June 05, 2023 Nonprofit Homeless Response Staff Struggle to Afford Housing. Will Funders Respond? June 05, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe 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.Read More
May 22, 2023 Four Things to Know About the Barry and Wendy Meyer Charitable Foundation May 22, 2023/ Alyssa Ochs 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.Read More
May 22, 2023 On the Ground with the Ballmer Group, One of LA's Leading Antipoverty Funders May 22, 2023/ Wendy Paris 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.Read More
May 10, 2023 The Huge Philanthropic Gift at the Heart of a Major University Initiative to Advance Computing May 10, 2023/ Paul Karon 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.Read More
May 03, 2023 This Los Angeles-Based Foundation Is Giving Children With Disabilities a Welcome Boost May 03, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen 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.Read More
May 02, 2023 Slow Government Payments Are One Barrier to Nonprofit Stability. Can Philanthropy Help? May 02, 2023/ Martha Ramirez 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.Read More
April 26, 2023 This L.A. Collaborative Is Strengthening the Local Arts Scene and Challenging Funding Norms April 26, 2023/ Wendy Paris 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.Read More
April 21, 2023 How and Where the Merkin Family Foundation Gives in Southern California April 21, 2023/ Alyssa Ochs 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.Read More
April 21, 2023 Seven Questions for Dr. Hanh Cao Yu, Chief Learning Officer at The California Endowment April 21, 2023/ Martha Ramirez 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.Read More
February 02, 2023 How Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams Give in Southern California February 02, 2023/ Alyssa Ochs 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.Read More
December 21, 2022 What the Marino Family Charitable Foundation Supports in California December 21, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs Gary and Gail Marino created their own family foundation after being inspired by their daughter, who was born with Down syndrome. Here are a few things to know about the Marino Family Charitable Foundation’s California giving.Read More
December 14, 2022 Can Philanthropy Help Create a Golden State for the Golden Years? December 14, 2022/ Wendy Paris Dedicated California funders are helping to design the future of aging in America by boosting new ideas, nudging along state leaders, contributing to good policy, and more.Read More
December 08, 2022 Top Things to Know About the Makoff Family Foundation’s SoCal Giving December 08, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs Nephrologist Dwight Makoff and his biochemist wife, Rhoda, are a pair of Southern California philanthropists who maintain a low public profile with their giving. Here are some top things to know.Read More
November 30, 2022 To Combat an "Urgent Threat," a Donor Couple Makes a Big Commitment to News Literacy November 30, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Billionaire couple Melanie and Richard Lundquist are throwing their support behind the News Literacy Project to arm students and the public against mis- and disinformation.Read More
November 03, 2022 An L.A. Program Takes a Unique Approach to Participatory Grantmaking — Putting it to a Vote November 03, 2022/ Martha Ramirez For this year’s LA 2050 Grants Challenge, the Goldhirsh Foundation asked Angelenos to weigh in on what issues would receive funding. The resulting platform of priorities received over $2 million in support. Read More
November 02, 2022 Passing the Torch: A Family Foundation Empowers Dozens of Young Philanthropists November 02, 2022/ Ade Adeniji Tarsadia Foundation is based in Newport Beach, California, supporting health, education and opportunity. Through its unique “junior board,” the family prioritizes the involvement of many younger members.Read More
October 27, 2022 A Look at How the Majestic Realty Foundation Supports Los Angeles Nonprofits October 27, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs Majestic Realty launched the Majestic Realty Foundation in 2002 to improve quality of life in communities where it maintains a business presence. Here are a few things Los Angeles grantseekers should know.Read More
October 26, 2022 The Regional Arts Philanthropy Boom, So Cal Style: The OCMA Gets a New Home October 26, 2022/ Wendy Paris The Orange County Museum of Art raised tens of millions in high-dollar donations for its new facility, which opened with great fanfare last month. It’s the latest example of the growing power of regional arts philanthropy. Read More
October 20, 2022 A New Space for Old Folks: An L.A. Funder Is Pioneering the Future of Senior Centers October 20, 2022/ Wendy Paris The Annenberg Foundation gave millions to develop a modern senior center that defies stereotypes about aging. As Americans get older, the team behind the project hopes it will serve as a model for future facilities.Read More
October 12, 2022 Seven Questions for Nichol Whiteman, CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation October 12, 2022/ Ade Adeniji The philanthropic arm of the Dodgers has given more than $40 million in the form of grants and programs. We spoke with its CEO about the foundation’s mission, the state of sports philanthropy, and the legacy of Jackie Robinson.Read More