Southeast Los Angeles Collaborative awards ten organizations across SELA

The Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Collaborative has allocated $358,000 in grant funding to ten organizations to support community-driven programs and projects designed to address key issues, including education, civic engagement, environmental justice, healthcare, housing and economic development. 

This initiative, made possible through the generous support of the California Community Foundation (CCF), aims to bolster community-driven programs and projects as part of the Regional Recovery Hub Initiative.

Through the SELA Collaborative, CCF’s grant will help tackle key issues affecting community members in the SELA Region, one of the six regional recovery hubs across Los Angeles County. 

“This grant-making initiative is a testament to the collective effort to build a more resilient and empowered SELA Region and it truly speaks to the leadership and role of philanthropic partners, like the California Community Foundation, in paving the way for of what it means to support community-driven solutions,” said Dr. Wilma Franco, executive director of the SELA Collaborative.

SELA Collaborative is a network of organizations working together to strengthen the capacity of the nonprofit sector and increase civic engagement in Southeast LA. 

Founded in 2011 by twelve core organizations, the SELA Collaborative seeks to revitalize the communities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, Florence-Firestone, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Maywood, South Gate, Vernon and Walnut Park.

The following organizations were awarded grants to lead projects to advance The SELA Agenda: Alliance for a Better Community, AltaMed Health Services, Communities for a Better Environment, Hub Cities Consortium, Southeast Community Foundation, Southeast Community Development Corporation, and Latino Equality Alliance.

"Receiving the grant from the regional recovery hub initiative will empower [us] to offer parents and adults [have] valuable learning opportunities,” Emma Hernandez said. Hernandez is the CEO of Southeast Community Development Corporation (SCDC).

Additionally, in the process of identifying grantees three organizations were identified for a capacity building award to enhance and strengthen their capacity to secure financial resources in the future and maximize their positive impact across SELA. These organizations include: Chickxs Rockerxs, Florence-Firestone Community Organization, and Avance Latino.

“Through the generous support from Regional Recovery Hub Initiative, the Florence-Firestone Community Organization looks forward to continuing to provide a safe haven, quality outdoor space for our Domestic Violence Group and Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention attendees," Steve Quinonez, board president of Florence-Firestone Community Organization (FFCO) said.

This initiative uplifts the power of the SELA Leaders Network created by the Collaborative to drive regional systemic change across the SELA Community. By investing in these ten organizations and their projects, the SELA Collaborative and CCF aim to grow its impact in working towards building the capacity of the SELA Nonprofits while advancing Civic Engagement across the SELA Region.

“Community-based organizations continue to play the roles of safety net intermediaries, and advocates on behalf of vulnerable communities”, said California Community Foundation President and CEO Miguel Santana. 

“COVID–19 ravaged the nonprofit sector, destabilizing this critical ecosystem, laying bare decades of disinvestment," Santana said. "CCF remains committed to supporting organizations advancing systems change through community investments that uplift community-driven solutions.”