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Liberty Hill Foundation

Annual Giving
$6.8M
Grant Range
$10K - $0.1M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $6.83 million (program grants, 2024)
  • Total Grantmaking: $12.59 million (including donor-advised funds, 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Varies by program
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $50,000 (most programs)
  • Geographic Focus: Los Angeles County only

Contact Details

Physical Address: 915 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Mailing Address: 1001 Wilshire Boulevard, PMB 2170, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Phone: (323) 556-7200

Email:

Website: www.libertyhill.org

Application Portal: libertyhill.submittable.com

Overview

Founded in 1976 by Sarah Pillsbury, Larry Janss, Win McCormack, and Anne Mendel, Liberty Hill Foundation is a public foundation serving as a laboratory for social change philanthropy. With a nearly 50-year history, the foundation leverages the power of community organizers, donor activists, and allies to advance social justice through strategic investment in grants, leadership training, and campaigns. In 2024, Liberty Hill distributed 159 program grants totaling $6.83 million, while donor-advised funds made an additional 591 grants totaling $5.76 million. The foundation raised more than $2.5 million in individual contributions and over $11 million from foundations and corporations. Liberty Hill is distinguished by its commitment to participatory grantmaking, where most funding decisions are shaped by community members through the Community Funding Board or coalitions of activists working together to advance strategic initiatives.

Funding Priorities

Current Strategic Goals

Liberty Hill focuses on three overarching goals:

  1. Build a youth development system and end youth incarceration
  2. Build green infrastructure and end oil drilling
  3. Build community-controlled housing and protect tenants

Grant Programs

Fund for Change - Primary competitive grantmaking program

  • General operating support grants up to $50,000 for one year
  • Supports 501(c)(3) organizations in Los Angeles County
  • Focuses on grassroots community organizing
  • Application process: Initial alignment survey, followed by invitation to formally apply
  • Eligibility: Organizations with budgets under $3 million
  • Application method: Rolling/intermittent cycles via Submittable

Liberty Vote!

  • General operating support grants for 501(c)(4) electoral organizing
  • Focuses on civic engagement and voter mobilization in Los Angeles County
  • In 2024, provided $400,000 to 15 organizations

Liberation Fund

  • Supports community-led solutions to end incarceration of girls and gender expansive youth
  • Focuses on youth development, legal advocacy, organizing, housing, and health/wellness
  • In 2024, provided over $2 million in grants to 12 organizations

Bold Vision Power Building Grants

  • Multi-year initiative supporting youth development
  • Targets Black, Native American, Latinx, Asian, and Pacific Islander youth
  • In 2024, awarded $400,000 in grants to 20 youth development organizations

Rapid Response Funds

  • Emergency funding supporting immediate frontline community needs
  • Grant amounts and application process not publicly specified

Housing Justice Grants

  • In 2024, distributed $1.5 million in flexible grants to housing justice organizations
  • Supports tenant protection initiatives and affordable housing advocacy

Environmental Justice Grants

  • In 2024, granted $360,000 to eight organizations for infrastructure support
  • Distributed $420,000 to 11 STAND-LA organizations

Priority Areas

Liberty Hill focuses on:

  • Environmental justice - Green infrastructure, ending oil drilling, climate equity
  • Housing justice - Affordable housing, tenant protections, community-controlled housing
  • Youth justice - Ending youth incarceration, youth development systems, healing justice
  • Racial equity - Building power in communities of color
  • Immigrants' rights - Supporting immigrant communities and advocacy
  • Economic opportunity - Economic justice initiatives
  • LGBTQ rights - Supporting LGBTQ communities and gender-expansive youth
  • Civic engagement - Electoral organizing, voter mobilization

The foundation prioritizes building power in communities impacted by systemic oppression by funding and supporting grassroots organizations and campaigns for social change across Los Angeles County. Liberty Hill provides seed grants to emerging organizations as well as grants to established organizations with a track record of community organizing and policy wins.

What They Don't Fund

While Liberty Hill does not publish a comprehensive exclusions list, based on their stated priorities and eligibility requirements, they do not fund:

  • Organizations outside Los Angeles County
  • Organizations with annual budgets over $3 million (for Fund for Change and similar programs)
  • Initiatives that do not align with social justice and grassroots organizing missions
  • Organizations without community organizing components

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Shane Murphy Goldsmith - President and CEO (since December 2013)

Murphy Goldsmith previously served as Executive Director and Vice President/Director of Programs before becoming CEO. Under her leadership, Liberty Hill has emphasized community partnerships and participatory grantmaking.

Key quotes from leadership:

Shane Murphy Goldsmith on youth development: "We know that the solutions to support youth who have experienced trauma and other challenging circumstances have always been grown and nurtured in communities. This is about building the nation's largest youth development system starting with the organizations that serve our highest need youth, and ensuring these organizations have the means to secure their own futures in the process."

On capacity building: "We are building a multi-year capacity strengthening support program that is informed by grantee partners and ultimately supports organizations sustainability to be able to engage in power-building work in the long-term."

Board of Directors

Liberty Hill Foundation is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors who represent all parts of the social justice ecosystem of Los Angeles, including individual donor activists, philanthropy sector professionals, academics and other experts, community organizers, and members of the business sector.

Recent board leadership includes Jon Christensen (Co-Chair), who helps co-lead and support the Board in providing oversight, strategic guidance, and ensuring the Foundation's long-term success.

Community Funding Board

The Community Funding Board (CFB) is at the core of Liberty Hill's participatory grantmaking legacy. CFB members:

  • Interview grant applicants
  • Conduct site visits
  • Draw from personal experiences in decision-making
  • Provide recommendations to Liberty Hill staff on final funding decisions

The CFB model ensures fairness, reciprocity, and collective decision-making throughout the grantmaking process. Through the CFB, donors and community members sit side-by-side to decide where resources can make the greatest impact. This approach not only democratizes philanthropy—it deepens understanding between movements and the people who resource them.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Liberty Hill uses an intermittent application cycle system. Grant application cycles open periodically, so interested grantseekers should check the foundation's Submittable portal regularly or subscribe to their newsletter for updates.

Fund for Change Application Process:

  1. Alignment Survey - Organizations must first complete an initial alignment survey when cycles open. The survey assesses alignment with the fund's goals and priorities.

  2. Formal Application by Invitation - Organizations most aligned with the fund's goals will be invited to formally apply after the survey review.

  3. Review Process - Applications are reviewed by Liberty Hill staff and the Community Funding Board, which conducts interviews and site visits.

Application Portal: libertyhill.submittable.com

Contact for Grant Inquiries: info@libertyhill.org or call (323) 556-7200

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by program and are not consistently published. The Fund for Change process involves multiple stages (survey review, invitation to apply, formal application review, interviews/site visits), which can take several months from initial survey to final decision.

Notifications are typically made via email and through the Submittable portal.

Success Rates

Liberty Hill does not publicly disclose application statistics such as the number of applications received versus funded, or success rates. The participatory grantmaking model and Community Funding Board process suggest a selective approach focused on deep alignment with strategic priorities.

In 2024, the foundation made 159 program grants, indicating a substantial but focused grantmaking portfolio.

Reapplication Policy

Liberty Hill does not publish a specific reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants. Given the intermittent nature of grant cycles, organizations are encouraged to monitor the website and newsletter for future opportunities. Contacting program staff directly for feedback after an unsuccessful application is advisable.

Application Success Factors

What Liberty Hill Looks For

Based on the Fund for Change selection criteria, Liberty Hill prioritizes organizations with:

  1. Innovative approaches - Creative strategies for addressing systemic issues
  2. Trusted community relationships - Deep roots and credibility within communities served
  3. Cultural insights - Understanding of cultural dynamics and community-specific contexts
  4. Ability to engage community members - Track record of meaningful community participation
  5. Focus on strengthening equity for BIPOC communities - Centering racial justice in work

Demonstrating Alignment

To stand out in applications:

  • Emphasize grassroots organizing - Liberty Hill funds organizing work, not just service delivery. Show how your organization mobilizes community members for systemic change.

  • Highlight policy wins and campaigns - Document your track record of successful community organizing campaigns and policy achievements.

  • Show participatory leadership - Demonstrate that community members most impacted by issues are leading the work and making decisions.

  • Connect to strategic goals - Explicitly link your work to Liberty Hill's three overarching goals (youth development/ending incarceration, green infrastructure/ending oil drilling, community-controlled housing/tenant protection).

  • Be clear about community organizing budget - For emerging organizations with smaller budgets, show how you're building grassroots power despite limited resources.

Recent Grantee Examples

In 2024, Liberty Hill funded organizations working on:

  • Youth development programs for highest-need youth
  • Housing justice and tenant protection initiatives in 14 cities
  • Environmental justice organizations working on climate equity
  • Electoral organizing for civic engagement
  • Community-led solutions to end incarceration of girls and gender-expansive youth

Capacity Building Support

Liberty Hill offers specialized and innovative capacity strengthening programs alongside funding, including training in financial management and digital organizing. Mention your organization's openness to capacity building support in applications.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Los Angeles County focus only - Liberty Hill exclusively funds organizations working in LA County. Geographic alignment is non-negotiable.

  • Grassroots organizing is essential - This is not a funder for service delivery alone. Your application must demonstrate community organizing and power-building strategies.

  • Participatory grantmaking matters - The Community Funding Board includes community members who will evaluate applications. Write for an audience that includes frontline activists, not just foundation staff.

  • Budget size matters - For the Fund for Change, organizations must have budgets under $3 million. This is a funder committed to supporting smaller, emerging grassroots organizations.

  • Multi-year relationship potential - Liberty Hill offers both funding and capacity building support, with opportunities for multi-year engagement beyond initial grants.

  • Intermittent cycles require vigilance - Grant cycles don't open on predictable annual schedules. Subscribe to the newsletter and check Submittable regularly to avoid missing opportunities.

  • Strategic alignment is key - Explicitly connect your work to one or more of Liberty Hill's three strategic goals. Generic social justice language won't be sufficient—show specific alignment with their current priorities.

References

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