Report Highlights Critical Role of Nonprofit Partnerships in Supporting Los Angeles Students
Bridging the Gap: How Nonprofit Collaborations Strengthen Los Angeles Unified is a comprehensive report examining how nonprofit partnerships strengthen the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The report analyzes the current landscape of nonprofit service providers and their impact on students, families, and communities. The report reveals that nonprofit service providers offer a wide range of critical services – from academic enrichment and college readiness support to health services and family engagement programs. They are particularly valuable in underserved communities, where access to enrichment programs and support services is often scarce. Approximately 40 cents of every dollar a nonprofit service provider spends comes from philanthropy, highlighting both the sector’s reliance on charitable giving and its ability to leverage district investments.
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Key Findings
With LAUSD serving over 400,000 TK-12 grade students across 710 square miles and parts of 25 cities, nonprofit partnerships play an essential role in expanding the district’s capacity to meet diverse student needs.
- Over 260 nonprofit service providers offer essential services to LAUSD students and families, from academic enrichment to health and wellness support.
- Approximately 40 cents of every dollar a nonprofit service provider spends comes from philanthropy, highlighting both the sector's reliance on charitable giving and its ability to leverage district investments.
- Nearly 90% of surveyed nonprofit service providers want to expand their LAUSD partnerships but face significant barriers, including complex approval processes and delayed reimbursements.
- Nonprofit partnerships are particularly valuable for underserved communities, where access to enrichment programs and support services is often scarce.
- These collaborations have proven especially crucial during crisis periods like the COVID-19 pandemic, when many nonprofits acted as first responders serving communities across Los Angeles.
Opportunities for Philanthropic Leadership
The report outlines several key ways that philanthropy can help facilitate and strengthen critical partnerships. Philanthropic organizations can help document and amplify community needs to local policymakers and leaders, while also bridging relationships to accelerate collective impact by convening local stakeholders and fostering collaboration. Additionally, they can support nonprofits in navigating district processes and developing sustainable funding strategies. Philanthropy can also provide operational support to help providers maintain services while awaiting district reimbursements, and fund advocacy efforts to increase state and federal resources for nonprofit partnerships.
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