Note from Chairperson and President

Dear Angelenos, Partners, and Supporters,

During its first three years, the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles has brought together the unique resources and expertise of public, private, and philanthropic organizations to launch partnerships and ventures that have reshaped Los Angeles. We continue to test new ideas, boost programs that work, and facilitate innovation and partnership that make government better.

Our impact can be seen and felt in every neighborhood of our city. In parks and on playfields, in museums and classrooms, in updates to our streets and to our bureaucratic structures, partnerships activated or facilitated by the Fund are helping Angelenos create a 21st-century metropolis with opportunities for all.

This year, in addition to the partnerships we’ve launched, we debuted SPARK grants. With our SPARK grants, the Fund provides seed funding for new ventures taking the risk to prove impact. It’s the logical outgrowth of a role we’ve had since our start.

Read on for updates on Los Angeles’s first State of Women and Girls conference; L.A.’s College Promise, building a bridge for high school graduates to attend college; and the work of the Operations Innovation Team, overhauling government procurement, employee safety, and city-owned real estate systems.

This Annual Report focuses on our third year, from July 2016 to June 2017. Our commitment to transparency and independence is highlighted side-by-side with our results and impact.

Of course, there’s more to come. The start of FY2018 has seen the first recipients of LA’s College Promise head to class and the rollout of SPARK programs that will develop cybersecurity and combat homelessness. We’ve seen art-goers flock to Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA and creative entrepreneurs join in the excitement of the #LAOriginal brand mark.

We thank you for your support and invite you to follow our efforts at mayorsfundla.org as we continue forward to deliver innovative programs with measurable impact.

– Marc I. Stern & Deidre Lind

Marc I. Stern
Marc I. Stern

Chairperson

 

Deidre Lind
Deidre Lind

President

 

The Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles

The Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles is an independent nonprofit uniquely situated to bridge the reach and scope of government with the expertise, nimbleness, and resources of the private sector. The Fund incubates 32 programs addressing topics as diverse as youth employment, public safety, water conservation, gender equity, transportation and homelessness. Its unique structure allows it to lead and implement programs, serve as a program fiscal agent, or act as a launchpad for new programs and innovative solutions.

ACTIVATE

Lead innovative solutions to civic problems

Brand LA + LA Original

Disaster Relief

Save The Drop

Economic Development Fund

LA’s College Promise

Mayor’s Office of Volunteer Engagement

Operations Innovation Team

Los Angeles State of Women & Girls Address and Young Women’s Assembly

FACILITATE

Serve as a steward of resources to civic programs

Bloomberg Innovation Team

LA Business Portal

Citizenship & Immigration

Domestic Abuse Response Teams

Great Streets

Hire LA Youth

Homelessness

Leonard Hill Arts Plaza

Promise Zone

Public Art & PST:LA/LA

Purposeful Aging

Summer Night Lights

Sustainability Plan

Tech & Data/Water Fellow

Transportation Technology Fellow

US-China Climate Summit

SPARK

Launch innovative, high-risk expansion and pilot programming

Reentry Clinic

Madrid Cultural Hub

Mayor’s Youth Council-Policing

LA Cyber Lab

Spanish Business Portal Translation

Community Engagement on Homelessness

Youth Employment Pilot

 

Program Spotlights

SPARK

SPARK grants help launch innovative projects demonstrate success before seeking ongoing public sector support. Through SPARK, the Fund provides “venture capital” that allows policymakers and program staff to pilot a new approach. Many SPARK programs are already showing great promise. They include L.A.’s tech-driven Youth Employment Pilot, the first-in-the-nation city-based cybersecurity lab, and a reactivated community hub for the arts in Canoga Park, among many more.

Reentry Clinic

Supporting a free legal clinic to help former offenders get back on their feet and build better lives.

Madrid Cultural Hub

A planning process set the groundwork for L.A.’s next cultural hub in an under-utilized space.

Mayor’s Youth Council-Policing

Members of the Mayor’s Youth Council interact with law enforcement and explore careers in public service.

LA Cyber Lab

A public-private partnership to create the nation’s first city-based cybersecurity lab.

Spanish Business Portal Translation

Making the L.A. Business Portal easily accessible to even more enterprising Angelenos.

Community Engagement

An outreach campaign building inclusive solutions for unhoused Angelenos.

Youth Employment Pilot

A tech-driven program providing young people with new ways to access employers and build lasting careers.

Operations Innovation Team

For two years, the Operations Innovation Team worked to improve how City Hall operates, drawing on insights from cities and universities around the country. Through a deep dive into L.A.’s bureaucratic processes and outreach to other cities, the team successfully delivered on its mission of aspirational government reform. The O-Team introduced exciting new tools, helped reduce risk for City employees, and paved the way for procurement reform. While the O-Team’s work has closed officially, its efforts live on as City government institutionalizes the reforms delivered by this cross-sector team, saving the City money and making its operations more responsive to its residents.

Los Angeles State of Women & Girls Address and Young Women’s Assembly

L.A.’s inaugural women’s conference brought together leaders from across the city with 600 Los Angeles Unified School District students for conversations and workshops on gender equity. Mayor Eric Garcetti and First Lady Amy Elaine Wakeland hosted the conference at USC on March 14, 2017. The Fund partnered with L.A.’s Bloomberg Philanthropies Innovation Team (i-team), another MFLA Program, to make the event possible and raised funds for programs that empower young women and girls. A landmark on L.A.’s journey toward full gender equality, a follow-up conference is in the works.

LA’S College Promise

Nearly 4,000 young Angelenos are currently enrolled in tuition-free community college because of this partnership program. L.A.’s College Promise brings together the Fund, the Mayor’s Office, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles Community College District, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, UNITE LA, and a host of donors. The Fund covered the costs of first year tuition for students. In an exciting development, the L.A.’s College Promise helped pave the way to successful passage of a Sacramento bill to give students throughout California access to a college education that was once out-of-reach.

Summer Night Lights

For ten summers, this nationally recognized program has built and strengthened cross-sector partnerships, opening 32 city parks to family-friendly programming on summer evenings. With the Fund’s help, Summer Night Lights (SNL) continued Fall Friday Nights to keep safe spaces that are strengthening communities across the City. The Fund serves as a crossroads, working with donors, city government, county government, federal government, and nonprofits to bring everything together. This year, the Fund won the Council on Foundation’s HUD Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships for our work on SNL, and for the first time, we’re working with regional partners to make SNL’s benefits available throughout Los Angeles County.

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PILOT

With underwriting from the Fund’s SPARK grants program, the Youth Employment Pilot introduces a one-of-a-kind intervention – a career assessment and job matching technology – to help opportunity youth discover and embark on career pathways. In partnership with the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce and the City’s Economic and Workforce Development Department, the pilot is debuting FindYourFuture.la, a new platform to forge those connections and help youth find professional development opportunities.

 

All Programs

Activate

Lead innovative solutions to civic problems

Brand LA + LA Original

A platform for L.A.’s vibrant creative economy and diverse local makers with a brand that gives back.

Save the Drop

A bold, bilingual, water conservation awareness campaign that confronts drought and spans the city.

L.A.’s College Promise

An education-pipeline partnership effort to expand college access, and now a model for all of California.

Operations Innovation Team

Drawing on cross-sector expertise to reform the City’s key operating systems.

Disaster Relief

Making L.A. more resilient with a fundraising hub and resources for immediate disaster relief.

Economic Development Fund

Boosting small business and entrepreneurship with private sector expertise and public sector reach.

Mayor’s Office of Volunteer Engagement

Creating new solutions to support Angelenos who want to make a positive change in this city.

Los Angeles State of Women & Girls Address and Young Women’s Assembly

A unique gathering of multi-sector leaders and hundreds of LAUSD students to highlight and build gender equity in L.A.

Facilitate

Serve as a steward of resources to civic programs

Bloomberg I-Team

A nexus for cutting-edge, data-driven techniques to make L.A.’s government more effective.

Citizenship & Immigration

Support for programs that help L.A.’s many immigrants access services and integrate into life in this city.

Great Streets

Backing for a partnership initiative to support small businesses along the city’s first fifteen Great Streets.

Homelessness

Partnership efforts that confront housing shortages, help veterans and families, and turn lives around.

L.A. Business Portal

An online destination making it easier for Angelenos to plan, start, manage, and grow local businesses.

Domestic Abuse Response Team

Trained survivor advocates partner with police officers, providing vital services to Angelenos affected by domestic violence.

Hire LA Youth

Coordinating public and private resources to expand job opportunities for L.A.’s next generation of talent.

Leonard Hill Arts Plaza

Creating an arts plaza adjacent to the reconstructed Sixth Street Bridge.

Promise Zone

The Young Ethnographers summer jobs program gave youth from L.A.’s Promise Zone a chance to survey their communities and build skills.

Purposeful Aging

Finding ways to make L.A. a more welcoming place for people of all ages.

Sustainability pLAn

The pLAn lays out bold goals for collaboration between government, the private sector, and Angelenos to create a greener, healthier L.A.

Transportation Tech Fellow

Embedded with LADOT, the fellow explored cutting-edge improvements to L.A.’s transportation infrastructure.

Public Art  & PST: LA/LA

Partnering with the Getty Foundation and the City’s Department of Cultural Affairs to produce a citywide exhibition of Latin American and Latino art.

Summer Night Lights

An award-winning, nationally recognized model for effective civic partnerships that provides safety, space, and programming for youth and families.

Tech & Data/Water Fellow

A philanthropic partnership to track and improve L.A.’s water conservation efforts.

US-China Climate Summit

A 2015 summit brought together local and regional leaders from the U.S. and China to set goals and confirm emissions targets.

SPARK

Launch innovative, high-risk expansion and pilot programming

Reentry Clinic

Supporting a free legal clinic to help former offenders get back on their feet and build better lives.

Mayor’s Youth Council-Policing

Members of the Mayor’s Youth Council interact with law enforcement and explore careers in public service.

Spanish Business Portal Translation

Making the L.A. Business Portal easily accessible to even more enterprising Angelenos.

Youth Employment Pilot

A tech-driven program providing young people with new ways to access employers and build lasting careers.

Madrid Cultural Hub

A planning process set the groundwork for L.A.’s next cultural hub in an under-utilized space.

LA Cyber Lab

A public-private partnership to create the nation’s first city-based cybersecurity lab.

Community Engagement on Homelessness

An outreach campaign building inclusive solutions for unhoused Angelenos.

Financials

Grants vs. Other Program Expenses

Total Expenses by Program


Program vs. Operations Expense


GROWTH IN
PROGRAMS

Note from the Mayor

Dear Friends,

The Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles is an indispensable part of our work to build a stronger, more connected future. The Fund’s partnerships allow us to bring our best ideas to bear, combining the flexibility of the private sector with the reach of the public sector.

Whether it’s helping to make L.A.’s College Promise real for all high school graduates, expanding our Summer Night Lights programming, or launching new ideas with the SPARK pilot program, the Fund drives collaboration and is making a real difference in people’s lives.

I want to thank the Fund’s staff and board for their success, and I look forward to continuing our work together.

Sincerely,

 

ERIC GARCETTI
Mayor

For more information, visit:

Copyright ©2017 Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles. All rights reserved.