Weingart Foundation

Lasting change often requires a combination of policy, impact litigation, narrative change, and grassroots organizing, that is powered by community. This is the type of transformative difference that motivates movement leader, Doug Smith, Vice President of Policy and Legal Strategy for @InclusivAction With a background in movement lawyering, Doug’s work is dedicated to dismantling the exclusionary systems that keep people from shaping their own lives. “There is so much untapped policy expertise and wisdom in our communities, but too often policymaking isn’t accountable to lived experience,” Doug says. He is working to change that. Right now, Doug is inspired by Inclusive Action’s collective work to support street vendors, landscapers, and outdoor workers, the very people who nourish our communities and power our economy. Through a combination of capital, innovative programming, and policy, Inclusive Action is working to increase safety and opportunity for these essential, yet often marginalized, members of our community. Thank you, Doug, for your dedication to building durable community power. We are proud to support your work.

Celebrating Black Women For Wellness (@bw4wla ) in honor of Mother’s Day and Mental Health Awareness Month. This May, we honor the legacy of organizations dedicated to community healing and wellbeing. An organization that sits at this powerful intersection is Black Women for Wellness, a woman-centered, health education and advocacy organization committed to advancing the health and wellbeing of Black mothers, women and girls. B.W.W. demonstrates that true wellness is a collective practice grounded in justice, culture, and community. Read more in our latest blog: https://bit.ly/3OY7Tc0

We honor National Week of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S). We pause to remember the lives taken, the families still searching for answers, and the communities carrying both grief and resilience. This week is a call, not only to mourn, but to listen, to learn, and to act. We stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities uplifting their voices, supporting their leadership, and committing to a future where safety, dignity, and justice are not exceptions, but guarantees.

Since 2010, @alianzacv has been a powerful force in the Eastern Coachella Valley. Their work spans inclusive economic development, restorative justice, environmental justice, and access to healthcare, championing a future where communities are not just heard but centered. "Alianza Coachella Valley exists because the communities surrounding the Salton Sea have always had the vision; what they've lacked is the infrastructure to turn that vision into power. Since 2010, we've served as the backbone for a growing coalition of organizations, advocates, residents, and public agencies working together to transform systemic inequities that no single partner can dismantle alone. At Alianza, we build the conditions for change. We align resources, elevate community voice, and translate grassroots priorities into policy and funded action at every level of government. The Salton Sea region deserves clean air, thriving schools, economic opportunity, and influence over decisions made about its future. Alianza aims to close the gap between what this region deserves and what it has actually received." - Silvia Paz, Executive Director, Alianza Coachella Valley To learn more and support their work, visit: alianzacv.org

Today we honor the labor and the essential roles that immigrant workers play in every corner of our communities. They are the backbone of Southern California’s economy and the heart of our shared civic life. At the Weingart Foundation, our commitment to justice means ensuring that those who fuel our state’s prosperity are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. #mayday

Weingart Foundation is proud to spotlight @afrolanews , a Black‑led, community-centered digital news outlet founded in 2021 and rooted in South Los Angeles. AfroLA reports with, by, and for the communities it serves, telling stories sourced from within, shaped by community voices, and accountable to the people they represent. “AfroLA shows up, both when people are watching and when they’re not. From covering the impacts of the Eaton Fire on historically Black Altadena days after it began (and staying long after headlines moved on), to earning community trust that other outlets don’t, AfroLA practices solutions-driven journalism grounded in care and commitment. That commitment extends beyond reporting. AfroLA quietly mobilized its community to collect and pack more than 1,100 books for under‑resourced schools affected by the wildfires, creating moments of joy and access where they were most needed. AfroLA is not just a newsroom. It’s a space for cultivating the next generation of Black journalists, storytellers, and media leaders, listening to their ideas, challenging them, and uplifting their voices as future stewards of our communities.” said Dana Amihere, Executive Director of AfroLA. At Weingart Foundation, we understand the power of storytelling and cultural connection to uplift voices that are often overlooked or unseen. To learn more, visit: afrolanews.org

Arts & Culture Month reminds us that art is essential to the human spirit. It is how we make sense of ourselves and each other, build community, and imagine new possibilities. Art has the power to shape narratives. It can reframe who belongs, what is possible, and what is unjust. We are proud to stand with partners who recognize the power of art as the heartbeat of our neighborhoods. From the bold vision of Destination Crenshaw (@destinationcrenshaw ), which is cementing Black cultural permanence through the largest public art project in the U.S., to the community driven storytelling of LA Commons (@lacommons ) and the youth led narrative work at Color Compton(@colorcompton ), these organizations are building the infrastructure for communities to own their stories, reclaim their histories, and exercise collective power.

The Weingart Foundation and the California Community Foundation (@calfund ) have released a new learning brief that highlights what happens when immigrant justice organizations have the opportunity to institutionalize wellness. As a result of the joint Immigrants Are Essential fund, 63% of participating organizations have already begun institutionalizing wellness into their budgets and handbooks. This is true for @vietriseoc , an immigrant justice organization that has already taken concrete steps to formalize a sabbatical policy for staff. “[The Immigrants Are Essential Fund] allowed us to set a clear standard for how we want to support staff at every stage of leadership,” said Tracy La, Co-founder and Executive Director of VietRISE. Learn more about how philanthropy can help sustain the immigrant justice sector by investing in its people with the link in our bio!

In a new learning brief from the Weingart Foundation and the California Community Foundation (@calfund ), executive leaders and frontline staff in Southern California shared a clear message: Wellness is an essential strategic priority. Maribel Cruz, Interim Executive Director of ÓRALE (@oralelb ) can attest to the impact of the Immigrants Are Essential Fund, the subject of the learning brief. “These funds contributed to increasing both staff morale and cohesion during a time of chaos and violence in the immigrant community,” Maribel said. Read more: /immigrants-are-essential-learning-brief/

#tbt to showcase night of @powercanow new Southern California office. The night was filled with joy, connection, and shared purpose. Being in a room with so many organizers, partners, and community members reminded us how powerful it is to gather, reflect, and recommit to the work ahead. Grateful for the conversations, the visions shared, and the community that showed up with heart and intention. Here’s to continuing the work and building the future we all deserve!

This Earth Day, we reflect on our relationship with the land, not as something we own or extract from, but as something we belong to. Rooted in Indigenous teachings, we are reminded that humans are one with the Earth, deeply interconnected through reciprocal and holistic approaches to caretaking of land. Honoring the land means listening to its history, tending to it with intention, and protecting the places we all inhabit so they may thrive, not just for us, but for the next seven generations.

Weingart is proud to support Youth Mentoring Action Network's (@ymanstrong ) transformative work in youth leadership. In this write up by Black Voices News (@theblackvoicenews ), our President and C.E.O. Joanna Jackson shares the importance of YMAN's Youth Hub in providing a physical space where youth and community can come together. She also highlights the meaningful ways YMAN centers and cultivates leaders from marginalized communities, including empowering youth to lead. Read the story with the link in our bio.