LA & SoCal

Launched in 2018, the Fund for an Inclusive California supports community-led housing justice work, with some major backers on board. The collaborative is entering a new phase and targeting overlooked regions of the state.

The Elevance Health Foundation is tackling substance use by focusing in on overlooked populations. It’s one of a relatively small number of philanthropies addressing the escalating opioid crisis in any significant way.

We spoke with the former head of LCF about her leadership during a critical period of growth, her career in philanthropy, and her hopes for the foundation’s future as Julian Castro takes the reins.

Here’s what Southern California nonprofits need to know about the Crail-Johnson Foundation to get in touch and secure a grant.

Based in Newport Beach, California, the Cormura Foundation engages in Southern California philanthropy and is involved with the local social justice and faith communities. Here’s what we know so far about this grantmaker.

Los Angeles is home to the largest Catholic diocese in the U.S. and one of the most diverse ones, too. Here’s how the Dan Murphy Foundation supports the local Catholic community.

The Colburn Foundation is solely dedicated to classical music, following the wishes of its founder, Richard D. Colburn. Here's a closer look at this niche funder and how Southern California groups can connect with it.

Many young people leaving the foster system in Los Angeles County find themselves lost, without the kind of financial support or guidance needed to navigate early adulthood. This local funder is working to close the gap in care.

Marcellus Wiley tells us about how his early experiences shaped his philanthropy, what he’s excited about now, and how next-generation NFL players are using their platforms to give.

Attending school while experiencing homelessness poses a mountain of obstacles for young people and their families. A handful of funders are backing efforts to help, including a new collaborative effort.

Gordon Philanthropies focuses on education and literacy, including by funding a new children’s library at Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles. The library aims to strengthen bonds between incarcerated men and their children.

The United Talent Agency is a major player in Hollywood, with celebrity clients across film and television, media and sports. We connected with Rene Jones, chief of social impact, to find out how the agency rallies talent for giving.

Inspired by the story of a formerly enslaved woman who went on to become a prominent businesswoman and philanthropist in 19th century L.A., Jackie Broxton helped found a philanthropy that serves local foster youth.

Community Chest of Korea has had a lot of success cultivating both large and small donors in its home country, and now it’s expanding into the United States. We connected with members of its team to learn more.

Here’s an overview of the philanthropy of music recording executive Jerry Moss and how his foundation gives locally in the Los Angeles area.

Amid a housing equity crisis and following a successful pilot program in L.A., guest authors Almas Sayeed and Jessica Melendez make a case for why philanthropy should back community land trusts.

The Simms/Mann Family Foundation, based in Los Angeles, gives primarily toward healthcare, education and the arts. It seeks to make a big impact as a mid-sized foundation, now with a focus on the nursing profession.

The philanthropy of Steve and Connie Ballmer has become a major funder of antipoverty work, including in Los Angeles County. The head of Ballmer’s L.A. office tells us about her work, career path and second job as a novelist.

Backing journalism can be a powerful way for philanthropy to raise the profile of critical but neglected issues like early childhood care and education. Here’s one new example out of Los Angeles.

Alon and Rosana Miller launched their philanthropic foundation following their company’s success. They have been quietly awarding grants to Los Angeles organizations as part of a commitment to their faith.

In L.A. and elsewhere, the homeless service sector’s workers are often critically underpaid, and some are at risk of becoming homeless themselves. Part of the problem is funders’ focus on numbers over actual wellbeing.

The Barry and Wendy Meyer Charitable Foundation operates quietly and often flies below the radar. Here are some details to help you get to know this grantmaker and what it cares about in the region.

Over the past few years, Steve and Connie Ballmer have continued ramping up their commitments in Los Angeles. We took a deep dive into how a vast tech fortune is being put to use to scale up local economic mobility.

A $260 million gift from the Lord Foundation of California to USC seeded a billion-dollar, campus-wide effort to reshape technology research and teaching. It’s part of a unique windfall of funds that boosted four universities.

The S. Mark Taper Foundation may not be widely known in the world of philanthropy, but it is making a big difference in the lives of low-income children with disabilities, a neglected cause.

From reimbursement delays to red tape, cumbersome contracts between nonprofits and government are often a burden, a new report finds. Here’s how that impacts philanthropy — and what private funders can do to help.

The Los Angeles Visual Arts Coalition (LAVA) is allowing smaller, avant-garde arts organizations to fundraise collaboratively, making the community more resilient and offering fresh opportunities to funders.

Here’s an overview of how Heritage Group Founder and CEO Richard Merkin gives via a private family foundation that centers its giving on the Los Angeles area.

We caught up with Dr. Hanh Cao Yu to talk about how her experiences as a refugee of the war in Vietnam shaped her, what led to her career in philanthropy, her current work, and more.

Hollywood power couple J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath pursue philanthropy through the Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams Family Foundation. Read on to learn what this means for Southern California nonprofits.