LA2050 is looking for young Angelenos (ages 14 to 24) who are passionate about making an impact and interested in community engagement, philanthropy, and service to participate in our 2025 Youth Ambassador Program.

If that’s you – or someone you know – keep reading!

This year, we’re excited to introduce a two-tiered model for our Youth Ambassador program. Young Angelenos can apply to be a member of our general Youth Ambassador cohort or our new leadership cohort (details below).

APPLY NOW!

LA2050 Youth Ambassadors will ask friends, family, and neighbors to share which local issues matter most to them through voting in the 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge. Voting will take place online from March 12th to April 18th, 2025 and LA2050 will dedicate $1 million in grant funding to the top-voted issues.

Last year, our third cohort of 187 Youth Ambassadors engaged 3,500+ Angelenos in Grants Challenge voting and participated in allocating more than $800,000 in grants.

For their part, all Youth Ambassadors – including general participants and Youth Ambassador Leaders – will:

• join three virtual learning modules focused on the following topics:
  • March 10th: Onboarding + Philanthropy
  • April 8th: Community Engagement + Outreach
  • May 7th: LA’s Social Impact Landscape
• enthusiastically spread the word about the 2025 Grants Challenge,
• use creative tactics to encourage friends, family, and neighbors to vote (including but not limited to: social media posts, in-person activations, text messages and phone calls, or presentations at school, club meetings, or other gatherings)

In return, we are excited to offer all Youth Ambassadors the opportunity to:

• learn about the social impact and philanthropic landscape in Los Angeles and educational/career opportunities in these areas,
• receive training in community outreach and engagement,
• make a real impact on their communities by helping determine what local issues will be funded through the grants challenge,
• be awarded a certificate honoring their service and naming them an LA2050 Youth Ambassador that can be added to their resume or applications, and
• join a LA2050 Youth Ambassador e-newsletter with job and internship postings, volunteer opportunities, local resources, and more.

NEW! This year we’re also adding a new cohort of Youth Ambassador Leaders, a group of up to 15 highly-motivated and community-minded young Angelenos ready to engage on a deeper level. Youth Ambassador Leaders will be selected through an interview process.

In addition to all of the above, Youth Ambassador Leaders will:

• serve as mentors and facilitators for the broader Youth Ambassador program
• participate in the three standard training modules, plus two additional training modules:
  • April 2nd: Demystifying Grantmaking + Social Impact
  • June 4th: Philanthropy + The LA2050 Youth Ambassador Final Project
  • June 18th: Final Project Presentations
• complete the LA2050 Youth Ambassador Final Project, and
• join this year’s Youth Grantmaking Committee, evaluating grant applications and helping to guide funding decisions (last year’s committee participated in allocating more than $800,000 in grants).

In return, Youth Ambassador Leaders will receive a $500 stipend as a reflection of the cohort’s increased expectations and time commitment. This stipend is intended to underscore the importance of the Youth Ambassador Leader role. (To be eligible for the stipend, Youth Ambassador Leaders must attend all training modules and Youth Grantmaking Committee meetings, with no more than one excused absence.)

Note: If you choose to apply for the Leadership Cohort and you are not selected, you will automatically be considered for the General Cohort.

The General Cohort program will take place from March through May 2025, with an estimated time commitment of 8 to 12 total hours across the three months. The Leadership Cohort program will take place from March through August 2025, with an estimated time commitment of 32 total hours across the six months.

There’s more! The two Youth Ambassadors who recruit the most voters will each win a prize package of $500 – a $250 Visa gift card and $250 to donate to the nonprofit organization of their choice on the LA2050 Ideas Hub, with more than 2,000 organizations to choose from.

For more information, you can also check out our frequently asked questions below.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is LA2050?

LA2050 is a community-guided initiative driving and tracking progress toward a shared vision for the future of Los Angeles centered around five goals – to make Los Angeles the best place to create, connect, live, learn, and play by the year 2050.

LA2050 is an initiative of the Goldhirsh Foundation.

What is the LA2050 Grants Challenge?

The LA2050 Grants Challenge awards a total of $1 million in grants to local social impact organizations that are working toward a brighter future for Los Angeles.

Since 2013, almost 4,000 creative and innovative proposals have been submitted to the grants challenge. With the guidance of hundreds of thousands of voters, LA2050 has granted more than $11 million to 155 impactful organizations.

For the fourth year, we are asking Angelenos to share which ten local issues matter most to them, two in each of the five goal categories. Then, we will dedicate $1 million in grant funding to the top-voted issues by giving grants to local organizations that are making meaningful progress in those areas.

What is expected of LA2050 Youth Ambassadors?

Youth Ambassadors will commit to spreading the word about the 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge. During the voting period from March 10th to April 18th, 2025, Youth Ambassadors will use creative tactics to reach out to friends, family, and neighbors and encourage them to vote. All participants will be expected to attend the three virtual learning modules (tentatively scheduled for the evenings of March 10th, April 7th, and May 5th). Those that are not able to attend a live session may also watch a recording.

What is expected of LA2050 Youth Ambassador Leaders?

Youth Ambassador Leaders will meet all the expectations of the General Cohort (detailed above). Additionally, participants will be expected to attend the two additional virtual learning modules, tentatively scheduled for the evenings of March 24th and April 21st, and participate in Youth Grant Committee sessions in September (dates to be determined). Unlike General Cohort participants, attendance at all five virtual learning sessions is mandatory for Youth Ambassador Leaders in order to be eligible for the stipend. Up to two excused absences will be considered, on a case-by-case basis.

How are LA2050 Youth Ambassadors and LA2050 Youth Ambassador Leaders selected?

Our application form will be open starting on Tuesday, January 21st. The form will ask applicants to share about their interest in participating in the Youth Ambassador program, and will also provide the opportunity to apply for both the General Cohort and Leadership Cohort.

LA2050 Youth Ambassador Leaders applicants must submit their application by Thursday, February 20th. Prospective participants will be contacted via email to schedule a group interview by Friday, February 21st. If an applicant is not selected for the leaders program they will automatically be considered for the General Cohort.

Youth Ambassadors interested in the General Cohort will be notified of their selection via email on a rolling basis starting Friday, February 21st.

We’re a youth-serving organization in Los Angeles County – how can we get involved in the Youth Ambassador Program?

We’re excited to engage as many young people across our region as possible and include their voices in this year’s LA2050 Grants Challenge. We’d love if youth-serving organizations would help us do that! If you’re interested in a formal collaboration, please email Carla Fuentes at carla@goldhirshfoundation.org.

How will you know which participants recruit the most voters?

Each Youth Ambassador will be provided with a customized tracking link that will count the number of voters they refer to the LA2050 Grants Challenge. Voters must use that customized tracking link to be counted toward the Youth Ambassador’s total.

What will LA2050 Youth Ambassadors receive in exchange for their participation?

We are excited that all participating Youth Ambassadors will:

• learn about the social impact and philanthropic landscape in Los Angeles and educational/career opportunities in these areas,
• receive training in community outreach and engagement,
• make a real impact on their communities by helping determine what local issues will be funded through the grants challenge, and
• be awarded a certificate honoring their service.

Participants who are in need of community service hours for school or another program can inquire by emailing carla@goldhirshfoundation.org. To qualify for a certificate and community service hours, Youth Ambassadors must log activity on their provided tracking link.

Furthermore, the two participants who recruit the most voters will each win a prize package of $500 – a $250 Visa gift card and $250 to donate to the nonprofit organization of their choice on the LA2050 Ideas Hub! All participants who recruit more than 50 voters will be entered into a raffle for additional prizes.

What will LA2050 Youth Ambassador Leaders receive in exchange for their participation?

We are excited that all participating Leadership Cohort members will:

• learn advanced content related to grantmaking, mentoring, and program facilitation
• make a real impact on their communities by helping determine what local issues will be funded through the grants challenge,
• gain hands on experience evaluating grant applications and making funding recommendations

In addition to being eligible for the prizes above, LA2050 Youth Ambassador Leadership Cohort members also will receive a $500 stipend – as a reflection of the program’s increased expectations and the substantial time and effort required. This stipend underscores the importance of the role and serious commitment needed to fully engage and succeed in the cohort.

APPLY NOW!