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 Civic AskS/OFFERS

a Technology Tool prioritizing communication and efficient connections Connecting Civic Needs With Community Resources:

increase and Simplify equitable access to government infrastructure and other civic initiatives

Can we deliver a better future by adapting technology to provide innovative solutions to civic scale challenges?

Could this provide more equitable and efficient access to cross-sector resources?

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ASKS:

a menu of opportunities

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES:

Evolving digital platforms in Los Angeles Mayor’s Office:

County:

  • Center for Strategic Partnerships — initiative of Southern California Grantmakers / collaboration with LA County Chief Executive Office

    • ASK: Funding, Services

      • The Center’s goal is to support cross-sector collaborations that transform Los Angeles County systems, policies, and practices to improve outcomes for vulnerable children, youth, and families using an equity lens to guide its work.

Unincorporated Cities:

  • Clean Compton Initiative

    • ASK: Volunteerism, Residents, Services, Community Partnerships

      • The new Clean Compton Initiative is a citywide targeted effort to beautify, clean, abate and maintain the cleanliness of our city through strategically targeted city services, municipal code enforcement, and community partnerships.

State:

NONPROFITS:

  • LA2050 Ideas Archive, e.g.

  • Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust*

    • ASK: Materials, Residents, Volunteerism

      • LANLT contributes to the equity and well-being of neighborhoods through the development of parks, gardens, and community-driven organizing across greater Los Angeles. It focuses its efforts in low-income communities of color that have little access to green space.

  • Seed Consulting Group*

    • ASK: Funding, Volunteerism, Services

      • In its Pro-bono Consulting Program, the Group forms project teams of local talented professionals and connect them with LA-based non-profits to find solutions for their largest problems.

  • Lost Angels Children’s Project*

    • ASK: Funding, Volunteerism, Services

      • Lost Angels Children's Project offers a vocational training social enterprise program that provides high-needs transitional aged youth (TAY) with hands-on job training, career development, paid apprenticeship, and wraparound supportive services.

  • New Earth*

    • ASK: Funding, Volunteerism

      • New Earth provides mentor-based arts, educational, and vocational programs that empower juvenile justice and system-involved youth ages 13-25 to transform their lives, move toward positive, healthier life choices, and realize their full potential as contributing members of our community.

  • Turnaround Arts: California*

    • ASK: Funding, Services

      • As an education partner for the comprehensive revitalization plan for communities along the LA River, Turnaround Arts: California will launch partnerships with two schools to support them in boldly re-designing their approach to teaching & learning with the arts at the center.

  • Food on Foot*

    • ASK: Funding, Materials

      • Food on Foot is a nonprofit dedicated to assisting our homeless and low-income neighbors in Los Angeles with nutritious meals, clothing, and a fresh start through a life-skills education, full-time employment, and permanent housing.


SOCIAL ENTERPRISES & B-CORPS

  • Good Tutors*

    • ASK: Funding, Volunteerism, Services

      • This grant is to triple the capacity of Good Tutors, a program currently providing customized 1:1 virtual tutors and book clubs to 400 PreK-12th grade students in underserved LAUSD communities.

COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS / PUBLIC AMENITIES (public art, urban gardens):

  • TreePeople, Inc*

    • Volunteerism, Funding

      • TreePeople’s Fruit Tree Program focuses on underserved, environmentally stressed communities with low canopy and few options for healthy food. TreePeople will distribute 5-gallon fruit trees through a series of community events.

  • Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE)*

    • ASK: Volunteerism, Services

      • The UNIDAD (United Neighbors in Defense Against Displacement) Coalition supports development without displacement. UNIDAD will educate and mobilize South LA residents to support community led development on public land that creates affordable housing, good jobs, green space, clean air, small business opportunities, and better, healthier neighborhoods for the same neighbors.

  • Los Angeles Community Garden Council*

    • ASK: Funding, Volunteerism, Materials

      • The garden is currently seeking funded upgrades to expand the capacity of volunteers to serve the community via weekly empowerment workshops, food pantries and much more.

  • Downtown Crenshaw Rising

    • ASK: Funding, Volunteerism

      • Los Angeles’ Black community has a right to own its future. Right now there is a groundswell of support for Black community ownership of the Crenshaw Mall. Tens of thousands have signed petitions reflecting a broad base of support for a new model of economic development that uplifts instead of uproots the community.

Examples

OTHER BUSINESSES / SOCIAL VENTURES

  • Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects*

    • ASK: Funding, Services, Materials, Residents

      • Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects propose to develop a process and design model for community-oriented supportive housing as an alternative to the metrics-driven models commonly deployed in Los Angeles. The Village is a shared, integrated, affordable housing concept accommodating multiple families in rental housing, and will be oriented towards female-led households to protect victims of domestic violence and to address the soaring number of women and their families experiencing increased instability as a result of the pandemic.

  • Thrive Way, Inc*

    • ASK: Funding, Services

      • This project will address loneliness and mental health issues by building social networking platform that focuses on real social connections and emotional supports.

oFFERS:

Funding/Services/Volunteerism/Materials/Information

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES:

  • LA Budget to Build Back Better

    • OFFER: Funding

      • Los Angeles’ work to build back better from the COVID pandemic has begun. Last week, the City Council unanimously approved an $11.2 billion budget that focuses on reopening our city, improving our neighborhoods, and fulfilling long-delayed promises of equity and justice. This new budget includes significant funding for solutions to homelessness, responses to increases in crime, expanding neighborhood sanitation efforts, improvements to our parks, enhancing our urban forest, repaving our streets, and fighting climate change. It also includes resources to help small businesses, renters, seniors, and parents with young children.

  • City of LA Office of Community Beautification (OCB): Keep Los Angeles Beautiful (KLAB)*

    • OFFER: Funding

      • The Beautify LA Community Grant Program is an annual competitive matching grant open to the residents of Los Angeles to fund exceptional neighborhood projects. It encourages, supports, and provides opportunities to communities of high need and the general public in the ownership and beautification of public spaces.

  • LA County Dept of Parks and Recreation:  LA County Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD)

    • OFFER: Funding

      • Competitive grant programs totaling $33.4 million for park development across Los Angeles County. Funded by Measure A, the programs are open for online applications by eligible park development entities from April 30 to October 28 at 10:00 a.m.

  • LA County Homeless Initiative

    • OFFER: Funding

      • Los Angeles County’s Draft FY 2021-22 Homeless Initiative Funding Recommendations is the County’s proposed budget for preventing and combating homelessness in the fiscal year that begins July 1. It includes investments in housing, shelter, street outreach, supportive services, and other proven strategies, largely using sales tax revenue generated through Measure H, a ¼-cent sales tax approved by Los Angeles County voters in March 2017 to implement the most comprehensive action plan ever undertaken to address homelessness countywide.

  • LA County Dept of Public Social Services: CalFresh

    • OFFER: Funding

      • The CalFresh Program (formerly known as Food Stamps) helps low-income households increase their food-buying power to meet their household’s nutritional needs. CalFresh benefits issued through Electronic Benefit Transfer, also known as EBT card, can be used in grocery stores and participating Farmers Markets. Homeless, elderly or disabled persons may purchase prepared meals from participating restaurants with their EBT card.

  • State of California Loan Guarantee Program

    • OFFER: Funding

      • IBank’s Small Business Finance Center features a loan guarantee program designed to assist small businesses that experience capital access barriers. The Small Business Loan Guarantee program encourages lenders to provide funds to small businesses to help them grow and prosper.

  • California Public Banking Alliance & Public Bank LA

    • OFFER: Funding

      • The California Public Banking Alliance (CPBA) is a coalition of public banking activists in California working to create socially and environmentally responsible city and regional public banks.

      • Public Bank LA is a grassroots advocacy organization working to keep the City of Los Angeles’ money within our communities working to benefit the people, not Wall Street Banks.

  • California Climate Action Corps

    • Empowering Climate Service: Connects organizations that have climate-related volunteer needs with Californians interested in volunteering.

    • Expanded Fellowship Opportunities: In summer 2021, the organization will bring on more than 200 Fellows statewide for a climate “summer of service.” In September, it will deploy 50 additional full-time Fellows.

"Foundations"

"Crowdsourcing"

CROWDSOURCING:

  • Patronicity

    • OFFER: Funding

      • Empowers local placemaking projects through crowdfunding, access to matching grants and hands-on project coaching. With a 96% success rate and 6+ years of experience, Patronicty can help you get the funding and support you need to turn your vision into reality and transform your community.

  • VaccinateCA

    • OFFER: Information

      • VaccinateCA is a crowdsourced, centralized website database where people 16 and older can find out where and how to get a vaccine.

INDIVIDUALS:

BUSINESSES:

  • Chambers of commerce

  • Banks

  • Materials

Examples:

Pro Bono Professional Services:

Civic crowdsourcing:

Civic Blockchain Connections Diagram

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Los Angeles’ Al Fresco outdoor dining program is a catalytic example of convening government departments to “say yes” and serve immediate community needs created by economic and public health challenges during the pandemic.

It is a model for the design of a scalable, transparent platform providing increased access, efficiency and value by better connecting the public with civic initiatives like these:

  • Dept of Transportation's Al Fresco program 

  • Procurement’s LA Business Assistance Virtual Network

  • Building & Safety’s Standard Plans

  • Public Works’ Keep LA Beautiful 

  • Office of Budget and Innovation’s Mayors’ Dashboard

  • Angeleno Account

  • LA Optimized

  • Volunteer LA

  • Empower LA