UNITE-LA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization associated with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce that primarily promotes education reform and youth workforce development in the Los Angeles area with a focus on underserved communities. 1
The organization was founded in 1998, to promote collaborative education reform efforts as well as business-education partnerships and to expand college access to students in the Los Angeles area. 2
UNITE-LA worked to increase the number of foster teens involved in a Los Angeles Youth@Work Work Based Learning Program by almost tenfold. The organization recognized that of the 20,000 youth in the program in 2013, only 81 were foster children. Through coordinating with social workers, that number of foster children in the work training programs increased to 772 by 2017. 1
Leadership
David Rattray is the president and CEO of UNITE-LA. 3 Rattray oversaw the Center for Education Excellence and Talent Development at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. He has also been a member of the board of directors for the Learning Policy Institute. 4
Monica Bouldin is the chairwoman of the 14-member board of directors. Bouldin is the vice president of Ruiz Strategies. 3
Francisco Rodriguez is the vice chairman of the board of directors. Rodriguez is also the chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District. 3
Angelica Salas is the secretary/treasurer for the board. She is also the director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), a left-of-center group advocating liberal expansionist immigration policy. 3
Other board members include Bill Covino, the president of California State University, Los Angeles and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D). 3
to support young children and families at Educare's early care and learning demonstration site and to conduct a landscape analysis of the needs of pregnant and parenting young students in Los Angeles County
to advance healthcare career pathways, enhance workforce development systems, and support the implementation of Horizons 32K, a plan to reconnect opportunity youth in Los Angeles County
UNITE-lA is dedicated to preparing youth in Los Angeles, California with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to succeed in college, career, and civic life. Our grant supports UNITE-lA to recruit, educate, and activate influential business organizations as powerful, bipartisan allies for Early Childhood Education legislative and budget priorities, at the state level, with a focus on providing childcare for today's workforce and establishing high quality early learning to properly launch the workforce of the future
This general operating support grant will support the creation of both a local and statewide postsecondary attainment goal to promote greater economic opportunity, mobility, and self-sufficiency for disadvantaged students, while increasing the number of degree holders to meet growing workforce demands.
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
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOCUSING ON CREATING INTEGRATED AND COORDINATED SYSTEMS OF SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES AND IMPROVE CHILD OUTCOMES
FOR THE FUND'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY; FOR THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE; TO HELP PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION AND REGIONAL EMPLOYER PARTNERS IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA UNDERSTAND AND PUT IN PLACE THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT LAEP.
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
Total Grant Value:$836,646
Number of Grants:23
Number of Recipients:20
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:
Amount
Year
Funder
Subject
$183,500
2024
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
TO SERVE YOUTH IN WORK-BASED LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND PLACING IN WORK EXPERIENCES
$34,978
2021
St. Anne's Family Services
TO SUPPORT YOUTH BY CREATING CENTERED STRATEGIES OF SERVICE
$33,383
2022
St. Anne's Family Services
TO SUPPORT YOUTH BY CREATING CENTERED STRATEGIES OF SERVICE
$25,000
2022
Center for Living and Learning
CFLL served as the sector of LCSW which provides clinical supervision of services and will review participant files at Amity to ensure compliance and fidelity to services and CBI interventions. Justice involved individuals will be prioritized for this positions.
