$2.6 million for a better Los Angeles!

The LA2050 Grants Challenge is an open call for ideas to make Los Angeles the best place to learn, create, play, connect, and live. A total of $1 million will be awarded among 15 organizations to implement their ideas to address the issues that Angelenos care most about.

LA2050 will also commit to a one-year partnership with the winners—leveraging its resources, assets, and networks to help the projects succeed. Together, the winning organizations, LA2050, and Angelenos will make progress for the region that will change the course of our future.

This year, we're shifting the focus of public voting from organizations.

First, we asked Angelenos to vote for the issues that matter most to them, online from April 18th to May 6th, 2022. Then, we announced the top-voted issues and open grant applications to organizations working in those areas. Finally, we'll evaluate all of the proposals in collaboration with SJP Los Angeles and award our annual $1 million in grant funding on September 12th, 2022.

We’re open! But here are some ideas about what we’re looking for:

• Bold ideas that will produce measurable wins for the LA region
• A spirit of collaboration and desire to unify and amplify collective efforts
• A clear focus on inclusion, diversity of voices, and equity
• Efforts that not only produce positive results, but are also focused on increasing local engagement and civic participation
• A desire to test new strategies

Both new and existing projects, programs, or initiatives are eligible for submission. All winning projects must be completed, and the grant award must be expended, within 12 months of receipt of funds. There are no limitations on administrative or operational expenses.

We do not take phone calls or individual meetings during this time due to the number of inquiries we receive.

We would love to connect with you at one of our open Office Hours sessions Tuesdays at 3:00 pm and Fridays at 11:00 am or to have you in attendance for a virtual Information Session on May 19th, May 31st, or June 13th. You can register to join us here.

We are also happy to answer your questions any time via email at connect@la2050.org.

Beyond the potential to receive a grant for your work, we believe that applying to the challenge will provide additional benefits including:

• The opportunity to participate in a first-of-its-kind regional effort
• Increased awareness and exposure via our public platform
• Increased understanding of LA’s social impact landscape
• The opportunity to cultivate and build new relationships with peers
• The chance to build a coalition of committed Angelenos and organizations to support important work in LA
• The opportunity to learn how to tell a compelling story about your organization’s impact
• Inspiring the creation of videos, photos, tweets, and pithy messaging to promote your proposal
• Visibility in front of other foundations and potential alternative funding sources—past challenges have resulted in more than $3.5 million in grants from outside funders using the LA2050 platform for their grantmaking
• ‘Volunteer’ and ‘Donate’ buttons on each submission page to drive resources to your organization
• A page on our Ideas Hub, a database of all organizations that have applied to the LA2050 Grants Challenge and their proposals

We want to know what matters to YOU!

Voting is now closed. Public voting took place between Monday, April 18th, 2022 to Friday, May 6th, 2022 at 11:59 pm, online in both English and Spanish. Any person in the United States over the age of 14 was eligible to vote.