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LA84 Foundation

Annual Giving
$5.1M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.2M
Decision Time
4mo

LA84 Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5,081,975 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Highly competitive (specific percentage not disclosed)
  • Decision Time: 3-6 months total; 3 weeks for LOI response
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $225,000+
  • Geographic Focus: Eight southernmost counties of California

Contact Details

Website: https://www.la84.org/

Address: 2141 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90018

Grants Information: https://www.la84.org/grants

Phone: Available via website contact

Overview

The LA84 Foundation was established in 1985 to manage Southern California's endowment from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games (approximately $93 million). Since inception, the foundation has invested more than $225 million in Southern California, awarding grants to over 1,100 youth sports organizations. Led by President and CEO Renata Simril since recent years, LA84's mission is "Life Ready Through Sport" — expanding youth sports opportunities with particular emphasis on underserved communities, including youth of color, low-income youth, girls and young women, youth with disabilities, and LGBTQ or gender nonconforming youth. The foundation operates programs beyond grantmaking, including coaching education and research initiatives, positioning itself as a national thought leader on youth sports issues. LA84 made 64 grant awards in 2023 and distributed over $5.7 million across multiple funding cycles in 2024, demonstrating consistent and substantial investment in Southern California youth sports access.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Small Grants: $5,000 - $25,000

  • Year-round rolling basis
  • Awarded between February and November
  • Online application through grant portal

Large Grants: Minimum $25,000 (grants up to $225,000+ awarded)

  • Two cycles annually, typically opening in March and July
  • Two-stage process: Letter of Interest (LOI), then full proposal by invitation
  • Recent large grant cycles awarded $1.7M - $2.3M per cycle

What They Fund

  • Program costs for sports-based youth development
  • Sports equipment
  • Renovation of sports facilities or refurbishment of fields of play
  • Free or very low-cost programming (priority)
  • Programs using sports-based youth development approaches
  • Organizations centering equity in their service model

Priority Areas

Geographic Focus: Eight southernmost California counties:

  • Imperial
  • Los Angeles (receives priority)
  • Orange
  • Riverside
  • San Bernardino
  • San Diego
  • Santa Barbara
  • Ventura

Target Populations:

  • Youth under 18 years of age
  • Youth of color
  • Low-income youth
  • Girls and young women
  • Youth with disabilities
  • LGBTQ or gender nonconforming youth
  • Overlooked and underserved youth in high-need communities

Program Types:

  • School-based sports programs
  • Community sports programs
  • After-school sports leagues
  • Multi-sport exposure and exploration programs
  • Sports programs serving multiple Native American tribes
  • Adaptive sports for youth with disabilities

What They Don't Fund

  • Direct aid to individuals
  • Sectarian, religious, or fraternal purposes
  • Federated fundraising appeals
  • Organizations without 501(c)(3) nonprofit status
  • Individual public or private schools or single-school sites
  • Organizations that discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, or disability
  • Club and elite level sports programs (due to focus on specialization and high fees rather than fundamentals and accessibility)
  • Organizations outside the eight designated Southern California counties

Governance and Leadership

Leadership

Renata Simril, President and CEO

  • Thirty years of leadership experience across public, private, sports, and nonprofit sectors
  • Key advocate for play equity and youth sports access
  • Former USC Price School alumna

Renata Simril has stated: "Sports provide such a great environment for children – to learn how to be on time, win with grace or weather defeat, but they need the resources and access to do so." She describes the foundation's approach: "We're using these sporting events as an accelerator for our work, as a platform to demonstrate why sport, play, and movement are important for our youth, to highlight the inequities that exist, and to find systemic solutions."

Board of Directors

The board includes notable figures from sports, business, and philanthropy:

  • President and CEO, Los Angeles Dodgers; former executive with Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, Hawks, and Thrashers
  • Managing Director, The Contrarian Group, Inc.; former Commissioner of Major League Baseball; former President of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee
  • Co-Founder, Oaktree Capital Group, LLC; Chairman, Nalpak Capital, LLC; Controlling Owner, DC United
  • Chairman & CEO, Entravision Communications Corporation
  • Jim Easton (Board Member Emeritus, served 1992-2017)

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Small Grants ($5,000 - $25,000):

  • Rolling applications accepted year-round
  • Submit through online grant portal at la84.org/grants
  • Awards made between February and November

Large Grants ($25,000+):

  • Two cycles per year (typically March and July openings)
  • Stage 1: Submit Letter of Interest (LOI) through online portal
  • Stage 2: Invited organizations submit full application/proposal (by invitation only)
  • Applicants notified within three weeks if invited to full application stage
  • Grant staff contacts successful LOI applicants throughout the proposal process

Application Portal: Available at https://www.la84.org/grants

Note: The foundation does not provide help with completing the initial application. However, organizations invited to the full proposal stage receive support from grants staff throughout that process.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizations must meet ALL of the following:

  • Certified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code
  • Not a private foundation (as defined in section 509(a))
  • In good standing with California Franchise Tax Board through the California Secretary of State
  • Provide programs in one of the eight designated Southern California counties
  • Have a written policy addressing commitment to keep children safe from sexual abuse

Decision Timeline

  • LOI Response: Within 3 weeks of submission
  • Total Process: 3-6 months from initial submission to final decision
  • Notification: Email communication regarding application status

Success Rates

The grant process is highly competitive, with the foundation receiving many more requests than it can support. In 2023, 64 grants were awarded from a significantly larger applicant pool. Specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful Applicants: Can reapply to the foundation. LA84 encourages unsuccessful applicants to contact them to understand the rationale for declination so future requests can be informed by that feedback.

Previous Grantees: Organizations may apply for another grant after their current grant has concluded and a final report has been submitted. There is no longer a "sit out" period for organizations that have received grants in the past.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Mission and Values

LA84 Foundation prioritizes organizations that:

  • Use a sports-based youth development approach rather than competitive/elite models
  • Center equity in their service model
  • Serve high-need communities and priority populations (youth of color, low-income youth, girls, youth with disabilities, LGBTQ youth)
  • Offer free or very low-cost programming to reduce financial barriers

Recent Funding Examples

2024 Grant Recipients provide insight into successful applications:

  • Playworks ($225,000): Serving 35,000+ youth in LA and Orange counties with recess and lunchtime structured play in high-need schools
  • BCT/Julian High School ($95,000): School district renovations including weight room upgrades, cardio room creation, tennis/pickleball court resurfacing, and practice golf course
  • Inter Tribal Sports (large grant): Year-round sports leagues for 26 Native American tribes across San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, and LA counties benefiting 1,200 youth
  • Compton Unified School District: Expanded after-school sports program serving 1,700 students
  • California State Soccer Association: Coaching development for women and Spanish-speaking coaches (aligned with 2026 FIFA World Cup preparation)
  • Variety Boys & Girls Club (Boyle Heights) and P.F. Bresee Foundation (Central LA): Year-round leagues at no cost to families
  • American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO): Imperial County expansion serving 1,000 participants

Strategic Considerations

  • Safety Policies Required: Organizations must demonstrate written commitment to child safety, particularly regarding sexual abuse prevention
  • Equipment and Facilities: Grants can cover sports equipment and facility improvements, not just programming costs
  • Multi-Sport Approach: Programs offering exposure to multiple sports rather than single-sport specialization align well with foundation priorities
  • Equity-Centered Design: Explicitly address how the program serves underserved populations and removes barriers (cost, transportation, facility access)
  • School-Based and Community Partnerships: Both school-based and community organization models receive funding
  • Scalability: Projects serving large numbers of youth in underserved areas appear competitive (examples range from hundreds to thousands of youth served)

What LA84 Values

Based on CEO Renata Simril's statements and funding patterns:

  • Programs that recognize "sport, play, and movement as a fundamental human right"
  • Organizations addressing "the crisis hiding in plain sight: that not all kids have access to sport"
  • Programs teaching life skills: "to learn how to be on time, win with grace or weather defeat"
  • Systemic solutions to inequities in youth sports access
  • Alignment with the foundation's "Life Ready Through Sport" philosophy

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic Clarity: Ensure your organization serves one of the eight designated Southern California counties; LA County organizations receive priority consideration
  • Equity as Core Value: Explicitly demonstrate how your program serves priority populations (youth of color, low-income youth, girls, youth with disabilities, LGBTQ youth) and removes barriers to access
  • Free or Low-Cost Programming: LA84 strongly prefers programs that are free or very low cost to participants; avoid elite/club sports models with high fees
  • Two Grant Pathways: Consider small grants ($5,000-$25,000, rolling) for immediate needs or large grants ($25,000+, biannual cycles) for substantial projects
  • LOI Strategy for Large Grants: The Letter of Interest stage is competitive; within three weeks you'll know if invited to full proposal, where you'll receive staff support
  • Reapplication Welcome: If unsuccessful, request feedback before reapplying; previous grantees can reapply immediately after completing their grant and final report (no waiting period)
  • Safety Policies Non-Negotiable: Written child safety policies addressing sexual abuse prevention are mandatory for eligibility
  • Leverage Recent Examples: Study 2024 grant awards (ranging $15,000-$225,000) to understand competitive project types, from equipment purchases to multi-year program expansions to facility renovations

References

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