The Weingart Foundation Advances Racial Justice by Investing Over $9.1m in Social Justice Nonprofits Across Southern California
Funds support organizations building civic and political power in communities most impacted by historic injustice
OCTOBER 16, 2023 (Los Angeles, CA) — The Weingart Foundation, a private grantmaking foundation that partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial justice, awarded $9.1 million to 42 nonprofits that provide direct services, build community power, and promote systems change strategies to meet their missions. In step with the Weingart Foundation’s commitment to support organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, 88% of the nonprofits that received grants this cycle are led by BIPOC leaders.
“Through our intentional and ongoing efforts to operationalize our racial justice mission, we are increasingly evolving our grantmaking in support of organizations that are part of larger social justice movement efforts,” said Joanna S. Jackson, interim President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation. “Our partners work intersectionally, across issues and regions, to increase power and justice for historically marginalized communities. From supporting youth organizing to building racial solidarity, we’re proud to stand with our nonprofit partners in our joint efforts to dismantle racist and unjust systems.”
The Weingart Foundation invests in cross-racial solidarity building as part of ongoing efforts to eradicate anti-Black racism. For instance, a number of Weingart’s partners in South LA, a priority region for the Foundation, have a longstanding track record of strengthening relationships between Black and brown communities and organizing these communities to advance justice. This includes Dignity and Power Now, an anchor organization advocating for the reinvestment of public dollars away from the carceral system and into community-based systems of care. Another example of an organization strengthening ties and collaboration between Black and brown communities is the Brotherhood Crusade which works with Black and Latino youth, including young people that are system-involved or living in poverty, and creates more opportunities for young people and their families to thrive.
In an effort to increase investments to Indigenous and Native American communities, the Weingart Foundation made a $1.5M grant over three years to First Nations Development Institute supporting a pooled fund designed to strengthen and bolster tribal organizations and communities in California. In this cycle, the Weingart Foundation also provided grants to Native Americans in Philanthropy to advance equitable philanthropy; California Tribal Families Coalition for advocacy, legal support and coalition building. These efforts are part of an ongoing strategy to deepen the Foundation’s work with Native American organizations.
Also of note, the Weingart Foundation provided a significant investment to 10 organizations led by and serving Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. This includes support to the South Asian Network a longstanding Weingart partner that provides programs in domestic violence, health and civil rights; United Cambodian Community that advocates for housing rights in Long Beach’s Cambodia Town; API Equality-LA, one of the few organizations that specifically serves the API LGBTQ community in the Greater LA area; and to the AAPI Equity Alliance, a coalition that includes many Weingart partners, that empowers the AAPI community through civic engagement, capacity building, and policy advocacy.
As these examples show, the majority of Weingart’s partners work on a number of intersectional issues and often in coalition to further their racial justice missions. While many of the Weingart Foundation’s nonprofits partners funded during this cycle are long-standing partners, Weingart program officers continue to foster new relationships as they identify opportunities to further advance racial equity.
“We’re proud to see the tremendous work of our nonprofit partners and their collaborative efforts to advance systemic change in communities most impacted by injustice,” said Monica Lozano, Board Chair of the Weingart Foundation. “We look forward to our continued partnership as we work together to build a more just and inclusive future for Southern California.”
For a full list of the Weingart Foundation’s September grants, please visit: https://weingartfnd.org/september-2023-grants-and-program-related-investments/
ABOUT THE WEINGART FOUNDATION
The Weingart Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation that partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial, social, and economic justice for all. Our vision is a dynamic and effective social change sector that is creating equitable systems and structures needed to achieve justice. Founded in 1951, the Foundation has to date granted over $1 billion to organizations, strengthening their efforts in human services, housing, health, education, and community power building. In addition, the Foundation builds networks and collaboratives with philanthropic, public sector, and community leaders to advance equity and justice together.