In collaboration with our funding partners, LA2050 is granting an estimated $3 million to the issues that LA cares about most.

The LA2050 Grants Challenge is an open call for ideas to make Los Angeles County the best place to connect, create, learn, live, and play. Since 2013, we’ve given more than $23 million in grants to local impact organizations and supported hundreds of winning ideas to make our region better for all.

During the voting period, more than 110,000 votes were cast by more than 17,000 Angelenos about what issues matter most to them – now, we’re looking for the best ideas to make an impact on those top-voted issue areas, as well as those sponsored by our funding partners.

Organizations selected through Part 1: Organization Screening, were notified and invited to move on to Part 2: Funding Proposal, which opened on April 29th and closes on June 5th, 2026. Selected applicants will submit a specific program, project, or initiative aligned with one or more of this year’s eligible issue areas. Proposals will then be reviewed by the Goldhirsh Foundation, funding partners, and external evaluators, with grants announced in late September 2026.

Curious if your organization’s work is a good fit?

Below, take a deeper dive into the 12 issue areas open for grants this year and learn more about what we’re looking for.

[Keep in mind: we are defining each of these issue areas expansively. These descriptions are intended to spark imagination but do not capture all of the ideas that are eligible for submission. We invite you to be creative as you consider how your organization might impact one or more issue areas.]

Access to Tech and Creative Industry Employment – Selected by voters, and sponsored by the Snap Foundation

Los Angeles is home to thriving tech and creative sectors but securing employment in those areas can be more difficult for some groups. We are looking for submissions that support access to tech and creative industry employment for groups that are traditionally underrepresented – including women, Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ Angelenos. This can be accomplished through internships, educational opportunities, training, networking, job placement, and more.

+ Sponsored! Under this same umbrella, the Snap Foundation is seeking ideas that will specifically develop pathways to employment in the creative economy for underrepresented youth in Los Angeles, ages 12 to 25. The creative economy encompasses architecture, arts and crafts, design, fashion, film, video, photography, music, performing arts, publishing, research and development, game design, advertising, engineering, TV/radio, and other fields that draw on human ingenuity.

Affordable Housing and Homelessness – Selected by voters, and sponsored by the Elbaz Family Foundation

It is likely no surprise that affordable housing and homelessness received more votes than any other issue area – now for the fifth year in a row. These programs, projects, or initiatives might focus on improving the quantity and quality of affordable housing, assisting vulnerable tenants, or providing support to unhoused individuals.

Community Safety

Community safety encompasses any work that protects people from harm of all kinds and allows them to feel safe. Submissions can support physical safety, such as policies that protect pedestrians and cyclists, or emotional safety, such as a program that deters bullying. This issue area includes not just the prevention of harassment, discrimination, and violence but also the active promotion of belonging, inclusion, and peace – from “know your rights” training to teaching about healthy relationships, building support systems for marginalized groups, and more.

Green Space, Park Access, and Trees

Submissions are also open for the fifth time to the green space, park access, and trees issue area. We welcome any ideas that increase the availability of, expand equitable access to, or encourage more frequent use of these outdoor areas for all residents of Los Angeles. We also welcome ideas that inspire creative interaction with these spaces.

Health Care Access - Selected by voters, and sponsored by a private funder

Access to comprehensive, high-quality health care is essential for individual thriving and overall community well-being. We are looking for proposals that connect Angelenos to mental and physical health services, especially those from uninsured and underinsured populations.

+ Sponsored! A private funder is particularly interested in applications under this category that focus on mental health, including efforts to address mental health needs and expand access to care and support.

​​Immigrant and Refugee Support

The Los Angeles region can, and should, embrace immigrants and refugees. We are seeking submissions with ideas to protect their rights and provide holistic support, including access to housing, education, healthcare, legal services, and social, personal, and economic resources to help them thrive.

Income Inequality – Selected by voters, and sponsored by the Elbaz Family Foundation

Addressing income inequality comes in many forms, whether directly offering resources to those who need them or implementing projects, programs, and initiatives that address the root causes in our communities. This might include supporting first-generation college students, providing jobs to individuals who have been incarcerated, or giving direct cash payments to low-income families.

K-12 STEAM Education – Selected by voters, and sponsored by the Elbaz Family Foundation, Herb Alpert Foundation, and John N. Calley Foundation

High-quality K-12 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education is essential. Submissions to this issue area can take the form of school-based curriculum support, after-school program activities, extracurricular opportunities, or other initiatives that encourage school-age students to succeed in STEAM.

Social Justice – Sponsored by the Brunswick Foundation

In collaboration with the Brunswick Foundation, we are seeking submissions that advance social justice across Los Angeles. Including efforts to address inequity, remove systemic barriers, and expand access to opportunity and well-being across communities. We welcome ideas that support more just outcomes through direct services, community organizing, advocacy, or systems change.

Social Support Networks

Loneliness is on the rise across the United States and has even been described as an epidemic. We are looking for ideas to decrease isolation, promote interdependence, and encourage communal care. Think intergenerational relationships, mutual aid hubs, neighbors coming together, or supporting individuals reentering after incarceration.

Support for Foster and Systems-Impacted Youth

We are also looking for submissions that focus on improving the well-being of youth ages 24 and under who have been impacted by the mental and behavioral health system, the child welfare system, the youth justice system, or other similar systems. We are open to all channels of support – academic, professional, social, legal, personal, and beyond.

Youth Economic Advancement – Sponsored by the R & S Kayne Foundation

In collaboration with the R & S Kayne Foundation, we are looking for proposals from organizations that foster economic inclusion through creating career pathways for NEET Youth (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) ages 18 to 26. There is added value if the proposal is for a program, project, or initiative that incorporates youth power, co-designing with and embracing the input of young people.

Questions?

Reach out to us via email any time at connect@la2050.org.