As the chairman and president of The Goldhirsh Foundation, respectively, Benjamin Goldhirsh and Tara Roth have the capability to do extreme good in the world. Luckily for Los Angeles, in 2013 the foundation’s LA2050 initiative launched the LA2050 Grants Challenge, which has directed more than $23 million to local social impact organizations. This year, 55 Los Angeles organizations received $3.1 million in funding, and at Oct. 14’s LA2050 Grantee Showcase, the recipients were announced and celebrated at the SmogShoppe in Culver City.
“One of my favorite days of the year is the Grantee Showcase,” shared Roth. “In one day, I get to see all the people who are doing such incredible work, who are putting themselves out there and being true civic community servants in making Los Angeles better. What I love about the work is that not only do I get to see these incredible heroes, but I get to promote and amplify their work and connect them where I can. We have people going in to prisons to teach entrepreneurship. We have people greening spaces that were otherwise blighted spaces. I’m inspired and gratified that I get to participate in this in some way.”
The Grants Challenge consists of several stages. First, organization screening; second, Angelenos vote on the issues that matter most to them and determine the areas eligible for funding. Next, organizations selected through Part 1 are invited to submit funding proposals for a specific program, project or initiative that aligns with the top-voted issues. Those proposals are reviewed and recipients are chosen. . . .
Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.
