The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation) recently announced that it has awarded grants totaling $325,000 to seven local organizations to support racial equity.
The funding is being directed to programs that span a diverse range of areas including health care for Black women and infants; job opportunities for at-risk youth and those exiting the justice system; access to quality education; and leadership opportunities for Black professionals. The seven recipients are: A New Way of Life Reentry Project, African American Board Leadership Institute, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Jews of Color Initiative, Black Women for Wellness, Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade, and Social Justice Learning Institute.
President and Chief Executive Officer Marvin I. Schotland stated: “In response to the current social unrest, The Foundation decided to make these grants. These inspiring programs align with our institution’s own values of creating a more civil, just and equitable society. We are proud to place our support behind these initiatives and look forward to following the progress of their meaningful work.”
Schotland indicated that to enhance The Foundation’s understanding of the important issues and organizations serving communities of color, it consulted with numerous prominent funders and experts in the field.
The Foundation CEO added: “These nonprofits have received prior support from trusted funders, as well as our foundation’s own donors, which helped to inform our decision-making. Beyond that, we established criteria that included being Black-led, well-established, located in the communities they serve, and focused on providing direct services.”
Susan Burton, founder and executive director of A New Way of Life, stated: “This grant will support our work and continued efforts in equity and opportunity for formerly incarcerated people and their children. With The Foundation’s support, we are able to expand our housing services with two more safehouses during the pandemic for the women we serve. Thanks to The Foundation, a safe and stable home is possible for current and future residents during these difficult times.”
Added Ilana Kaufman, executive director, Jews of Color Initiative: “With the generosity of The Foundation, the Jews of Color Initiative can expand our work to foster equitable Jewish communities and institutions by extending research and grantmaking efforts to support and advance the leadership and visions of Jews of Color.”
About the Recipients
A New Way of Life Reentry Projectprovides women exiting prison (primarily women of color) with a safe, welcoming and structured place to stay, education and employment opportunities, case management, and legal services as they re-enter the community.
African American Board Leadership Institutetrains and places well-qualified African American professionals on boards across a number of well-known public institutions, recognizing the need for more equitable representation among corporate, nonprofit, and government boards and committees.
Anti-Recidivism Coalitionworks to end mass incarceration and reduce recidivism rates in California through justice-reform advocacy, re-entry support, mentoring, counseling, housing, and its career-development training and partnerships, as one of the most difficult parts of re-entering the community is access to work.
Jews of Color Initiativeworks to advance and build the professional, organizational, and communal field for Jews of color. This includes commissioned studies on the number and experiences of Jews of color in the U.S., as well as working to promote racially diverse engagement, and grantmaking to support diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Black Women for Wellnessis committed to the health and well-being of Black women and girls and focuses on research, education, outreach, and leadership development of Black women to address the health challenges in their communities, where infant mortality and maternal death during childbirth run two and four times higher, respectively, than among white women regardless of socio-economic status.
Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusadeis a longtime grassroots nonprofit based in South Los Angeles, focuses on addressing the unmet needs of low-income, underserved, under-represented, and disenfranchised individuals through initiatives such as its Youth Development Program which provides comprehensive services – mentorship, gang prevention, educational support, and career readiness – for at-risk youth and students.
Social Justice Learning Instituteis dedicated to improving the education, health, and well-being of youth and communities of color across Inglewood, Compton, Watts, Lennox, Lancaster, and Palmdale through its Urban Scholars Program, which aims to increase students’ academic achievement and provide them tools and resources to advocate for an equitable education.
