Start the 2026 App Today!
Take the first step toward securing an award of up to $75,000 – Part 1 of the LA2050 Grants Challenge Application is due April 22nd.
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What Do You Say, LA?
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. It is unique in that it puts the power of grantmaking in the hands of Angelenos through public voting, with more than one million votes cast to date in support of a brighter future for LA. Since 2013, this model has directed more than $23 million to local social impact organizations, including $12 million from the Goldhirsh Foundation and over $11 million in additional support from Funding Partners, expanding the Grants Challenge’s reach and impact.
The 2026 Grants Challenge will unfold in several stages, beginning with Part 1: Organization Screening, which focuses on learning about organizations seeking grants. Next, Angelenos will vote on the issues that matter most to them and determine the areas eligible for funding. Organizations selected through Part 1 will then be invited to submit Part 2: a Funding Proposal for a specific program, project, or initiative aligned with the top-voted issues. In collaboration with our external evaluators, the Goldhirsh Foundation and Funding Partners will review proposals and announce awards in October 2026.
Key Dates
January 26 - April 22
Application Pt. 1: Organization screening
March 18 - April 22
Issue area voting
April 29
Voting results announced
April 29 - June 5
Application Pt. 2: Funding proposal
June 8 - September 25
Submission evaluation
October, 2026
Grant recipients announced
About the LA2050 Grants Challenge
LA2050 is a community-guided initiative, operated by the Goldhirsh Foundation, driving and tracking progress toward a shared vision for the future of LA.
Our most significant program is the LA2050 Grants Challenge – an annual call for ideas to make LA the best place to connect, learn, live, play, and create.
The Grants Challenge is unique in that it turns the power of grantmaking over to Angelenos through public voting. Each year, the public helps determine the issue areas that receive the Goldhirsh Foundation’s annual $1 million in grants – from homelessness and income inequality to park access – with more than a million votes cast to date in support of a brighter future for LA.
Since 2013, this model has directed more than $23 million to local social impact organizations, including $12 million from the Goldhirsh Foundation and more than $11 million in additional support from Funding Partners that expands the Grants Challenge’s reach and impact.
In 2025, we launched our 12th Grants Challenge – guided by the theme "LA, Together" – a call to build a brighter future through collective action. Angelenos cast nearly 140,000 votes to shape our funding priorities, and local organizations responded with a record 1,182 transformative ideas. The result: nearly $3 million awared to 55 inspiring Los Angeles nonprofits, thanks to the support of a dozen local Funding Partners.
LA2050 Goals
Together with the LA2050 community, we developed five goals for Los Angeles in the year 2050 – to make Los Angeles the best place to connect, create, learn, live, and play.
The goals were shaped through the engagement of tens of thousands of Angelenos and input from experts, advisors, and partners. Each of the goals is supported by a set of metrics that, taken together, define what it will mean for us to achieve success.
LEARN
By the year 2050, the education system in Los Angeles will be well-resourced and culturally-responsive. All children will have access to early education programs and all families will be engaged in their student’s learning. Students will graduate college- and career-ready, equipped to thrive in the workforce of the future. Our higher education facilities will advance research and spur innovation.
CREATE
By the year 2050, Los Angeles will be an international leader in innovation across sectors. We will play host to the largest concentration of working artists and high-quality arts establishments. We will be a center for entrepreneurial activity, creating jobs and generating wealth for a flexible, talented, and inclusive workforce. Our business community will reflect the diversity of our region, enhancing our national and international opportunities.
PLAY
By the year 2050, people from across Los Angeles will live in close proximity to vibrant park space and have easy access to high-quality, sustainable spaces for recreation. We will get active, explore the outdoors, and appreciate our natural environment. All residents will feel a sense of safety and belonging in their communities.
CONNECT
By the year 2050, Los Angeles will be the most civically engaged region in the United States, with abundant platforms for residents to voice their opinions and influence elected officials and other decision-makers. Our region’s voting rates and volunteerism will lead the nation. An expanded, accessible transportation network will facilitate the easy flow of people and ideas.
LIVE
By the year 2050, Los Angeles will have the nation’s lowest poverty rate and income inequality. All families will have access to fresh and healthy food, high-quality health care, and safe housing, no matter where they live or how much money they make. Our communities will enjoy the benefits of a sustainable environment, from clear skies to clean water.
LA2050 Grantees
Since 2013, we’ve supported hundreds of ideas moving LA toward a brighter future.
Funding Partner
The Goldhirsh Foundation, founder and organizer of the LA2050 Grants Challenge, providing $1 million in grant funds to organizations working on the top-voted issue areas.
Evaluation Partner
Social Justice Partners Los Angeles (SJPLA), serving as our external evaluation partner. SJP is a membership organization that connects community leaders to nonprofits to tackle Los Angeles’ toughest challenges. All proposals are reviewed, scored, and evaluated by members of SJPLA.