Building the Future Together: The Community Funding Board’s Impact on Fund for Change
Liberty Hill recently announced that 17 grassroots-power building organizations from across Los Angeles have been selected by the 2026 Community Funding Board to receive three-year general operating grants totaling $1.9 million.
Together, these grantees represent the next generation of movement leaders working to build a more just and equitable Los Angeles.
The Fund for Change (FFC) is Liberty Hill’s longest running grantmaking program. It provides critical early-stage funding to emerging organizations building community power and advancing change in communities historically overlooked by traditional philanthropy.
At the heart of the Fund for Change is the Community Funding Board (CFB), an innovative participatory grantmaking model grounded in the belief that those closest to community issues and solutions should help shape funding decisions. Bringing together movement leaders, donors, and philanthropic partners, the CFB creates a space where community expertise, philanthropic experience, and shared learning come together to strengthen movement building across Los Angeles. The CFB has a long and storied history at Liberty Hill and was one of our earliest commitments to our model of participatory philanthropy.
Recently, the 2026 Community Funding Board gathered to celebrate the completion of this year’s Fund for Change grantmaking cycle. Comprised of nine highly networked coalition and grassroots leaders, four individual donor activists, and three staff members from institutional funders, the Board brought together diverse perspectives, lived experience, and deep community knowledge to guide a thoughtful and rigorous grantmaking process.
The year’s Fund for Change focused on identifying and investing in emerging organizations engaged in grassroots organizing, leadership development, and community-driven campaigns that shift power, influence policy, and advance systemic change across Los Angeles.
Reflecting on the experience, Community Funding Board member and Liberty Hill donor advised fundholder Allison Thomas shared, “It’s easy to be optimistic when you’ve gone through this process. People are doing incredible work across the county, and they’re people that are often directly impacted by the issues or deeply connected to the communities they serve. They’re selfless, they’re passionate, and committed—it’s very inspiring.”
