SoCal Grantmakers

Who should philanthropy work with during major disasters? How will recent policy changes impact FEMA’s response to future disasters in CA? Is it safe for non-citizens to receive help at evacuation centers? Our new funder resource (bit.ly/PhilCAprimer) answers these questions and more — breaking down critical changes to the federal disaster management landscape and providing real-time context for philanthropy to best support California communities during disasters. ➡️ Developed with and vetted by policy experts, federal and state disaster management leaders, and frontline organizations, this Philanthropy California primer will help you support communities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters toward long-term resilience. ➡️ The primer includes disaster response FAQs for funders and is designed as a living resource. New information and guidance will be added and updated as developments emerge. ➡️ Want to schedule time with the Philanthropy California team to discuss how federal changes may influence your grantmaking and the communities you serve? Reach out to Lily Bui, PhD (lily@socalgrantmakers.org) and Karla Mercado (karla@socalgrantmakers.org). A Primer: How Federal Changes are Shifting Disaster Resilience in California is available on the Philanthropy California website at bit.ly/PhilCAprimer. #DisasterPhilanthropy #FEMA #PhilanthropyCA

That's a wrap for Days 1 and 2 of Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking! We can't wait to see the 2025 Fundamentals cohort again on Thursday, November 13! We kicked off the day with Monica Banks, Manager of Professional Learning at SoCal Grantmakers, who took the stage and led the session "Philanthropic Foundations as Vehicles for Public Service." During this, we explored the U.S. philanthropic landscape, historical moments that have influenced the sector, defined commonly used vernacular, and discussed the different types of foundations. Jennifer Vanore, Ph. D. (UniHealth Foundation & SCG Board Member) and Rosemary C. Veniegas, Ph. D. (California Community Foundation), provided an overview of the life cycle of a grant in "The Art of Grantmaking: Making Connections and Navigating Philanthropy." We continued the day with Patricia Yossen (Heart of Los Angeles), who led participants in a creative activity building sculptural bridges representing our connections and the unique strengths we each bring to our work. The day concluded with Felicia Jones (Social Good Solutions) and Kaci Y. Patterson, MBA (Social Good Solutions & Black Equity Collective), who explored the historical context of inequity in grantmaking and discussed strategies for how funders can center equity in their work. On the second day, attendees joined a participatory workshop, guided by Adrienne Wittenberg (S. Mark Taper Foundation & SCG Board Member), "Numbers Tell A Story: Understanding the Basics of Financial Statements." In this session, attendees learned about the practical hands-on experience and resources to understand nonprofit financial materials from a programmatic perspective. Later, Seyron Foo (Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency) led the session "The Art of Advocacy: Philanthropy's Role in Public Policy Engagement," which focused on effectively moving a foundation's agenda forward and shared the fundamentals of advocacy for foundations. Our day ended with the session "Trust-Based Philanthropy: An Ethos, a Movement, and an Approach for this Moment," in which Shaady Salehi (Trust-Based Philanthropy Project) highlighted what it looks like to meet the moment with a trust-based approach. #SCGFundamentals

SCG's 2025 Annual Conference featured the exhibit "Immigrants: Our Nation's Tapestry," a data visualization of California's immigrant communities. Drawing on data from over 15 reports, our exhibit highlights the issues that California's immigrant communities are facing in 2025 and how philanthropy can best support them. We are pleased to share below some snippets of our data exhibit, designed in partnership with Firebrand Creative House. We invite you to learn more about this topic on our website, where we discuss the diversity of California's immigrant community, their contributions to our economy, the impact of mass deportations, and the importance for our sector to stand by immigrant communities in this moment. ⭐ Read more here: https://buff.ly/B5O7aDF #SCGAnnualConference #Immigration

We are excited to share the next session for Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking, "Walking the Tightrope: Balancing Purpose, Process, and Pressure." How do you stay grounded as a grantmaker while balancing your personal and professional values? This session offers participants the opportunity to learn from seasoned philanthropists who will candidly share some of the real-world challenges they've encountered in the field. Panelists will reflect on moments of joy, decision-making dilemmas, and value alignment, and will offer practical tools and strategies they've used to navigate these complexities with integrity and purpose. Our speakers will include: ⭐ Kameron Green, SoCal Grantmakers ⭐ Jeffrey Kim, J.D., The California Wellness Foundation ⭐ Margarita Luna, The California Endowment ⭐ Corey J. Matthews, JPMorganChase ⭐ Rachel Roth, THE CRAIL-JOHNSON FOUNDATION Learn more about Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking on our website: https://buff.ly/g3O1CTK #SCGFundamentals

SCG's signature professional learning program, Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking, begins next week on October 20th! We are excited to meet our 2025 Fundamentals cohort. Introducing the next Fundamentals session: "Mapping Power and Leading with Agency: Navigating Systems and Influence in Philanthropy." Philanthropy sits at the intersection of complex systems—communities, institutions, and networks of influence—that shape how resources flow and change happens. For emerging grantmakers, understanding your positionality within these systems is key to navigating your role with clarity, purpose, and confidence. Join Dr. Jenny Vazquez-Newsum from Untapped Leaders for this interactive session, where participants will explore power mapping as a tool to visualize relationships, influence, and decision-making within organizations and the philanthropic sector. Learn more about Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking on our website: https://buff.ly/g3O1CTK #SCGFundamentals

Revisit the highlights from SCG's 2025 Annual Conference, Acts of Courage! Read our key takeaways and access photos, video recordings, and session resources! Thank you again for attending this inspirational and transformative event. We are grateful you could join us last month as we shared insights and envisioned a Southern California where all can thrive. As Father Boyle shared in his opening remarks, may this conference be not something you came to, but something you now go from. 🗒️ The Courage to Act: Key Takeaways From Our Annual Conference We have compiled key action items from our breakout session speakers in this blog to help guide our SCG community and offer tangible next steps for moving ideas to action. 👉 https://buff.ly/onHrL9R 📸 Conference Photos You can now find all the photos from our Annual Conference, taken by Amor y Luna Photography, on SCG's Flickr page. 👉 https://buff.ly/8rKB9ag 📹 Watch Conference Recordings Recordings of our conference's opening remarks, our morning and closing plenaries, and both conference performances are now available on our website. 👉 https://buff.ly/ovE1EaY ✅ Explore Conference Resources We have collected resources referenced in several conference sessions on our website. You can find them below. 👉 https://buff.ly/w5g9vRs #SCGActsofCourage

Today is the last day to register for Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking! Fundamentals is a content-rich, immersive training for foundation staff new to philanthropy and seasoned philanthropic professionals looking to refresh their core grantmaking skills. Join SCG for three full-day, in-person sessions on October 20, 21, and November 13, as well as a Visit With A Grantmaker session. ⭐ Limited spots remain -- register today: https://buff.ly/Y95vscy Introducing our next Fundamentals topic, "Trust-Based Philanthropy: An Ethos, A Movement, & An Approach For This Moment." In today’s polarized and uncertain climate, philanthropy is under pressure to do more—and to do better. Trust-based philanthropy has grown into a movement that offers a clear path forward: centering equity, strengthening relationships, and reimagining the role of power in our sector. Join Shaady Salehi from Trust-Based Philanthropy Project to learn lessons from years of practice, unpack common misperceptions and false narratives, and highlight what it looks like for anyone—whether a program officer, trustee, or executive—to meet the moment with a trust-based approach. #SCGFundamentals

There remain only two days left to register for Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking, SCG's premier training for early career grantmakers! Register and join our 2025 cohort today: https://buff.ly/Y95vscy We are excited to highlight the next Fundamentals session, "The Art of Advocacy: Philanthropy's Role in Public Policy Engagement." Philanthropy operates within a complex, interconnected civic landscape—working alongside business, government, nonprofit institutions, and academia. Of all these actors, government entities have the most resources on any given issue than all of private philanthropy combined. Join Seyron Foo from the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency to learn the rules of engagement for effectively moving your foundation's agenda forward in service of community. We will explore the fundamentals of advocacy for philanthropic institutions and its critical function in advancing the goals of philanthropy. This year, Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking consists of three full-day, in-person sessions on October 20, October 21, and November 13, 2025, as well as a Visit with a Grantmaker session. Learn more and view the full agenda on our website: https://buff.ly/Y95vscy #SCGFundamentals

This is the last week to register for Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking, SCG's immersive, content-rich training for foundation staff new to philanthropy. Join us for three full-day, in-person sessions on October 20, October 21, and November 13, 2025, as well as a Visit with a Grantmaker session. There are only a few spots remaining in our 2025 cohort! Learn more and register today: https://buff.ly/Y95vscy We are pleased to share our next Fundamentals session, "Philanthropic Foundations as Vehicles for Public Service." Join Monica Banks, SCG's Manager of Professional Learning, for an overview of the U.S. philanthropic landscape and its unique role as a public service institution. We will explore historical moments that have influenced the sector, define commonly used vernacular, and discuss the different types of foundations. With this knowledge, we will examine the key challenges and opportunities shaping our field. #SCGFundamentals

We are pleased to share another upcoming session for Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking — "Adopting a Compassionate and Philanthropic Career and Lifestyle." Join John E. Kobara from Random Acts of Progress for an interactive workshop focused on developing and strengthening your personal and professional leadership skills in the context of dynamic change. Tapping into your inner potential to become adaptable, resilient, and more effective leaders by aligning your values with your ambitions. You will be introduced to best practices in developing greater self-awareness, self-reflection, and social capital-- all through a multicultural approach. Fundamentals is a content-rich, immersive training for foundation staff new to philanthropy (less than two years) and seasoned philanthropic professionals looking to refresh their core grantmaking skills. This year, our program will consist of three full-day sessions on October 20, October 21, and November 13, 2025. Learn more and register to join our 2025 Fundamentals in-person cohort experience on our website: https://buff.ly/Y95vscy