Elizabeth R. Koch Foundation Awards $2.4 Million in Grants to 50 Los Angeles County Nonprofits

From youth mentorship to health care, community services, and the arts, the inaugural grants honor organizations making a lasting impact across Los Angeles County.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Elizabeth R. Koch Foundation today announced $2.4 million in funding to 50 nonprofit organizations serving communities across Los Angeles County, in response to the inaugural request for proposals. The funding will support a wide range of initiatives including youth mentorship, education, health care, first responders, housing, food security, arts, and community programs.

This marks one of the first large-scale funding initiatives from the ERK Foundation, which supports organizations across Los Angeles that foster connection, care, and well-being in their communities. The Foundation will continue building relationships with grantees and other local partners to deepen its understanding of the needs and opportunities to support organizations within Los Angeles County.

"Our city is so vast that it can sometimes feel disconnected," said Elizabeth R. Koch, Founder & CEO of the Elizabeth R. Koch Foundation. "But LA is overflowing with generosity, creativity, and concern for the well-being of others. These grantees are the heartbeat of that spirit in how they forge a sense of belonging and weave community into every far corner of this place we call home."

The Foundation's initial area of interest are organizations that foster healing, resilience, and growth in the greater Los Angeles community. Areas of focus include after-school programs that offer stability and mentorship; first responders who bring calm in chaos; and safe spaces for young people navigating hardship, heartache, and feelings of uprootedness. The Foundation also supports mental health programs, crisis response teams, grief support networks, rites of passage services, and organizations that guide individuals and communities through life's more difficult moments.

"There are so many inspiring organizations, so much urgent need," added Koch. "This is just the beginning of our commitment to L.A., and we can't wait to walk alongside the extraordinary people who so passionately serve these precious communities."

The application process was open from April 22, 2025, to June 1, 2025. Eligible organizations were required to be 501(c)(3) nonprofits with an annual budget of at least $250,000, and funds must be used for programs operating within Los Angeles County.

The 50 incredible grantees are:

1. 826LA
2. A Home Within
3. A Sense of Home
4. AbilityFirst
5. After Life Initiative
6. Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center
7. Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena
8. Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles
9. Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. (for the benefit of Jobe Transitional Living Program)
10. Center For Restorative Justice Works
11. Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) - Division of Pain Medicine (CHYP)
12. Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) - Division of Psychiatry
13. Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) - National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (NCSCB)
14. Community Health Project Los Angeles, fiscally sponsored program of Heluna Health
15. Downtown Women's Center
16. Drumming for Your Life Institute
17. Eastwood Ranch Foundation
18. EDUCATE: Advancing Early Childhood Education, Parenting & Literacy, AKA Un Mundo de Amigos Preschool
19. Everybody Dance LA!
20. First Responders Children's Foundation
21. Foundation for Women Warriors
22. Friends of the Children - Los Angeles
23. Get Lit - Words Ignite
24. Give Mentor Love Foundation
25. Happy Trails for Kids
26. Harlem Lacrosse and Leadership Corporation
27. Homeboy Industries
28. I Have A Dream Foundation - Los Angeles
29. Kidsave International, Inc. 
30. L.A. Works, Inc. 
31. LA Strong Foundation, Inc. 
32. Lancaster Homeless Group, d.b.a. Street Company
33. Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, d.b.a. Survivor Justice Center
34. Los Angeles Police Foundation
35. Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles, Inc.
36. Meals On Wheels Of Long Beach, Inc. 
37. MEND - Meet Each Need with Dignity
38. New Earth Organization
39. ONEgeneration
40. OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center
41. PROJECT ANGEL FOOD
42. Ready to Succeed
43. School on Wheels, Inc.
44. St. Barnabas Senior Center of Los Angeles 
45. Students Run America, d.b.a. Students Run LA
46. The Prism Way
47. Via Care Community Health Center
48. Young Eisner Scholars, d.b.a. YES Scholars
49. Young Musicians Foundation
50. Youth Mentoring Connection

About Elizabeth R. Koch
Elizabeth R. Koch is a visionary leader and entrepreneur who has founded organizations in publishing, media, neuroscience, and transformative experiences, including founding and chairing Unlikely Collaborators, a non-profit organization which, through grants, partnerships, and programs, empowers people to untangle limiting narratives and drive meaningful change. Koch's other ventures include the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, which advances research into the inner workings of Perception Box^™, and Catapult, an award-winning publishing company. She is currently writing a non-fiction book that explains the science behind Perception Box which includes real life examples, personal stories, and tools for personal growth.

SOURCE Elizabeth R. Koch Foundation