At the Forefront of Tackling Injustice

Social Justice Partners Los Angeles (SJPLA) was established to repair the root causes of systemic economic, racial, and social injustices in Los Angeles. They envision every Angeleno feeling connected, supported, and responsible for co-creating a community where everyone thrives by meaningfully redistributing our abundant resources. Rather than invest in a single issue, what sets SJPLA apart is they invest in nonprofit leadership and strategies that address the underlying root causes of our interconnected challenges.

“We invest our care, time, and energy into surrounding a community of leaders with the resources and support they need to make lasting social change in Los Angeles,” says Executive Director Christine Margiotta.

As an intermediary organization they resource and uplift efforts by connecting donors with their community-vetted nonprofits led by individuals with direct experience with the problem they’re tackling. Donations have maximum impact because they cross multiple critical issue areas. 

To succeed in this far reach and invest in leadership, well-being, and fundamentally transform the way individuals and systems care for each other, SJPLA supports its nonprofit partners with several core programs: the Systems Change Fellowship, the Racial Equity in Homelessness Initiative, and the Partners program.

Since 2017, the Systems Change Fellowship has supported more than 50 nonprofits through yearly nine-month-long programs that host a cohort of 7-10 leaders to strengthen their organizational culture, communications, and network. They receive a $10k seed grant and have tackled such deep-rooted issues as homelessness, gender-based violence, food insecurity, and much more.

SJPLA knows how valuable donors’ time, skills, and networks are, along with their donations. That’s why they see their community of donors as partners, equal agents in the work of social transformation. Aside from donors making financial contributions to a collective pool of funds, SJPLA offers donors opportunities, via their Partners program, to contribute their valuable and unique skills and networks to bolster the work of their nonprofit grantees.

Their model is working. Seven million dollars in funding has been redistributed to L.A.’s frontline changemakers and community initiatives fueling efforts addressing root causes of injustice in L.A. (like racial inequality in homelessness and educational inequity to name just a few). More than 2,500 people have been trained in their programs in anti-racist practices and healing justice.

Overcoming the deeply ingrained inequities of our hulking social systems can at times seem overwhelming, says Margiotta. “When we seek to create a different world, the most important tool we each have is our small sphere of influence. We have to start with the people that we’re in direct contact with each day.”

Social Justice Partners Los Angeles has undeniably demonstrated that if we start small, unify our vision, and understand that we’re all in this together, we can affect deep and lasting change, one partnership at a time.