News from the Frontlines
Hear from the voices of the movement and our partners fighting for justice and equity in Los Angeles.
August 2026
In this month’s issue of News from the Frontlines, we share breaking news, inspiring insights, and take you behind-the-scenes of local movements for social change. Read on for reflections from President & CEO Shane Murphy Goldsmith, learn about the 2026 Fund for Change cohort, explore Liberty Hill’s 50-year legacy through our new interactive timeline, meet the newest cohort of UCLA Luskin Fellows, and much more in this month’s issue!
Funding Black Permanency Means Investing Beyond the Next Crisis
Black leaders are calling on philanthropy to invest in the institutions, organizing, leadership, and community power that can endure across generations. Read on to hear from Liberty Hill President & CEO Shane Murphy Goldmsith about how philanthropy can support Black leadership while leveraging our influence to bring more resources and more institutions into the work.
900 Pacific Palisades Avenue
We have all been bombarded with news about the latest homeless count. When even the experts disagree about the causes and solutions, empathy and hope can feel unbearable. It becomes easier to look away. But we don’t have to. We can stay connected to one another’s humanity. We can refuse to let discomfort block our empathy and remember that we have the power to make a difference. And we are making a difference.” Read on for a personal reflection from President & CEO Shane Murphy Goldsmith.
Building the Future Together: Meet Liberty Hill’s 2026 Fund for Change Cohort
For 50 years, Liberty Hill has invested in grassroots organizations building power across Los Angeles. Today, we are proud to welcome the 17 members of our 2026 Fund for Change cohort building power and building the good across Los Angeles. Read more about this year’s grantmaking cycle.
New Season, New Conversations: Connecting 50 Years of Movement Building to LA’s Future
Season 5 is officially here! Liberty Hill’s award-winning podcast, Conversations from the Frontlines, returns this summer with bold, powerful conversations featuring frontline leaders, visionaries, and changemakers turning possibility into action and shaping what’s next for Los Angeles. Read on to learn more!
Explore Liberty Hill’s 50 Year Legacy of Solidarity & Progress
Celebrate 50 years of Liberty Hill! Explore our new interactive digital timeline highlighting the milestones, victories, and movement leaders that have shaped our journey and fueled five decades of community power and social change.
Planting the Seeds of Future Change: Welcoming the 2026 Luskin Fellows
For more than a decade, Liberty Hill and UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs have partnered to cultivate the next generation of social justice leaders through the Luskin Fellowship program. Read on to meet this year’s fellows and learn how this enduring partnership is helping shape LA’s future.
[WATCH] In Their Own Words: Liberty Hill’s Impact
As Liberty Hill celebrates 50 years of movement building, our new short film, In Their Own Words: Liberty Hill’s Impact, captures reflections from community partners, donor activists, grantees, and philanthropic leaders on the progress we’ve made together and the work ahead. Watch the film today.
[Op-Ed] Beyond Extraction: Funding the Fight Against Oil Drilling in Los Angeles and the Future Communities Are Building
In a powerful new SoCal Grantmakers Op-Ed, Senior Director of Environment & Climate Justice Angelo Logan reflects on the fight to end neighborhood oil drilling, the future of sites like the Inglewood Oil Field, and why philanthropy must invest not only in stopping harm, but in building what comes next.
[LISTEN] The Imprint Weekly Podcast feat. Liberty Hill’s Liberation Fund
In a recent episode of The Imprint Weekly Podcast, Liberty Hill's Lisa Small joined Jessica Nowlan, founder of Reimagine Freedom, for a conversation about the Liberation Fund and the growing movement to replace incarceration with healing-centered, community-based alternatives for system-involved girls and gender-expansive youth.