Mayor's Fund For Los Angeles Launches, Fosters Public-Private Partnerships to Create Transformative Change in the City

LOS ANGELES, June 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Eric Garcetti will today announce the launch of the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles, a non-profit organization focused on creating partnerships between the City and the private, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors aimed at tackling some of L.A.'s most pressing problems through both new and ongoing innovative programs.

Mayor Garcetti will make the announcement during an event at Glassell Park Recreation Center in Northeast Los Angeles marking the start of the City's Summer Night Lights initiative, which serves thousands of youth by keeping public parks open with staff and activities during summer nights, when school is out and young people are in greater need of positive activities. During its seven-year history, Summer Night Lights has been linked to dramatic reductions in gang-related crime and is supported this year in part by the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles.

"The Mayor's Fund combines the best of the public and private sectors to create new, transformative solutions that improve our city's economy, quality of life, resiliency, and government efficiency," Mayor Garcetti said. "The Mayor's Fund will harness new ideas and new resources to make L.A. the most livable city in the world."

The Mayor's Fund, modeled after similar entities in New York, Philadelphia and other major cities, operates under the aegis of the California Community Foundation pending receipt of its 501(c)(3) charitable designation. It is funded by donations from private individuals, corporations and philanthropic foundations and will be overseen by an independent Board of Directors. As an organization, the Fund is intended to serve as an enduring resource for future mayors. More information is at www.mayorsfundla.org.

"Public-private strategic partnerships are the future of civic ventures around the globe. The Fund allows Los Angeles to be at the forefront, propelling innovation and creating a stronger community for all," said Deidre Lind, Acting President of the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles. "As an umbrella organization, we can be agile and responsive, prioritizing opportunities ripe for partnership and action."

The Fund does not issue grants, but rather will create, oversee and underwrite new public-private partnerships that will transform communities and civic infrastructure.  It will work closely with the Mayor's Office of Strategic Partnerships, which will continue to serve as a portal for the non-profit and philanthropic sectors.  

The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles launches with four programs, including Mayor Garcetti's Summer of Success initiative, which is comprised of Summer Night Lights, HIRE LA's Youth, and Summer of Learning. It is also initiating a number of new programs, including ones focused on the development of L.A.'s cultural tourism, the revitalization of the L.A. River, and optimizing the City's systems for greater efficiency. The Fund will add programs that match public projects with private resources and monitored with rigorous impact metrics. 

Support for the Fund from the Los Angeles philanthropic community has been extremely strong:

"Great cities benefit from visionary leaders who understand the exponential power of collaboration," said Wallis Annenberg, Chairman of the Annenberg Foundation.  "The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles will become a powerful tool for Mayor Garcetti and the Mayors of the future to leverage real change across the City."  

"Partnerships that link the public sector and private resources have the power to bridge even our greatest challenges in our community," said Antonia Hernández, President and CEO of the California Community Foundation.  "The California Community Foundation is proud to lend its support to the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles which is uniquely positioned to connect cross-sector resources that can build the economic vitality and quality of life in our region."

"The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles is built upon partnership and the community spirit which Mayor Garcetti has tapped into as our civic leader," said Robert K. Ross, MD, President and CEO of The California Endowment.  "The California Endowment is pleased to be a partner in this effort to strengthen the health and wellbeing of our diverse communities across the City."  

About the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles:
The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to improving life for all Angelenos. Bringing together institutions and experts from across the City, the Fund supports programs that will create transformative change across Los Angeles, making it a world leader in economic prosperity, government efficiency, community resiliency, and quality of life for all of its residents. Uniquely positioned at the crossroads of local government, business, philanthropy, and non-profits, the Fund enables communication and collaboration that will tackle some of Los Angeles' most complex challenges.  The Fund is supported by private donations and will be overseen by an independent Board of Directors. It is currently operated under the aegis of the California Community Foundation but will soon receive designation as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. More information can be found at www.mayorsfundla.org.

SOURCE Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles