FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Helen MacKinnon, Chair: 310-479-8830 ()
Los Angeles Giving Circle Announces Grants Totaling $100,000 to Five Local Nonprofits Serving Women and Girls
LOS ANGELES (July 2015) – The Los Angeles Giving Circle (LAGC), a group of individuals who pool their charitable giving to help women and girls become financially independent, today announced grants totaling $100,000 to five local nonprofits. Awards of $35,000 went to WINTER (Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles) and MOSTE (Moving Our Students Through Experience). The LAGC awarded grants of $10,000 each to New Village Girls Academy, New Directions for Veterans’ Oasis Women’s Program, and Girls and Gangs.
“This year – our fifth round of annual grants – was the most competitive yet, with a number of nonprofits submitting worthy proposals. The five grant recipients represent creative approaches to enhancing the financial growth of underserved women and girls in Los Angeles,” said LAGC Co-Founder and Chair Helen MacKinnon. “Our members were very moved by the work of these programs that make such a difference in individual lives, and we look forward to future cycles of philanthropy and to giving more every year,” she concluded.
The LAGC grant recipients help to achieve financial independence in the following ways:
- WINTER (Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles) (www.winterwomen.org) encourages and supports at-risk women through education, training and employment in high-skilled, high-wage non-traditional careers. The LACG grant will provide support services for women embarking on their first year of construction jobs, and will fund monetary stipends for women during their 10-week training period.
- MOSTE (Moving Our Students Through Experience) (www.moste.org) empowers girls from underserved areas of L.A. County to become the next generation of college educated women. Its goal is to successfully graduate participants from four-year colleges and prepare them for professional careers. The LACG grant will help support MOSTE mentoring and college-access programs.
- New Village Girls Academy (www.newvillagegirlsacademy.org) is an all-girls, college preparatory public charter high school. The LAGC grant will strengthen classroom resources, sustain internship and wellness programs, and support further development of its college transition program.
- New Directions for Veterans (www.newdirectionsinc.org) is a long-term transitional program for female veterans experiencing homelessness, trauma and addiction. Based in two residential homes in Mar Vista, the program helps women who have served in any branch of the armed forces. The LAGC grant will fund workshops in budgeting, banking procedures and other financial literacy tools to help women achieve self-sufficiency.
- Girls and Gangs (www.girlsandgangs.org) provides young women in the L.A. County juvenile justice system with community reentry and transition services while incarcerated and after release. LAGC funds will allow the program to expand its one-on-one case management, giving guidance to more individuals.
Individuals interested in membership or further information are invited to contact Helen MacKinnon at 310-479-8830 or by email at .
About The Los Angeles Giving Circle
The Los Angeles Giving Circle (LAGC) (www.losangelesgivingcircle.org) consists of individuals who pool their dollars to help women and girls achieve financial independence. Since its creation in 2011, LAGC has made 24 grants totaling $302,500. The organization operates under the auspices of the California Community Foundation.