Goldhirsh Foundation: After Wildfires, Angelenos’ Resilience Shines in Record-Breaking 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge

This year's LA2050 Grants Challenge theme, "LA, Together," proved especially resonant following the devastating wildfires that struck Los Angeles in January. This year’s funded initiatives reflect the same spirit of resilience, communal care, and collective action that communities across Los Angeles demonstrated in the aftermath of the fires.  Some of the programs include firefighting careers for formerly incarcerated individuals, adult media literacy workshops, and a free electric trolley system in San Pedro. Nearly $3 million in total funding comes from a collaborative of a dozen LA foundations led by the Goldhirsh Foundation.

In the LA2050 Grants Challenge model, Angelenos drive funding decisions through a three-phase process. First, nearly 140,000 votes were cast by community members on the issues that mattered most to them. Then, a record-breaking 1,182 organizations submitted proposals addressing the 10 highest-priority issues identified by voters. For the fourth consecutive year, “affordable housing and homelessness” was the top-voted issue. Lastly, all of the proposals are evaluated in collaboration with Social Justice Partners LA (SJPLA) and Grants Challenge funding partners.

To learn more about the grantees and the LA2050 project, please visit: https://la2050.org/