Community Partners

Community Partners is a grantmaking organization and incubator committed to left-of-center political causes. It contributes funds to independent organizations but also acts as the fiscal sponsor to groups, providing them with operations and strategies.

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Website: communitypartners.org
Formation:

1991

President and CEO (2023):

Alicia Lara

Location: Los Angeles, CA View on map
Tax ID: 95-4302067
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $82,464,152 Revenue: $180,337,178 Expenses: $166,588,633

Contents

    Activities

    Community Partners welcomes organization leaders or activists looking to start new left-of-center advocacy groups to register as fiscally sponsored projects. It provides legal help, finance and administrative services, and advising, for groups that meet its criteria, such as “potential for real impact” as well as proof that the solicitor can deliver on its proposed services. It does not permit housing groups, for-profit ventures, organizations involved in routine litigations, nor administer medicine to receive sponsorship. 1

    After getting approved for fiscal sponsorship, Community Partners charges 9 percent on all funds raised from grants, donations, services, or other means, and 15 percent on government grants. 2

    Funding

    In 2021, Community Partners raised $87,387,507 and spent $81,230,566. It ended the year with $48,730,127 in net assets. 3

    In 2021, its grant recipients included left-of-center New Venture Fund, Alliance for Southern California, United Ways of California, InnerCity Struggle, League of Women Voters of California Education Fund, Black Women for Wellness, California Black Women’s Health Project, the Trust for Public Land, IssueVoter, Freedom Education Project Puget Sound, Tides Advocacy, Dignity and Power Now, Hands for Hope, Los Angeles LGBT Center, and Nonprofit Finance Fund. 4

    Leadership

    As of 2023, Alicia Lara was the president and CEO of Community Partners. Lara previously worked as the senior vice president of impact at United Way Worldwide, a left-of-center pro-welfare nonprofit organization. She also spent eight years working at the California Endowment, a left-leaning health-focused grantmaking foundation organization founded in 1996. Lara began her career as an activist for “women of color,” working as director for the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, working with minority groups on projects relating to health care, “cultural competency,” and language and accessibility. She sits on the boards of Ms. Foundation for Women, Funders Together to End Homelessness, and CADRE in Los Angeles. 5

    As of 2023, Helen Kim was the chair of the board. Kim is a partner in the Los Angeles office of K&L Gates LLP, representing companies in commercial litigation as a member of its Securities and Transactions Litigation Group. She was previously chair of the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity, chair of the LACBA/WLALA Joint Task Force on the Retention and Promotion of Women in the Profession, the president of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, and the president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. 6

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $82,464,152 $180,337,178 $166,588,633 View
    2023 $70,054,669 $114,172,851 $104,727,560 View
    2022 $52,046,774 $84,728,262 $87,000,499 View
    2021 $58,586,885 $87,387,507 $81,230,566 View
    2020 $46,134,339 $70,461,827 $67,529,950 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 1038

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Alicia LaraPRESIDENT & CEO$374,108
    Joyce WilliamsCHIEF FINANCIAL AND OPERAT$265,516
    Andrew LeveyVICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATION$235,681
    Zahirah MannPROJECT DIRECTOR$229,908
    Patrick BallPROJECT DIRECTOR$217,456
    Barbara MastersPROJECT DIRECTOR$196,279
    Phyllis OwensVICE PRESIDENT, INTERMEDIARY SERVICES$196,235

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $319,618,126
    • Number of Grants: 3,478
    • Number of Funders: 862

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $7,500,0002023 The California EndowmentTo support the scaling of a model that links health care systems, providers and health plans with public health, community and social services organizations, and residents across California.
    $3,000,0002025 The James Irvine FoundationTo support the Economic Liberation Project assisting undocumented low-wage workers in accessing workforce development and entrepreneurship services and support in Long Beach, through an entity such as ÓRALE.
    $2,692,4162020 California Community FoundationDisaster Response
    $2,625,0002023 The California EndowmentTo support efforts to build power among Native American communities through the work of community organizing, youth organizing, advocacy, leadership development and voter education as a means to advance community health, justice and equity in California.
    $2,620,0002025 The California EndowmentTo support efforts to build power among Native American communities through the work of community organizing, youth organizing, advocacy, leadership development and voter education as a means to advance community health, justice and equity in California.
    $2,561,8692024 California Healthcare FoundationFOUNDATION EVALUATION DIRECTORS MEETING AT GEO; MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH NOW'S 2023-24 PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCES; PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH TRAININGS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY'S SAFETY NET PROVIDERS; IMPROVING QUALITY AND REDUCING DISPARITIES FOR MEDI-CAL POPULATIONS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S HIDDEN SAFETY NET
    $2,497,5002021 PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTETechnical Assistance
    $2,456,7232022 California Community FoundationHOUSING
    $2,300,0002022 The James Irvine FoundationTo deepen the power building, advocacy, and data research of Tribal communities and Native organizations in California, through an entity such as the California Native Vote Project.
    $2,196,1992023 California Community FoundationHOUSING
    $2,150,0002020 The California EndowmentTo support the implementation and sustainability of a model that links health care systems, providers and health plans with public health, community and social services organizations, and residents in ten geographic areas in California.
    $2,050,0002024 The James Irvine FoundationTo deepen power building, advocacy, and data research amongst Native communities and organizations in California, through an entity such as the California Native Vote Project (CNVP).
    $1,754,4172023 California Healthcare FoundationIDREAM FOR RACIAL HEALTH EQUITY TABLE SPONSOR, 2023.; PILOT WITH MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH NOW (MMHN) TO IMPROVE LOS ANGELES COUNTY'S PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY; DEVELOPING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PARTNERS: BUILDING PROGRAM OFFICE RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE; PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH TRAININGS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY'S SAFETY NET PROVIDERS; IDREAM'S PILOT TO SUPPORT BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH COMMUNITY MENTORS; IMPROVING QUALITY AND REDUCING DISPARITIES FOR MEDI-CAL POPULATIONS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S HIDDEN SAFETY NET
    $1,411,5002024 The Chicago Community TrustGeneral support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
    $1,317,6102021 Network for Good, Inc.UNRESTRICTED
    $1,249,9522022 Network for Good, Inc.UNRESTRICTED
    $1,231,4422024 Network for Good, Inc.UNRESTRICTED
    $1,200,0002023 The James Irvine FoundationTo support the Long Beach Undocumented Entrepreneurship and Microenterprise Project, through an entity such as ÓRALE.
    $1,122,7502024 National Philanthropic TrustHUMAN SERVICES
    $1,064,0032023 Network for Good, Inc.UNRESTRICTED
    $1,062,2852023 Ascendium Education Solutions IncUnderstanding the Landscape of Higher Education in Prison Establishing and Solidifying a Field Convener Travel Grant – National College Attainment Network 2023 National Conference Understanding the Landscape of Higher Education in Prison
    $1,014,2102020 University of Southern CaliforniaGENERAL SUPPORT
    $1,000,0002023 The Heising-Simons Foundationfor Parent Voices
    $1,000,0002023 The Andrew W. Mellon Foundationto support the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison’s efforts including an internship program for currently incarcerated students and alumni and an annual online conference for currently incarcerated students to be held inside multiple carceral facilities
    $1,000,0002022 The Andrew W. Mellon Foundationto support a multiyear residency pilot focused on research-based practices by Black California artists

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $83,895,565
    • Number of Grants: 776
    • Number of Recipients: 533

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $7,002,6992023 NORTH HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOLSUPPORT COVID-19 CONTACT TRACING, SYSTEM NAVIGATION, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, ENGAGEM
    $3,691,3762023 PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCATESPROVIDES FOR AN INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO PREVENT AND COUNTER ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXP
    $3,154,1532024 PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCATESCHILDHOOD TRAUMA INTERVENTION
    $2,457,0002024 Healthy Streets LaPUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
    $1,006,5532023 Purchaser Business Group on HealthIMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES AND IMPROVE HEALTH EQUITY FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
    $988,8542024 GRID Alternatives Greater Los AngelesCLIMATE RESILIENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE
    $960,0002024 OPTIONS FOR LEARNINGARPA CHILDCARE PROVIDER BENEFICIARY GRANT
    $899,5302024 INNERCITY STRUGGLECOVID-19 OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT
    $686,7282024 Los Angeles Conservation CorpsCLIMATE RESILIENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE
    $573,6242022 Pacoima BeautifulINCREASE THE CLIMATE RESILIENCY AND PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES
    $561,3612023 Los Angeles Conservation CorpsTO COMPLEMENT STRATEGIES THAT INCREASE THE CLIMATE RESILIENCY OF VULNERABLE POPU
    $551,3252023 GRID Alternatives Greater Los AngelesTO COMPLEMENT STRATEGIES THAT INCREASE THE CLIMATE RESILIENCY OF VULNERABLE POPU
    $500,0002021 Child Care Resource Center IncSUPPORT POLICY ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE THAT ALL CHILDREN IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND PARTICULARLY THOSE AT RISK HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION
    $472,6702020 Child Care Resource Center IncSupport policy advocacy organizations to ensure that all children in los angeles county and particularly those at risk have access to affordable early care and education
    $464,8792024 ANTELOPE VALLEY PARTNERS FOR HEALTHCOVID-19 OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT
    $452,6002022 Palos Verdes Estates FoundationBEAUTIFICATION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, CULTURE AND ARTS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR THE CITY OF PALOS VERDES
    $406,0002024 Alma Backyard FarmFOOD DISTRIBUTION
    $406,0002024 INCLUSIVE ACTION FOR THE CITYFOOD DISTRIBUTION
    $406,0002024 SPECIAL SERVICE FOR GROUPS INCFOOD DISTRIBUTION
    $405,0002020 Catalyst California (formerly Advancement Project California)Support policy advocacy organizations to ensure that all children in los angeles county and particularly those at risk have access to affordable early care and education
    $400,0002024 Occidental CollegeFOOD DISTRIBUTION
    $400,0002024 Partnership for GrowthFOOD DISTRIBUTION
    $397,4962022 Los Angeles Conservation CorpsINCREASE THE CLIMATE RESILIENCY AND PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES
    $386,8342023 Pacoima BeautifulSUPPORT TO A CREATIVE PLACEMAKING PROJECT IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY
    $386,3182024 Pacoima BeautifulPUBLIC ART GRANT

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “How to Apply.” Community Partners. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://communitypartners.org/.
    2. “FAQs.” Community Partners. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://communitypartners.org/faqs/.
    3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Partners. 2021. Part I, lines 12, 18, 22.
    4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Partners. 2021. Schedule I, Part I – Grants and Other Assistance.
    5. “Our Staff.” Community Partners. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://communitypartners.org/about/staff/#leadership-1.
    6. [1] “Our Board.” Community Partners. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://communitypartners.org/about/board/#board-1.