation.

Children's Law Center of California www.clccal.org 101 Centre Plaza Drive Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 980-1700

Contact: Stephanie Talavera Development Manager (323) 980-1538 talaveras@clcla.org

Friends of CLC American Business Bank Benjy Grinberg and Ellen Goldberg California Community Foundation Chay and Kim Lapin Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Dara and Conan Barker In-N-Out Burger Foundation Joseph and Jean Mandel Neal Kaufman, MD, MPH Pritzker Foster Care Initiative

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Reissa Foundation Samuel and Helene Soref Foundation The Barry and Wendy Meyer Foundation The Durfee Foundation W.M. Keck Foundation Good+ Foundation The Walter S. Johnson Foundation Matt Groening

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Children’s Law Center of California 101 Centre Plaza Drive Monterey Park, CA 91754

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

www.clccal.org/donate

DA VINCI RISE HIGH SCHOOL

Reimagining High School, Da Vinci RISE Gives Students a Rewarding Future

In Los Angeles County, there are more than 63,000 homeless students. Another 28,000 of the county’s children are in foster care, and close to 20,000 students in Los Angeles are incarcerated. When the team at Da Vinci Schools recognized the lack of adequate educational, social-emotional, and material resources for these students, they knew they had to develop a new approach to public education that would meet these students in their spaces rather than asking them to conform their complex and complicated lives to the existing structures.

t first, Donnaysia thought it strange the teachers at Da Vinci RISE High, a charter school in Los Angeles designed around the need of at-promise youth, would greet her with a cheerful smile and a “good morning.” Before coming to Da Vinci RISE, Donnaysia was doing so poorly in school that it didn’t look like she would graduate. Most of her mornings didn’t feel “good” and her future seemed bleak. “I didn’t care about academics or my dreams and goals,” Donnaysia says, now 17. Worried Donnaysia wasn’t going to graduate, her mother enrolled her at Da Vinci RISE. The school offers a flexible hybrid learning schedule and is geared toward helping students who need trauma-informed support, safe spaces, and extra resources to learn effectively. Created in 2016 with and for students like Donnaysia, Da Vinci RISE was designed around the needs of youth in foster care, experiencing housing instability, and/or are impacted by the juvenile justice system un-

der the belief that if they built a school for kids who need the most support, they would create a magical place that is empowering for all youth. Some of the students come from homes with generations of family gang involvement, and it’s typical for students in foster care to have attended six high schools before landing at the supportive and welcoming environment at Da Vinci RISE. “We actively recruit kids who have been expelled or suspended from their traditional schools,” says Erin Whalen, executive director and co-founder of Da Vinci RISE. “We’re the last stop. We refuse to give up on kids and are committed to being as supportive and consistent as their family would be.” The RISE model is built on the foundation of partnerships with community nonprofit organizations to provide full wraparound services to youth and families. The learning-design leverages personalized and relevant project-based learning and hybrid learning technologies to ensure students can access their learning whenever and wherever they need it. Rather than arm the | Los Angeles |

school in armed guards or restrictive policies, RISE provides their students with an equitable healing environment by offering mental health, behavioral support, and crisis management. Students get access to free transportation, internships, mentorship, scholarships, and groceries. The need to help these students succeed is great. In Los Angeles, there are 63,000 homeless students, 28,000 kids are in foster care, and 20,000 students are incarcerated. These youth disproportionately contend with a severe lack of educational, social-emotional, and material resources, Whalen says. Over time at Da Vinci RISE, those smiles and “good mornings” grew on Donnaysia. They are now what she loves most about the school. The teachers care about her: They want her to have a good morning, to graduate, to have a successful career, and to have a whole new life. “When I came here I bloomed. Everyone really cared about me and my future. And that means a lot,” she says, tearing up.

ISE High is the ideal school setting for our most vulnerable youth – giving students real opportunity to turn their dreams to reality in a supportive child centered academic environment. The student support services offered by RISE make all the difference in keeping homeless, foster and probation youth, engaged in school, safe and growing throughout some of the most challenging times of their lives. L.A. is lucky to have RISE serving our children!"

– Leslie Starr Heimov

Executive Director, Children’s Law Center of California

Give the Hardest Hit High School Students a Chance to Succeed and Thrive ll of the Da Vinci RISE wraparound services that make it possible for students to succeed are supplied by donors and philanthropic A funding. It costs $15,500 to support a student for a year with access

to nonprofit partnerships, support staff, transportation, and arts and enrichment activities. A smaller donation of $4,500 covers the cost of transportation for a student for a year; $3,000 provides a student with support services staff; $2,500 allows a student to explore enrichment activities, providing arts, dance, and leadership opportunities. “Providing these wraparound services is essential to prevent the student from recidivism and not reentering the systems that have negatively impacted them,” Erin Whalen, executive director of Da Vinci RISE, says.

“R

ISE meets students where they are and not only shows them the path to where they want to go, they accompany them on the journey. Every student deserves access to RISE, but for many, it is their lifeline. As a RISE student commented, ‘Life is like falling out of a plane and RISE is my parachute.’ RISE shows students every day that they have value and purpose. The wraparound services provided are invaluable but must be increased if we are to aid more students. The need is there, the will is there. We just need the resources to meet the demand of students in crisis."

– Lee Angela Reid

Partner, Capitol Advisors Group

Da Vinci RISE High School must fundraise $3,000 per student in order to sustain the wraparound services that allow these youth to access an equitable and empowering education. Caring relationships, the building of trust, and valuing each student are essential architecture of the structures and practices within the RISE Community. Student voice and empowerment are reflected in multiple ways in the school’s culture, systems, and routines, and teachers integrate social-emotional support with academics. For example, students share their perspectives on school policies and culture with the staff through one-on-one conversations and in surveys. Also, rather than utilize traditional punitive disciplinary practices, RISE utilizes restorative practices designed to solve problems and help students who have broken norms to reflect on their actions.

Da Vinci RISE High School dvrise.davincischools.org 201 N. Douglas St. El Segundo, CA 90245

Contact: Erin Whalen Co-Founder & Executive Director (310) 490-5100 Ewhalen@davincischools.org

KEY SUPPORTERS Russlynn Ali, Managing Director of the Education Fund at Emerson Collective and CEO and co-founder of the XQ Institute Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder and President of Emerson Collective Supervisor Holly Mitchell Supervisor Janice Hahn CA State Assemblymember Isaac Bryan CA State Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi US Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager Tom Vander Ark, CEO of Getting Smart XQ Super Schools Emerson Collective Boeing International The Ballmer Group Cotton-On Foundation The Los Angeles Institute for Restorative Practices USC Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Indivisible Arts Richstone Family Center New Earth Arts and Leadership Center School on Wheels SpringPoint School Consultants Kitamba Social Impact Agency Leslie Heimov, Executive Director of Children's Law Center Jerell Hill, Dean and Assessment Coordinator in the School of Education at Pacific Oaks College Tamara Y. Craver, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reality Changers A Place Called Home Capital Advisors LA County Office of Education

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Da Vinci Schools LA County 201 N. Douglas St. El Segundo, CA 90245

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BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE LA HARBOR

All Roads Head Toward Success at Boys & Girls Clubs LA Harbor

True to its mission since 1937, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor helps young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. We achieve this through a commitment to quality programs and services in an environment that is safe, nurturing, and inspiring.

he Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor (BGCLAH) 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 staff to design a roadmap that will guide and encourage them to identify goals that will help them get to where they want to go. “Our kids need to know that there is a path for them after high school. Whether they want to go to college or straight into the workforce, their dreams are well within reach,” BGCLAH Chief Executive Officer Mike Lansing says. The Club has made substantial investments in their Pathway initiatives to provide support for their young people, no matter their goals. Their highly successful College Bound Program has a 99% graduation rate, with over 96% of seniors pursuing a higher education. Additionally, over $102 million in federal financial aid and scholarships have been distributed through partnerships to graduat-

ing seniors to help limit the amount of college debt after graduation. Paralleling their College Bound program, their Career Bound and Workforce Development programs empower young adults on their journey towards achieving success in the workforce. They provide essential soft skills training and actively immerse these youth in various local industries, trades, real estate, culinary trades, banking, thriving sectors of business, and more. These programs also give young adults the opportunity to be paired with paid internships in their chosen fields, which offers them practical experience and the chance to earn valuable certifications. While Boys & Girls Clubs is a national organization, 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 Harbor branch alone has 23 Club sites from Gardena to the Harbor, serving upwards of 2,400 youth a day. This year, the Club will | Los Angeles |

be expanding to serve even more youth at their 24th site, the Cheryl Green Boys & Girls Club. This new facility, strategically located in a neighborhood of high need, is poised to serve kindergarten to 12th grade students, aiming to provide comprehensive support and opportunities for personal growth, mentorship, and development. Pathways to Success runs through the entire fabric of the organization. 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 kids who want to jump straight into the workforce after high school, the 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,” Lansing says.

he Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor’s youth development efforts create proven Pathways to Success. Supporting this essential organization in our community remains a priority for us, as – the reality is – a community’s overall success is tied closely to its youth being able to live up to their potential."

– CP Patsatzis

Vice President of Refining at Marathon Petroleum’s Los Angeles Refinery

Back Boys and Girls on Their Pathways to SUCCESS

iving back to our community is a big part of what the ILWU does and the partnership between the ILWU and the BGCLAH is one of those things that feeds the heart of the community. It’s a huge thing to be surrounded by positive influences as a kid and gives them opportunity to pursue their dreams. The Club molds young people’s lives – they molded mine. I am the man today, the father today, because of the Boys & Girls Club. And the ILWU is so proud to be a part of an organization that makes such an impact in our community.”

he Boys & Girls Clubs of the LA Harbor is raising $250,000 to steer students onto their Pathway to Success so that kids can realize the futures they want. The Club has been a life changer for Nohemi Hernandez, who grew up in Wilmington, California, a city fraught with violence. Thanks to the Club, Nohemi got the opportunities and support she needed to prosper in school. She graduated high school with a 4.3 GPA and has recently begun her freshman year at UC Berkeley. A $5,000 donation is enough to sponsor one young person like Nohemi as they journey toward a rewarding career and hopeful future. Thank you for helping Club youth reach their Pathway to Success!

“This is what the BGCLAH has made possible. It gives youth an opportunity. It gives youth outlets to experience and learn about life in the most appreciative manner possible. It gives youth life. To everyone who supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of LA Harbor, thank you for giving me life.” – Nohemi Hernandez

Boys & Girls Clubs of the LA Harbor www.bgclaharbor.org 1200 South Cabrillo Ave, San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 833-1322

Contact: Mike Lansing Chief Executive Officer (310) 833-0807 mlansing@bgclaharbor.org

– Gary Herrera

BGCLAH Club Alumnus, 1978-1991 & ILWU Local 13 President

“The BGCLAH offers programs that helped me get to where I am today. I come from a community that faces poverty and violence, let alone being a first-generation student. However, because of the support from BGCLAH, my circumstances never got to define my life.” – Nohemi Hernandez, CA State Youth of the Year & BGCLAH Club Kid

KEY SUPPORTERS Rose Hill Foundation Marathon Petroleum Valero Energy Phillips 66 Parsons Foundation Gogian Foundation

California Community Foundation LASIF Windsong Trust Ballmer Group Eisner Foundation

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Boys & Girls Clubs of the LA Harbor 1200 South Cabrillo Ave San Pedro, CA 90731

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PARA LOS NIÑOS

Para Los Niños Provides Children on Skid Row with the Support They Need

The children and families we serve face immense challenges – language barriers, poverty, housing, and food insecurities – many exacerbated by the pandemic. PLN’s model is designed to educate and support families to build on their strengths, helping them to overcome and thrive.

ithout access to proper food, education, or toys to play with, how can a child truly grow into a healthy adult? Very few children living in poverty have access to these necessities. Para Los Niños, which means “For the Children,” was founded over 43 years ago in response to the desperate circumstances facing children on Skid Row. These were the forgotten children of Los Angeles – kids who had been ignored by public resources. In the last five years, the number of children on Skid Row has more than doubled. In 2018, 309 children under the age of 18 were living on Skid Row, according to the LA Homeless Services Authority. Skid Row spans only four square miles; but, according to the LA Times, it is home to 400 registered sex offenders and 3,000 people on probation for violent crimes or drug charges. Despite these staggering numbers and the pressing need to provide a wide array of services to children living on Skid Row, Para Los Niños (PLN) continues to be the only provider of mental health services to young children under five on Skid Row. “At Para Los Niños, we create a safe space for these families to build a future. It is a safe haven for children and families to access what they need, so they can be who they want to be,” says Drew Furedi, the PLN President and CEO. Acting as a holistic services hub, today PLN gives caregivers the support they need to be the best parents they can be, while providing children with food, education, and mental health services across 17 locations in Los Angeles. According to Furedi, the focus on comprehensive support and mental health is what sets PLN apart – a dedication to helping children and

families thrive beyond the hardships they have experienced. Neftaly De Paz is one of thousands of caregivers who has benefited from PLN’s partnership with her family. When Neftaly started at PLN shortly after his parents’ separation, it became clear to his mother, Maydani, that he needed more support. “Neftaly was having problems, dropping to the ground, crying, hitting. I was quite worried about him,” says Maydani. Neftaly’s mother signed him up for therapy through PLN and noticed a big difference in his behavior. “Ever since he started at Para Los Niños, Neftaly has overcome many things,” says Maydani. “I can feel relaxed because the Para Los Niños program offers him that kind of safety.” Working with the most vulnerable, PLN provides specialized education, reduces barriers, and builds strong relationships with children and families at the most challenging times in their lives, so they can overcome and foster pathways to success.

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“P

LN has been my home for ten years, a place I can say has captivated me through connections and the impact it has had on the community, families, and our children. Working in the library has been my creative place to grow. I’ve grown in many ways, and my favorite so far, is growing with the students.”

– Jessica Marie Portillo

Library Specialist, Para Los Niños Charter Elementary School

Help the Children and Families on Skid Row Survive and Thrive Children and families in the most under-resourced areas of Los Angeles. $10,000 - Covers one year of mental health support for a foster youth working on their future career $5,000 - Supplies diapers and wipes for PLN preschoolers across seven sites for three months $1,000 - Provides headphones for a class of middle school students to focus while testing and learning $500 - Provides shoes and clothing for children experiencing homelessness

By providing comprehensive support to children and families, PLN promotes well-being and supports academic and social success for communities to thrive.

Mental health has been declared a crisis by leading agencies across the country, and PLN is the only mental health provider on Skid Row for children 0-18. Our work is needed more than ever to support those most in need.

hen I walked through the school the first time and saw how focused all the children were, I was really impressed. When PLN does food bag distributions and all the outreach programs for families – they’re realizing children don’t live in a vacuum. You need to help children for the whole 24 hours. I love that PLN approaches it that way. These enlightened children will each help more children, and they will grow up to help even more. We can snowball caring about ourselves and others and being respectful of our world."

–Aviva Wiener

Para Los Niños Donor since 1984, Volunteer, Futuro Family Member

PLN provides high-quality academic and social-emotional education, from infancy to 8th grade, that fosters creative problem-solving and innovation in order to promote school readiness and success.

KEY SUPPORTERS Ballmer Group The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Caruso Family Foundation The Carol and James Collins Foundation The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Holly and Albert Baril Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation

Andrea and Blake Brown Madeleine Heil and Sean Petersen The Kaplan Family Fund Nickelodeon Studios Rhino Entertainment Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald Charitable Foundation

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 x505 dnieman@paralosninos.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Para Los Niños ATTN: Danny Hernandez 5000 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, California 90027

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AXIS

Private School Axis Creates Equitable Access for Students of Color includes a “Welcome to Independent Schools” event, an annual conference for BIPOC students and educators, and personalized support through phone calls, emails, text messages, and in-person meetings. “Axis made [the admissions process] less scary and intimidating for people like us who are not traditionally served at these schools,” says a parent in the program. “Throughout the whole process, it just felt like family.” In addition to working directly with students and families, Axis works with schools and educators to make the schools more equitable and inclusive spaces. This year, they are launching a first-of-its-kind Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accountability (DEIA) accreditation, which schools can participate in to strengthen equitable educational practices in their school communities. Axis also places educators of color in their partner schools by helping them apply for jobs at those schools and supporting them in their roles once hired. “My team and I are deeply passionate about equity and access in education,” Bowers Zinn says. “Every scientific educational study shows that diversity and equity are key to optimal learning outcomes for all students. Axis families at the 2023 Partner School Fair. Families have the opportunity to learn about Axis’ 35 Partner Schools while taking their first step in the admissions process.

ollette Bowers Zinn, a fourth-generation educator and former litigator, founded the nonprofit Axis in 2020 to address persistent disparities in education. A Los Angeles private school graduate herself, former school administrator for 15 years, and now a private school parent, Bowers Zinn has a firsthand understanding of both the transformative power of world-class education and the challenges of being a student of color in predominantly white schools. “I feel that children that fall all across the spectrum of privilege should feel what I got to feel: loving my education,” Bowers Zinn says. “That is why Axis is lighting the path to equity in education by ensuring that independent schools are diverse and inclusive spaces that prepare our students to work constructively across all differences.” Axis partners with 35 local independent schools to help a growing number of underrepresented students of color and their families access, navigate, and thrive in schools that fit their needs. The nonprofit has grown from serving 10 students in its first cohort to 46 students in its third cohort. Axis stays with the students and families in its cohorts for the duration of their independent school education. Axis’ relationships with families form during a year-long process where the nonprofit guides, supports, and represents students and families of color throughout the admissions process. Among their second cohort, 93 percent of Axis students were accepted into an Axis Partner School and every family who needed financial aid had their financial needs fully met. Once students are enrolled, Axis keeps in frequent communication with their families, helping them navigate the independent school system and ensuring the most successful outcomes. Axis’ outreach

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“A

xis is opening doors to opportunities at schools like ours for families that may not have known or felt comfortable pursuing those opportunities, or never felt like schools like ours were places that they could be comfortable in and make their own.”

– Aaron Mieszczanski

Axis Board Member and Former Head of Admission & Enrollment at Harvard-Westlake School

Invest in Equity: Educational Resources for Students of Color

tudents of color benefit greatly from the individualized attention and resources available in independent schools. Research from the Center for American Progress shows that when BIPOC students attend better-resourced schools, they are more likely to graduate, enroll in college, and find good jobs. However, the cost of independent schools remains a barrier to access for many families. In addition to tuition, supplementary costs such as books, technology, uniforms and student activities can add an additional 30% in unexpected expenses for families attending independent schools. These supplementary costs are often difficult for families to predict and plan for and can be an undue financial burden that hinders a child’s educational journey. Axis has launched the Axis to Equity Fund to help the families in its cohorts who are financially unable to meet these supplementary expenses. With a goal of raising $100,000 by the end of 2023 to fully fund Axis to Equity, they are asking individual donors to donate $2,000 to help them reach this important goal. Donations ensure that financial strain on families is alleviated and every Axis student, regardless of their background or financial circumstances, has the chance to excel and thrive academically and personally.

KEY SUPPORTERS

“A

xis made it less scary and intimidating for people like us who are not traditionally served at these schools. Throughout the whole admissions process, it just felt like family.”

– The Sanders Family Axis Cohort 2 Family

Marlborough School Lisa Field and the Field Family Foundation Vicki and Jim Mercer Cindy and Bob Broder Doreen and Don Oleson Matthew Karatz Byron Allen David Regan Anita and Corey Martin Evis and James Shaffer

California Community Foundation Capital Group J.P. Morgan One Race Global Film Foundation Brotherhood Crusade The Center for Early Education UCLA Lab School Brentwood School Campbell Hall The Buckley School Westfield

Private School Axis www.privateschoolaxis.org 4238 Sawtelle Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90066 (310) 729-9139

Contact: Kiki Walker Director of Operations (310) 729-9139 ext. 103 kiki@privateschoolaxis.org

The Many Ways to Give... Axis is proud to have a Board of Directors that represents the rich diversity of the community they serve in Los Angeles, which is critical to delivering on their mission. 83% of the Axis Board of Directors identify as people of color, compared to just 15% of nonprofit boards nationwide, according to the Urban Institute.

By Check: Private School Axis 4238 Sawtelle Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90066

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Scholarships are a Lifeline for BIPOC Youth Pursuing Higher Education By Brian Rinker

efore Yasmin and Greg Delahoussaye started securing scholarships for youth of color through their nonprofit Educating Students Together (EST) in Los Angeles, they had been focused for 30 years on delivering tours for students interested in historically Black colleges and universities. Both Yasmin and Greg knew that higher education was the ticket to climbing the socioeconomic ladder and building generational wealth. But then right before the pandemic descended on the world, the growing gap between students’ interest and their ability to afford to attend school became too glaring to ignore. “More and more young people were telling us they loved the school but they just couldn’t afford to attend,” Greg said. Seeing that there was a much greater need to provide young people with financial aid, the Delahoussayes pivoted their nonprofit to create scholarship opportunities for students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford college. EST provides a host of college preparatory resources and financial aid to qualifying low-income BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students beginning in their junior year, with ongoing support through college and afterward. Of the students who participate in EST, 100% have been accepted into four-year schools. Last year, 64% of their students received full-ride scholarships – valued at around $4.3 million. Over the previous three years, students have received almost $11 million in scholarships. In January, Yasmin and Greg will receive the Fiat Lux from UCLA, an award to honor them for how many Black and Brown students they have helped mentor and support who have gained admittance to UCLA. Yasmin and Greg discuss the importance of philanthropy and nonprofits in helping youth go to college, avoid student debt, and navigate the roll-back of affirmative action.

The Giving List: Student loan debt; the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action. Higher education sometimes gets a bad reputation. How do you assess its worth today? Greg: We recognize, without question, the value of education, not just for the students that we serve, but also for ourselves. When we started out, we didn’t have much in terms of financial resources. Education changed that. Education also changed the lives of our children.

Yasmin: We’re working with underserved populations, low-income, and foster youth, and helping them understand that there is a pathway to education, even if their parents don’t have the money and can’t write a $60,000, $70,000 or $80,000 a year check – what it costs nowadays to go to college. For our low-income and first-generation college students, the barriers to college seem insurmountable. To me, a just society means that we are providing access to higher education for everyone, regardless of their ZIP codes. Greg: We’re not only about giving scholarships, we’re trying to help young people develop generational wealth, so that families cannot just survive, but thrive, which has been a huge issue in this country. Yasmin: And let me just address the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action. It is going to be devastating for students of color. Back in 1995 when Proposition 209 was passed, which then went into effect in 1996, 10,000 African American students graduated from L.A. County high schools. Ninety-six were admitted to UCLA, and of those, the majority were athletes. Recently, the chancellor of UCLA said his university is just now getting back to the 1996 level of ad-

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mittance for African American students. That’s 25 years later. Those numbers should be way higher. TGL: What are some of the barriers to the students you help? Yasmin: When we asked parents about the challenges they faced trying to send their children to college, their responses surprised us. They had their own student loan debt that they were dealing with, and they didn’t feel like they could take on more debt. When we drilled down into the $1.7 trillion owed in student-loan debt, we found out that 58% was owed by women, primarily single women. Just about every single kid in our program lives in a home with a single parent. TGL: How do student loans affect the families you help? Greg: Student-loan debt is crushing. We’re talking about families and communities that don’t have financial resources. The problem is they don’t have a choice. The only way their kids are going to college is with a scholarship. They can’t afford to take on more debt with student loans. Yasmin: Student-loan debt affects your credit, your ability to pay your rent, buy food, and other necessities of life. Plus, it’s stressful. When you have this bill that’s hanging over your head every single month, it weighs on your mind. Greg: That’s why we also have an extensive financial literacy program that they participate in, so that when they start making money, they’re not in student-loan debt. They know how to invest their money and grow wealth that can benefit them and future generations. TGL: The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in June 2023 to end affirmative action in college admissions. The decision ended a four-decade precedent that allowed colleges and universities to consider applicants’ race in admissions. How does the decision impact the students you work with? Yasmin: This is going to have a devastating impact on op-

“For our low-income and first-generation college students, the barriers to college seem insurmountable.” portunity and diversity on college campuses. Our college campuses are going to be less diverse. Most of the high-achieving students of color, who have studied really hard and done everything society has asked them to do, will not have an opportunity to go to any of these colleges without extra guidance and support, which costs money. TGL: How would you like to see the giving community step up to help ensure kids of color are getting into college? Yasmin: I would call on social impact investors to invest in the community and provide funding and support, so more students of color can have access to college counselors, which will be key in improving their chances to get into a high-ranking university, especially now that affirmative action has ended. Additionally, we need social impact investors to fund financial literacy classes for our youth of color and their families to teach them best practices with budgeting, investing, credit cards, and learning how to build generational wealth. Greg: We’re doing amazingly good work with very little resources. Imagine what we could do if we had the resources. We would be able to evolve this program into something much more impactful for young people and would be able to increase their quality of life exponentially.

EST has helped over 5,000 students get into their dream college and find the resources to pay for it. (Photo courtesy of Yasmin Delahoussaye)

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Dismantling Hate, Crime, and Violence Fostering education, prevention, connection, and engagement to create a safer community for all.

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The Pressing Need to Protect the Younger Generation from Rising Violence and Crime in Los Angeles BY KAREN ROMERO

he children of Los Angeles, growing parallel to the city’s sprawling landscape of ecological, cultural, and racial diversity, represent not only the city’s future but also the embodiments of generational neglect to protect those left most vulnerable by crime. Within Los Angeles County, increasing disparities in wealth have starkly colored the city’s social fabric. Some regions of the city contain child poverty levels as high as 68 percent. In 2011, Barbara Davidson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photo series of victims of gang violence in Los Angeles captured largely

young subjects, grappling with the lingering effects of crime in dimly-lit funeral homes, locker rooms, blood-stained sidewalks, hospitals, and next to empty seats at high-school graduation ceremonies. The generational effects of crime on the youngest members of our communities are constructed by complex and interactive forces that are unequal both in their design and impact. Although the most recent data displays a mixed nature of reported crime in Los Angeles this year, the generational impacts of violence and crime have left long-lasting traces of disruption among the city’s youth, especially among those

(Photo courtesy of RooM the Agency)

| Los Angeles |

marginalized by their gender, race, and class. The drastic increase of property crime this year signals the need for an urgent reflection of the various forms of community support within our city’s reach to ensure the safety and livelihood of the city’s youth. Firearm-related injuries have remained the leading cause of death for children and adolescents across the United States since 2020. Firearm homicides disproportionately affect youth across the nation as well. In the last three years, rates of mass shootings in the U.S. have risen. While California contains some of the country’s strongest and most comprehensive gun laws, Los Angeles in particular has demonstrated alarming increases in gun violence in the last few years. Legislation and advocacy produced by Brady United, a nonprofit that focuses on gun violence prevention and gun control, has helped contribute to the important legislative milestones that have been successful in reducing gun violence both locally and nationally. Kris Brown, current and first woman president of Brady United, began her career on Capitol Hill as a staffer working under Representative Jim Moran. Brown’s contributions as a staffer and staunch advocate for gun violence prevention helped pass the Brady Bill, the bipartisan federal legislation championed by Jim and Sarah Brady that requires background checks for all gun sales.

Protestors joined thousands across the country for a rally against gun violence at City Hall in Los Angeles. (Photo courtesy of UPI)

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Earlier this year, Governor Newsom signed a series of new and stricter gun control legislation into California law that included additional regulations on public carry, implementation of microstamping technology to semiautomatic pistols, a new effort to generate funds for school safety and violence prevention programs through taxes on firearms and ammunition, and the removal of firearms from domestic abusers. In response to the recent additions of gun control legislation to California Law, Brown sees this as an exciting moment in the movement, as many of the laws recently passed are the first of their kind. Brown explains that, “Brady worked with our grassroots activists across the state and many allies in the movement to

pass first-of-its-kind legislation. One is a bill to implement a tax on firearms sales to provide funding to a gun violence prevention program. We view that as key.” Although major strides through gun control legislation have recently been passed into law, Brown urges that there is still important work to be done in regards to bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation. Brown outlines the imperative legislative goals at Brady United: “We would like a ban on assault weapons at the federal level. We would like a ban on high capacity magazines. We want a nationwide permitting system for the sale and ownership of guns. California has those kinds of laws, but not all states do. So we’re really working to grow our movements across the country to ensure that every state, frankly, has the benefit of the kinds of laws that California has enacted.” On the importance of highlighting youth as disproportionate victims of gun violence across the United States, Brown emphasizes that Brady United has offered space and resources to young people to platform their own experiences from their own unique perspectives. TEAM ENOUGH is a youth-led initiative started by Brady United that explicitly amplifies youth voices, and contains an executive board governed by survivors of gun violence. Brown says, “We have an entire generation that is now called the lockdown generation who’ve grown up with repeated lockdown drills. That has a psychological impact. My mother grew up doing nuclear drills in the 1950s, where kids would have to get under their desks because of the fear of an atomic bomb, but that never happened. On our nation’s soil, we’re asking kindergartners to do these kinds of drills, with older kids having the firm knowledge that school shootings are a real thing and that we haven’t done enough as a country to solve that problem.” Youth in foster care and orphans are positioned at an even greater risk of becoming associated with or to become victims of crime, gun violence, or experience interpersonal violence in young adulthood. There are currently 440,000 children in foster care in the U.S., with over 33,000 foster care children in Los Angeles alone. The disparity between high- and low-income families in California is among the largest in the country, and has been largely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Los Angeles and across the United States, children in the foster care system overwhelmingly are drawn from impoverished households and communities. Racial disparities also emerge within foster care children that especially affect Black youth. Black children are overrepresented in the foster care system, while also

Kidsave finds families for older children for adoption.

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underrepresented in rates of adoption on a nation level. Kidsave is a nonprofit organization with programs operating in the U.S., Ukraine, Sierra Leone, and Colombia that seeks to help older children in foster care and orphanages forge lasting and meaningful connections with families, mentors, and community members. Kidsave aims to provide foster children with permanent familial love, support, and mentorship, especially children that are most marginalized along racial lines. Older youth that are orphans undergo high risks associated with homelessness, high school dropout rates, and high unemployment rates. The quality of life for young women that are orphans is also drastically compromised, with young women experiencing even higher rates of unemployment and criminal conviction. Randi Thompson, Kidsave CEO and co-founder, highlights how Kidsave’s kid-first policy can help mitigate the negative life outcomes associated with being a foster youth or orphan by explaining that, “The data is overwhelming that a positive, stable relationship with an adult is one of the biggest protective factors against the risk of foster care

(Photo courtesy of ZUMA Press, Inc.)

youth becoming violent or delinquent. A stable family life with positive role models can bolster mental well-being and help kids form positive attitudes about themselves

(Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg)

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Students of Bernardo Yorba Middle School on tour at the Holocaust Museum LA. (Photo courtesy of Holocaust Museum LA)

and their world. Having a caring adult in a foster youth’s life – as an adoptive parent or as a mentor – supports their development and creates resilience that allows them to thrive in the long run.” Another nonprofit and national leader in the movement to counteract interpersonal violence, the One Love Foundation, emerged after the tragic death of Yeardley Love in Charlottesville, Virginia. Just a mere three weeks from graduating from the University of Virginia, Love was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. Together, Yeardley Love’s mother and sister formed the One Love Foundation, an organization that has sought success in educating young people on how to identify and steer clear of abusive relationships and domestic violence. Through workshops, resources, and educational training, the One Love Foundation sets forth a clear intent at equipping the next generation with the tools to navigate the very real risk of violence in their relationships with other peers. According to the Los Angeles Domestic Violence Council, estimates of the percent of high schoolers in the Los Angeles Unified School District that experience physical violence in their personal relationships is around seven percent. Crimes of domestic and intimate partner violence have historically been underreported, and the rates of youth exposed to and victimized by domestic violence could very well be higher than what data demonstrates, especially for young women

and LGBTQ youth. The One Love Foundation has educated more than 170,000 students in 230 high schools across the state of California, exemplifying how education still serves as one of the most urgent forms of activism to combat such a pervasive issue. In 2022, the Los Angeles Police Department released data that illustrated a 15 percent increase in hate crimes since the previous year. Among the data, anti-Black and anti-Asian hate crimes experienced the largest increases on the basis of racial hate crimes in Los Angeles. Antisemitic hate crimes rose by 24 percent since 2021, with the Jewish community of Los Angeles undergoing the largest increase of hate crimes in relation to religion. Similar to the One Love Foundation, the Holocaust Museum LA turns to educating the next generation of Los Angeles children as a powerful and effective way of counteracting the proliferation of hate, violence, and crime before it begins. Located in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles, the Holocaust Museum LA is the first survivor-founded and oldest nonprofit Holocaust museum in the United States. The Holocaust Museum LA offers free admission for teachers, students, and children 17 and under. The Holocaust Museum LA provides students from Los Angeles access to primary sources from the Holocaust as well as direct conversations with survivors of the Holocaust to discuss their lived

| Los Angeles |

experiences as a Holocaust survivor. For Beth Kean, CEO of the Holocaust Museum LA, she’s gained firsthand accounts of how students have been impacted by speaking to Holocaust survivors. Additionally, Kean notes that after touring the museum and speaking with a Holocaust survivor, more than 95 percent of students report that it is important for every young person to learn about the history of the Holocaust to fully understand what racism and prejudice can lead to. Kean wants to collapse any barriers that currently stand in the way of learning about the lessons of the Holocaust and stay true to the Holocaust Museum’s surviving founders’ wishes. Kean emphasizes the importance of meeting Holocaust survivors by saying, “You know, it was just so important for them to start educating young people about what they had personally endured. We want to make Holocaust education totally accessible.” The levels of racial diversity in Los Angeles have outpaced the rest of the country overall. The uniqueness of the city has largely been attributed to its racial and cultural variety. Home to many different groups of immigrants, races, cultures, and religions, the non-homogenous nature of the city had brought

forth its clearest snapshots of functional coexistence, while also revealing how differences have also propelled conflict and crime along religious, racial, and ethnic lines. Organizations like the Holocaust Museum directly give young people exposure to the history of ethnic and religious genocide, critical reflection, and those that may be different than us. Direct forms of youth intervention through education and engagement have demonstrated success at dismantling bias and fear of others that we may not be familiar with. James Baldwin spoke on the responsibility of Americans to protect and nourish the younger generations in 1964 by noting that, “The sea rises, the light falls, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.” The generational and historical impacts of crime are interwoven into Los Angeles’s social memory and identity. Recent strides in crime prevention and anti-crime education and advocacy are reflective of effective nonprofit-based attempts at fostering knowledge, connection, and a safe path towards a hopeful future for Los Angeles youth.

People denouncing hatred against Asian American communities in the city of San Gabriel, Los Angeles County. (Photo courtesy of Xinhua)

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BRADY UNITED

Show Gun Safety – Modeling Safe Gun Use in TV and Film

photo by Joe Pugliese

n the world of TV and cinema, being shot with a handgun often has the fallout of a stubbed toe or insect bite, with the gunshot victim clutching their upper arm or stomach and wincing, then launching into expertly choreographed fisticuffs. It does not show the true, gruesome fallout from a gunshot – the wound, or death itself; the life-changing reverberations of losing that loved one. What might be the social and policy outcome if our popular entertainments reflected the actual ramifications of someone taking a real-world bullet – the horrific deficits attached to actual gunfire, the devastating consequences of a family gun left lying around the house unsecured? If the question seems fanciful, consider the profound, well-correlated influence Hollywood has had on public attitudes – and practices – around other such important subjects such as drunk driving, smoking, and seatbelt use. Brady United’s Show Gun Safety program is taking this precedent and codifying it – working with the film and television industries to very intentionally address the way gun handling is portrayed on screen. History suggests this will organically normalize a responsible gun culture that has thus far eluded our legislative process here in the U.S. “My daughter was shot at her school. A 16-year-old kid she didn’t even know brought a ghost gun to school, turned it towards a group that my daughter happened to be standing

'm a lifelong believer in the power of storytelling to change hearts and minds – which is why I strongly support Brady United's Show Gun Safety campaign. I proudly stand with hundreds of creative professionals who are modeling firearm safety on screen. Film and TV can change the world – and each of us can make a world of difference."

– Bradley Whitford

Emmy-winning actor and activist

Brady President Kris Brown (center) with Show Gun Safety leaders at the White House in April 2023.

with – and started firing. She was wounded and survived.” Those are the words of a screenwriter named Sean Tretta. “The reality,” he says, “was our daughter coming home with a sixinch channel in her abdomen from a 45-caliber bullet. Her mom and I had to follow a very specific treatment regimen each day so the wound would heal from the inside out.” When President Reagan’s Press Secretary, James Brady, survived a permanently debilitating head wound during an attempt on the president’s life back in 1981, he and his wife, Sarah, founded Brady United. The nonprofit advocates for responsible gun ownership and was instrumental in passage of the bipartisan Brady Bill, which strengthened the background check. The Brady Background Check system has blocked approximately four million prohibited purchasers from obtaining a firearm. But the signing of the Brady Bill was only the beginning of Brady United’s work. Brady United’s Show Gun Safety initiative emerged in the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where a teenaged intruder fatally shot 19 children and two teachers, and injured 17 others. In response, a group of some 200 top Hollywood writers, producers, and directors signed and published an open letter, pledging to incorporate gun safety best practices into their storylines. Two dozen Hollywood actors, directors, and showrunners later took part in a roundtable discussion at the White House concerning the role Hollywood and the screenwriting community can play in combat| Los Angeles |

ing the gun violence epidemic. “There often is this feeling of helplessness,” says writer/director Tretta. “Show Gun Safety is a way for this industry to help change the culture. At the core of this program are some of the most experienced and successful writers and show runners in our business. They’ve reached millions and millions of people over the course of their careers, and will continue to do so.” Christian Heyne is Brady United’s Vice President of Policy. “In 2005, my parents were shot in a horrific incident in Southern California, in Ventura County. My dad survived multiple gunshot wounds. My mom, unfortunately, was shot and killed. Through Brady United I met other survivors, and was made aware of the ways in which we can meaningfully address gun violence in America. The cultural work that we’re doing through Show Gun Safety will tackle our country’s gun violence epidemic from a social norming perspective.” Brady United’s Jared Milrad, J.D., concurs, and explains a killing irony. “The rating system has a sanitizing effect. If you want the broadest base of people to see your show, you can’t be gruesome in your depiction. So by trying to protect the viewer from the grotesqueness of gun violence, we’re inadvertently desensitizing and devaluing the weight that people carry as a result of real gun violence. Now we’re convening a group of people who can help facilitate action in the entertainment industry – an industry ready to do their part to lead this desperately-needed change.”

Seatbelts in TV Shows Saved Lives – Let’s Do the Same by Showing Safe Use of Guns rady is raising $1,000,000 to fund the national expansion of our Show Gun Safety Culture Change campaign in 2024. Cultural attitudes and behaviors around smoking, drunk driving, and seatbelts have all evolved due in large part to the Bpowerful influence of film and television. We’re taking on gun safety – and need your support to transform Hollywood’s portrayal of guns. 100% of your donation will help us change our gun safety culture and free America from gun violence.

“I

’m proud to support Brady’s groundbreaking Show Gun Safety campaign to be more intentional about how guns are portrayed on screen. We in the creative community must do our part to create a safer America free of gun violence — and that change can start in the characters we create and the stories we tell.”

— Piper Perabo,

Golden Globe-nominated actor (YELLOWSTONE)

Brady President Kris Brown (left) with actress Piper Perabo (center) and Show Gun Safety supporters at the White House in April 2023

Brady’s Show Gun Safety leaders discuss changing gun culture and modeling gun safety at the White House in April 2023

KEY SUPPORTERS Brady’s Show Gun Safety leaders meet with Biden Administration officials at the White House in April 2023

Brady United www.bradyunited.org 840 First St. NE, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 370-8100

Contact: Liz Dunning Chief Development and Engagement Officer ldunning@bradyunited.org (202) 352-2434

Judd Apatow Shonda Rhimes Adam McKay

Mark Ruffalo Jimmy Kimmel Amy Schumer

Glen Mazzara Piper Perabo Bradley Whitford

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence 840 First Street, NE, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20002

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KIDSAVE

Kidsave: Helping Older Foster Kids Find Their Forever Home

“W

hen people think about adopting, they typically think about adopting a baby. But every child deserves a family. At Kidsave, we specialize in finding forever homes for foster youth 9 to 18 years old,” says Randi Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Kidsave. Although prospective parents can be hesitant to adopt older children, this group needs just as much help, support, and love as younger children – even the 18-year-olds. Without a family or support system, over half of children who age out of foster care will be homeless within 18 months. “The older foster kids we serve have been abandoned by every other adult in their lives, and they have no one to help them navigate life.

When they exit the foster care system, they are vulnerable to homelessness, drugs, gang violence, and human trafficking of every kind,” says Thompson. “At Kidsave we work to create connections between the kids and potential adoptive families or mentors. Former foster youth who can report that they have at least one adult to turn to for emotional support or advice are more likely to thrive.” According to Harvard University’s Center for the Developing Child, statistics surrounding foster children are grim. Only 58% will graduate high school by the age of 19 (compared to 87% of all 19-year-olds). By age 24, only half will be employed. 71% of young women are pregnant by age 21. At the heart of the successful Kidsave model

am the evidence of the generational change that adoption brings. Without the adoption of my mother and the path it put her on, I wouldn’t be here. Adoption not only changes the life of the child and the family at the center of it, but it also creates these beautiful ripples that flow from it, and my family is proof of that. And that’s why I am so proud to support organizations like Kidsave who are creating life-changing ripples as champions for older kids in foster care."

– Lindsay Price

Actress and 2023 Kidsave Inspirational Voices Honoree

Kidsave connects older foster children with potential mentors, hosts, or adoptive families. We provide opportunities for kids to meet and spend time with loving adults, giving them a voice and a choice in their future. Since our founding in 1999, Kidsave has helped over 19,000 kids.

| Los Angeles |

is building strong relationships. This starts before adoption – finding the right family for the right kid. Through programs such as Kidsave’s LA Weekend Miracles, families and foster youth come together for games and activities so potential pairings can get familiar with each other and consider moving forward with the adoption process. “By the time they are recommended to Kidsave by their social workers, our kids have been in an average of seven different foster homes,” says Thompson. “So they might be hesitant about opening up to a new adult. At our events we are trying to build a relationship. Afterwards we’ll talk with the kids and ask: ‘What did you think? Is there someone you connected with?’” Kidsave also operates programs in Houston, Colombia, Ukraine, and Sierra Leone. Since the Weekend Miracles program began, Kidsave has helped more than 800 kids find permanent families or lasting connections, giving them a chance at a better future.

Help Kidsave Find Loving Families for More Kids Before They Age Out of the System Three out of four kids in Weekend Miracles have found adoptive families or a lifelong connection. “Next year Kidsave will celebrate our 25th anniversary. In honor of this milestone, we are asking 25 local donors to give $1,000 or more. Each gift allows us to help even more children find forever families and get them the love and care they deserve,” says Randi Thompson, Kidsave CEO and co-founder.

Each year, more than 20,000 kids age out of foster care in the United States, without a family or the guidance of a caring adult. Kidsave exists to change that.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Our unique hosting program connects older foster youth with families who want to adopt a child and form lifelong connections. Through fun and interactive Meet the Kids events, families and kids get to know each other in a relaxed and engaging environment.

Kidsave International www.kidsave.org 200 Corporate Pointe Ste. 325 Culver City, CA 90230 (310) 642-7283

Contact: Liz Crozer Director of Development (310) 807-1389 liz@kidsave.org

Autry Foundation Karey Burke and Michael Duggan California Federation for Stronger Communities Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. Employees Community Fund of Boeing California Leonard Green Foundation Max and Karel Guefen Foundation The Hicker Family Conrad N. Hilton Foundation The Bob and Nita Hirsch Family Foundation

David and Janyce Hoyt Foundation Audrey and Sydney Irmas Charitable Foundation Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation Ralph M. Parsons Foundation RGP M B Seretean Foundation Inc. Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Venable Foundation, Inc. Warner Bros. Television WonderTent Parties

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Kidsave International 200 Corporate Pointe Ste. 325 Culver City, CA 90230

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 91-1887623 By Credit Card:

www.kidsave.org/donate

ONE LOVE FOUNDATION

One Love: Saving Young Lives from Relationship Abuse One Workshop at a Time "T

he day after my son started working with One Love, he broke up with his girlfriend. This movie did more in one class period than our last two years of conversations with him. Thank you for giving my son a voice."

– High School Parent

The 10 signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships is a framework One Love provides to give people the language to discuss the behaviors they see in relationships.

eardley Love was a vibrant University of Virginia lacrosse player when she was killed by her ex-boyfriend three weeks before graduation. At her funeral, it dawned on her grieving family that there must have been warning signs that could have saved her life. “They decided to build a foundation to make sure young people knew the signs of abusive relationships and could learn how to have healthy ones,” says Julie Myers, newly installed CEO of the One Love Foundation. Myers, a long-time,

Youth leaders participate in an activity focused on the 10 signs.

highly respected lacrosse coach, knew Love since 2001, when Love was a middle school lacrosse star but really became close with her when she coached Love at UVA. Myers is honored to now be leading the One Love Foundation established in Love’s memory. One Love aims to end relationship abuse by educating youth and young adults about the 10 signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships, which they developed with a team from Johns Hopkins Hospital. They do this through age and diversity appropriate films, workshops, and online materials at no charge. Since Yeardley’s death made international headlines in 2010, One Love has reached more than 2.5 million young people around the country, including 225,000 students across California. The state is one of the few where the teaching of healthy relationships is mandated in middle and high schools, affording the nonprofit “tremendous opportunity” for growth, especially in Los Angeles. “Very few people know about One Love in California, and we have a very strong initiative to build out Los Angeles largely because the entertainment and media industry has the po| Los Angeles |

tential to be a megaphone to the world for us,” Myers says. Many students who experience a One Love workshop realize that they’re in an unhealthy relationship and seek support, explains Myers. “There’s also some really incredible stories from kids that take a workshop and realize they’re the perpetrator of these unhealthy signs and didn’t understand that was unhealthy,” Myers says. One woman told One Love that her teen granddaughter was in what she hadn’t realized was an abusive relationship for two years. Her school counselor led them to One Love’s website. “She is now five months out of the relationship and no longer having suicidal thoughts,” the grandmother said. “I attribute this to One Love and offer my heartfelt thanks.” One Love-California works with the schools, teachers, and specific school districts – including Los Angeles – to build tailor-made programs for school use. One Love supports 140 volunteer youth leader students throughout the state who spread One Love’s life-saving preventive education while advocating for its greater use. “These young people are our boots on the ground in the schools and they’re leading hundreds, if not thousands, of their peers when it comes to loving better,” Myers says. “We want to raise awareness and end relationship violence for everybody. Yeardley Love chose to wear the number one in college, but the irony is, she didn’t have the ego of a player that typically chooses to wear the number one. Yeardley was a person and a teammate that always put others ahead of herself. One Love is for everybody, just as Yeardley and the Loves have been.”

Help Prevent Relationship Violence

he One Love Foundation empowers young people to be the movement’s driving force in ending relationship abuse. They’re seeking $50,000 to fund all the materials, community building activities, and advocacy efforts needed to train Los Angeles youth leaders and Team One Love clubs to educate their peers about abusive relationships. They’re focusing on connecting with more male-identifying youth this year to ensure they become a vital part of this important work. “I was in an abusive relationship and couldn’t identify it until I found [One Love],” a college freshman said. “It was the first time I could put words to what I was experiencing, and I was ultimately able to leave my partner and move past this experience.”

In honor of February being recognized as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, One Love California youth leaders partnered with the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence for "Orange Day of Action" to rally for relationship abuse education.

Over 1 in 3 women, 1 in 3 men, and over 1 in 2 trans or non-binary people will be in an abusive relationship in their lifetime.

The Many Ways to Give... One Love Foundation www.joinonelove.org (844) 832-6158

Contact: Katie Brosseau (914) 431-5800 katie.brosseau@joinonelove.org

By Check: The One Love Foundation in honor of Yeardley Love PO Box 4556 New York, NY 10163

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HOLOCAUST MUSEUM LA

Inspiring a More Dignified and Humane World

101-year-old Holocaust survivor Joe Alexander (center) visits with students

n a recent morning at Holocaust Museum LA (HMLA), Betsy, a docent, was leading a tour group of 20 LA high school students. She was telling the students about the progression and deepening terror of Nazi atrocities, while stopped in front of a wall depicting the architects of the Final Solution. “Does anyone know how many Jewish people perished in the Holocaust?” she asked the students. One hand shot up. “60,000?” a 16-year-old young man ventured. When Betsy shared that he had gotten only the “6” right, but it was six million, not thousands, the horror that permeated the group was palpable. While it’s a natural corollary of history that the further we get from an event, the more difficult it is to keep it alive in our collective consciousness, Holocaust Museum LA ensures that we will not be condemned to repeat this lesson of the past by empowering students and visitors to stand up against hatred, bigotry, and antisemitism. And, in a time when memes of Nazi book burnings are juxtaposed with current photos of that very thing in the U.S., it is now more important than ever. When it comes to HMLA’s mission, there are two indisputable, salient facts: antisemitic incidents surged to historic levels in 2022, with a total of 3,697 incidents reported across the U.S., an increase of 36% compared to 2021 (according to the Anti-Defamation League); and a recent national study reveals that “Holocaust education in high school reflects gains

that manifest in cultivating more empathetic, tolerant, and engaged students” (from a study released by Echoes & Reflections). The results also indicate that exposure to Holocaust survivor testimony is strongly associated with numerous positive outcomes in early adulthood, including higher critical thinking skills and a greater sense of social responsibility. Taken together, those facts underscore not only the importance of HMLA’s mission, but the urgency of it. HMLA is the oldest Holocaust museum in the U.S., founded in 1961 by survivors who met in an English as a Second Language class at Hollywood High. It is also among the most innovative. Participants in the Museum’s tour get a 90-minute immersive experience that inspires participants to stand up against hate in their own lives and communities, followed by an opportunity to interact with an actual Holocaust survivor for another 90 minutes, who shares his or her compelling testimony and discusses the importance of oral history, resiliency, and treating people with dignity and respect. In 2025, HMLA will complete work on the new Jona Goldrich Campus, doubling the Museum’s footprint to accommodate more visitors (500,000 annually, including 150,000 students), with a first-class theater, and expanded educational and exhibition spaces. Among the new exhibits, museumgoers will be able to see first-hand an authentic box car from Poland, that carried victims into concentration camps. | Los Angeles |

As the survivor population continues to dwindle, HMLA has ensured that the important and influential oral storytelling tradition continues. HMLA currently trains survivor children and grandchildren to carry on the tradition with future museumgoers. The Museum recently debuted “Dimensions in Testimony,” a life-size holographic representation of 99-year-old Auschwitz survivor Renée Firestone, created by USC Shoah Foundation. Visitors and students can now have a real-time interactive conversation with one of the oldest living Holocaust survivors. “Ensuring that students and museumgoers will be able to not only hear survivor testimony first-hand, but interact with the survivor forever is an incredible blessing of technology,” says Beth Kean, HMLA’s CEO. The exhibit will soon become a permanent 3D museum installation, preserving the effective oral storytelling tradition forever. In a time when echoes of Nazi book burnings are shockingly repeated across the U.S., and when hate crimes and rhetoric more broadly is on the ascent and the current perpetrators have more advanced weaponry and greater firepower than ever (not only to burn books but to spread disinformation across traditional media, social media, and the internet), HMLA’s mission is ever more crucial for future generations.

“V

isiting Holocaust Museum LA has given me a glimpse of the pain and suffering that human hatred and ignorance can inflict upon the world. We are the last generation that has the opportunity to meet these incredible survivors, and this is something that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life and pass on to the next generation. It gives us all a newfound appreciation for life and things that we take for granted, and makes us even more determined to prevent horrible tragedies from occurring.”

– Ysabella

Fullerton Union High School student

Help Educate to Stop Hate $1,000 – Provides bus transportation for students from Title I schools in LA County to visit the Museum. With free admission and free bus transportation, this is likely the only field trip students will be able to take this year. $2,500 – Enables 100 students to participate in a docentled, inquiry-based, customized tour and to meet a survivor. $5,000 – Sponsors training and tools for 35 teachers to learn how to best facilitate lessons about the Holocaust and genocide in the classroom.

“H

ow can we take the lessons of the Holocaust and apply them to what's going on today? Education is key. We need to teach that we are all connected. We're proud to support Holocaust Museum LA in their much-needed work to preserve the stories of survivors, like my husband David, and to carry forward their messages of courage, resilience, and hope.”

– Sheryl and David Wiener

Holocaust Museum LA Board members and generous supporters

Antisemitic incidents increased by 49% in K-12 schools in 2022.

KEY SUPPORTERS For a full list of supporters, please visit www.hmla.org/supporters.

Holocaust Museum LA www.holocaustmuseumLA.org 100 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 651-3704

Contact: Omar Sharif, Jr. Chief Advancement Officer (323) 651-3704 omar@hmla.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Holocaust Museum LA 100 The Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036

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www.bit.ly/HMLA_TGL

STRENGTHUNITED

StrengthUnited – Dedicated to Ending Abuse Our Vision We envision homes and communities free of abuse and violence where: Every child has a safe and nurturing childhood; Every caregiver has the resources to develop healthy children, youth and families; Individuals are empowered through equal access to opportunities and resources allowing them to heal and thrive; Students are developed into leaders who use what they learn to enrich others’ lives, strengthen communities and grow professionally; Volunteers become agents of positive change helping others and their community. Community members are welcomed to centers where they can gather, learn and work together to positively affect their community.

he aptly named nonprofit StrengthUnited harnesses resources from its community to bring mental health healing and equal access to opportunities to people in need allowing them to heal and thrive. They simultaneously create practical training, experience, and professional growth to aspiring and current mental health professionals empowering them to successfully work with those in need. A chartered center of California State University Northridge, Michael D. Eisner College of Education, the organization “creates change agents for the future,” says current Executive Director Kim Goldberg-Roth. “It’s powerful to watch that happen,” she adds. The organization has three locations off campus in Newhall, Northridge, and Van Nuys, and provides crucial mental health resources to people throughout the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys. StrengthUnited focuses primarily on individuals and families that have experienced child maltreatment and domestic and sexual violence. Very often, StrengthUnited representatives are the only voice in the victims’ world that is “non-judgmental and non-shaming, a voice who listens, believes, and supports,” Goldberg-Roth says. StrengthUnited serves approximately 3,500 individuals annually. It’s a unique model, she explains. “It’s a continuum of care unlike any other, because systems that have to work with these individuals who have experienced victimization often inadvertently re-victimize folks.” Its Family Justice Center model is also unique because it brings key first responders into one setting to reduce barriers to services, and limits the number of times victims have to retell their experience, reducing the likelihood of retraumatization. StrengthUnited begins its support at ground zero: the 9-1-1 call. Goldberg-Roth explains, “If you call LAPD or a neighbor calls and says, ‘I think my neighbor’s being beaten by her boyfriend,’ our staff actually rolls out with law enforcement to the scene. And we carry through that support until the individual tells us that they no longer want or need help.” Students and mental health care trainees and specialists provide a range of services that can respond to needs 24/7: a crisis hotline, emotional support, shelter, clothing, and emergency funds are just a few on the list. Most recently, the organization’s partner agency, Dignity Health, built a replica courtroom at the Family Justice Center

to help victims (50% of the victims served are children) and train professionals in the provision of court testimony. Perhaps the most valuable innovation is the centralization of interviewing and information-gathering in the investigation and medical and legal processes. “When someone is the victim of a crime, there are many parties involved in their life: LAPD, a prosecutor, a forensic nurse examiner, and they all have demands on the person,” explains Goldberg-Roth. They all require interviews, which tends to create the potential for re-victimization. The center prevents that by having all of those professionals in the same setting, so that they can all view the room where the interview takes place. “That way,” Goldberg-Roth continues, “we’re able to bring everyone to partner with the victim in determining the best path forward for the person or family, so they don’t have to be re-interviewed or retraumatized.” That is only part of what is unique about StrengthUnited’s model. Incoming Executive Director Merilla McCurry Scott, Ph.D. hopes to expand upon the effective and comprehensive work of the center. “I hope to seek new funding sources that will help us expand our reach and deepen the foundation we’ve created here,” she says. From the miraculous support and healing that has already taken place at StrengthUnited, that is a tremendous foundation upon which to build.

Strength United (SU) is situated within the largest Service Planning Area (SPA) in Los Angeles (LA). SPA2, with a geographic area of 994 square miles and a current population of 2,262,846 people. SPA2 and SU’s service area spans from the Los Angeles National Forest to the North, Sunland to the east, the Santa Monica mountain range to the south

| Los Angeles |

and Westlake Village to the east. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2021), the racial and ethnic diversity of San Fernando Valley (SFV) includes 42% Hispanic community (about 90% of the rate in LA county), 39% White, 4% Black, and 11% Asian. Youth between the ages of 10-19 make up 12% of SFV and 15% of Newhall (about 10% higher than the rate in California). Of children born in SPA2, 11.8% were born to mothers under age 20. Grandparents are caring for 24.6% of children due to parental abandonment, mental health, substance abuse, child abuse/neglect. Further, 15% of the population live below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and 13.9% are living 200% below the FP. Children without health insurance comprise of 4.2%. In 2019 a total of 21,362 children were dependents of the court, the largest population of abused and foster-care children in the state. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Valley Bureau, is the largest of 4 bureaus citywide, with 7 police divisions in total. LAPD Valley Bureau data year to date (2023) shows no reduction in rape and aggravated assaults, including 3,759 part 1 and 2 (domestic violence/ crimes against children). SU’s client constituency is 75% female, and is comprised of 51% Latina/o, 21% declined to state, 16% Caucasian, 7% African American, 1% Asian American, 4% other. Nearly half (45%) of SU clients have an annual household income of $0-$10,000; 27% an annual household income of $10,000-$20,000; 35% are receiving food stamps; 33% do not have health insurance. The majority (70%) have low levels of education with 16% having only elementary or junior high school education, and 54% had not reported previous incidents of abuse to the police.

What We Need Ask: $250,000

Impact: ach year the gap between the needs of the communities that we serve and the level of funding that we receive grows wider. Violence, hate crimes, and gender-based crimes are on the rise. StrengthUnited is stretched beyond its financial capacity. As the need grows and our financial resources are stretched, there is also the unfortunate threat of a 30-40% reduction in funding (due to budget shortfalls) by one of our large funders. As a result, we would not be able to provide services to 750 clients. Your donations help us continue to increase muchneeded services and meet the growing demands of the communities we serve.

KEY SUPPORTERS The Ahmanson Foundation Van Nuys Charities The Everychild Foundation Weingart Foundation California Community Foundation The Lawrence P. Frank Foundation KM Foundation The Southland Regional Association of Realtors, Inc.

Mary A. James Kim & Ernie Roth Shari Tarver Behring and John Behring Nancy & Charles Hanson Anna Schaerf

StrengthUnited www.csun.edu/eisnereducation/strength-united 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330 (818) 787-9700

Contact: Sarah Oesterle Director of Development Office: (818) 677-3063 Sarah.oesterle@csun.edu

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: California State University Northridge Foundation 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8296

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-6196006 By Credit Card: www.csun.edu/eisner-education/strength-united

Helping to Seed the Next Generation By Joe Donnelly

hen The Giving List caught up with Kimberly Marteau Emerson in mid-September, she was far from home, but on familiar terrain, nonetheless, in Berlin awaiting the imminent arrival of her husband, John Emerson, the former ambassador to Germany from 2013-2017. Six weeks of international travel lay ahead for the politically and philanthropically minded power couple. In past lives, both had been high-level campaign officials for Democratic Party presidential hopefuls. After rendezvousing in Berlin, they would set off for Schloss Elmau, a resort in the Bavarian Alps, known for hosting the G7 summit. There, German business leaders would be gathering for a conference at which Marteau Emerson joked she would be adding the perspective of the “human-rights exotic,” to the business of business. “Sometimes you want to bring in outside voices,” she says by way of explaining how someone who has long been active in humanitarian causes ended up being invited to the C Suite soiree. “That might be someone from civil society or politics who could make some interventions or challenge what’s being discussed. Because I’m looking at everything through a different lens. So, maybe it’s the car companies and they’re talking about new software or going electric, and I’ll insert a question about their supply chains in China as a way of raising visibility around the issue.” The lens Marteau Emerson is looking at all this through is that of someone who joined the global board of directors of Human Rights Watch (HRW) in 2012 and is active on numerous boards and councils, including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Pacific Council on International Policy, and Bard College Berlin, to name a few. She is also a founding member of the Transatlantic Advisory Board of United Way in Germany. Marteau Emerson grew up in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the daughter of a professional ballet and show dancer who “never lost an audition.” She was a theater major at UCLA and initially wanted to be an actor. Rumor has it she appeared in Welcome Back, Kotter during her undergrad days. Marteau Emerson matriculated to Hastings College of the Law. Following law school, the would-be Francophile alighted to France where she earned a master’s in French Private Law at

Aix-Marseille Law University. She returned to Los Angeles to practice law and do advance work for presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, and then worked as an executive with Savoy Pictures and Sony Entertainment. While living in Berlin during her husband’s ambassadorship, Marteau Emerson worked on strengthening ties between Germany and the United States, particularly in promoting human rights and economic investment. During her time at the Embassy, she brought a somewhat novel focus on empowering women in business and politics. Her diplomatic mission became particularly pointed during the refugee crisis of 2015-2016, during which Germany took in more than a million refugees fleeing wars in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere.

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“I will tell you that there are so many good people out there in civil society. Human Rights Watch can bring a global dynamic to their efforts. We can use our megaphone and lend our weight to their work.” During the crisis, Marteau Emerson focused on encouraging safe and humane immigration and integration policies and practices. Los Angeles and Berlin both served as primary refugee destinations in the postwar era, so it’s no coincidence they are sister cities. Marteau Emerson is something of an unofficial ambassador between the two cities for Human Rights Watch, where she is co-chair Emerita for the L.A. City Committee and a member of the Germany Executive Committee headquartered in Berlin. Even before her tenure in Berlin, Marteau Emerson was no stranger to the language of diplomacy. Former President Bill Clinton appointed her as domestic spokesperson to the U.S. Information Agency, housing the Fulbright Scholarships, Voice of America, and Radio Free Europe to promote the ideals of open societies and democracy in a new Europe taking shape after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In a wide-ranging discussion on the eve of her departure for Schloss Elmau, Emerson Marteau discussed the importance of Germany, human rights, and hope. The following has been edited for concision and clarity. Q: You see a healthy, thriving Germany as a democratic bulwark in Europe? A: Absolutely. Germany is an essential centerpiece for democracy in Europe. There are many other countries here that are strong and thriving democracies, but Germany is key because of its economic heft and population size (84 million). More importantly, Germany’s defeat and the defeat of fascism at the end of World War II forced it through a tremendous transformation of its political, social, and economic structure following World War II, and then again in a reunified Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. There isn’t enough time to describe all the ways that Germany has faced its Nazi history – culturally, politically, socially – but through its new Constitution, political systems, and vibrant civil society, it has turned itself into a successful, wealthy, and demo-

cratic country. I note that like all democracies today, however, it is threatened by extremist populist leaders who prey on fears and stoke antisemitism and racism. Germany is a democratic bulwark, but it’s not perfect. You are on the advisory board of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, the global Board of Directors of Human Rights Watch. You’re on the Pacific Council for International Relations. It seems like you’re involved with organizations grappling with global issues that are particularly vexing right now... One side is geopolitics, how countries deal with each other bilaterally as well as cooperatively on global problems like climate change, hunger, pandemics. On the human rights side, it is about how nation-states treat other countries’ and their own citizens. People ask us at HRW, how do you guys get up every day and do the work you do? And I always say, hope. How is that hope reinforced right now? At Human Rights Watch, we can look at the bigger world, and we’re still having impact in so many different areas, for example, defense of the rights of the mentally disabled in California, access to health care for the incarcerated in Pakistan prisons, justice for a tortured gay man in Chechnya. Yet because the world is changing and power is shifting so quickly, we are developing a new strategic plan that will provide a template for our work in the next decade. Specifically, we will continue to work on fighting rising authoritarianism and supporting fair governance around the world, which is right in our sweet spot and we’ve been do-

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“I have developed a huge appreciation for what I call ‘human rights for young minds.’… [Liberal arts education] teaches students to think critically about today’s problems through multiple different lenses – history, religion, philosophy, economics, politics, literature, art – and equips, hopefully, a generation of open-minded citizens and leaders.” 62

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ing it for a long time anyway. Second, in a world of growing inequality, a new, more intense focus on defending economic, social, and cultural rights. Third, defending human rights threatened by the climate crisis, also a newer focus for us. And the final pillar, one of our deepest ongoing areas of work, is protecting civilians during conflicts and crises, and pursuing justice and accountability. If you look at the war in Ukraine, HRW plays a very singular role because even though many organizations are putting together evidence of war crimes there for future litigation, we’re one of the few organizations that are pulling together entire bodies of evidence. We have experts on the ground talking to refugees, the injured and witnesses of attacks, investigating blown apart apartment buildings, and analyzing bomb craters and fragments, while simultaneously deploying our digital lab to scrape videos and photographs, analyze satellite imagery, and work with partners to create 3D models of the most devastating attacks. Another growing focus at HRW is to work more closely with partners who are local NGO leaders in economic, social, and cultural rights, and climate change, areas that haven’t been at the center of our work like civil and political rights have. I will tell you that there are so many good people out there in civil society. Human Rights Watch can bring a global dynamic to their efforts. We can use our megaphone and lend our weight to their work. You’ve worked on the frontlines of post-Cold War Europe, a time of great optimism. How can we reignite that sense of progress and possibility? Let me give you an example of what I see as the most important path to reigniting that sense of progress and possibility: Education, higher education. I chair the board of Bard College Berlin (BCB), a liberal arts subsidiary of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. BCB is independently accredited to award U.S. and German undergraduate degrees. Since joining that board, I have developed a huge appreciation for what I call “human rights for young minds.” And the reason I say this is because, unlike most European universities, which demand a specific course of study like law or medicine, a liberal arts education is cross- and interdisciplinary. It teaches students to think critically about today’s problems through multiple different lenses – history, religion, philosophy, economics, politics, literature, art – and equips, hopefully, a generation of open-minded citizens and leaders. Next gen leaders who will then be able to go back to where they came from

to help develop and progress their societies. And I’m telling you, the more I see of this, the more I have become a true believer. At Bard College Berlin, we have 61 nationalities represented among our 350 students. Along with Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, we have two of the largest fully-funded scholarship programs for students from countries of crisis and conflict. We have 40 Ukrainians, Syrians, Afghanis, and others attending BCB. We had a young man who came to BCB after fleeing Venezuela. Following his graduation two years ago, he completed a master’s program at Oxford and just got accepted into two Oxford PhD programs. We just graduated our first Rhodes Scholar in May, a Syrian woman. We have two other Rhodes Scholar candidates, both from Syria, attending BCB now. In a school of 350, these accomplishments speak volumes about the students, the faculty, and the liberal arts program. I see this kind of education as providing a channel to seed the earth with talented, open-minded, democrat-leaning next gen leaders who will help stop the world from falling apart. These young people give me hope for the future. Turning to your hometown of Los Angeles, what philanthropic cause in Los Angeles do you feel is the most pressing and how do you see nonprofit organizations rising to meet the challenge of that cause? Unfortunately, homelessness remains the most urgent social and human rights issue in Los Angeles. Because it is extremely visible and all around us, Angelenos are stepping up to demand solutions. At Human Rights Watch, we have one researcher who is completely dedicated to exposing harmful practices and policies towards the homeless in L.A. and throughout the state, and providing recommendations, including seeking the CA State Assembly to legislate a right to adequate housing. Our goal is to pressure the city and state governments to provide a truly humane, rights-based response to the crisis. Other nonprofits are providing development aid such as meals, clothing, medical aid, and toiletries. These are important complementary solutions. In the end, however, we need to address this at a systemic level.

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Arts as a Catalyst for Change As our own curators of creativity, we use art in all forms to help transform and better ourselves, our community, and our world.

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The Importance of the Arts Spark BY ZACHARY BERNSTEIN

eople who love the arts understand what makes them so valuable. The arts don’t just entertain us; they challenge us, they spark our imagination, and present us with new points of view. No one is immune to the effecting power that exposure to the arts can give and the lifeblood of any community flows through the streets where arts are thriving. Given the degree to which the arts enrich our lives, it would seem obvious to include them as an integral part of childhood education. Yet historically in the United States, the arts have very frequently been cut out of the curricula of under-funded public schools, sometimes in their entirety. One of the common misconceptions about childhood education is the idea that subjects like science, math, history, and the humanities make up the fundamental core of a comprehensive school curriculum. Meanwhile, subjects like music, theater, dance, and visual arts are often sidelined; treated as luxuries that can only be included as part of a school’s academic program when the proper funding is available. Ellen Warkentine is an itinerant theater teacher with Los Angeles Unified School District and a witness to the triumphs of her theater students in schools with an investment in arts-forward funding. “Theater is project-based learning at its best,” she says. “There’s room for creativity, empathy, and collaboration. We have a single goal we’re all working for and we have to work together to make it happen. It gives us a sense of purpose. If you’re hoping to access the individual inside every student, the best way to uncover that is to go through the arts.” Unfortunately, not every school is funded equitably and some schools struggle to keep the arts alive. Candace Baker is a part-time art teacher at a Los Angeles K-8 public school. After 40 years of teaching, she nearly retired in 2020, but agreed to stay on to teach art.

Music has the ability to bring people together in a way that nothing else can.

“We don’t have any music, or dance, or theater, but we have me,” Baker says. Without any funding from the government, corporate sponsors, or neighborhood associations, Baker has been relying on two generous friends to fund the costs of art supplies for the past four years. She feels for her students and laments what’s missing in their academic lives. “They’re not well-rounded. The emphasis is on math and science and reading, which is important, but I feel like they need other outlets, especially after the pandemic.” It’s an ongoing source of shame that art subjects are viewed as more expendable than STEM and humanities courses when the truth is that all of these subjects work best in tandem with each other. Fostering creativity and involvement in one subject can beget success in another. In fact, studies on the topic have regularly found that students at schools with a more robust arts program exhibit better test scores, lower truancy rates, stronger

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social skills, and improved emotional health. When schools fail to deliver arts education, they rely on after-school arts organizations to fill the gaps. “Across the nation, music and arts get cut first,” says Dina Bartello, director of development for the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, a performing arts academy founded by the multiple award-winning performer, choreographer, and director Debbie Allen, whose mission is to provide a world-class arts education to anyone who wants it. Many of the students come from disenfranchised Black and Latino communities with schools lacking in adequate arts funding. “People in this country believe that arts should be the first thing that gets cut. What they don’t understand is that art and music help the grades go up. They improve when you have the balance of music and dance and painting and drawing.” The Debbie Allen Dance Academy, founded in 2000, is known for its inclusion and acclaim. One of their upcoming performances is the Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, a reimagined production of the famous Tchaikovsky ballet, wide in scope, that will feature around 200 students. “Though not all at once!” Bartello says assuringly. “It’s a social justice issue,” says Karen Louis, executive director at the Neighborhood Music School in Boyle Heights. Rather than a conservatory for savant music students, Neighborhood Music School is a program that offers one-on-one music instruction for all ages, all levels, and all backgrounds.

Debbie Allen Dance Academy students are encouraged to fly as high as their dreams. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Allen Dance Academy)

“Arts education is not something that’s available to every student in every school.” Louis sees first-hand the fruits of investing in arts programming, including benefits that might seem less apparent. Sometimes a violin lesson can help a student build stronger hand-eye coordination skills. The Neighborhood Music School also works in partnership with the Bionic Ear Lab at USC’s Keck Medical Center, offering a music hour for people who use cochlear implants where music is a tool for ear training and conversation. “The power of music is really huge.”

“The value of the arts in all our lives is immeasurable. Imagine a day without music – on the radio or Alexa, no art on our bedroom walls or the many plays or musicals we want to see that give us a different view of the world than our own. Definitely no TV – Grey’s Anatomy, Yellowstone or Paw Patrol. There would be no Taylor Swift or Beyoncé movies in the theaters. That would be like the birds have stopped singing and the sun stopped shining. We are all surrounded and informed and inspired by the Arts every day.” ~ Debbie Allen

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“...studies on the topic have regularly found that students at schools with a more robust arts program exhibit better test scores, lower truancy rates, stronger social skills, and improved emotional health.” | Los Angeles |

A couple of Neighborhood Music School Association members in the recording studio.

Most Californians understand the importance of the inclusion of arts education in schools and recognize this blindspot in our state education system. That’s why, after decades of neglect, voters in California passed Proposition 28 by a margin of nearly two to one, an initiative mandating increased state funding for arts education. But even the rollout for Prop 28 is suffering from implementation issues. Proper rules for doling out the funding required by Proposition 28 were never codified and the result is that students from primarily lower-income families are still very much leaning on the support of independent arts organizations. It’s been unceremoniously left to the tireless efforts of artsbased philanthropic organizations like the Debbie Allen Dance

Academy and the Neighborhood Music School to sustain hands-on arts programs for students with nowhere else to turn. “It’s hard on nonprofit organizations,” Bartello says. “The government treats nonprofits as a safety net. They cut the arts programs and we’re supposed to rescue the people who rely on those government programs. What if the nonprofits weren’t there? Where would the families go? We’re seeing more of a need now. More children are in need because the kids aren’t getting arts programming in schools.” Given how long some schools in California have operated without any arts programming, it’s hard to grapple with the reality that so many students have missed out on the life-changing opportunities that only participation in the arts can provide. It’s also no wonder that so many devoted organizations stepping up to the responsibility have developed deep roots in their communities. “Students are coming back, partnerships are coming back,” says Louis. “Funders need to come back to reach demand and exert arts programming into communities that need us so deeply.”

Debbie Allen Dance Academy student building confidence one dance move at a time.

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Maud Arnold, Scholarship Student/Debbie Allen Dance Academy Alumni 2001-2004. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Allen Dance Academy)

THE DEBBIE ALLEN DANCE ACADEMY

Debbie Allen Dance Academy Gives Kids the ‘Opportunity to Dream’

"I At the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, we believe dance equates to joy. Can't you feel their happiness?

ebbie Allen started her dance academy in 2001 because she wanted to give as many young people as possible – especially youth of color and low-income children – the opportunity to study dance and theater. Growing up in segregated Houston, Texas, Allen faced real challenges during her journey to become a world-renowned dancer, choreographer, actress, and director. From the age of four, Debbie’s dream was to train in the arts, and that dream informed her purpose like no other. At the Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA) in Los Angeles, students ages three and up can participate in a comprehensive dance curriculum that includes genres ranging from ballet, hip-hop, and modern dance to musical theater. DADA is also home to the Debbie Allen Middle School, an innovative private school where students can nurture and explore their passions for both academics and the performing arts. DADA offers bespoke programs such as “Sons of DADA,” for young male dancers, and “Conservatory,” which offers an accelerated, specialized curriculum for the pre-professional dance student. More than 70% of the

youth enrolled in DADA’s programs, as well as in the Debbie Allen Middle School, receive generous scholarships. DADA also offers outreach programs for the community – for the elderly, for cancer patients and their caregivers, as well as inner city youth – free of charge. Their popular and exciting DA FLY aerial arts classes are a big draw within the community and financial support is provided for participants in need. By way of private donations, family and corporate foundations, and government support, DADA is able to service a broad community of people who wouldn’t have the resources to benefit from the programs offered. “We constantly need funding for outreach programs,” says Vivian Nichole Williams, DADA’s executive director. “DADA teaches at charter, inner city, and public schools that require underwriting. We’re never at a lack of need for more support.” Donations also enable DADA to present Debbie Allen’s dynamic, contemporary musical, The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. The nonprofit arranges for thousands of students throughout Los Angeles County to enjoy the | Los Angeles |

've found that the most effective philanthropy -- the kind that makes real change -- isn't merely about supporting causes. It's about supporting the visionaries who take on those causes. For that reason, I'd support just about anything that followed the words Debbie Allen. And the truth is, I've seen the way Debbie's Dance Academy transforms young lives. I've seen the confidence it instills, the way it summons the dreams and the grit and the self-esteem of children who'd been underserved, unfulfilled, hungering to express their whole hearts. Of course, dance is so much more than an act of creativity, as essential as that is. It's a way of life -- a kind of rigor and discipline and hard work that spill into any and every endeavor. Debbie should know; she's turned her own extraordinary career as a dancer and performer into a profound teaching about life and service and self-worth. As Debbie herself has said, we dance to the same beat. It's an honor to be able to donate to that beat as well."

– Wallis Annenberg

Philanthropist, President/Chairwoman of the Annenberg Foundation

electrifying production at no cost. As Williams reflects, seeing this production is often the first time many of these students will experience live theater and it just may spark their interest in learning more about dance or the arts. “We’re here to nurture the whole being and inspire individuals to be their best selves,” Williams says.

Help More Children Enjoy the Gift of DANCE

ADA seeks your contributions to continue its multifaceted programming for children of all ages and skill levels. Your donations will help DADA give scholarships to students in its dance programs, provide its middle school students with STEM based learning materials, and maintain its outreach programs for a variety of community members. These include older adults, and women and children who have escaped domestic abuse. The nonprofit’s main goal is to make art more accessible for marginalized communities. “There’s so many things that you could give to here,” Executive Director Vivian Nichole Williams says. “And I promise you, we can find one that pulls at your heartstrings.”

Our students start young, spread their wings and fly high! Our students support one another so they can grow and learn in a loving environment.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Dance builds confidence.

The Annenberg Foundation Rhimes Family Foundation Ford Foundation Kobe Bryant Tyler Perry Berry Gordy California Arts Council Ahmanson Foundation JJ and Katie Abrams Joyce and Stanley Black Foundation

George Lucas Foundation Johnny Carson Foundation Thelma Pearl Howard Foundation AIDS Healthcare Foundation Los Angeles Chargers ABC Disney Will & Jada Pinkett Smith David Kobrin Debbie & Norman Nixon Peter & Sandra Lowy

Debbie Allen Dance Academy www.debbieallendanceacademy.com 1850 S. Manhattan Place Los Angeles, CA 90019 (310) 280-9145

Contact: Dina A. Bartello Director of Development (310) 280-9145 ext. 239

The Many Ways to Give... At the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, we believe that every child deserves to be applauded!

By Check: Debbie Allen Dance Academy 1850 S. Manhattan Place Los Angeles, CA 90019

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-4831387 By Credit Card: www.debbieallendanceacademy.com/donate

NEIGHBORHOOD MUSIC SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

Over a Century of Inspiring Harmonies and Transforming Lives

NMS students, teaching artists and guest artists pose with Gala Honorees Germaine Franco (Mancini Award), Supervisor Hilda Solis (President's Award), and Ron Gustafson (Local Business Leader Award) at the 2019 Music Masquerade on the GRAMMY Museum rooftop stage.

“T

he Neighborhood Music School is a musical sanctuary and safe community for hundreds of students of all ages and their families. The staff and artist teachers foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, and exploration of musical ideas. Each student is mentored in individual lessons, as well as group ensembles, by professional teaching artists. Each student is nurtured at their own unique stage of development. Therefore, the students are eager, inspired, and bold! They form solid friendships with other students while learning about their own amazing capabilities through music. Our Neighborhood Music School is a gem that empowers today’s youth to become authentic individuals who will thrive in the future.”

– Germaine Franco (P/C Kate Alkarni) Composer, Percussionist, NMS Advisory Board Member

hen the Lalin Family’s four schoolaged children get restless, they don’t watch television or browse social media, they play music together. “You should see us jamming at home, we have such a good time,” says Clarissa, the oldest at 15, who plays the flute. All four of the Lalin kids found their love of music while being trained and nurtured at the Neighborhood Music School located in a historic Queen Anne Victorian in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. Since it was founded in 1914 as a settlement house, the music school has maintained the tradition of providing free and low-cost one-on-one music lessons to multicultural community neighbors regardless of cost for over a hundred years. Typically, private musical instruction is very costly, and learning to play an instrument requires a deep financial investment, according to Karen Louis, the school’s executive director. The Neighborhood Music School removes financial barriers to musical development by offering a strategically affordable tuition (starting at $68/mo), as well as a Student Scholarship Program that pro| Los Angeles |

vides a sliding-scale tuition discount of 20% to 95%. The school gives out $70,000 worth of scholarships per year. Learning to play a musical instrument can be life changing. A Northwestern University study (from their Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory) reflects what the science world has been touting: musical training can change brain structure and function for the better. It can improve long-term memory and lead to enhanced reading ability for those who start young. There are similar stellar benefits for adults. “Whether you’re 6 or 76, we provide the tools to help folks grow and develop musically no matter what, regardless of the family budget,” Louis says. “It’s not just about the music instruction, it’s about the connection of the community and the mentorship with the teaching artist.” The school enrolls roughly 350 students, employs 22 teaching artists, and has six recitals a year. The school also provides tuition-free group classes to the community, including a class on early childhood music and movement, a music jam for beginners, and a songwriting course. “My kids have developed their passion for music here and it has shaped them musically,” Adelaida Lalin says. The Lalin children – Clarissa, 13-year-old budding songwriter, pianist Jacob, 12-yearold violinist Sofia, and 8-year-old singer/piano player Nathalia – would not have been able to take music lessons without the largesse, dedication, and passion of those at the Neighborhood Music School. This passion extends to their board as well. Germaine Franco, a Neighborhood Music School board member, who won a 2023 Grammy for composing the score of Disney’s animated film Encanto, took students this past spring to Walt Disney Concert Hall to sing songs she wrote from the Disney-Pixar movie Coco with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. “This school creates this amazing environment for the kids to grow and to develop as musicians,” says Alex Lalin, the children’s father.

Changing Lives THROUGH MUSIC arrie Stone Freeman founded the Neighborhood Music School with a gift of $1,000. Carrying that tradition full circle a century later, a $1,000 donation C is enough to pay for a student to have an entire year of music instruction.

“When someone makes a gift of $1,000, they are investing in the future of the community and music as a whole,” says Karen Louis, executive director of the Neighborhood Music School. Donations will be matched up to $10,000 by the Youssef and Kamel Mawardi Fund and donors will receive invitations to the recitals and special events, such as Sunday tea in the school’s rose gardens and its annual benefit event which will be held on Saturday, February 10th, 2024 at the LA River Center.

Over 60% of our 350 students (of all ages) participate in our Scholarship Program that ensures private one on one lessons, TuitionFree Ensembles, and Tuition-Free group classes are affordable for every budget, accessible to the unique development of each student, and connected to the vast cultural offerings in Los Angeles (and beyond).

“I

love Music. It is so beautiful, makes me calm and creates wonderful feelings and draws great pictures in my imagination. I can express feelings through Music in a language that people from all over the world can understand.”

– Irina Stoilov

NMS Student

KEY SUPPORTERS

NMS CORO, a tuition-free ensemble at NMS performs during the Winter Open House.

Neighborhood Music School www.neighborhoodmusic.org 358 S. Boyle Ave Los Angeles, CA 90033 (323) 268-0762

Contact: Karen Louis Executive Director (323) 268-0762 Ext 7 karen@neighborhoodmusic.org

The Perenchio Foundation Colburn Foundation The Mawardi Fund The Ahmanson Foundation The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation The Al Sherman Foundation Department of Cultural Affairs City of Los Angeles Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture California Arts Council The Margie & Robert E. Petersen Foundation

Vernon CommUNITY Fund The Clarence E. Heller Foundation Pasadena Showcase House of Art & Design The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation GOLF Foundation Zandra Hanson Memorial Scholarship Union Pacific Foundation Capital Group

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: By DAF or Stock Transfer: Neighborhood Music School Association Tax ID# 95-6002180 358 South Boyle Avenue, By Credit Card: Los Angeles, CA 90033 www.neighborhoodmusic.org/supportnms

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SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER

The Skirball Cultural Center: A Good Place for Everyone

“Community, connection, and exploration are strong values for me. I find all this and more at the Skirball. I have so many heartfelt memories here: interacting with young feminists at a Gloria Steinem talk, joining a multicultural Seder, and seeing a youth chorus perform with professional musicians are just a few that come to mind. I’m also an enthusiastic participant in Skirball classes. I especially love the book, movie, and current events discussion groups. I come back time and again for the rich content and friendly community these classes provide.” – CARRYL H. CARTER

Founding Member

An oasis nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Skirball Cultural Center is a place of meeting guided by the Jewish tradition of welcoming the stranger and inspired by the American democratic ideals of freedom and equality.

ou can’t understand the history of the United States without understanding the immigrant story. This is the idea that motivated Dr. Uri Herscher to establish the Skirball Cultural Center. The Herscher family arrived in San Jose, California in the mid 1950s from Germany, hoping to start a new life during a turbulent time. As a German-Jewish refugee, Herscher understood what it felt like to search for a safe, welcoming space – one that encouraged cultural appreciation while also nurturing the value of community. “I think that American Jews quickly find a common cause with so many other Americans because – like the rest of America – many of us are the product of relatively recent immigration,” says Jessie Kornberg, President and CEO of the Skirball. The Skirball focuses on Jewish values of welcoming the stranger, honoring memory, and pursuing justice (among others). Despite its Jewish roots, founder Herscher was adamant that the Skirball was going to be a space of welcome regardless of race or religious belief. He described his vision as simply “a good place for everyone.” Part museum, part community space, the Skirball has grown into a place for cultural appreciation of all kinds. From live music from the Mexican rock group Quetzal to screenings of films implicated in the Hollywood Red Scare, the Skirball aims to tell the American | Los Angeles |

story by engaging and showcasing work from diverse communities. Herscher felt that “centering diversity” was an important part of the American story – a reflection of his own immigrant roots and now a continuing representation of the immigrant population and growing cultural community throughout California, Hersher’s adopted home. “The immigrant is an important figure here at the Skirball and continues to be very important. Especially in a place like Los Angeles County, where most people live with someone in their household who was born in another country,” says Kornberg. Beyond welcoming and pursuing justice, the Skirball seeks to offer a deeper and more instructive exploration of American history for its visitors. “At the Skirball, we talk a lot about learning as a value. A lot of the time, we are talking about learning from the past even if we intend to be different in the future. The reality is that most of the time when we say ‘pursuing justice,’ that is code for pursuing change,” explains Kornberg. For Herscher, pursuing change meant understanding the lessons of our history. He hoped that by displaying artifacts from the past, visitors would appreciate their role in building a more just future. This would be a space that said: We are the United States – Who do we want to be?

Visitors engage with four thousand years of Jewish history and discover how ancestral visions shape modern values in the Skirball's core exhibition, "Visions and Values: Jewish Life from Antiquity to America."

Each year since its inception in the 1980s, the Skirball has found new ways to engage the Los Angeles community in answering this question. The exhibitions attract more than half a million visitors annually, 15,000 to 30,000 of which are young students. As part of their mission to promote education and protect a more just future, the Skirball attempts to fully subsidize all field trip materials for the schools that visit. From admissions fees, teaching materials, to actually hiring and paying for the buses, the Skirball prioritizes giving these schools access to hands-on learning. This is especially important considering that 90% of schools that visit the Skirball are from low-income districts. Philanthropic support plays a big role in supporting access to education at the Skirball and providing memorable learning experiences for its visitors. Donor funding makes it possible to subsidize transport and teaching materials but also makes it possible to create engaging lessons like the Archaeology Dig. The Dig is one of the Skirball’s most popular attractions. It is a replica archaeological dig site, fitted with an outdoor classroom and six different pits that simulate what it is like to discover artifacts from ancient cultures.

“The Dig is about giving these students a real way to see that each of our communities is built on foundations that date far, far earlier than anyone we know in our lives. We want to show that we are a product of our past and understand that what we are doing right now is going to leave an impact on the earth and the people who live here after we are gone,” says Kornberg. The team at the Skirball understands that in order to champion progressive values, we have to bridge the gap between the modern and the ancient. The Dig shows students that reflecting on the past does not have to be a somber exercise, but one rich with the joy of discovery. “Our mission at the Skirball is to create a sense of shared humanity in order to build a more just society,” says Kornberg. “We don’t think we have all the answers, but we provide a space to think about these big questions. How do we honor memory? How do we pursue justice?” The answer: In order to champion progressive values, you have to create a space where children and adults, born-residents, immigrants, naturalized citizens, and international visitors all feel welcome. As Dr. Uri Herscher said, we need a “good place for everyone.”

SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER

Jocelyn Tetel Vice President, Advancement donations@skirball.org www.skirball.org (310) 440-4579 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 Tax ID#: 95-4538371

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Dedicated to Jewish values and American democratic ideals, the Skirball Cultural Center seeks to foster human connections and help create a society in which everyone can feel at home. Every donation enables the Skirball to fulfill this vital mission, providing essential support to its ambitious school and community educational initiatives, outstanding exhibitions, and dynamic public programs.

KEY SUPPORTERS The Ahmanson Foundation The Herb Alpert Foundation Bank of America Charitable Foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies California Humanities Capital Group Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation Engaging the Senses Foundation The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation The Diana and Guilford Glazer Foundation The Morris A. Hazan Family Foundation Bob and Nita Hirsch Family Foundation Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture The National Endowment for the Arts Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Specialty Family Foundation Dwight Stuart Youth Fund The Flora L. Thornton Foundation U.S. Bank

Learning From the Past: Preserving California’s Mission History By Duncan Alexander

nder the leadership of David Bolton for the last 12 years, the California Missions Foundation has raised millions of dollars to preserve the state’s collection of historic Spanish missions and made their priceless collection of colonial and native art and artifacts an education destination for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year including tens of thousands of elementary school students. Beginning in the mid-1700s, the Spanish built 21 missions from San Diego to Sonoma that today provide a unique trail of history across California or what was then called Alta California. Bolton, who grew up in Santa Barbara – which is home to Mission Santa Bárbara, known as “The Queen of the Missions” – developed a deep admiration for the state missions and their unifying influence on the community. However, it was a pivotal moment three decades ago that set him on an unexpected course. Bolton, a soccer enthusiast and longtime sports broadcaster, found himself out of a job in the 1990s. Over dinner with his mother and stepfather, the question of what Bolton would do next arose. Bolton’s response was, “I don’t know.” His stepfather, a former Navy admiral and lover of history, suggested Bolton film a documentary on the California missions. To his surprise, no comprehensive documentary on these historic landmarks existed. Bolton’s vision expanded beyond the borders of California. He set out to document not only the California missions but also those scattered throughout the Americas. His travels took him to Jesuit missions in South America, from Bolivia to northwest Argentina, and across the expanse of Southwest Brazil. He explored missions in regions as diverse as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and various parts of Mexico, including Sinaloa, Sonora, and Baja California. In 2013, Bolton was hired for the role of executive director of the California Missions Foundation. What started as a hobby evolved into a full-time job and a profound dedication to the preservation of the missions. While he still occasionally engages in sports-related endeavors, including coverage of eight out of nine Super Bowls for Fox Sports Latin America, his primary focus remains dedicated to the California missions, their interconnected historic sites, and the rich cultural narratives they hold. “My main passion on a daily basis continues to be not only the California missions, but the related historic sites, and all the culture and the stories that came out of that history,” he says.

Over the past decade under Bolton’s leadership, the foundation has successfully expanded its student field trip program statewide, ensuring that future generations connect with their heritage. Additionally, the foundation has fostered a vital partnership with the California Mission Studies Association, uniting their efforts to research and document the multifaceted stories of the California missions. All the while, they remain committed to preserving the mission buildings and their invaluable collections of colonial and native art and artifacts. In the following Q&A, David Bolton delves deeper into his journey, the significance of the California missions, and the foundation’s mission to preserve and interpret these iconic landmarks. Q. Having visited so many missions in the U.S. and the Americas, in what ways are the California missions unique? A: They are unique in that they were the last of the mission chains established by the Spanish in the Americas. The missions in the Americas began in the mid-1500s, and the California mission didn’t arrive until the mid-late 1700s and into the early 1800s. When you do anything, you learn, you improve, and you fine-tune. Our missions here were built

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“Our California missions are important today because they act as a cultural platform, providing the perspectives and voices of many communities.” based on 250 years of knowledge. Some similarities: they’re all done the same. The architectural plans were done in Spain. Local materials were used. Even though some might say they are based on a cookie-cutter template, if you make cookies for 250 years, you’re going to become really good at making cookies. Because we were the last, I think the missions here, both from an operational perspective and from an architectural perspective, are some of the finest. How does the foundation work to ensure that Indigenous perspectives and voices are included and respected in the preservation and interpretation of these historical sites? Today, we work very closely with the Native communities. We understand and want to know more about their story, their people, and their culture. We know that the Native communities were responsible for these missions in so many ways. The Native communities need to be recognized for their contributions to the mission system. We need to hear their stories from both the past and the present.

(Photo Courtesy of North Wind Picture Archives)

Our California missions are important today because they act as a cultural platform, providing the perspectives and voices of many communities. Without the missions, we would lose this platform to share with the public the important diverse histories of California – from all cultural perspectives. How do the missions act as a platform to share the important stories and experiences of those who came before us? Every mission is honored to have descendants of the original Native communities as active parishioners. All the missions are doing outreach and inclusion. California Missions Foundation also thinks very highly of inclusion. Our educational program

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sends fourth graders to visit their local missions, where they can see the role of the Native community. We facilitate and amplify their voices. It’s always better to have people tell their own stories. The mission platform is a collaboration of various perspectives and experiences. It is by learning from the past that we can learn from our mistakes and make our future the best possible. You said you admire the role missions play in bringing our community together. What is that role and how does it bring communities together?

The missions were created by the Spanish and they were then taken over by Mexico. After Mexico won its independence, Mexico didn’t want the mission system, but the church stayed active for a while. Then the U.S. came in, and Abraham Lincoln gave the churches back to the Catholic Church. Most of the missions have been pretty close to continuously operating as centers of their communities. They’ve changed over the decades. Yet they continue to be fixtures in the communities. Yes, they’re active parishes, but many of them have community events and act as the community hub.

“It’s important to convey that these structures are more than just buildings; they are repositories of history, brimming with stories, and worthy of preservation for the benefit of future generations.”

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What educational and outreach programs does the California Missions Foundation offer to raise awareness about the missions’ historical and cultural significance? We offer “All-Aboard-the-Bus” Mission Field Trip grants to fourth-grade classes around the state. Our field trips are critical to providing access to the missions for students because so many extracurricular programs have been eliminated in schools. Because of our grants, tens of thousands of students over the years have been able to visit the California missions. We also started a virtual tour during COVID. More than 30,000 students have watched our virtual field trip. It’s now just as popular as our on-site field trips. We see the students really benefiting by having the opportunity to visit these historic sites – to hear all the stories, the Native perspective, to learn about the way of life then, and to hear also how they continue as active places of worship as well as active centers at the heart of so many communities. California’s mission history is really our shared history, all of us here in California. The education program encourages future generations to have an appreciation for historic preservation. Hopefully, as they become adults, they’ll be stronger members of our communities and they will work towards keeping alive this historic legacy that’s in our state. I am very happy that we’ve expanded the educational program. It started in Monterey and we have added Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, and the Bay Area. We’re looking for our next big wave of expansion beyond the mission cities. We want to have this program take root in the Central Valley of the state so that the students who don’t have a mission nearby can also experience our missions along the coast. You’ve recently secured matching funds in the amount of $1.2 million for retrofitting projects in Solvang and at the Mission San Juan Bautista. How is that going? California Missions Foundation works to preserve all of the missions in the chain, all 21 along with related historic sites. It’s very important that all of our historic buildings are retrofitted. We’ve seen firsthand here in California, the damage that can be

Kids from Franklin Elementary at Mission La Purisima in 2022. (Photo Courtesy of California Missions Foundation)

caused to a building that hasn’t been retrofitted. One of the priorities of the California Missions Foundation has been to make sure that all of our California missions are retrofitted, and now only three remain. We continue to foster our relationship with the National Park Service and the Interior Department and have obtained federal matching funds so that the remaining missions can be retrofitted. Recently, we received federal grants for a total of $1.25 million to retrofit both Mission Santa Inés as well as Mission San Juan Bautista. Hopefully, the funding will motivate those in local communities to also step up. In any preservation project, being able to combine federal or government funding with local individuals and local family foundations is really the key to success. It is important that all of our historic buildings remain standing so that we can continue to understand what was involved in creating them, and the lifestyle and structure of society around them. They are so important in helping us learn. And as we learn from our past, it will make a better future. How can people interested get more involved in missions? The most significant impact an individual can make is to visit the missions, learn about the history of California, and encourage others to participate in these experiences. Another effective way for individuals to gain insight into the history of the California missions is by inviting us to speak to their groups. This not only enhances learning but also fosters a deeper understanding of the missions’ rich history. It’s important to convey that these structures are more than just buildings; they are repositories of history, brimming with stories, and worthy of preservation for the benefit of future generations.

Kids from Noble Elementary at Mission San Fernando in 2022. (Photo Courtesy of California Missions Foundation)

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The Bedrock Right of Housing A commitment to providing dignity, shelter, and a path to stability.

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No One-Size-Fits-All Solution to L.A.’s Homeless Crisis BY CARMEN GONZALES

here’s not just one reason people become unhoused, and there’s not just one way to solve the homelessness issue. What we do know is that it’s a problem that is growing, in Los Angeles and other major cities, especially among certain members of the population. It’s a complex issue that no one seems to have an answer for, and new programs are not making a dent in solving the problem. According to data from the 2022 Department of Housing and Urban Development, Los Angeles had the largest homeless population in the country with 65,111 people experiencing homelessness. Thirty percent of homeless people in the country live in California. The 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count estimates more than 75,000 people experience homelessness in the county on any given night – a 9% increase over the previous year. While Los Angeles is not the only American city to struggle with the issue, its homeless population is disproportionately large. When running for Los Angeles Mayor, Karen Bass addressed homelessness, in an interview with Boyle Heights Beat, as one of the largest issues facing the city. She said that solving homelessness is complicated by the many different reasons people become homeless. “Some people in those tents work full time,” she said. “They just can’t afford rent, and they might have a credit problem, or there might be some other reasons. Some of them are veterans. Thousands of the unhoused are children. Some of them are with their mothers, because their mothers were fleeing domestic violence. Some of them are former foster youth... Some of them were formerly incarcerated, some have substance abuse or mental health issues.” Mayor Bass speaks with unhoused Angelenos to help bring them inside with the Inside Safe Program.

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Some of the problem has to do with the bigger issues connected to living in California. Californians have been dealing with high cost of living and lack of affordable housing for years. Many are still recovering from the effects of COVID-19. While there are many reasons behind homelessness, a recent study published by the University of California, San Francisco found many of the persons who recently became unhoused had been working and living in poverty, until some large or catastrophic event happened that caused them to lose their homes – like a health issue, divorce, or loss of a job. At the core of the homeless problem, according to the UCSF study, is the lack of affordable housing. The lack of affordable housing is an issue that has plagued the state for decades. Land use and zoning policies exclude affordable housing and contribute to racial, economic, and housing segregation. While for the first time California is losing population, for decades it experienced significant population growth. According to estimates by the Public Policy Institute of California, in 2021 the state was 3.5 million units short of what was needed to accommodate its population. Even though affordable housing options exist across the county, the process to apply, get approved, and be offered a unit can prove overwhelming due to confusing language, requirements, and an unclear timeline for placement. In some cases tenants are selected through a lottery system where rent is charged based on size of the apartment, number of tenants, total income, and the Area Median Income (AMI).

The number of applicants, however, far outnumbers the available units leaving many low-income residents without options. According to the nonprofit East Los Angeles Community Corporation (ELACC), which advocates for economic and social justice and develops affordable housing, a recent lottery for an apartment building in Boyle Heights had more than 10,000 applications for just 63 units. ELACC President and CEO Monica Mejia says the problem exists with the entire housing system. “There are rental assistance programs, Section 8, and there’s public housing. All three of those programs are crowded, oversubscribed, with long wait times. They’re just not available. We have an incomplete safety net. There is not enough housing for everybody,” she said. In Los Angeles County, subsidized housing wait lists are often more than two years, with government-owned public housing about five and a half years on average. Last year, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) opened its Section 8 waiting list lottery application for two weeks. During that time a total of 223,375 applications were received, representing 505,946 total household members. This was a 19% increase in applications submitted from its previous opening five years prior. In a press release, HACLA’s president addressed the shortage. “At the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles,

Rally for ending homelessness.

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we are keenly aware of the lack of resources that individuals and families face when it comes to affordable housing solutions in our city, and this was reflected in the number of applications we received in this short two-week period,” said HACLA President & CEO Doug Guthrie. People more vulnerable to becoming homeless include those with a history of trauma, and those from racial minorities. Venice Community Housing is a nonprofit that operates more than 250 units of affordable and supportive housing, as well as short-term housing for families and transition-aged youth experiencing homelessness. The organization’s mission is to challenge the root causes of housing injustice and work to ensure equitable affordable homes for all. Another challenge to the homeless crisis has to do with the fact that individuals who experience homelessness also have higher rates of mental health conditions and substance abuse than the general population. Steve Good, president and CEO of the nonprofit Five Keys Schools and Programs, helps to house approximately 1,500 people on a nightly basis. He believes substance abuse and homelessness create a never-ending cycle. “Homelessness and addiction go hand in hand,” he says. “The need to self-medicate and forget the trauma of what it’s like to live on the street is so overwhelming.” In the 2023 Los Angeles Homeless Services Report, 30% of unhoused people report experiencing substance use disorder.

Venice Community Housing currently owns and operates 252 units of affordable and supportive housing in 17 properties and operates an additional 28 units of shortterm housing for families and transition-aged youth experiencing homelessness.

The 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count estimates more than 75,000 people experience homelessness in the county on any given night – a 9% increase over the previous year. 84

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Many women who find themselves without stable housing have experienced domestic abuse and end up on the streets in order to escape their abuser. For the past 45 years, the Downtown Women’s Center has been supporting homeless or formerly unhoused women with housing, resources, and job training. A spokesperson for the Center says women living on the streets are faced with unique sets of challenges and vulnerabilities. “While experiencing homelessness, their likelihood of experiencing violence, because they are women, or trans women, is incredibly high,” she said. “We need to have services, and providers and case managers that are trauma informed, that are culturally responsive.”

Five Keys Home Free provides trauma-informed empowerment programs to help women navigate daily life in the 21st century.

Venice Community Housing offers a range of academic, employment, and leadership development opportunities to children and youth ages 6-24.

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In Los Angeles, housing or the lack thereof, is a pressing issue that demands immediate action. With a growing number of people and families living in unstable conditions, our broader crisis encompasses housing shortages, economic disparities, mental health struggles, and substance abuse issues. Since taking office in 2022, Mayor Karen Bass has created programs to alleviate L.A.’s homeless crisis, including Project Room Key. This program was originally designed to facilitate social distancing among homeless individuals during the height of the pandemic. At its peak, Project Room key included more than 4,000 rooms in 37 hotels. Bass later launched in 2023 the Inside Safe program, which hopes to prevent encampments from returning. “Angelenos are moving from Inside Safe into permanent supportive housing with the resources they need to get back on their feet,” Mayor Bass tweeted in August of this year. “This is what the start of a new life looks like away from the streets.” So far this year over 4,800 permanent housing placements have been made, but there is still a big gap that needs to be closed. In the latest California budget, Governor Newsom has committed more than $15 billion to “address the issue of these damn encampments.” But even when the state keeps spending more money to address the homeless crisis, the situation keeps getting worse. Even as efforts to help people experiencing homelessness expand, the inflow of new people into homelessness also grows.

Venice Community Housing is dedicated to increasing awareness of homelessness and housing affordability and advocating for policies that sustain vibrant, diverse, and inclusive communities.

Venice Community Housing impacts the lives of over 1,200 individuals each year.

While homelessness response leaders work together to end the crisis, more must be done to address the root causes of the issue. An increase in the number of affordable housing units could mean more permanent housing placements. In Los Angeles, the appointment of Mayor Karen Bass to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission is the latest commitment to confront the issue. But if anything has been learned, it’s that this current crisis calls for a sustained, collaborative effort and that it will take more than one way to solve this issue. A combination of compassion, policy reform, and community engagement can help make significant strides toward reducing homelessness and restoring dignity to the lives of those affected in Los Angeles and beyond.

armen González is a bilingual reporter and radio host. She began her career as a youth reporter for Boyle Heights Beat during her junior year in high school. During her time at the Beat, she wrote about societal issues. Whether she was writing about college students experiencing homelessness, or elders in the community facing uncertainty because of their immigration status, Carmen navigated each story with curiosity and care. As an undocumented queer high school student, Carmen often felt like an outcast. It was only after joining the community news program that she felt empowered to embrace her identities. Talking with community members about their life struggles taught Carmen about the importance of vulnerability and having a community to support you. For Carmen, her Boyle Heights Beat mentors were the main group of adults outside of her parents who truly motivated her to pursue higher education. Today she is a journalism student at Cal State Long Beach. Far out of her comfort zone, she carries all the knowledge she gained from the program with her. Carmen has returned to Boyle Heights Beat working as the community engagement coordinator and supporting the new generation of reporters. To Learn more about Boyle Heights Beat: www.boyleheightsbeat.com/donate

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DOWNTOWN WOMEN'S CENTER

The Path to Help All Unhoused Women in L.A. County

Resident at DWC’s San Pedro Street Campus. DWC maintains 119 permanent supportive housing units in downtown Los Angeles, and will soon serve new units in North Hollywood and Van Nuys.

rom 2013 to 2020, the number of women experiencing homelessness increased by nearly 70%, according to the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. Persistent factors such as domestic violence and housing affordability mean that – without community support – the number of women facing housing insecurity will continue to rise. At the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC), they dream of a Los Angeles where every woman is housed and on a path to personal fulfillment. With over 22,300 unhoused women in Los Angeles County alone, it is a very ambitious goal. But it just so happens that the DWC dream has a 99% housing retention success rate. When asked about DWC’s impact, Chief Communications Officer Lorena Sanchez explains that the first step is acknowledging that unhoused women represent a group with unique needs.

“For over a decade, DWC has been advocating for unaccompanied women to be recognized at the federal level as a unique subpopulation experiencing homelessness,” says Sanchez. “Formal recognition of women by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, who have previously prioritized other groups such as veterans and families, will guarantee more and better data is collected that can inform strategies and ensure resources.” What the data show in a stark and alarming revelation is that gender-based violence is not only a common driver of women’s homelessness but that it remains a threat if women remain unhoused. DWC empowers women experiencing homelessness through programs that focus on housing, wellness, employment, and advocacy. To date, the nonprofit has grown these services to reach 27% of all unhoused women in Los Angeles County. But acknowledging the unique needs of unhoused women is only one part of the DWC strategy. According to Sanchez, the secret DWC ingredient is their supportive services,

particularly a strong peer support network. “Our trauma-informed approach to supportive services is centered on safety, community, and respect,” says Sanchez. “Having someone to turn to, who understands your experiences, can be a transformational experience. It can be the difference between accepting help – moving toward a life of stability – or falling into chronic homelessness.” In fact, peer support services are at the heart of DWC’s Every Woman Housed Initiative, a strategy that targets Los Angeles’ most vulnerable neighbors: unsheltered women of color living in the Skid Row Community. Senior Peer Support Specialist Adelene Bertha initially joined the team to help pioneer a new housing model for 100 women on Skid Row. Bertha’s experience of homelessness as a teenager shaped the program’s service delivery model, shifting it from a step-by-step process to an adaptive, culturally responsive, and client-led practice. With team members like Bertha and compassionate community partners, DWC gets closer every day to providing support for all unhoused women in Los Angeles County.

Artist and advocate Lorinda Hawkins Smith speaks at the launch of the L.A. County Women's Needs Assessment, the largest study of women's homelessness in the country. Since 2001, DWC has been ensuring that community-based research informs policy and improves how services are designed.

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or me the experience of being homeless was scary, lonely, and confusing. I stayed awake at night because I was afraid of being assaulted or robbed. My life changed when I was bussed to the Downtown Women’s Center. At DWC, there was food and clothing, services, and showers. There was internet access so I could look up resources. I felt safe at DWC. I moved into my own apartment in Highland Park and I felt like it was a dream. I feel that now I have a second chance to finish what I started.”

– Gabie

Your Support Can Help Get EVERY WOMAN Housed he increasing rates of homelessness for women in Los Angeles County have been outpacing men since 2013. T Yet, resources to provide for these women still remain limited.

Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) is using your generosity to change lives. In the next year, DWC is opening two new residential developments, one in North Hollywood and one in Van Nuys. With your help, up to 100 more women will have safety and security, receiving case management services and peer support. For $15,000, you can fund all the services to support a resident for an entire year and empower a previously unhoused woman to start a new, more empowering chapter of her life.

Community-based Housing Resident

There are over 22,300 women currently experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County. “A

s a devoted advocate for the empowerment of women, I find tremendous purpose in supporting the Downtown Women's Center. Witnessing the unwavering strength of the women it serves, my heart swells with gratitude for the opportunity to play a role in their journey towards healing and self-renewal. The upcoming opening of Oatsie's Place, a permanent supportive housing site named for my dear friend and ardent DWC supporter, Marylouise Oates, fills me with immense joy and hope. Oatsie's Place will serve as a haven, where each woman can embrace her worth, unlock her potential, and discover newfound independence.”

– Andrea Van de Kamp

DWC Advisory Council Member

Downtown Women's Center downtownwomenscenter.org 442 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 680-0600

KEY SUPPORTERS Elizabeth Karatz Faraut Marylouise Oates and Robert Shrum Scott and Diane Weingarten Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Vera R. Campbell Foundation Joanna Perlman Crawford Family Foundation Eleanor and Glenn Padnick Eileen and Bob O'Leary Silton Family Foundation

Contact: Amy Turk Chief Executive Officer (213) 680-0600 ×2801 AmyT@downtownwomenscenter.org

The Ronus Foundation Blue Shield of California Foundation Shelli Herman and Stewart Gleischman Sara and Sam Brenner Wendy Lees and Tom Boyle Kristen Stewart The Rose Hills Foundation The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Maria Bamford Wurwand Foundation

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Downtown Women’s Center 442 S. San Pedro Street Los Angeles, CA 90013

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 31-1597223 By Credit Card:

downtownwomenscenter.org/donate/

FIVE KEYS HOME FREE

Five Keys: Incarceration Meets Aspiration

Tammy, Five Keys Home Free Director.

“H

ope.” This overworked noun can read like a blasé greeting card shorthand to those who have no need of it. For Tammy Johnson – who spent 28 years in prison for a murder her abuser committed – “hope” was the high-octane fuel powering her decades of determined selfwork. “We help everybody,” she says today with cheery swagger. Johnson is Program Director for Home Free, transitional post-prison housing for unjustly incarcerated women; an initiative begun in 2020 by San Francisco nonprofit Five Keys. In their own words: Five Keys provides traditionally underserved communities the opportunity to improve their lives through a focus on the Five Keys: EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, RECOVERY, FAMILY, COMMUNITY. But Five Keys’ inaugural mission began in 2003 with education as its theme, the nonprofit launching the first accredited charter high school in the U.S. to provide diploma programs for adults in California county jails. Lack of a high school diploma has long had a statistical correlation with incarceration and repeat offending.

“Recidivism drops by over 50% when a high school diploma is earned,” says Lisa Pitters, Chief Education Officer. Five Keys made high school graduation available to the imprisoned, in 2008 adding to their program of educational determinism by providing a path to both a high school diploma and vocational skills outside the jail system in underserved neighborhoods all around California. Today, more than 100 such community learning centers serve aspiring students of any age, background, or circumstance. “The education is self-paced,” says Pitters. “There are lots of single moms and people working several jobs. The teachers are really what make it so wonderful.” Five Keys’ vital Home Free initiative was launched in 2020. “Home Free is a home for abused women, and women who have been human trafficked,” says Johnson. She adds plainly, “These are women who have defended themselves against their abusers.” Thousands of women, nationwide, have spent decades in prison convicted of homicide in trials that didn’t allow them to present evidence of the horrific abuse they’d suffered. There were other unjust evidentiary problems. “Some of these women were at the scene of a crime under the coercive control of their abuser,” says Sunny Schwartz, co-founder of Home Free, describing Johnson’s own lockdown detour of 28 irretrievable years. A belated change in California law led to commutations, and after decades in prison, women found themselves eligible for release. Incarceration follows a grand ceremony of gavels, bailiffs, sonorous speeches, and rules of order. No such decorum attends one’s release after being shut away for 30 years. A door opens and you walk through it clutching whatever you can carry. The prospect of beginning anew is Everest-like. To these women, Home Free is not just four walls and a ceiling, but an instructive relaunch pad. There are workshops in financial and tech literacy, computer and job training classes, and a long-awaited embrace where counseling, healing – and an underpraised en| Los Angeles |

t’s great to be able to help those who have been wrongly incarcerated for years, and abused for years before that. Home Free has shown these maltreated women that there are people who really do care about the injustices they’ve endured, and help to reintroduce freedom, dignity, and respect back into their lives."

– Drew Banks

Entrepreneur, Business Author, and Novelist *Pictured: Sunny Schwartz and Drew Banks

ergy source called love – help women rebuild brutally interrupted lives; and self-regard. “My abuser used to get other young girls,” Johnson says, “and I would take them and put them on the bus home. I would get beat up afterwards, but I never stopped. I always cared for other people, but I didn’t care for myself.” Johnson’s gorgeous smile is right around 1000 watts, and here it comes. “Now I do.”

Tammy and Demian on their Wedding Day at Home Free.

Giving Survivors a Chance at a NEW LIFE e’re relying on private donations for Home Free, and we have a waiting list right now. We plan to “W open a second Home Free in Los Angeles in the near

Development Director Sheila Von Driska, Board Member Delia Ginorio, Five Keys VP of Programs and Partnerships Dorick Scarpelli, and the women of Home Free attending the premiere of "And So I Stayed."

future. It costs about $50,000 to house a woman for six months. We take a survivor in for six months and then help her get into her own apartment. And the supporting services continue on forever. Your donation is well spent and important. It is a home,” says Development Director Sheila Von Driska.

Over 100 women are still inside prison waiting to come HOME FREE in California. "W

hy I give? It is an honor to be able to support Home Free to provide these women with a home as they transition to their next stage of life – freedom."

– Monica Pressley

Retired CFO of the San Francisco Foundation and Evelyn and Walter J. Haas, Jr. Fund

*Pictured: Monica Pressley and Rosie Dyer, Home Free’s first resident.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Gilda Serrano, Home Free Program Services Coordinator, and survivors: Rosie, Laura, Kathyrn, and Asa

Steve Good, President and CEO of Five Keys; Susan Bustamante, Home Free Reentry Coach and Survivor; Tammy; and Sunny Schwartz, Founder of Five Keys and Co-founder of Home Free.

Five Keys Home Free www.fivekeyshomefree.org 70 Oak Grove Street San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 734-3310

Contact: Sheila Von Driska Development Director (415) 505-3552 sheilav@fivekeys.org

Fiona Ma Courteney Cox Robbie Brenner Tony Robbins Tony Robbins Foundation Google Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Anderson Flooring Williams Sonoma CBS News Bay Area First Republic Bank Morgan Stanley Silverado Contractors

Chris Larsen Fund Alex Tourk Debbie Mesloh Connie and Bob Lurie Philanthropic Fund Roselyne C. Swig Julie Harkins Perkins Hunter Foundation Paragon Litigation Trust Tinker Taylor Fund The Pressley Family Fund Drew Banks and Nick Rubashkin

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: The San Francisco Sheriff ’s Dept. Five Keys Charter School 70 Oak Grove Street San Francisco, CA 94107

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 81-0622701 By Credit Card: www.fivekeyshomefree.org/donate

VENICE COMMUNITY HOUSING

Venice Community Housing Is Transforming Lives Through Stable Housing

Residents of VCH's permanent supportive housing development, Navy Blue Apartments, pose outside of a mural painted on the building in 2020 by local Venice artist, Henry Lipkis.

new apartment building in the heart of Venice, California, stands as a testament to the successful work that Venice Community Housing (VCH) accomplishes on a daily basis. The formerly unhoused residents who now call Rose Apartments home are living proof that a home can be so much more than a roof over your head. It can also be a place of healing. Robert was blind, but he regained some of his sight after moving into the Rose Apartments and being connected to life-saving medical care. Aanti Sumaiyya suffered tremendous trauma while living on the streets and was mute as a result. Since moving into the safety of the Rose Apartments, she is able to talk and has even spoken publicly at VCH fundraising events. This is the type of transformative care that the organization offers its residents, according to Alie Kadlac, VCH’s associate director of development and communications. Venice Community Housing is a nonprofit housing developer and service provider that was formed in 1988 as a grassroots, community-based movement to combat rising rents, gentrification, and increasing rates of homelessness. “VCH is unique in that we provide property management, resident services and housing development all under one roof… and our tenants benefit from a continuity of services and effective communication between teams,” says Kadlac. Another important aspect of VCH’s mission, and what Kadlac says sets it apart from other nonprofit housing developers, is the organization’s commitment to advocacy in support of systemic change and public policies that are pro-housing. “Housing justice is a racial justice issue,” she adds. “Affordable, healthy, and stable housing is a human right, and racism is the root cause of homelessness and housing injustice.” All residents who are experiencing homelessness come to Venice Community Housing voluntarily through L.A. County’s Coordinated Entry System, an electronic database network. But housing is just one aspect of what VCH offers its residents. “Our team recognizes and responds to the trauma associated with experiencing homelessness. The impacts of trauma on people’s mental health are cyclical and don’t just disappear once they are housed. Our case managers are flexible and responsive, and they provide support to our tenants in times of crisis throughout their entire housing journey,” explains Kadlac. Supportive services include employment and food assistance, literacy workshops, youth programs, after-school care, and health and mental health care referrals. “We build community through our programs,” says Kadlac, some of which bring residents together for social events like cooking or composting classes. Success for VCH comes from getting as many unhoused people off the streets and into homes as possible and providing long-term support. In 2022, VCH maintained a 99% housing stability rate. This clearly highlights that once people move in, they are able to stay housed long term. VCH is addressing Los Angeles’ housing crisis head-on and making housing first a priority.

| Los Angeles |

Help Stem the LA Housing Crisis and Build Affordable and Supportive Housing Units

or over 35 years, Venice Community Housing supporters, volunteers, and devoted staff have helped advocate for tenants’ and renters’ rights by preserving and building permanent, supportive, stable housing. VCH has helped hundreds of families, single mothers, transitional age youth, seniors, veterans, and previously unhoused people. Over the decades with the ever-expanding housing crisis, VCH’s commitment to growing the affordable housing stock has become increasingly important. VCH'S mission is the only logical solution for our ongoing housing crisis. Venice Community Housing, along with its partners, has become recognized as one of the best in the field."

he only solution to the extreme housing crisis in Los Angeles is to keep building more affordable housing, and that is exactly what Venice Community Housing (VCH) intends to do. Your financial support will allow the nonprofit to continue to develop affordable housing to meet the urgent need. Currently, VCH is developing 500 new units and expanding its scope outside of Venice to neighboring Westside communities. “With our new projects in predevelopment, there are funding gaps,” explains Alie Kadlac, associate director of development and communications, adding that the organization’s donors have a large impact by investing in VCH’s work and reducing the organization’s reliance on loans by providing private, permanent funds.

– Mike Suhd

VCH Co-founder and Emeritus Board Member

hat they’re doing is a beautiful thing, and I hope they reach everybody who’s willing to work with them… It’s all like an interwoven net that catches you and prevents you from ever going back out there again."

– Kathy

VCH Tenant

Los Angeles County is one of the least affordable rental markets in the country and according to the California Housing Partnership, none of the 1.8 million extremely low-income renter households in the state can afford average asking rents in any of California’s 58 counties. Despite these numbers, the local production of affordable units has not kept up with demand. According to the latest Housing Element update, the city of L.A. needs to add approximately 57,000 new homes per year between 2021-29 to meet current needs. This represents a 229% increase from the current rate of housing production.

Residents of VCH's permanent supportive housing building, Gateway Apartments, enjoy a community gardening class on the building's rooftop.

Venice Community Housing www.vchcorp.org 200 Lincoln Blvd. Venice, CA 90291 (310) 399-4100

Contact: Milton Davis Director of Development and Communications (310) 399-4100 ext. 124 mdavis@vchcorp.org

VCH's resident services staff attend their weekly team meeting in the Rose Apartments community room.

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Venice Community Housing Corporation 200 Lincoln Blvd. Venice, CA 90291

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-4200761 By Credit Card:

www.vchcorp.org/donate

WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES

Lighting the Way for Children With Special Needs

Founded as Junior Blind in 1953, Wayfinder has evolved into a renowned, statewide organization that responds to our communities’ changing needs.

magine the rush of thrilling emotions that comes with preparing to adopt for the very first time. Making it through the selection process. Learning the name of your new child. Eagerly anticipating their arrival in your home, and your new life together as a family. Gina couldn’t wait to welcome baby Kennedy. But when Kennedy arrived, Gina’s excitement turned to worry. Baby Kennedy was supposed to be a perfectly healthy threemonth-old, but the infant was just six weeks old, and something seemed to be very wrong. “She didn’t cry at all for the first eight months,” Gina says. “And when her eyes were open, she’d just stare into a corner.” Gina learned that Kennedy had been exposed to methamphetamine in the womb, that she was legally blind, and that her development had been severely delayed. Doctors gave little hope of Kennedy ever recovering her vision. “I didn’t know what I could possibly do for her,” says Gina. Then Wayfinder Family Services stepped in. Since its founding as Junior Blind 70 years ago,

the nonprofit has earned a strong reputation for helping children and families that many other organizations are unable to serve. Based on the belief that those facing the greatest challenges deserve the chance to thrive, Wayfinder has more than 20 comprehensive programs that provide expert, individualized services and support to an increasingly diverse population of children, youth, adults, and families. Bertha, a Wayfinder child development specialist, was assigned to work with Kennedy when she was just four months old. Wayfinder’s Child Development Services provide early intervention statewide to children with vision impairment or multiple disabilities. Bertha started making home visits. Among other items, Bertha brought an iPad with a glowing red bunny. Week after week, Bertha would work with Kennedy to follow the slow-moving red bunny with her eyes. “Babies’ brains are amazing,” Gina says. “The improvement happened over months, but it was quick. She started seeing.” When Kennedy was one year old, “the bun| Los Angeles |

“I

don’t know where she’d be now without Wayfinder. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” – Gina, Mother

ny was bouncing all over the iPad, and Kennedy was following it,” says Gina. This is the power of early intervention. Research shows that every $1 spent on early intervention saves $17 in future care and support. Today Kennedy is a typical elementary school student and does not need special education services. “Early intervention was totally life-changing for Kennedy,” Gina says. “I don’t know where she’d be now without Wayfinder. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Changing the Future for Children Who Have Special Needs

ayfinder understands the unique challenges facing some of our state’s most vulnerable youth and adults. Those with disabilities, those without a home of their own, those who have been abused and many, many more. Wayfinder sees them. They believe in the amazing potential of each and every one of them. And, they turn that potential into reality. Last year, Wayfinder Family Services served more than 21,000 children, youth, and family members across California. More than 90 percent of the people Wayfinder supports are low-income, and its services are always free. A $1,000 donation can cover 10 life-changing early intervention sessions for children like Kennedy.

Gina adopted baby Kennedy and learned she was legally blind, and that her development had been severely delayed. Doctors gave little hope of Kennedy ever recovering her vision. But Wayfinder did not give up on Kennedy.

Something seemed to be very wrong. “Kennedy didn’t cry for the first eight months,” Gina says. “When her eyes were open, she stared into a corner.”

KEY SUPPORTERS

“I’m so impressed and in awe with the accomplishments and ongoing projects...Very different from the little storefront on Wilshire Boulevard...My dad would be over the moon!” — Angela Brown, second generation supporter

Wayfinder Family Services www.WayfinderFamily.org 5300 Angeles Vista Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 295-4555

Contact: Vanessa Botshekan Associate Vice President of Development and Donor Relations (323) 295-4555 ext. 205 vbotshekan@wayfinderfamily.org

Board of Directors: Harold A. Davidson Scott M. Farkas, Esq. Erica Fernandez Timothy E. Ford, Esq. Robert D. Held Steve L. Hernández, Esq. Jonathan I. Macy, M.D. Linda Myerson Dean John Nicolaus Glenn A. Sonnenberg Fernando Villa, Esq. Tara Voss Elworth (Brent) Williams Jr. Stevie Wonder

Impact Council: Nicholas (Nick) Aull Kylene Barker Brian Barreto David Berg Christina Bjornstrom Otis Blum Robert Luce Zuber Memon Jason Russell Anita Siraki Jon Steinberg Camilla Walker

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Wayfinder Family Services 5300 Angeles Vista Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90043

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-1977659 By Credit Card: www.WayfinderFamily.org/donate

The Ambassador

How Good Works Can Be Done in Public and Private By Joe Donnelly

ctor Tommy Dewey played John Emerson in the 2018 political drama The Front Runner. The film stars Hugh Jackman in a highly dramatized rendering of the undoing of one of the most enigmatic, and influential, figures in post-Reagan-era politics: Gary Hart. Emerson became the Hart campaign’s California chair in 1984, and then deputy national campaign manager in 1986, after being inspired by Hart’s Kennedy-esque bearing and forward-facing reimagination of the Democratic Party as a Gen X-friendly coalition of socially progressives, environmentally conscious, college-educated professionals. Hart’s campaign famously imploded when the enviably maned Colorado Senator got caught in an extramarital affair with the much blonder and younger Donna Rice. Asked how he liked his portrayal, the famously equanimous and quick-witted Emerson joked, “Oh, he’s a really good-looking guy, so it was fine with me.” Emerson’s involvement with politics didn’t end with Hart. In the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, when California politics, particularly Southern California’s, was far from the deep blue hue it is now, the first stop for national Democrats looking to make inroads was Manatt, Phelps, & Phillips. The powerful Los Angeles law firm’s founder, Charles T. Manatt, had chaired the Democratic National Party and it’s there that Emerson first got exposed to and inspired by Hart’s cosmopolitan-yet-common sense politics. Emerson joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in 1978 after getting his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. He was born in Chicago but grew up in the New Jersey and Westchester County suburbs of New York City and attended Hamilton College way upstate New York. It makes sense that his compass was set due west, though. Emerson’s father, a minister, grew up on the Stanford campus where Emerson’s grandfather was a professor. Emerson’s mother was a psychiatric social worker. His parents instilled in him a keen political and social awareness, particularly for second-wave feminism and the no-

tion that good-works were part of the social contract. Emerson played a key role in Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 run, serving as his California campaign manager. During the administration, Emerson served officially as deputy director of intergovernmental affairs and unofficially as Clinton’s “Secretary of California.” Between Hart and Clinton, Emerson dove into local government, serving as Los Angeles’s chief deputy city attorney under City Attorney James K. Hahn. Emerson narrowly lost his own bid for office when he ran for California State Assembly in 1991. The private sector eventually called him back with an offer Emerson couldn’t refuse and he joined the global powerhouse investment firm the Capital Group (estimated $2.6 trillion in assets) in 1997 as President of Private Client Services.

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Not that Emerson started shirking his civic engagements. As chairman of the Los Angeles Music Center, Emerson helped coordinate an extraordinary public-private partnership that culminated with him presiding over the opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. He has also served on the boards of a long list of civic-minded organizations, among them: YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles (vice chair), the Pacific Council on International Policy, the American Council on Germany (chair), the German Marshall Fund, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, and more. In case you’re the hard-to-impress type, I should mention that Emerson served as United States Ambassador to Germany from 2013-2017, earning the Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service in 2015. He was awarded the CIA Medal and the United States Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, its highest civilian honor, in 2017. Emerson returned to Los Angeles from his diplomatic mission in 2017, rejoining the Capital Group as Vice Chairman of Capital International. The Giving List spoke with Mr. Emerson on the eve of his pending international trip to Berlin. The following has been edited for concision and clarity. Q: You seem to have really taken a shine to California. Did you seek out Los Angeles or were you recruited here by Manatt, Phelps, & Phillips upon graduating from law school? A: Yes, I was recruited by the law firm, but of course, you seek out the cities that you want to look at firms in. I came to California for a couple of reasons. One, I saw it totally as the land of opportunity; I had the sense that California was a meritocracy. Nobody cared who your family was or who your connections were. It’s very plausible to come to Los Angeles and start with nothing and make something of yourself. That was appealing to me.

“... you cannot do what needs to be done without philanthropic involvement.”

(Photo courtesy of John Emerson)

I remember the sense of optimism, of someone from a new generation coming on the scene with Hart that eventually manifested in Bill Clinton. How did you come to be the deputy campaign manager for Hart’s presidential run? Yes, [Clinton] was a very natural follow up. Also young, dynamic, someone who writes books and is thoughtful about policy. I saw that the Democratic Party was really lost in terms of its ideas, after the Reagan election in 1980. And then I saw Gary Hart as someone who was really trying to rethink everything. So, instead of fighting over how to split up the economic pie, he said let’s figure out how to make it grow. Instead of building these massive nuclear weapons – this guy’s saying this in the early 1980s – let’s build a maneuverable defense that can join in combat in multiple areas simultaneously… He was one of the first people to really put the environment front and center. Jerry Brown was too, obviously out here in California. And I just thought, ‘Wow, this guy’s fantastic.’ Plus, he looked like a movie star. I mean, he was exciting. I thought he was our generation’s John Kennedy. And so, it turned out he was coming to town, and I very enthusiastically raised my hand and put together this [friendraising] event. And then I just told his staff people, this was back in 1982, hey, if he runs for president, I want to help. And they started calling me up to help out.

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Were you always politically inclined? That, well, it’s interesting. I know this is also about philanthropy and nonprofits and all that, but when I grew up, my dad was a minister, and my mom was a psychiatric social worker. So, certainly he was a pretty proactive minister and always very involved in the community and that kind of thing, as opposed to an evangelical preacher. I mean, he was much more a good-works type of minister and was also quite intellectual himself. His sermons were college lectures, which was great. So, I grew up in an environment where service was kind of built into the DNA, and then for whatever reason, I was just always fascinated by politics, and particularly presidential politics… I canvased for George McGovern when I was a kid. I mean, the thing to remember is political activism, when I was growing up, for many people it was a lifeand-death issue because of the Vietnam War or because of abortion or more broadly, for civil rights and women’s rights. When I came back to Los Angeles (from Washington) and joined Capital Group (CG), I was struck by the extraordinary approach towards philanthropy that CG had designed, which is very much about encouraging Capital Group associates to get involved philanthropically and then supporting them in that regard as well. That sort of opened a whole new world to me… So, I developed a deep appreciation for the importance of not-for-profit institutions in a community – museums, music, the music centers, obviously hospitals are always incredibly important and universities and similar institutions. But to also back that up with not just board service, but to leverage financial contributions to go along with that. Do you think that we’ve become too reliant on philanthropy to patch over what used to be public policy initiatives? This is a topic my wife, Kimberly, has worked on a lot.

(Photo courtesy of John Emerson)

You should ask her about it (see page 60). But the point is, what’s interesting to me about your question is Europeans are asking the opposite. They’re saying that we have become too dependent on solely relying on government funding and we need to expand our philanthropic outreach. Do you think we’re at a happy equilibrium here? I honestly think we’re at a place where we need to do a better job of letting people know the quality of what government can do so that people will be comfortable continuing to support it. We don’t have free college here, but we’re getting close with community colleges, which are just extraordinary in terms of what they can offer people in terms of education and training. But you cannot do what needs to be done without philanthropic involvement. I don’t think we’re ever going to get away from that. What I worry about is that we’ve evolved from a place where institutions in the for-profit world – think mainly large businesses, corporations, or whatever – felt a part of their corporate responsibility was to help build the communities around them, and now those institutions are getting bifurcated, or they’ve gone away, or they’ve broken down or broken up. And what’s replaced them are less institutions in the philanthropic world and more individuals… Now, it’s not necessarily about whether this community needs a hospital or this community needs an art museum that can reach out into the community, or we need charter schools or other brick-and-mortar projects. It is what the individuals who now hold sway are interested in. Now some, like Eli and Edye Broad, were very much community builders (Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad, LACMA, MOCA), but that is increasingly rare. Is there some way that philanthropy and nonprofits can help us navigate through this tenuous period that we’re in? I think first of all, by giving voice to some of these issues. By stepping up and actually doing something about real-world problems that exist and helping people. I’m on the board of the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, and Parsons prides itself on focusing completely on our Southern California region, but they also pride themselves on being a convener of other nonprofits. And so, for instance, Parsons will say, find a problem and decide to make a contribution to it and then bring others together and say, “Hey, this is a hole that exists in this area of social service,” or whatever. And an example of that was during COVID, Parsons ended up helping to raise, I believe, around $40 million to help keep small arts institutions in the Los Angeles metropolitan area afloat during that period.

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“... it’s really pretty remarkable how many people there are out here who really care and are working hard to try to make a difference and impact people’s lives in a positive way. And that makes me feel bullish on Los Angeles.” So, I think the major philanthropies can play a crucial role because – whether it’s education or healthcare or foster children or medical care to people in underprivileged communities – they can see a problem that isn’t being addressed, or bring attention and guidance to a small organization that is addressing a specific gap in the social safety net. I’ve long felt that, in terms of accepting the burdens and privileges of the 21st century, Los Angeles was at the forefront of our country. I’m not so sure anymore, mostly because of the cost of living here. Are you still bullish on Los Angeles? Oh yeah. I’m definitely still bullish on Los Angeles. I think there are a number of things we’ve got to deal with here. The homelessness situation is one and the cost of housing is another. But Los Angeles is an extraordinarily diverse city in a very positive way. I mean, what’s interesting is the places where people are most afraid of immigration are the places where they haven’t had it. Places where they have lots of immigrants are living perfectly fine with it. There are a lot of fun facts about the number of Fortune 500 companies that were founded by immigrants and the number that are run by immigrants today, or at least maybe next-generation immigrants. Cities with large immigrant populations are doing well. So, I’m definitely bullish on the diversity of Los Angeles. I’m a little concerned about the housing price situation, and I think we’ve got to do a better job of density and mass transit and all that. I think that would improve the life of

the city. But we’ve been making a lot of those investments, which will be positive. And there are a lot of good people here who care. When I was on the Capital Group Philanthropic Committee, now they call it Capital Cares, and then being on the Parsons board, you see so many groups and organizations and nonprofits coming in and talking about what they do, and they all have boards and they’re all different people on those boards and they have staff and they’re all different people. And it’s really pretty remarkable how many people there are out here who really care and are working hard to try to make a difference and impact people’s lives in a positive way. And that makes me feel bullish on Los Angeles.

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| Los Angeles |

Empowering Kids to Succeed Supporting under-resourced kids to overcome every hurdle, gap, and barrier so they can fulfill their strongest, proudest destinies.

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Empowering Students to Grow Into Educated Adults BY MIRANDA GREEN

hen it comes to preparing for college, many students already have an idea of what to expect. They’ve rooted for their parents’ alma maters in football games since childhood, visited their older siblings’ dorm rooms, and been told by peers what AP classes they need to take to get into their preferred school. But for many aspiring higher education learners in Los Angeles – those who are first-generation Americans or the first of their families to even consider the possibility of attending college – there is no knowledge pipeline to pull from. No memories from their families to use as guidance. And little idea of how to achieve their dream. There’s a reason why the higher education system and later, high-earning jobs, are so far behind when it comes to diversity. Students of color face unique barriers to success across all communities and the challenges they face when they are young and trying to learn follow them through to every aspect of their budding lives. In the California public school system, 14 percent of African American students and 10 percent of Latino students drop out of high school compared to just 6 percent of white students. While the achievement gaps left by family income, race, and family life have persisted for decades, it’s only been in more recent memory that this major social problem has become a national priority – leading to important debates over how to fill the void and create a level playing field for all students. Helping children overcome these varied hurdles sometimes comes down to meeting them where they are based, and giving them the tools and community support they need in order to be the best versions of themselves. But schools and teachers aren’t always equipped to do this. Instead, the work comes down to countless volunteers and innovative nonprofit organizations who have realized that the education gaps

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J3 Foundation works to empower administration, teachers, parents, and the community to build strong readers.

can often be bridged by building community trust and offering resources outside of the school room. Supporting kids in need can be as simple as equipping them with basic necessities – like free reading glasses. According to the American Optometric Association, one in four children has vision problems. Despite this, most children in low-income areas won’t receive the glasses they need to see clearly at school. That handicap has a resounding impact. Students who can’t see what they are reading, are often labeled slow learners and are more likely to drop out, research shows. The nonprofit Vision to Learn is focused on creating easy and free access to students in need – with the idea that eyeglasses are more than just a tool; they offer a window into a world of learning. A recent 2021 study from John Hopkins University shows that potential can flourish when children are

| Los Angeles |

(Photo courtesy of J3 Foundation)

provided with the glasses they desperately need and that offering reading glasses are among the most effective interventions known to raise academic performance. Most children in underserved communities are eligible to receive eye care coverage under Medi-Cal, but as Austin Beutner, founder of Vision To Learn explains, “Coverage is not access.” Reading is a foundational education tool. The beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss once famously wrote: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Books offer people not just a learning opportunity, but on a deeper level, escapism. That’s why access to books is such a huge focus in Los Angeles. Public libraries offer readers free access to a never ending array of adventures, fantasies, and dreams. But, like the public school systems, not all neighborhoods have equal access to these free resources. Programs like The Book Truck and Access Books focus on getting books into the hands of children and teens in neighborhoods devoid of libraries or who go to schools whose libraries have limited resources to buy new literature. But sometimes, helping kids learn to read isn’t just about educational success, but it’s about escaping a harrowing alternative – a life behind bars. Studies show that two out of three students who cannot read proficiently by the end of fourth grade will end up incarcerated or on welfare as adults. “No one wants to say it, but the private prison system tracks a key number when predicting how many prisons will need to

be built for the next 10 years. That number is the third-grade illiteracy rate,” says Joe Blackstone, who co-founded J3 Foundation with his wife, Jamie Mohn, in 2018. The employees at J3 focus on helping students in Los Angeles’s Compton neighborhood avoid being another statistic by empowering them with literacy. The primary objective is to increase literacy rates in early childhood so that no child leaves the school system so under-educated and demoralized that going to prison is in their future. Through their innovative two-hour after-school Cozy Reading Club, young kids are placed in intimate groups where they do a variety of group activities from mindfulness meditation to sustained silent reading, all carefully designed to give them a safe space to explore a new relationship with books and create a positive bond with reading. Teachers there read aloud picture books to model fluent reading and afterwards ask students to reflect on the stories with the group and through journaling to continue to help them build their academic vocabularies and comprehension. A main part of J3’s mission is also to increase book access. All students have access to over 5,000 carefully curated diverse and inclusive books within the organization’s lending library program. Literacy is especially important in the state of California, where learning gaps have been found to be persistent. A 2020 study by the state’s Legislative Analyst office found that “Year

(Photo courtesy of J3 Foundation)

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“When it comes to empowering students in Los Angeles, it’s about more than just giving kids learning opportunities, it’s about understanding their limitations, their fears, and mostly, their dreams. And then helping them take full advantage of every chance they get.” after year, Latino and African American students consistently have lower average state standardized test scores than white and Asian students. Latino and African American students also tend to have worse outcomes on other academic performance measures, such as attendance and suspension rates.” Getting into college though, might be getting harder. The Supreme Court’s recent overturning of Affirmative Action means students of color will likely find it more competitive to get accepted into top tier colleges. Studies have found that in the nine states – including California – where race-based admissions were previously banned in favor of other programs styled to get more students of color into schools, they were ultimately unsuccessful. The University of California, for example, revealed consistently low enrollment rates for students of color, even with the large investment in alternative ways to boost diversity among applicants.

This reality means, for students of color, getting into college will require them to be more competitive. But how can disadvantaged children and youths possibly do this? “Sometimes you get messaging from students like, “We can’t do that” and you have to demystify that and say, “Yes, there are so many careers, whatever your interests are can be realized, you just have to have access,” said Jerome Greening, chief executive officer of PUENTE Learning Center. Located in the majority Hispanic “gateway” community of Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles, the nonprofit organization recognizes the knowledge barriers families have when it comes to understanding how elementary and high school success translates to real world empowerment. It works closely with the community from young education through college, to help students navigate the long process of college preparation and attain their ultimate dreams.

(Photo courtesy of J3 Foundation)

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For over 35 years, PUENTE Learning Center has built bridges to education for more than 120,000 students and community members.

Ismerai Calcaneo at PUENTE Learning Center’s College and Career day.

“The data speaks to the challenging aspects of the low education, low attainment level. The income in the community is at the poverty level and it’s compounded by the lack of available resources,” says Greening. “For us, it’s letting our families know there are resources and how to access them. That’s why we tell them GPA and taking AP classes and starting to explore your career so you can say what you’re interested in on your application is so important. That experience is what it takes to be successful for four years of high school, and then of course they keep going.” But students face just as many challenges after they’ve received their thick college acceptance packets in the mail. Once matriculated onto campus, it then becomes just as important that students are supported while they learn. The four years of college are pivotal moments for young adults – they should be fun and enlightening, helping them master the educational and life skills needed to embark on their chosen careers. Yet, college life can be a crash course for those who come from homes where no one else had graduated college, let alone high school. Furthermore, the challenges low-income and students of color face in college are not the same as those facing their peers. With that in mind, PUENTE offers a 10-year College and Career Program, which equips low-income youth of color with the tools and support they need to be successful in college and obtain a competitive degree. For a decade, participating students are offered college readiness classes, leadership training, scholarships, case management, and ongoing mentorship. The idea is about community. It makes sure students have people they can reach out to who understand their backgrounds and unique needs. While the graduation rates for college students of color are among the lowest in the nation, the percentages are even worse for kids who came out of the foster system or who are

(Photo courtesy of J3 Foundation)

the first in their family to make it to college. As little as 4% of foster youth receive their college diploma, according to a recent College Pathways report. And only 20% of first-generation college-goers put on a cap and gown, according to the U.S. Department of Education. So what happens after the pomp and circumstance, when life gets real? That’s where Ready to Succeed (RTS) comes in. The nonprofit organization is focused on getting students a diploma in hand and then onto life-long careers. “These kids are strong. They have made it to college. But they are still likely to fail because there are obstacles at every turn,” says RTS Co-Founder Patrick McCabe. “It’s easy to take for granted all the things parents do from giving advice about finances to simply providing confidence. At Ready to Succeed, we are kind of like parents, and we focus our efforts on providing scholars with what they need, when they need it.” Another aspect that the organization focuses on through a scholarship, is making sure students and those in their nascent

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careers can show up as their best selves – which means providing them with basic living expenses. Even with college scholarships, research shows that underserved students are on average $5,000 short of being able to meet their basic needs such as feeding themselves, paying rent, and purchasing school supplies. When it comes to empowering students in Los Angeles, it’s about more than just giving kids learning opportunities; it’s about understanding their limitations, their fears, and mostly, their dreams. And then helping them take full advantage of every chance they get. “We want to give them the opportunity to think about their future, not just survive,” says Romi Lassally, co-executive director and co-founder of RTS. According to Greening, CEO at PUENTE Learning Center, the goal at the end of the day isn’t just to help students create successful careers and hopefully happy lives – but to generate pride in themselves. To be resilient and proud of their own accomplishments. “It’s helping them get that concept of independence and self-sufficiency – that you’re equipped to do it all and that you’ve earned that life because you navigated all of those systems and your dreams have been realized.” A Vision To Learn client on their way to receiving a new pair of glasses.

PUENTE Learning Center students gather for a group photo on College and Career day.

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| Los Angeles |

“...the work comes down to countless volunteers and innovative nonprofit organizations who have realized that the education gaps can often be bridged by building community trust and offering resources outside of the school room.”

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J3 FOUNDATION

More Young Readers Means Fewer Prisons

iane Ausbon had every reason to drop fourth grader Jolonne from J3’s reading intervention program when he wouldn’t stop disrupting other students and disrespecting his teachers. Jolonne was reading two levels below his grade. But Ausbon, local Los Angeles Site Coordinator for J3 Foundation, knows well enough to persevere in these cases. “I didn’t want to see another young Black boy miss this phenomenal opportunity based on what I knew was his need to be seen, or on typical low expectations for Black children,” Ausbon recalls. Ausbon also knows that literacy can be the difference maker for staying out of prison. Studies show that two out of three students who cannot read proficiently by the end of fourth grade will end up incarcerated or on welfare as adults. It’s one of multiple key data points that guide the research-based programing of J3 Foundation, a nonprofit driven to increase child literacy in the Los Angeles area. J3’s high student-teacher ratio sets it apart. When Ausbon saw Jolonne struggling, she had the time and resources to truly reach him.

“As a team, we held onto this child,” she explains. Ausbon met with his teachers and his guardian, implementing advice from J3’s educational expert. As the year progressed, he volunteered to read with other students. He even started to help those students when they struggled with words. That is how J3 turns a failing student into a thriving leader. “No one wants to say it, but the private prison system tracks a key number when predicting how many prisons will need to be built for the next 10 years. That number is the third-grade illiteracy rate,” says Joe Blackstone, who co-founded J3 Foundation with his wife, Jamie Mohn, in 2018. The primary objective of J3 Foundation is to increase literacy rates in early childhood so that no child leaves the school system so illequipped and demoralized that prison is their inevitable future. J3 Foundation excels at everything needed to get there. Last year, its Cozy Reading Club, a free literacy program for fourth-graders, increased the reading levels of students by a grade and a half. “We have students who start out well be-

Currently serving Compton, Glendale, and Watts, J3 Foundation aims to grow our reach with your help. Our commitment to serving communities in need is reflected in our numbers. 90% of J3’s students come from low-income households, and 90% are students of color.

low grade level and are not excited to go to school,” says Outreach Coordinator Beth Anderson. “They’ve learned that school is a place where they can’t succeed and they spend their time getting reprimanded. When they come through J3, they get this passion for learning; this excitement. Their world opens up.” Jolonne is no exception. By the end of J3’s session, he was volunteering to read aloud. Hugging his favorite book he declared, “Now I can read anything.” And now he can BE anything.

appreciate J3 for the organization's commitment to doing everything possible when it comes to reading proficiency.

It's rewarding to see your dollars make an impact immediately. J3 Foundation is so well run that I don’t have to think twice about the actual support that’s being implemented. The rate they’re scaling is just amazing. J3 sees every child's potential and never gives up on its mission." “Nearly 800 students, we’ve more than doubled our reach in just one year!” Expanding their research-driven program into the classroom, as well as after-school, has J3 changing more lives than ever. “And the per-student costs dropped by more than half. The sky’s the limit!” declares Joe Blackstone, J3 Co-founder.

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| Los Angeles |

– Carron Brown

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

Matching Funds Challenge

he J3 Cozy Reading Club allows our Compton students, regardless of income or background, to receive high-quality after-school reading intervention.

$1,500 Funds a Young Reader

ne of the reasons J3 Foundation has been so effective is that it’s stayed laser focused on what it does best: O teaching kids to read. The Cozy Reading Club anticipates

As the Director of Educational Services and former K-8 school principal, I have seen how J3's Cozy Reading Club has impacted our students’ academic and social development and continues to do so each year.

serving 700+ students this year and J3 hopes to double that number by attracting more private donations. Creating a new reader who will grow up to be a positive contributor to society costs the organization just $1,500 annually. “I think it’s the best $1,500 we as a society could ever invest,” says Joe Blackstone, J3 Foundation co-founder. “And that number will go down as we get more students.” Glaser Weil will match every dollar raised, up to $10,000.

Most importantly, our students love attending J3 sessions! Thank you, J3 Foundation!"

– Jennifer Kang-Moon, Ed.D.

J3 Client and Director of Educational Services K-8 Compton Unified School District

Over 70% of inmates in America's prisons cannot read above a fourth-grade level.

Students currently take home two new books of their own every 10-week session. For kids who may have never owned a book before, building their own book collection is unfathomable without J3’s help. “That’ll be tough,” Blackstone notes. “We’re growing so fast, we need more books for these kids.”

“The first time he begged for 5 more minutes to read, I actually did cry.” - J3 Parent J3 intentionally lifts up the entire community with their program. Through parent education, hiring and training from the very neighborhoods they serve, and more, their halo effect is strong.

Snuggled up under fairy lights, in tents, and on beanbags, J3’s students build their reading skills. Crucially, they also build a lifelong love of reading, changing the trajectory of these kids' lives one book at a time.

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

Contact: Bobbie Boggs-Miller Director of Operations (310) 924-2422 bobbie@j3foundationla.org

KEY SUPPORTERS LA Lakers Youth Foundation Warner Bros-Discovery: BOLD CTBC Bank Corporation Glaser Weil LLP Armanino LLP TASCHEN Books Barry Family Foundation Joel & Sherry McKuin Humberto & Maria Gray The Book Foundation Ocean Direct Jeffrey & Nicole Westheimer Bob & Karina Matuszak

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: J3 Foundation 11693 San Vicente Blvd. #404 Los Angeles, CA 90049

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 35-2781785 By Credit Card:

www.j3foundationla.org/donate-givinglist

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LIGHTFORCE ONE

A Shining Example of Helping Under-Resourced Communities Become Self Sufficient

ightforce One is a shining example of the difference one human being can make when they concentrate a laser-like focus on doing that very thing. The name of the organization is perfectly fitting, because its founder, Dave Bauer, is quite simply a focused force bringing light, help, and solutions to underprivileged and underserved people and cultures around the globe. Although it initially grew out of Bauer’s own spiritual evolution, Lightforce One has made a significant impact on the most impoverished people in the most under-resourced places. Feeling increasingly disillusioned by organized religion, Bauer one day found himself down the rabbit hole of YouTube, when he stumbled upon a series of videos about poaching in Africa. Seeing the brutality visited upon rhinos and elephants for their ivory and horns, Bauer was so moved that he sprung into action, and contacted an organization that rescued and treated animal victims of failed poaching attempts. When Bauer discovered that the perpetrators were actually locals who simply lacked economic opportunity, he set out to help solve that problem. A week later, he was already helping an orphanage in Uganda. “I always find myself fighting for the underdog,” Bauer says. He discovered that he could contribute most by simply helping with basic needs: a well and irrigation system so that the community could grow more food. He sent the director of the orphanage the money to build a well and said, “just send me a picture of the progress.” A week later he had a picture of a 40-foot hole with water in the bottom. “When I saw that picture I knew that I had made a lasting difference in a thousand lives, and the feeling you get from that is completely indescribable.” Lightforce One was born out of Bauer’s deep-rooted desire to give people the opportunity to feel what he had felt, to do “God’s work,” as he says, without any deference or devotion to a particular religion,

In charity, you send a bag of beans and say, "Here's a bag of food." In philanthropy, you send a bag of beans and say, "Here's a bag of seeds."

denomination, or dogma. Once the well was finished, Bauer focused on what else he could do to make that community more self-sufficient. They built a chicken house that continues to raise 400 chickens yearly, who produce eggs and can also be sold for profit to be reinvested in the community. That led to a metal fabrication project that is now underway. When completed, the community will be able to produce their own metal fixtures, which will allow them to build their own houses, as well as sell to communities beyond theirs. Lightforce One has also funded a brick-making machine for the same community, enabling them to make and sell bricks for structures in the community. This has led community members to start their own bricklaying business.

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."

Lightforce One works to uplift and empower the underprivileged and the marginalized of the world.

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| Los Angeles |

– Mawanda Abel

Executive Director, St. Kizito Hope for Orphans

Your Donations Help Provide Lasting Solutions for Those in Need What We Need: $50,000

When we have helped someone who has no means to repay us, we discover the true meaning of life. Each and every one of us has the power to make the world a better place!

• To establish and promote AA and NA groups in Uganda and Pine Ridge Indian Reservation • To start a metal fabrication project in Uganda • To start a pig farm in Uganda • To train and tool out an appliance repair technician on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

According to the data of the World Bank, the whole continent of Africa is the region with the lowest per capita income and its per capita income is only 3 percent of the world's income. Pine Ridge is the most economically challenged community in the United States and among the most challenged in the western hemisphere.

ightforce One is unique in its focus on clear-cut, achievable goals that can be accomplished by their target communities with the right help – interventions 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 community 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

KEY SUPPORTERS

SCAN TO MAKE A DONATION...

Susan Painter, California K.C. Ale, California Oliver Santos, California Fran Reichenbach, North Carolina

...AND LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHTFORCE ONE

Lightforce One www.lightforceone.org 10875 Wheatland Avenue Shadow Hills, CA 91040 (818) 823-3892

Contact: Dave Bauer President (818) 823-3892 dave@lightforceone.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Lightforce One, Inc. 10875 Wheatland Avenue Shadow Hills, CA 91040

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 83-2419834 By Credit Card: donate.lightforceone.org/empowerment-2024

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READY TO SUCCEED

Ready To Succeed Empowers Underserved Students to Graduate College and Launch Successful Careers

Ready to Succeed Scholars and alums come together to share their stories and talk about their career dreams

ew foster youth and first-generation college students ever make it to their graduation. The numbers are dismal. As little as 4% of foster youth receive their college diploma, according to a recent College Pathways report. And only 20% of first-generation college-goers put on a cap and gown, according to the U.S. Department of Education. “Making sure these underserved students graduate college and find a job is critically important because they have no safety net and

eing part of Ready to Succeed I feel like I have a real family. Growing up in the foster care system, with RTS I feel I have a family that's an all-around support system. RTS prepped me for the career I have now, and it feels like a dream come true."

– Ashtyn C. RTS Alumna

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most have no home to go back to,” says Romi Lassally, executive director and co-founder of Ready to Succeed (RTS). As a first-generation college-goer herself, Lassally’s experience navigating the professional and educational worlds has informed RTS, a nonprofit dedicated to helping underrepresented students graduate college and secure career-track jobs at record rates. The holistic program provides personalized career coaching, paid internship experiences, mental health and wellness support, and annual scholarship funding that covers basic needs. With the assistance and commitment of RTS, 90% of first-generation and foster youth graduate and 92% have a career-track job within six months of graduation. “These kids are strong. They have made it to college. But they are still likely to fail because there are obstacles at every turn,” says RTS Co-Founder Patrick McCabe. “It’s easy to take for granted all the things parents do from giving advice about finances to simply providing confidence. At Ready to Succeed, we are kind of like parents, and we focus our efforts on providing scholars with what they need, when they need it.” | Los Angeles |

Deborah became an RTS scholar in 2019. She was a bright, motivated student, who had been eagerly accepted into UCLA on scholarship. But at RTS they understand impressing an admissions board is just one of the many challenges atrisk students face on the road to success. “Getting into college is one thing, but being able to stay in school is a totally different thing,” says Deborah. “It was very hard without financial or family support.” Deborah’s mother died in 2006, when she was just five years old. Without parental support to guide her, the odds were stacked against Deborah as they often are stacked against underserved youth. But with help from the team at RTS, Deborah graduated from UCLA this year. Soon she will start her Master of Education, on track to a career with the Los Angeles Unified School District. “To receive this support made me happy and overwhelmed with sentimental feelings because I wasn’t used to receiving this level of support,” says Deborah. “Ready to Succeed provided me with access to knowledge and personalized support that I wouldn’t have access to otherwise.”

RTS Alum and recent grad Sherrie B. feeling confident, empowered, and ready to embark on her dream career

Your Generosity Allows Students to Focus on Building their Careers with college scholarships, research shows that underserved students are on average $5,000 short of being Eableven to meet their basic needs including food, rent, and school

supplies. To bridge this gap, Ready to Succeed (RTS) is starting a basic needs scholarship. “Students often have to take on two and three jobs just to make ends meet, often preventing them from graduating college and launching a career,” says Romi Lassally, co-executive director and co-founder of RTS. “We want to give them the opportunity to think about their future, not just survive.” When you donate today, your generosity can allow students to pay for their basic needs, propelling them one step closer to a successful career and a bright future. $100 - Pays for one week of basic needs support $500 - Pays for one month of basic needs support $1,250 - Pays for three months of basic needs support $5,000 - Pays for an entire year of basic needs support - most impactful level of support!

McCabe Service fellows come together to share what they learned from their summer internships

54% of all college graduates are first-generation, but are unprepared to enter the workforce KEY SUPPORTERS

eing a Ready to Succeed scholar is a pivotal opportunity for foster youth. It truly is life changing."

– Jarl Mohn

President Emeritus of NPR, RTS Supporter, and Former Foster Youth

Ready to Succeed www.readytosucceedla.org 1514 17th Street, Ste. 201 Santa Monica, CA 90404 (424) 581-6296

Contact: Frances Hardy Director of Development (424) 453-2445 frances@readytosucceedla.org

Ric and Suzanne Kayne 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 Aramont Charitable Foundation

Ralph M Parsons Foundation Herbert R. and Jeanne C. Mayer Foundation Sam Simon Charitable Foundation Dwight Stuart Youth Fund Mohn Family Foundation Department of Education and Congressman Ted Lieu Wurwand Foundation The SAM Initiative

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Ready to Succeed 1514 17th Street, Ste. 201 Santa Monica, CA 90404

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 83-2282113 By Credit Card: www.readytosucceedla.org/donate

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PUENTE LEARNING CENTER

PUENTE Learning Center – Delivering Quality Education for Lifelong Achievement “M

y family and I have supported PUENTE Learning Center for many years because we firmly believe in the power of education to improve lives. Everyone should have the tools to succeed, no matter their zip code, income, or ethnic background. It is so impressive that PUENTE has created such a welcoming environment for the Boyle Heights community to access vital resources. Now more than ever, nonprofits must nurture the trust and confidence of their clients, and PUENTE continues to do just that. PUENTE Learning Center is helping to create a better and stronger Los Angeles, and I am so grateful for their high-impact work.”

– Rich Webster

Co-President and Treasurer of the Helen and Will Webster Foundation

uring her undergraduate studies at UC Davis, Nelly Escalante wrestled with what many first-generation college students encounter: imposter syndrome. Often one of the only Latina students in her class, Escalante found herself grappling with feelings of inadequacy and a sense of not truly belonging. Until she found the support and confidence she needed at PUENTE Learning Center. Since she was a freshman in high school, Escalante, now 22, has participated in PUENTE’s College and Career Program, which equips low-income youth of color with the tools and support they need to be successful in college and obtain a competitive degree. The program, which makes a 10-year commitment to all participating students, includes college readiness classes, leadership training, scholarships, case management, and mentorship. “With PUENTE, I always felt I had a community I could reach out to who would understand where I was coming from,” Escalante says. Since 1985, PUENTE Learning Center has been a community hub located in the heart of Boyle Heights, a largely immigrant community east of downtown Los Angeles. Each year, 2,000 children, teenagers, and adults come to PUENTE to receive training to set them up for

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success in their educational and career pathways. During the last four years, PUENTE has grown its College and Career Program by 161% from 178 students to 465 young people today. Ninety-seven percent of high school seniors who took part in the program enrolled in college. “It’s not enough just to make sure young people get out of high school, because it’s that post-secondary degree – associate, bachelor’s, master’s or PhD – that will dramatically amplify their choices and enhance their lifetime earnings,” Jerome Greening, PUENTE’s CEO, says. PUENTE, Spanish for bridge, grabs the opportunities that may seem out of reach and makes them possible. In addition to its college program, PUENTE also offers its community a preschool, an elementary school, career guidance and preparation, and adult education and workforce development classes. Escalante, the daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico and El Salvador who was raised in Boyle Heights, graduated in June with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Medical Microbiology. In the fall, she will begin her pursuit of a PhD in Immunity, Microbes, and Molecular Pathogenesis at UCLA. Before attending UC Davis, Escalante never even considered going to graduate school. But with | Los Angeles |

PUENTE’s mentorship, support, and guidance, she now hopes to perform research for a government agency where she can investigate emerging pathogens and make a positive impact in the world. “During college, PUENTE was like a little piece of home that would keep me motivated every time we met. It has given me hope that no matter where I go, I will have a community of people that truly care for my success and well-being,” Escalante says.

Put a Young Person on a Path to College With a Gift of $3,000 Learning Center’s College and Career Program has an astounding success rate, with 97% of high school seniors in PtheUENTE program enrolling in college. From there, PUENTE follows the students through post-secondary school, helping them leverage their talents for the workforce. In order to maintain its efforts in preparing young people on their path to college or the workforce, PUENTE is asking for individual donations to cover program costs including $3,000 scholarships for books, food, access to paid internships, case management, and counselors. The total amount of money needed is $450,000 to fund the program through 2024.

In California, which has the highest Latino population, only 22% of Latino adults have earned an associate's degree or higher, compared to 56% of their white counterparts. KEY SUPPORTERS Richard Riordan and Elizabeth Gregory Riordan Helen and Will Webster Foundation Rose Hills Foundation Citi Foundation – Community Progress Maker Award Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Robert Tuttle and Maria Hummer-Tuttle UnidosUS Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation

California Community Foundation Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation Snell & Wilmer Citizens Business Bank Nike – Community Impact Fund USC – Good Neighbors Program Leticia Acosta Asolva Inc. LA84 Foundation Los Angeles Lakers Youth Fund

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

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: PUENTE Learning Center 501 S. Boyle Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90033

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

www.puente.org/donate/

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VISION TO LEARN

Providing Glasses To Help Children Succeed in School "V

ision To Learn is making sure that access to a pair of glasses never stands between children and their ability to see the board, read a book, or participate in class. It is such a cost-effective yet powerful way to improve a child’s learning experience and make sure they do not fall behind. Vision To Learn helps some of the hardest-to-reach children and your donations will mean more students receiving the eye care and glasses they need to learn and live clearly.”

– Nicholas Kristof

Providing students in need with glasses helps them gain 2-6 months of additional learning time.

ix-year-old Yahaira’s favorite part of school was looking at picture books. But as her vision became worse, she couldn’t enjoy storytime with the rest of her classmates. This all changed when Vision To Learn visited her school, giving Yahaira a vision screening, eye exam, a prescription, and a pair of glasses all at no cost. “I’m happy to have these glasses because I can do so many things. I can hula hoop, play with dogs, and draw pictures,” said Yahaira. Yahaira’s story is a common one in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles County. According to the American Optometric Association, one in four children has vision problems. Despite this, most children in lowincome areas don’t receive the glasses they need to see clearly at school. Instead, children like Yahaira are too frequently labeled “slow” learners and are more likely to drop out of school. The real tragedy is that our country has the resources to prevent this. Most children in underserved communities are eligible to receive eye care coverage under Medi-Cal. But as Austin Beutner, founder of Vision To Learn (VTL) reminds us: “Coverage is not access.” At VTL, the team strives to solve vision care inequality at the source. VTL provides vision screenings, eye exams and glasses to all children in need at no cost to them or their families, while working with government partners to advocate for greater vision care accessibility. With help from dedicated donors, since their founding in 2012, VTL has made great progress towards their mission to help every child in need get the glasses they need. Last year alone, VTL provided more than 80,000 children with glasses they needed but did not have, in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Without VTL’s intervention, these children would be left with vision problems that, at best, will set back their education and, at worst, could be caused by a condition like amblyopia or strabismus that, left untreated, may cause permanent blindness. A groundbreaking 2021 study from Johns Hopkins University showed

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Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist

the potential that is unlocked when children are provided with the glasses they desperately need. According to the study, providing children with glasses is among the most effective interventions known to raise academic performance. By simply helping these children see clearly, academic performance improved above and beyond other, more complicated school-wide initiatives such as lengthening the school day, buying iPads, or creating charter schools. Providing students with glasses was also the most cost-effective solution. From initial screening to providing the actual glasses, VTL only needs to spend $150 to treat each child. While Vision To Learn has visited thousands of schools and provided millions of children with no-cost vision care and eyeglasses, there are still millions more underserved students out there who need glasses and are struggling to see the board, focus on a book, read a computer screen, or catch a ball. VTL needs your support to allow these children to focus on their future.

Vision To Learn's mobile vision clinics help kids at schools and community organizations every day.

| Los Angeles |

For Just $150, You Can CHANGE a Child’s Life a student comes to school with a physical disability, state law the school to make accommodations. But we don’t have “Ithefrequires same legal requirement for glasses. Yet hundreds of thousands

of kids in the state of California go to school and cannot see the board, cannot read a book, and cannot fully participate in class simply because they don’t have this one basic tool,” says Damian Carroll, Vision To Learn’s national director and chief of staff. These students already have the power to succeed inside of them. Underserved California students can reach their potential by simply being provided with the glasses they need to see and thrive. For $150, you can sponsor a child’s eye care and change the course of their life. For $25,000, your contribution will help an entire school reach their potential.

On average, 1 out of 4 students needs glasses. In underserved communities, up to 95% of students who need glasses, don't have them. KEY SUPPORTERS Beutner Family Foundation Blue Meridian Partners Boeing Global Engagement Foundation Deerbrook Charitable Trust Focusing Philanthropy Frank McHugh-O’Donovan Foundation, Inc. L.A. Clippers Foundation L.A. Dodgers Foundation MetLife OneSight Essilor Luxottica Foundation Panda Cares Shea Family Charities Silicon Valley Community Foundation Sobrato Philanthropies The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation Warby Parker Warriors Community Foundation

Vision To Learn www.visiontolearn.org 12100 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1275 Los Angeles, CA 90025 (800) 485-9196

Contact: Damian Carroll National Director and Chief of Staff (310) 893-2336 damian@visiontolearn.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Vision To Learn 12100 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1275 Los Angeles, CA 90025

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 45-3457853 By Credit Card:

www.visiontolearn.org/donate/

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From Growing up in Poverty to Challenging and Solving Some of LA’s Toughest Social Issues By Brian Rinker

iguel A. Santana, a lifelong Angeleno and selfdescribed “generalist,” has dedicated decades of his life to addressing some of the most critical issues facing Southern California. His career has spanned across sectors – public and private, nonprofit and philanthropy – all in pursuit of advancing social justice, economic equity, and racial equality in Los Angeles. From responding to the homeless crisis to overseeing financial matters at City Hall to championing infrastructure for arts and culture, Santana’s efforts have touched upon the many significant issues that define the social challenges of Southern California. After running the Weingart Foundation since 2021, Santana has recently been chosen to lead the California Community Foundation (CCF), a philanthropic organization with $2.3 billion in assets and an over-100-year-old legacy in Southern California. In a conversation with The Giving List, Santana shares his personal journey from growing up in poverty to becoming a leading figure in philanthropy and social change in Los Angeles. Q: You have an impressive background in social justice. What inspires you to do this type of work? A: Frankly, it stems from my own personal background. I was raised by parents who were undocumented and experienced the hardships of poverty growing up in Bell Gardens. I was the first in my family to go to college. At 19, I became a young father, and with that came all the challenges of teenage parenthood. In many ways, the issues that I have worked on throughout my career are rooted in those early experiences. They cemented my commitment to improving the lives and the opportunities for Angelenos. How do your experiences growing up in poverty shape how you approach philanthropy? In philanthropy, we talk a lot about the theory of change, which is a framework that lays out the process for how philanthropy can make a social impact. For me, it’s not a theory, it’s a life purpose, given my proximity to the issues. I would argue my experiences growing up are more relevant than my education or

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my résumé. At the end of the day, CCF’s role is to reimagine and build a more equitable Los Angeles for all Angelenos, particularly those who have been historically marginalized. Being able to connect with the families, the organizations, and the leaders who are doing this work day in and day out is really where the rubber meets the road. It’s much more important to me than delivering a beautiful report or a wonderful grant. If it’s not making a real impact in the community, then it doesn’t matter. Assessing that impact comes from conversations and relationships with the community. The community tells us whether things are working or not. Their experience is the one that most matters. What about the mission of CCF resonated with you as you prepared to assume leadership? The mission of CCF is to advance the civic agenda and move all Angelenos forward. That’s been my mission since I started this work. The real strength of CCF is that it operates in collaboration with others; it rarely does anything on its own. CCF brings

| Los Angeles |

together donors, civic leaders, elected officials, and community members to respond to the systemic failures of our community, from the homeless crisis to education to access to healthcare to immigration rights. The Foundation creates a common space where the different sectors can come together around shared values, shared outcomes, and a shared vision for the future. How has your time at the Weingart Foundation prepared you for CCF? I’m really proud of the work we’ve accomplished at the Weingart Foundation, where I led efforts to integrate our grant-making with our investment strategies. In the fiscal year 2023, the foundation made about $38 million worth of grants and made $50 million of mission-driven impact investments. Our ability to have an impact is significantly greater when we align the mission that drives grant-making with the same mission to drive investment decisions. At the Weingart Foundation, we broke free of the notion that there is a firewall between the grant-making and the investment side of the house. As a result, we’ve been able to have a much greater impact on the issues facing our community. I’m hoping to borrow that and share it with CCF. I hope that philanthropy, as a whole, starts moving in that direction. What is the difference between grant-making and impact investing and what does it actually mean to integrate them? A grant is a gift. You don’t expect a return. At the Weingart Foundation, we give unrestricted grants to support nonprofit

“The community tells us whether things are working or not. Their experience is the one that most matters.”

Antonia Hernández (Left), the late Gloria Molina (Center), and Miguel A. Santana (Right) at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes dinner.

organizations. We trust them to use those dollars as they see best to deliver on a mission that’s in alignment with our values and principles. When I talk about breaking through that philanthropic firewall, I am talking about applying the philosophy of grant-making to investments. For example, we can use part of the foundation’s endowment and invest it in housing solutions or invest it toward supporting new developers of color. Or we could invest it in solutions for environmental impacts and climate change. The difference is that those investments do have an expectation of return. The goal is that by investing in existing private sector-driven approaches to address society’s systemic issues, we will help further advance their technologies or solutions to an even greater impact. You follow after the long-running President and CEO Antonia Hernández. You have big shoes to fill. I’ve known Antonia Hernández for 30 years. She gave me my first job in the civic space when she was president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. In many ways, I owe much of my career to Antonia. I am very fortunate to be able to steward an organization that she so brilliantly led. It’s not intimidating at all. It’s actually quite an honor to be able to do that.

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Fighting Food Insecurity From growing healthy food in front yard farms for struggling neighbors to feeding displaced immigrant families suddenly out of work, food insecurity knows no boundaries. But the will and the drive to help feed others continues to flourish.

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How Grassroots Organizations Are Fighting Food Insecurity, One Meal at a Time BY ANNA DIMOND

os Angeles is a city of creative dreams and cinematic productions. It’s a place where starry-eyed people flock, and which exports culture-defining stories to the world. Stories, though, aren’t L.A.’s only export. When it comes to sheer volume and impact, food might be on equal footing. L.A. County is the second-biggest exporter of food in the United States, contributing 6.5 billion pounds to the country’s food system each year, with a crop value of more than $177.5 million. L.A. imports food, too: At seven billion pounds, it’s the third-largest importer in the U.S. Yet, despite this literal cornucopia, as of August 2023, one in four households in the county – one million households total – experienced food insecurity. That’s an uptick of 6% since last year, according to a recent report from the University of Southern California, and the highest rate of county-wide food insecurity since 2010. Of those, Black and Latinos are more than twice as likely than white residents to experience food insecurity, says Kayla de la Haye, who directs USC’s Institute for Food System Equity. There are a myriad of forces that, collectively, cause and exacerbate food insecurity. Among them are poverty, fear of legal repercussions – which can be particularly true for undocumented immigrants – as well as language barriers, and access to childcare. Food insecurity isn’t just about quantity, but also quality. Food deserts – where affordable, high-quality food is farther than walking distance – are places where that access is even tougher. In Los Angeles, for example, South L.A. has long been a food desert where multiple factors, from economics to distance, make finding high-nutrition food a challenge. A lack of both quantity and quality com-

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pounds the problem and can trigger a cascade of health issues, especially for children. “The consequences of this can really set these kids on to poor trajectories for their health and their well-being in the long run,” said De la Haye, in an interview with LAist. “They may have more trouble concentrating, more risk for anxiety.” It was that question of quality, in fact, that in 2017 prompted Jamiah Hargins, the founder of nonprofit Crop Swap, to plant his first vegetable garden. He was traveling often for work and expecting his first child when he began to notice that eating on the road didn’t have much in the way of health benefits. He started imagining having to feed his daughter that way, too. Gazing at his backyard one day, his home-grown idea took root.

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Yet, despite this literal cornucopia, as of August 2023, one in four households in L.A. county – one million households total – experienced food insecurity.

money, an agricultural mentor and a team of volunteers, Hargins launched Asante Microfarm, a member-based farm in View Park, Los Angeles. For $60 each month, residents living within one mile of the front-yard farm could get weekly bags of fresh produce. Sustainability and community are built into Asante’s ethos, starting with the no-dropwasted approach to water conservation and extending to the low carbon impact of local food pickups. Today, Asante is one of three farms in the Crop Swap organization, which collectively employs 17 people, feeds 70 families (215 people) each week, and has a fourth farm in the works. While the produce helps close the access gap in the neighborhoods they serve, the role the farms play goes far beyond food – encompassing culture, community, and economics.

But what began as a project to feed his family well soon blossomed into something much bigger. Within a few months of planting his garden, Hargins had more produce than he could eat, so he invited green-thumbed neighbors to swap surplus crops. The meetup was a success, and prompted him to launch, briefly, a local farmers market. But a turning point came in 2020. That year, he won a grant from LA2050, an organization aimed at making social change in the city. “The idea was to take over front yards of homes and do our best to grow food,” said Hargins. “I didn’t even have a business plan at that point.” Yet, the project flourished – literally. With the grant

No Us Without You currently distributes over 40,000 pounds of food every month.

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For Hargins, the first impact of this work is his presence. “The fact that this is a Black neighborhood [where I live], a lot of folks didn’t expect a new homeowner here to be a young Black man,” he said. Being a leader who looks like his neighbors, he said, has been powerful. The next is economic – $60 for a month’s worth of high-quality produce, especially in L.A., is a bargain. Finally, the farms have become community hubs for the urban farmers and neighborhoods alike. In addition to the memberships, Crop Swap hosts gardening workshops, school events, and garden installations. “People feel like there’s a sense of love and ease and kindness in our spaces,” said Hargins. “Volunteers consistently show up for years. Yesterday two people in Leimert Park asked me for a job within an hour. We’re showing that there’s power in kindness.” The data backs up Hargins’s experience. The Larta Institute, a think tank on food equity, pointed to the power of the practice as a source of community resilience, economic savings and opportunity, as well as sustainability. A 2023 report they issued with the Los Angeles Food Policy Council underscored that halo effect: “Urban growers respond to their community’s desire for quality food and engage with their neighbors to develop trust. Knowledge sharing has fostered networks… [that] facilitate grant applications, resource sharing, creative im-

Urban farmer, Ryan, after Sunday Harvest.

plementation, and assistance with permitting processes.” Growing food is a multifaceted tool to combat food insecurity. But for Othón Nolasco and Damián Diaz, providing meals for L.A. families started not in the yard, but the restaurant kitchen. In March 2020, they had just hired a staff of front- and back-

Comprised of chefs, bartenders, bar managers, and brand workers, the No Us Without You team comes together every day to work hard and take care of the people who took care of them every day in their careers.

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of-house workers to open a new dining venue when establishments across the city shut down due to COVID. The two were longtime bartenders and much of their staff were undocumented immigrants, without access to unemployment funds or government aid. As service workers’ income city-wide came to a halt, the pair decided to give groceries to their staff for a few weeks, with an eye to helping their friends in the short-term. Soon, though, word spread. It wasn’t long before they were feeding more people than they could reasonably afford. Within a few months, they became a 501c3 called No Us Without You (NUWYLA), and began to secure grant money to meet the growing need. At its height, the organization served 1,700 families, said Nolasco. More recently, that number has dropped to 600 – not because the need had faded, but because, post-pandemic, donations shifted. He and Diaz have a waiting list at the ready. But food insecurity, they know, didn’t start with the global pandemic, and it didn’t end with it, either. While many of the families they serve have been able to return to work, restaurants aren’t open as long as they were before 2020; in turn, workers’ hours are often cut. And, the savings that families used up during that time, combined with debts they acquired – to pay things like rent, phone bills, or school supplies – are still taking a toll. Nolasco knows families whose children might do their homework parked outside a McDonald’s to access the WiFi; others who might miss a grocery pickup because they sold their car to fund their rent. “I think people in our program, if they could, would just be back to normal and not have any debt and not get food from our program,” said Nolasco. “That would be their main goal.” Still, NUWYLA has been a lifeline for many – from a displaced Ukrainian family on the West Side to an elderly woman on the East. Because of its community reach and trust, people who might fear interacting with the government, or face technical barriers, bureaucratic hurdles or language issues, among other things, are receiving essential services that they might not otherwise get. Even for those who can navigate getting government services, said Nolasco, the eligibility requirements can be narrow and the benefits short-lived.

No Us Without You partners, Othón Nolasco (right) and Damián Diaz (left).

No Us Without You LA has transformed Va’La Hospitality’s Boyle Heights office into a food distribution center.

No Us Without You LA team hard at work.

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There are a myriad of forces that, collectively, cause and exacerbate food insecurity. Among them are poverty, fear of legal repercussions – which can be particularly true for undocumented immigrants – as well as language barriers, and access to childcare.

No Us Without You crew preparing boxes for distribution to those in need.

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“Women and children’s [WIC] is great,” he said. “But you only qualify for so long and so much.” In contrast, NUWYLA has “built rapport with families in need, and everything’s been word of mouth.” Much of that rapport has come as a result of Díaz’s outreach. He gives families his phone number, and keeps detailed spreadsheets of every participant and every need, beyond food alone. Last year, he said, a participant who had saved up to buy a toolkit for work was devastated when it was stolen from his truck. Díaz put the word out to the NUWYLA network and within weeks, the participant had been gifted a new set, all through donations. “This is the type of work that we’re doing,” said Díaz. “It starts with a box of food but it ends with whatever needs to be met. “We’re not here to be a welfare,” he continued. “We’re not here to enable people. We’re here to get folks where they need to be financially, spiritually, and physically.” (Photo courtesy of No Us Without You)

Crop Swap LA Asante Microfarm in View Park.

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CROP SWAP LA

Crop Swap LA Helps Urban Communities Grow Healthy Food

f you drive through South Los Angeles these days, you might come across a seemingly incongruous sight sprouting from the urban sprawl: farms. Urban farms, to be exact. Erected in the front and back yards of neighborhood homes, these “microfarms” are the handiwork of Crop Swap LA. This nonprofit organization empowers communities to grow their own food using underutilized neighborhood spaces, creating sustainable jobs and local, nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables for those most affected by food insecurity. Crop Swap LA is the brainchild of Jamiah Hargins, who has volunteered in community gardens and farms for his entire adult life. But when his daughter, Triana, was born five years ago, he started to think more seriously about the need to feed not only his daughter “the healthiest food,” but for communities in general to be able to control their food supply for their best health outcomes. Turning his thoughts into action, Crop Swap LA was born. Adhering to the adage, “Feed a person a fish, they eat for a day; teach them how to fish, they eat for a lifetime,” Crop Swap LA trains and hires locals to farm their own community. Using his own yard as a workshop, Hargins began to teach fellow community members the most advanced modern farming techniques. Two years later, the first microfarm, erected in a neighbor’s front yard, was ready for its maiden harvest. Crop Swap LA’s microfarm model uses recycled rain water and upcycled materials to produce hyper-local organically grown vegetables and fruits. One microfarm typically produces enough produce to feed 20-50 families on a weekly basis. Neighbors in the community pay a small fee for a bag of fresh produce (on average half the cost of what a local high-end organic market would charge). Community members on food assistance programs pay a nominal fee. Each microfarm also offers impactful environmental advantages including pollinator-friendly native crops, zero pesticide use, regenerative farming techniques, and significantly reduced water usage (one microfarm uses only around 10% of the water a lawn might require). The ideal Crop Swap LA member, accord-

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Asante Microfarm in View Park.

ing to Hargins, is “the grandma across the street who lives in an apartment building, who cannot grow her own food.” Anyone in the neighborhood can volunteer their yard to be farmed, though to make sure the food stays hyperlocal, members must live within one mile of the microfarms. Once a plot of land is offered up, Crop Swap LA takes care of the rest. The program currently employs 21 trained urban farmers and administrators and pays them to farm in the middle of South Los Angeles. The microfarms also serve as community beautification and a place for neighbors to | Los Angeles |

gather, each replete with waterfalls and ponds. They not only provide available jobs, but each farm fosters a greater sense of community, neighborhood, and pride. Although Crop Swap LA was launched primarily during the pandemic, Hargins and crew used his oft repeated mantra to endure and sprout: “Black excellence is a seed; you just need to add water.” While Crop Swap LA is currently adding water to soil in farms all over South LA, it is also now a globally recognized institution and movement.

REVOLUTIONIZING the Neighborhood Garden $10,000 donation buys 100 meals that include 1,200 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to Crop Swap LA A community members. What it buys in resource conservation and community spirit is priceless.

e believe that urban farming plays a vital role in the health and well-being of our environment and all Angelenos. Crop Swap LA is a vibrant and effective example of how urban farming can make a positive impact, and they fulfill their mission with joy that is contagious! The Butterfly Equity Foundation is a proud supporter of Crop Swap LA."

– Emily Parker

Executive Director, Butterfly Equity Foundation

Sample harvest

Over 50% of food retail stores in South Los Angeles neighborhoods do not sell fresh fruits and vegetables.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Founder and Executive Director Jamiah Hargins

Crop Swap LA www.cropswapla.org 3753 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018 (213) 314-5240

Contact: John Garside Director of Policy and Development (310) 321-2875 john@cropswapla.org

Almuhtada Smith Mary MacVean Arman Walker Butterfly Equity Foundation California Community Foundation Clif Family Foundation United States Department of Agriculture

LA2050 Los Angeles Unified School District State of California St. Mark UMC Church United Way Greater Los Angeles Eat the Change Ethos Giving

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: By DAF or Stock Transfer: Growing Communities, Inc Tax ID# 87-3247920 dba Crop Swap LA By Credit Card: 3753 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018 www.cropswapla.org/donate

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NO US WITHOUT YOU LA

No Us Without You Feeds the Most Vulnerable

he families deserve our support and love. The system has turned its back on the very people who are the foundation of our food system. NUWY offers an opportunity to make things right. Plus it's a joy to be a part of such a kind caring community, the families are wonderful."

No Us Without You LA provides food security, free of charge to underserved communities in the greater Los Angeles area. These communities include back of house restaurant staff and street vendors with a focus on feeding mothers and children in need. We are Humans Helping Humans.

hree years after a global pandemic ground the world to a halt, California’s COVID-19 state of emergency was finally lifted this year. But for some families, the ripple effect of those hard years isn’t over, especially for back of house workers who bore the brunt of economic hardship and illness

“It’s hard to condense all my feelings about being a part of this into one sentence. Any one of these families could be that of a former cook or sous chef who I've worked with over the last 40 years. It often brings me to tears.” – Chef Kim Muller

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without a safety net. “It’s hard to go from 80 hours a week, when you’re basically working six to seven days a week, two or three jobs, to having zero income. So whatever small savings you have is gone,” says Othon Nolasco, co-founder of the nonprofit No Us Without You. “The families that we serve have not recovered financially.” As these families rebuild, they are also facing new challenges of inflation, rising housing costs, and labor disruptions, as the world returns to some form of “normal.” No Us Without You gives immigrant workers, hospitality and restaurant workers, housekeepers, day laborers, and street food vendors a critical safety net by providing their families with healthy, fresh food several times a month to help maintain stability. Veterans of the hospitality and bartending industry, Othon Nolasco and Damian Diaz started No Us Without You when the pandemic hit as a way to help the kitchen and waitstaff workers (and their families) who suddenly found themselves without income and without access to the government assistance that was keeping millions of Americans afloat. The need | Los Angeles |

– Silamith Mclean Volunteerx

vastly exceeded their expectations. So they expanded their efforts and grew No Us Without You. They soon found themselves giving 100,000 pounds of food weekly to more than 1,600 families in crisis during the pandemic, working to stave off hunger and provide relief. Now through food recovery, donations, and their own organic garden in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District, No Us Without You serves 700 families and has a waitlist. Their staff has shrunk from 10 to a volunteer skeleton crew of four, but they still provide food three weeks out of each month and can feed a family of four for the low cost of $33. Their goal is to serve all of those on the waitlist and help feed the next generation. “Living in California and having the bountiful wealth of produce, citrus, poultry, seafood, and the livestock that we are all able to enjoy – the majority of that food is touched, cared for, harvested, packaged, and oftentimes cooked and served to us by immigrants,” says Nolasco. His organization puts politics aside and nourishes those who help nourish us. “At the end of the day, we are feeding mothers and children.”

“W

Your Donation is a Food Safety Net for Mothers and Children

e may not be able to address all of the challenges the families we serve face, but together hopefully we can help them not worry where their next meal will come from."

o Us Without You feeds a family of four for $33 via donations, food recovery, and their own self-sufficient N garden and event space in Los Angeles. The organization

– Nora Hernandez

Volunteer

gives immigrant workers a critical safety net and food security for their families. Serving 700 families three times per month with an all-volunteer staff, they hope to grow their services and eliminate their waitlist in the coming year. A donation of $4,000 per month would fully go towards serving an extra 200 families and help feed the next generation.

“I volunteered because I loved the cause. Just seeing how grateful the families and even the children are for the help they are being given.”

Humble Beginnings. Conceived out of frustration, necessity, an '08 Chevy truck, a few friends volunteering their time, bags of food and ten families; No Us Without You LA was born March 2020.

"I firmly believe in the mission of the organization and find the work that all volunteers do to be very commendable. This year I wanted to do more hands-on work in my community and decided to reach out to be of service. I also think NUWY has done a great job in building community, which is something we can all benefit from, especially during these tough times”

$33 Feeds a family of 4 for 1 week No Us Without You LA 768 S. Boyle Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90023 www.nouswithoutyou.la

Contact: Othón Nolasco Co-Founder 213.645.8600 othon@nouswithoutyou.la

KEY SUPPORTERS Lululemon Diageo PLC Heinekin USA Tito's Vodka United Way of Los Angeles Casa Vega Hunter PR Everson Royce Lush Life Productions Vesta Food Service Sysco Los Angeles Food Forward

Beam-Suntory Kids of Immigrants Lettuce Grow Studio UNLTD PepsiCo World's 50 Best Restaurants Rizzo's Curls Liquid Death City of Los Angeles Los Angeles County

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: No Us Without You LA 768 S. Boyle Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90023

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

www.nouswithoutyou.la/donate

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Animals Lead the Way Animals, with love and purpose, help humans through difficult times.

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Big Hearts, Cold Noses The Power of the Human-Animal Bond in Community Philanthropy BY MADELEINE CONNORS

he benefits of animal companionship are well-documented. According to a 2023 article on HelpGuide.org, by Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., the human-animal bond has powerful, lasting health benefits for humans. Companion animals/pets can lower blood pressure, elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine (which calm and relax), they can lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease), and they can help reduce muscle tension and lower pulse rate. Plus, people with pets are less likely to suffer depression than those without pets.

For decades, research has also shown that child development is best supported by animal connection. For nonprofits working to enhance child development, it’s clear that “centering” animals has substantial health and wellness benefits. With so much emphasis on conventional education models, it can be easy to overlook that the best teacher of empathy and compassion can often be a four-legged friend. Animals can be non-judgmental and excellent listeners, especially with guarded children who have experienced trauma and find the formality of therapists’ offices to be intimidating.

“With so much emphasis on conventional education models, it can be easy to overlook that the best teacher of empathy and compassion can often be a four-legged friend.” One of the leading researchers of the importance of animal connection is Dr. Aubrey Fine, a professor at Cal Poly Pomona who specializes in animal-assisted therapy. In his work, he is focused on helping treat and diagnose ADHD in children through human-animal interaction. “Sometimes the cold nose and warm heart of a dog or another species of animal can go under the children’s defense mechanism and get kids more comfortable,” he argues. Dr. Fine’s studies conclude that a relationship between a child and an animal can help boost confidence, teach empathy, and provide comfort. In his practice, when children come to his office for therapy, a golden retriever greets them. He believes that the animals act as a “social catalyst” for children. That the presence of animals can help children open up about difficult topics. “The animals promote an atmosphere that demonstrates a sense of safety. Sometimes children may be uncomfortable

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expressing their feelings, but an animal can provide that social support,” Dr. Fine explains. Developing through thousands of years, the bond between animals and humans is well-tried. “Dogs have been domesticated longer than any other species,” Fine says. “In 40,000 years, dogs have learned to read human interactions. They’re very cognizant of what’s going on verbally and non-verbally.” The benefits of an animal’s presence in a child’s life also work on a physiological level. Through decades of tested research, Dr. Fine has found that an animal presence can lower blood pressure and drop cortisol levels. “A therapy animal is almost like receiving a biological spa treatment,” he says. Denise Sanders, Senior Director of Communications & Search Team Ops at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, understands the importance of animal-based community work. The foundation pairs rescued dogs, which they personally put through months of professional training, with rescuers, to form highly skilled teams that are dispatched around the globe in search-andrescue efforts after disaster strikes. For the foundation, Sanders recognizes that dogs have innate abilities to help humans. “We’re really just taking what these dogs already have innately in them

Animal-assisted therapy with Happy Trails for Kids camper.

A Happy Trails for Kids camper caring for his new pal!

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and channeling that into helping the greater good,” she says. “The dogs make it so much better, and they don’t even know they’re doing this great thing.” Happy Trails for Kids, a summer camp for foster children, also recognizes the importance of animal-assisted therapy. Executive Director Lindsay Elliott says, “When we ask our campers, ‘What was the most impactful thing about camp?’ It’s always the horses.” Horses are natural teachers and companions to the children. At Happy Trails for Kids, Elliott adds that the relationship with the horses builds confidence, responsibility, and emotional well-being. For children dealing with trauma, the horses help put them at ease. The success of the animal-assisted therapy has motivated Happy Trails for Kids to expand their equine program, Elliott explains. “It really does feel like a surrender of some of the guards that so many of our campers put up to protect themselves,” says Elliott. “While they’re dealing with traumas and loss, horses are

incredible listeners and intuitively responsive to those barriers.” Increasingly, animal-assisted therapy is becoming a foundational and crucial part of children’s well-being. Dogs, with their big hearts and cold noses, can act as open-hearted friends for children who are wary of adults. Nonprofits and organizations who work with animals see their soothing effects immediately. The connection between animals and humans, when utilized in therapeutic ways, can act as a healing agent for children undergoing trauma. As Lindsay Elliott attests, “Horses intuitively know how to work, teach, and connect with children in a way that’s truly special.”

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation team members Otter and Brandon Budd.

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“The connection between animals and humans, when utilized in therapeutic ways, can act as a healing agent for children undergoing trauma.”

Therapy horse playing with a joyful Happy Trails for Kids camper.

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HAPPY TRAILS FOR KIDS

Happy Trails for Kids: Give Foster Children Their Childhood Back

The majority of Happy Trails Camp Counselors have been impacted by the foster care system. Through their lived experience and extensive training, counselors are uniquely equipped to provide support and mentorship to help campers thrive during their experience at camp and beyond.

“S

ummer was always the hardest part,” explains Carolina Wolf. Carolina entered foster care when she was 13 years old. “Summer was the hardest part because when I’m in school I’m distracted. But in summer that’s taken away. You don’t have adults who care about you, you don’t have your friends, and you’re isolated because all the people you know are out having fun. Then there was me. I was stuck alone with my feelings.” Carolina is now 26 and works as a camp counselor at Happy Trails for Kids, where they believe that all foster children deserve the ordinary joys of childhood. “These kids have seen more tragedy than most adults,” says Lindsay Elliott, executive director of Happy Trails for Kids. “We want to give them that childhood back. Our message to them is: It’s okay to still be a kid.” On paper, Happy Trails for Kids is a fun sum-

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mer camp for children experiencing foster care. In reality, Happy Trails is an experience-based intervention, where children can connect with nature and bond with other campers who understand what it is like being in the foster care system. But most importantly, Happy Trails is a community because – for the first time since entering foster care – many of these children will feel like they belong somewhere. “These kids are living a life where they don’t have any control. It’s a life where their happiness is contingent on a social worker or judge saying ‘yes, you can do this’ or ‘you can go here,’” says Elliott. It is incredibly important to us that at camp, you get to feel like you are just where you should be and you are exactly who you should be.” And, with dedicated camp counselors like Carolina, campers not only feel safe while they’re at camp, but they can also feel optimistic about their future. “It’s always a special moment when I tell one of my campers that I was in foster care too, and I can just see their eyes light up,” says Carolina. “I do think they look up to me and are able to relate to me. I think they realize that if I could make it out of the system, then they will too.” | Los Angeles |

fter participating in our youth leadership program and serving as a Junior Counselor, 92% of participants reported feeling more empowered and confident as a leader. 100% reported the experience helped prepare them for future employment opportunities.

– Junior Counselor Survey Results, Summer 2023

Send a Foster Kid to Camp and Maybe Just Change His or Her Life

ach 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.

Reunion events deepen the relationships and connectivity youth experience as part of our yearround camp family.

In 2023, we had approximately 400 children on our waitlist. There is a saying, "the best times are camp times." For children growing up in foster care, too often the experiences of pain, loss and hardships deprive them of the joys of childhood. At Happy Trails, bringing kids "the best times" is what we do best - and we couldn't do it without you. Help us make Happy Trails a reality for the hundreds of children waiting for us. KEY SUPPORTERS Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s Foster Youth Initiative Fund, Administered by Whittier Trust Rose Hills Foundation The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Salter Family Charitable Foundation The Tailwinds Foundation Robert Nelson Foundation Harriet Zaretsky

Johnny Carson Foundation The Barry & Wendy Meyer Foundation William Gumpert Foundation Corbel Capital Partners Gillan Abercrombie Frame Charlotte & Steve Harvey Louis Lucido Zolla Family Foundation

Happy Trails for Kids 2525 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 104 Santa Monica, CA 90405 (310) 452-7979 www.happytrailsforkids.org

Contact: Lindsay Elliott, JD, MSW Executive Director Lindsay@happytrailsforkids.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Happy Trails for Kids 2525 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 104 Santa Monica, CA 90405

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-4453586 By Credit Card:

www.happytrailsforkids.org/donate

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NATIONAL DISASTER SEARCH DOG FOUNDATION

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation Puts First Responder Boots – and Paws – on the Ground

Seven canine search teams trained by the Search Dog Foundation searched the many square miles of rubble in Turkey after the devastating earthquake in February.

n the wake of Maui’s tragic 2023 wildfires, relief organizations and the goodwill of the world at large poured into the affected areas. Amid this bustling influx of aid, three California task force workers and their dogs quietly made landfall and began methodically working through the smoldering ruins. These National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF)-trained Human Remains Detection (HRD) teams would be instrumental in the painstaking search for victims in Maui’s devastated communities. “We say they’re like the Olympic athletes of the canine world,” says Denise Sanders, Senior Director of Communications & Search Team Operations at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. “They train up their stamina so their energy doesn’t flag in the course of these long searches.” In 1996, FEMA-Certified Canine Search Specialist Wilma Melville founded SDF to address the troubling shortfall of rescue canines she’d seen working the ruins of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing the year before in Oklahoma City. Melville drew up a training curriculum and model for an organization she envisioned as a mission of mercy – both for future victims of disaster, and for the unwanted dogs she would retrieve from shelters and transform into incomparably specialized, deeply loved rescue animals. “She needed to set up a system,” Sanders explains, “that could take all these different

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types of dogs – and all these different types of humans – and figure out the best way to recruit, train, and partner them.” In 2017, the SDF’s privately funded National Training Center (NTC) launched near Santa Paula, California. The NTC is a sprawling, 145acre forensic mock-up of all the disaster scenarios for which SDF’s canine rescuers are arduously and lovingly trained. A map of the NTC includes such place names as Rubble Pile, Train Wreck, Collapsed Freeway, Tilted House, and more. “The tilted house is built to code, believe it or not,” Sanders says with a smile. Dog lovers may wonder if all shelter dogs complete the program, and what happens to those that don’t. “Once rescued, they’ll never have to be rescued again,” Sanders says. “That is our lifetime care promise to any dog that enters our program. It’s not just about the disaster search program, it’s about helping each and every dog.” The foundation offers its services to first responders with a two-word caveat: No Charge. “We all know that these first responder budgets have become strapped in recent years,” Sanders says. “We’re not charging fire departments or task forces for anything. Taxpayer dollars are not going towards these dogs. We’re able to do that because our donors believe in the work we do. These dogs and their loving handlers are out there training each and every day in preparation for something that we hope never happens.” | Los Angeles |

“O

ver the years, the Search Dog Foundation has forged numerous partnerships with canine disaster search teams that proudly serve the Los Angeles area. We deeply appreciate the presence of these remarkable canines in our ranks, standing as a steadfast resource we can rely on when summoned to action by the Los Angeles County Fire Department and California Task Force 2. Our task force holds the distinction of being one of only two in the nation with the capacity to deploy internationally, and the indispensable role played by our search dogs cannot be overstated. In the face of earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides, or the daunting challenge of locating missing persons, these exceptionally trained canines form the bedrock of our search missions. Whether the need arises close to home or on foreign soil, these four-legged heroes ensure that our operations are successful. It is of utmost importance to highlight the unwavering support provided by the Search Dog Foundation, which generously supplies these canines as invaluable assets to our department and task force. This unwavering commitment ensures that we are perpetually ready and equipped to serve our community whenever the call for assistance rings out. Together, we stand united, ready to bring aid and hope in times of crisis.”

– Gregory Short

Battalion Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department Program Manager, California Task Force 2/USA-2

What We Need: Future Canine Heroes For America

he frequency and strength of recent disasters are T stark reminders that they can strike at the heart of any community. In the search for victims, a search

dog’s remarkable nose and hard-earned skills mean the difference between days versus minutes, lost versus found, uncertainty versus hope. The National Search Dog Foundation (SDF) works diligently to ensure canine search teams across America can deploy at a moment’s notice when needed, which includes preparing the next generation of canine heroes. From the day they arrive on campus to the day they are paired with first responders, SDF spends approximately $60,000 to train a search dog over 10 to 12 months. SDF is raising $1,020,000 to train the next search dog graduates. Donors at $20,000 and above can become sponsors of a search dog in training, receiving updates on their progress and milestones throughout their career. Sponsor one or even a pack of canine heroes to be Part of the Search! No technology can match the incredible ability of a search dog's nose when it comes to finding those lost in the wreckage of disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides, building collapses, and missing person searches.

KEY SUPPORTERS

SAVING LIVES, BOTH HUMAN AND CANINE The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation has rescued and trained more than 300 dogs that have, in turn, rescued humans in disasters. Over 27 years, these expert teams have worked in the largest disasters: from 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquakes in Haiti, and the earthquake in Turkey to missing persons and small structure collapses throughout the country. The foundation has pioneered a model for screening, training, and providing a lifetime of care for each dog it rescues, along with ongoing expert support for handlers. But the United States only has part of the amount of search teams truly needed. The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation continues to innovate the training of both dogs and handlers every year, while ensuring every dog that enters its program will be successful, whether as a disaster search dog or in another career, by fostering 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 www.SearchDogFoundation.org 6800 Wheeler Canyon Road Santa Paula, CA 93060 (888) 4K9-HERO

Contact: Rhett Mauck Executive Director (805) 646-1015 Rhett@SearchDogFoundation.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS George Leis – Board Chair President and COO, Montecito Bank & Trust Richard Butt – Board Vice-Chair Retired EVP, Executive Creative Director, VMLY&R Mike J. Diani – Secretary President, Diani Building Corp. Christine DeVries Management Consultant 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... By Check: National Disaster Search Dog Foundation 6800 Wheeler Canyon Road Santa Paula, CA 93060

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 77-0412509 By Credit Card: www.SearchDogFoundation.org/donate

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Harnessing Philanthropy to Help People Grow Older With Dignity By Brian Rinker

“D

id you know,” Rabbi Laura Geller asks, “that on average, 10,000 people turn 65 every day in the United States?” As one of the fastest-growing demographics in the country, people 65 and older will outnumber those under 18 for the first time in history by 2035. As one of the first female rabbis ordained in the United States in 1976, Rabbi Geller tackled gender inequality in the synagogues. Now, at 73, and with no signs of slowing down, Rabbi Geller is taking on another systemic foe: ageism. Even though many people are aging and living longer, older people remain, for the most part, invisible to the rest of society, says Rabbi Geller. Or worse, the butt of jokes. Geller is trying to change minds and systems to view older age not as an age group that is passing off the scene, but as a new and engaging chapter of life. For the first time, five generations are alive today: The Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. To Geller, this is an opportunity to break the silos separating demographics and move toward a more age-inclusive culture. The Giving List spoke with Rabbi Geller, the author of Getting Good at Getting Older and who was twice named one of Newsweek’s 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America, on the importance of aging gracefully, with dignity and autonomy. Q: How did you become interested in helping people grow older with dignity and autonomy? A: I was the senior rabbi of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills. Back then, I noticed that a lot of older congregants were leaving the congregation. To learn more, we launched a listening campaign in 2014 and spoke to about 250 of our members between the ages of 55 and 80. I discovered that the stage of life between midlife and frail old age – often thought of as retirement years – is kind of an invisible stage. So, we asked the members questions like: Do you consider this a new stage of your life? How do you feel about it? What keeps you up at night? What gets you up in the morning? What did you learn from those questions? People spoke about things that they had never spoken

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about before. They spoke about their fears of getting older and concerns about the people they love. They shared their hopefulness about what this stage would be like. People now had the time in their lives to ponder questions about meaning and purpose. How interesting. People live so much longer today. What are some concerns people have as they age? Now, you can live more than 30 years between the time you retire and the time you reach frail old age. That’s long enough to experience a whole new life. A lot of people at this age have fears of becoming isolated and experiencing loneliness. They worry about becoming invisible to society and have expressed concerns such as “I was the senior rabbi of a major congregation, and now nobody knows who I am,” or “I was the dean of a law school and now nobody returns my calls.” A lot of people think about their purpose and wonder what

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“I would like to see opportunities for generations to be mixing more.” they will do during this stage of their life. People need a reason to get up in the morning. Some find it in giving back to their community, others in lifelong learning, still others through recreation, reconnecting with a hobby, or following up on a bucket list. Many people ask the question: With whom do I want to grow old? What the majority of these congregants, like most other active adults around the country, wanted was to age in place. They wanted to stay in the home that they loved. But in order for that to happen, we had to make some changes to the Jewish community. How was the synagogue able to help people age in place? We started a virtual village. It is based on the village movement (https://www.vtvnetwork.org), where a group of older people who live near each other intentionally create a virtual village, where neighbors help each other out with household tasks, rides to appointments, and a robust array of social opportunities that take place in each other’s homes, and in the community where they live – enjoying movies, theaters, museums, and lifelong learning together. When people are part of these types of villages, research has shown that their quality of life goes up, the rate of hospital recidivism goes down, and there are all sorts of other positive outcomes. In fact, a village is a response to the epidemic of isolation and loneliness that the Surgeon General recently described as a major public health crisis.

A good synagogue should be a village. So, we applied for a grant. With another congregation in Los Angeles, we created the first synagogue village in the country, called ChaiVillage LA (https://chaivillagela.org). The village is open to anyone in the congregation, but primarily people 55 and older. You opt into it, as opposed to opting out of it. What we discovered was that people who had been leaving the synagogue chose to stay, and other people who were not members of the temple chose to join the synagogue in order for them to be part of the village. This is now our seventh year. We have 250 members who live in their own homes and pay a small amount of money to be members of the village. Can you explain the difference between your village and a retirement community? A village is not a retirement community. You stay in your own home. I can stay in my own home until I can’t take out my trash or change my smoke alarm battery – unless I have a neighbor who can help me. I want to stay in my home for as long as I can. I, like so many others, want to live in an age-diverse community. I want to have younger friends. Often a retirement community doesn’t offer that. Another difference is that so many people of this cohort want to serve, not be served. They want to help each other and don’t

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want to be treated like they are patients. I am not dependent or independent. I am interdependent, sometimes needing help and sometimes giving help. I want to give. I want to have agency. Some members of ChaiVillageLA are experts in constitutional law, others are experts in flower arranging – they want to share their knowledge and skills with others. They want to teach each other, learn together, and have fun together. They are building a community of active adults, who have talents and wisdom and are working together to find meaning and purpose, and to thrive for the next 30 years or longer.

As people live longer, this stage of life is a new opportunity for a whole new chapter of life. What are people calling this stage? Exactly. This is a chance to reimagine this stage of life as one of opportunity, as opposed to one of decline. But unfortunately, there isn’t an agreed-upon name for the stage. Often, it is called the retirement years, but that only works if you actually worked. And not everybody did. Other names include the Encore generation, the Third Chapter, Renewment, and Perennials. The good news is that there is a whole new universe of people interested in this aging path of life. The

“Major foundations are probably looking at diversity, inclusion, and equity. They should also be looking at age.” 144

| Los Angeles |

New York Times published an important piece recently in its Sunday Edition called, “Can America Age Gracefully?” This is not a chronological age but a new stage. And it is not just about people who are in this stage of life now. We are actually creating a new map of life. Someday, people who are millennials now will be in this new stage; they are watching us to see how we do it. A lot of people are starting to really think about what this new stage of life can be like. Because society is at a time in history where older folks are the fastest-growing population, and so many people are living longer. How can philanthropy play a role in helping people age gracefully? Philanthropy needs to pay attention to the active aging population. This cohort has been essentially invisible until recently. Major foundations now look at diversity, inclusion, and equity. They should also be looking at age. I recommend philanthropists view funding opportunities through a co-generational lens. In other words, when considering issues to address, think of ways funding can be inclusive of all age groups. I would like to see opportunities for generations to be mixing more. Research indicates that younger people want contact

with older adults beyond their families, and older adults want to be connected with those younger than they are. Some of the challenges include that it is difficult to meet people of different ages because the U.S. is now the most age-segregated country in the world. Synagogues, churches, and other religious institutions are one of the last multi-generational species in our country. Another challenge is that older adults often think of themselves as holders of wisdom that they want to pass on to the next generation. But instead of thinking “from generation to generation,” we should be thinking of “generations working together.” The world is too complicated for one generation to try to repair it alone; we need to work together to face the enormous problems of social justice and climate change now. Another challenge is that many older adults are great at giving advice but not great at listening. What are some examples of breaking down the silos of generations? One is in the workforce: There is an increasing body of evidence that mixed-age teams in the workplace are more productive than teams of workers of the same age. Another is the move of some universities to pay attention to lifelong learning, creating opportunities for older adults to become students again, along with 18- to 21-year-olds. Another relates to housing. There are some exciting innovations around home-sharing and multigenerational housing. For instance, there’s an app for older people to find short- or long-term housing with younger adults. I share my house with students studying to be rabbis. And we both benefit. It’s just incredibly wonderful for me to be engaged in the world of younger people – and it’s good for them too, both financially and socially. We can learn from each other and become friends with each other’s friends. Instead of a small, overpriced apartment, they have a whole house that becomes theirs as well as mine.

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Index ACCESS U Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 California State University, Northridge (CSUN) . . . . . . . 12 Children’s Law Center of California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Crop Swap LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Da Vinci RISE High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 David Bolton: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Debbie Allen Dance Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Downtown Women’s Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Five Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Happy Trails for Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Holocaust Museum LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 J3 Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 John B. Emerson: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Kidsave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Kimberly Marteau Emerson: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Lightforce One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Miguel A. Santana: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 National Disaster Search Dog Foundation . . . . . . . . . . 140 Neighborhood Music School Association (NMS) . . . . 72 No Us Without You LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 One Love Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Para Los Niños . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Private School Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 PUENTE Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Rabbi Laura Geller: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Ready to Succeed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Skirball Cultural Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 StrengthUnited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Venice Community Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Vision To Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Wayfinder Family Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Yasmin and Greg Delahoussaye: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

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