LA Thrives

LA Thrives
Name	LA Thrives
Type	Nonprofit coalition
Founded	2014
Location	Los Angeles, California
Services	Community development, public health advocacy, policy research, civic engagement

LA Thrives LA Thrives is a civic coalition and policy advocacy network based in Los Angeles focused on neighborhood health, housing stability, food access, and economic opportunity. The coalition brings together community groups, philanthropic foundations, labor unions, academic centers, and public agencies to coordinate campaigns and policy research across Los Angeles County. LA Thrives works at the intersection of grassroots organizing and institutional reform, engaging stakeholders ranging from neighborhood associations to statewide offices.

Overview

LA Thrives convenes a broad array of partners including community-based organizations such as Coalition for Economic Survival, Por Vida: Boyle Heights, and Southwest Voter Registration Education Project alongside philanthropic entities like California Endowment, Weingart Foundation, and Annenberg Foundation. The coalition collaborates with academic institutions including University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and California State University, Los Angeles to produce policy briefs and evaluations. LA Thrives has engaged with municipal bodies such as the Los Angeles City Council, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and state actors including the California State Legislature and Office of Governor Gavin Newsom on issues spanning housing, food security, and health equity.

History and Development

LA Thrives emerged amid a wave of place-based initiatives influenced by models from Harlem Children’s Zone, Promise Neighborhoods, and county partnerships like Healthy Cities Campaign. Early conveners included leaders from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, LA Community Action Network, and philanthropic strategists from California Wellness Foundation. The initiative developed strategic plans with input from civic leaders such as Erika D. Smith and policy advisors who previously worked with Mayor Eric Garcetti and Supervisor Hilda Solis. Major milestones include coalition endorsement of city ordinances modeled after statewide measures like Senate Bill 50 (2019) debates and alignment with federal initiatives from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Programs and Initiatives

LA Thrives sponsors multi-pronged programs in housing stabilization, food systems, and workforce development. Housing efforts have intersected with tenant advocacy groups such as Tenants Union of Los Angeles, legal clinics affiliated with Public Counsel (Los Angeles), and campaigns supporting legislation similar in scope to California Tenant Protection Act of 2019. Food access programs partner with community gardens and distributors including Los Angeles Food Policy Council, Feeding America, and local farmers engaged through Los Angeles Farmers Market. Workforce initiatives coordinate with labor organizations like UNITE HERE Local 11, Service Employees International Union, and training programs at Los Angeles Trade-Tech College.

Public health and prevention activities involve alliances with hospitals and health systems including Kaiser Permanente, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and LAC+USC Medical Center and community health centers affiliated with Children's Hospital Los Angeles and AltaMed Health Services. Youth and education-related components work with nonprofits such as Inner-City Arts, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles, and charter networks like Alliance College-Ready Public Schools to embed services in school settings.

Partnerships and Funding

LA Thrives draws funding and technical support from national and local foundations including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The California Endowment, and The James Irvine Foundation. Corporate partnerships have occasionally involved philanthropic programs from entities such as Walmart Foundation and Target Foundation for food distribution pilots. Government partnerships have spanned municipal grants from the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office, county contracts from Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, and federal program alignments with U.S. Department of Agriculture and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiatives. Research funding and evaluation partnerships include work with think tanks like RAND Corporation and policy centers at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Impact and Evaluation

LA Thrives reports measurable outcomes in increased food pantry reach, tenant outreach contacts, and policy wins at the municipal level. External evaluators and academic partners have produced impact assessments comparing interventions to benchmarks used by organizations such as Urban Institute and Brookings Institution. Case studies cite collaboration-driven outcomes resembling results from place-based efforts like East Lake Meadows revitalization and lessons from Midtown Manhattan food policy research. Metrics tracked include changes in eviction filings, food insecurity rates as measured by USDA indicators, and workforce placement tracked in coordination with California Employment Development Department.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics have questioned LA Thrives on grounds similar to debates faced by other coalitions: concerns about reliance on philanthropic funding associated with donors like Weingart Foundation and potential alignment with corporate partners such as Walmart Foundation, tensions between grassroots organizers and institutional partners exemplified by disputes reminiscent of those involving Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, and debates over policy priorities that echo controversies around Measure H and local zoning reforms. Other critiques focus on evaluation methods and attribution challenges highlighted in discussions with academic critics from University of California, Berkeley and policy analysts at The Heritage Foundation.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Los Angeles