These are the Issues Angelenos Chose, and the Funding Partners Providing Support

Posted by Goldhirsh Foundation Team on

The votes are in, and once again, Angelenos showed up for their communities.

From the South Bay to the San Fernando Valley, from Santa Monica to the San Gabriel Valley, voters across Los Angeles County helped shape this year’s LA2050 Grants Challenge by selecting the issues they believe matter most right now.

During the course of public voting, we received more than 110,000 votes from more than 17,000 voters. Your choices will directly shape the issue areas eligible for grant funding in the 2026 LA2050 Grants Challenge.

As a reminder, the top two issue areas in each of LA2050’s five goal categories become eligible for Goldhirsh Foundation funding through this year’s LA2050 Grants Challenge. This year the Goldhirsh Foundation is contributing $1 million in grant funding, and in collaboration with funding partners – see below – the anticipated pool is $3 million.

This year’s top 10 issue areas, as selected by Angelenos are:

PLAY

  • Community safety
  • Green space, park access, and trees

LIVE

  • Affordable housing and homelessness
  • Health care access

LEARN

  • Support for foster and systems-impacted youth
  • K-12 STEAM education

CREATE

  • Income inequality
  • Access to tech and creative industry employment

CONNECT

  • Immigrant and refugee support
  • Social support networks

There are also two additional sponsored issue areas:

  • Social Justice - Sponsored by the Brunswick Foundation
  • Youth Economic Advancement - Sponsored by the R&S Kayne Foundation

Meet the 2026 Funding Partners

The LA2050 Grants Challenge is powered not only by public participation, but also by a collaborative of philanthropic partners committed to backing the best ideas for Los Angeles.

This year, we’re thrilled the partnership includes these Los Angeles-area foundations and funders to maximize impact and support bold solutions across our region.

Our 2026 funding partners include:

  • Goldhirsh Foundation
  • Snap Foundation
  • R&S Kayne Foundation
  • John N. Calley Foundation
  • Fox Foundation
  • Herb Alpert Foundation
  • Elbaz Family Foundation
  • Brunswick Foundation
  • PVBLIC Foundation
  • Anonymous Funder

Together, this collaborative will help support ideas that respond directly to what Angelenos said are their top priorities in Los Angeles.

What Happens Next?

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 external evaluators at SJPLA, the Goldhirsh Foundation, and funding partners, with grants announced in October 2026.

We’re so grateful to everyone who voted, shared, organized, posted, texted friends, and helped make this year’s public vote possible.

Thank you, Los Angeles! Your voice is what makes the LA2050 Grants Challenge community-guided, and your participation continues to shape a better future for our region.