LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2025 – Today, public voting begins in the innovative, participatory LA2050 Grants Challenge, an annual project of the Goldhirsh Foundation.
The 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge will award a projected $3 million to dozens of impactful Los Angeles County organizations. $1 million comes from the Goldhirsh Foundation for the issues chosen during the voting period by the people of Los Angeles.
The additional dollars come from a coalition of philanthropic funding partners – a group that already includes the Annenberg Foundation, Snap Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, John N. Calley Foundation, Elbaz Family Foundation, R&S Kayne Foundation, and Fox Foundation.
The theme for the 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge is LA Together. “These words were chosen prior to the fires that devastated local neighborhoods – but not our communities, nor our collective spirit and will,” said Tara Roth, president of the Goldhirsh Foundation. “The idea of ‘togetherness,’ and of Angelenos everywhere caring for each other has never been more necessary.”
How Does the 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge Work?
First, Angelenos vote online for the issues that matter most to them. Voting takes place March 12 through April 18 at LA2050.org/vote, open to all ages and available in 12+ languages. There are five questions on the survey, which takes as little as two minutes to complete.
Then, between April 28 and June 6, grant applications are open to nonprofits, social enterprises, and government agencies with ideas to address the 10 top-voted issues, as well as additional issues sponsored by the various funding partners.
Next, all of the proposals are carefully evaluated. Then, in late September during the annual LA2050 Grantee Showcase, dozens of winning organizations receive up to $75,000 in grant funding, as well as ongoing social capital support and skills training.
The LA2050 Grants Challenge is also a collaboration with hundreds of Outreach Partners and LA2050 Youth Ambassadors, who are committed to engaging their communities in the voting process.
More than 60 Outreach Partners have signed on, including nonprofits and other impact organizations, family foundations, and the offices of local elected officials. A record-breaking 323 LA2050 Youth Ambassadors are on board, including a Leadership Council of 28 members, representing a wide range of ZIP codes across Los Angeles County. Throughout a six-month period, Youth Ambassadors receive training from LA2050 staff in areas such as community impact, advocacy, and philanthropy.
