Celebrating 50 Years of Solidarity & Progress
Since 1976, Liberty Hill Foundation has turned people power into unstoppable progress—fueling bold organizing, transformative movements, and a future rooted in equity. Today, we name that long-term work as Seeds of the Future — the campaigns, leaders, and coalitions shaping the Los Angeles of 2076.
50 Years Strong: Powering Movements, Driving Justice
For 50 years, Liberty Hill Foundation has stood at the heart of Los Angeles’ fight for justice—turning people power into lasting progress. Since 1976, we’ve partnered with bold organizers and visionary leaders to spark transformative movements, advance groundbreaking policies, and reimagine philanthropy rooted in equity. Together we’ve built a legacy of change, and we’re just getting started.
Because at Liberty Hill, history is not just something we honor — it is proof of how we build the future.
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Our Priorities
As part of this milestone, Liberty Hill’s anniversary theme—50 Years of Solidarity & Progress—will highlight not just where we’ve been, but where we’re going. What began with four bold visionaries committed to change grew into a movement powered by grassroots leadership. Today, Liberty Hill stands as the beating heart of LA’s progressive community, anchoring a resilient network of organizations fighting for justice in the 21st century.
We call this horizon LA 2076 — a future shaped by the seeds we are planting today.
Five Decades of People Power
Together, these decades reveal a consistent strategy: invest early, build coalitions, and stay long enough for systems change to take root.
First Decade
In 1975, four visionary young people met for a picnic in Topanga Canyon to discuss better ways to donate to progressive causes. That conversation planted the seeds of a bold philanthropic vision, and in 1976, Sarah Pillsbury, Larry Janss, Win McCormack and Anne Mendel launched a new public foundation.
Second Decade
By the mid-1980s, Liberty Hill had formed an infrastructure for reaching out and listening to grassroots leaders. The priority was seed funding, and the community funding board members were adept at identifying groups with the potential to make a lasting impact.
Third Decade
As Liberty Hill navigated the turbulent late ‘90s and stepped into the new millennium, we doubled down on grassroots organizing in Southern California and launched a new era of movement building. The foundation began to see potential for alliances and coalitions to bring groups together on larger, more complex campaigns.
Fourth Decade
Liberty Hill entered a transformative era in 2006, ignited by the surge of the immigrants’ rights movement when millions took to the streets on May Day. At the same time, environmental justice exploded as communities fought back against air pollution, with urban oil drilling and toxic emissions threatening the health and safety of Angelenos.
Fifth Decade
Liberty Hill launched the Agenda for a Just Future and watched real progress take root, even as rising national forces tested the resilience of our communities. Now, we’re building on that momentum to confront three of the region’s most urgent challenges: ending youth incarceration, solving the housing crisis, and stopping toxic neighborhood oil drilling. Together, we’re shaping a future where justice isn’t just imagined—it's inevitable.
A Legacy of Progressive Philanthropy
Liberty Hill has never played by philanthropy’s old rules. From day one, we’ve embodied Change, Not Charity—and we’ve redefined what it means to be a changemaker.
- We pioneered the idea of the donor activist—people who don’t just write checks but connect deeply with the movements they fund.
- Early efforts like our South LA bus tours didn’t just show donors the issues—they introduced them to the leaders who would become lifelong partners in justice.
- Our Community Funding Boards flipped the script on traditional giving. They put donors and community leaders at the same table, making advocacy stronger, deeper, and built to last.
- When the pandemic hit and communities were in crisis, Liberty Hill broke through philanthropy’s self-imposed limits. We tapped into our endowment to meet the moment—because rules should never stand in the way of saving lives.
- With Ready to Rise, we shattered the myth that only big, well-funded organizations could serve system-impacted youth. Instead, we uplifted grassroots groups with the strongest community ties—because real change starts where trust lives.
- And now, with the relaunch of Fund for Change, we’re pushing participatory grantmaking even further. Because when communities lead, justice wins.
These innovations don’t just define our past — they are the foundation for how we will resource movements for the next 50 years.
Moving LA Forward Together
The next 50 years start now—together.
Imagine a Los Angeles where justice isn’t temporary but woven into the fabric of our city. Where youth centers replace youth jails, families breathe clean air, and every tenant has a safe, dignified home.
This future isn’t a dream, it’s a choice. And it starts now. Led by frontline organizers powered by donor activists, and united across generations, we have the seeds to build the city we deserve.
For too long, movements have fought to stop harm. Our greatest victories came when we dared to build what we envisioned—not just block what we feared. Now is the time to dream bigger, act bolder, and create lasting change.
With the Liberty Hill community by our side, we can turn vision into reality. Let’s plant the seeds for a just and equitable Los Angeles for the next 50 years and beyond.
50th Anniversary Story Bank
Liberty Hill’s impact is best told through the people who have built this movement—donors, partners, grantees, and community leaders like you. We invite you to share your story, and help us capture the moments, relationships, and breakthroughs that define