Partnerships and Collaborations

LA Partnership for Early Childhood Investment

The LA Partnership for Early Childhood Investment is a public/private collaborative comprised of more than 30 stakeholders focused on the future of LA County’s youngest children. The Partnership’s members represent philanthropic foundations, governmental agencies, and businesses seeking to invest in and promote solutions, practices, funding and policies that advance the lifelong health, education and economic outcomes for children, age 0-5, and their families.

Founded in 2003, the Partnership uses the following strategies for action:
Educate: Provides information, resources, and expertise to private- and public-sector leaders and funders on the value of investing in communities struggling with underinvestment in a space where all are welcome and free to exchange ideas and learn from each other.

Lead: The Partnership uses their influence, relationships, and networks using all their assets to support and advance comprehensive improvements to the system that support children and their families.

Grant Making and Community Investments: Curates public and private dollars and aligns investments in long-lasting, promising and proven community-based solutions that can be replicated across LA County and the nation. The Partnership provides grants to organizations targeting the most vulnerable families and children through innovative strategies that address and advocate for early childhood systems change and raise awareness of early childhood issues.

The Baby Futures Fund, established in 2011, seeks to strengthen partnerships and leverage resources among early childhood public and private funders. The Partnership has matched a$1 million grant from First 5LA to invest in innovative projects that improve child/family outcomes. Projects include: KPCC Early Childhood Education and Development Reporter, Los Angeles Home Visiting Campaign, and the African American Infant & Maternal Mortality Initiative.

Center for Nonprofit Management

The Foundation has partnered with CNM to provide the Crail-Johnson Foundation Scholarship Fund to our grantees to help build skills, increase capacity, and overall grow the impact of organizations we support.For 45 years, CNM has been the trusted nonprofit partner that Southern California’s social impact sector turns to for help solving problems, responding to change, and elevating its leaders. Their advisors draw on decades of experience leading nonprofits to help organizations succeed.

How CNM Works
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NONPROFIT: They strengthen non-profit leaders to increase the impact of their organization’s work in the community. Their expert advisors, instructors, and coaches will work closely with leadership, staff, and board to unlock the organization’s potential to meet the increasing needs of your community. CNM equips nonprofit leaders and organizations with the skills, resources, and connections they need to achieve their goals and succeed in their mission. Their education programs, tailored consulting services, and unique expertise have advanced Southern California’s nonprofit organizations since 1978.

PHILANTHROPY: They partner with philanthropies, the public sector, and corporations to amplify their reach. They uplift the voice of the nonprofit sector to improve the impact of policy decisions on communities.

GOVERNMENT: We collaborate with the public sector to build a stronger relationship between governments, nonprofits, and the communities they serve.CNM amplifies the voice of the region’s 12,000+ nonprofit organizations and collaborates with local governments to improve social service contracting outcomes. Helping nonprofits leverage ARPA funding opportunities, coordinating with LADWP on special grant programs, or training First 5 California’s grantees are just some of the ways CNM serves as a conduit between local government initiatives and the nonprofit sector.

CORPORATE: For decades, we've helped elevate the social impact of Southern California's businesses.Whether training corporate executives for board service or working with a company’s external relations team to connect with nonprofit partners, CNM builds alliances that meet the corporate sector’s community engagement goals and drive positive change in the community. Accenture, Bank of America, Deloitte, SoCalGas, and Wells Fargo Bank are just some of the companies that leverage CNM’s expertise.

ADVOCACY: Given CNM’s role as a capacity builder for thousands of community-based organizations across the region each year, one part of their mission is to represent their clients and colleagues, the nonprofit sector with a strong voice. Since nonprofits are the fourth largest employer in California – operating in the fifth largest economy in the world – strengthening organizations’ impact and reach significantly improves the lives of millions of residents.

Equity in LA County Contracting - Changing Policies and Practices
For more than two years, CNM has been leading a complex and labor-intensive effort that impacts the sustainability of the entire local nonprofit sector. Working in partnership with the County Board of Supervisors, CEO’s office, department leadership, and our nonprofit colleagues, we formed a historic Equity in Contracting Action Team. It is comprised of more than 50 nonprofit/philanthropy leaders and 50 County staff who are tasked with meeting regularly to identify challenges and develop workable solutions.

Past partnerships

Alchemy Gold reflects the Annenberg Foundation’s commitment to working with and enlisting other funders to make sustained investments in nonprofit capacity building. A network of regional grant makers gather quarterly to learn, share and strategize about practices that strengthen the nonprofit sector of Los Angeles. The Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, along with other grant makers have participated in Alchemy Gold since it began in 2010. Collectively, these funders have provided capacity-building grants (up to $10,000 each) to Alchemy+ graduates. Alchemy+ is the higher level course for graduates of Leadership Seminar who want to take their learning further. Among the central issues addressed are fundraising, board governance and effectiveness, financial literacy, and developing a strong case for support.