Youth Ecosystem Strengthening (YES) Grant Program
Liberty Hill is invested in building and strengthening a youth development ecosystem in L.A. County that expands opportunities for L.A. youth. To support this mission, we are thrilled to introduce our new Youth Ecosystem Strengthening (YES) grant program, which is specifically designed to help us reach this goal.
The YES grant program provides capacity build resources to strengthen and scale community organizations that serve the most high-need youth in Los Angeles, especially formerly incarcerated and opportunity youth.
Frontline organizations working in the field of youth development, including those with direct services or community organizing programs that directly engage with youth, are at the center of this important initiative.
As part of the grant program, YES grantees will be provided with capacity building support and specialized technical training to continue to enhance the network of youth development organizations within the County of Los Angeles. This essential support enhances the organizational strength of organizations working across our portfolio, contributing to initiatives such as Ready to Rise, the Liberation Fund, and the California Funders for Boys and Men of Color network.
Through this vital program, Liberty Hill is building a community of practice that draws from a cross-section of social service providers, advocacy organizations, educational institutions, and community organizing groups.
The YES program exemplifies how Liberty Hill is building, “The good.” To show that youth can be effectively served outside of harmful systems, we must invest in and strengthen a youth development ecosystem that can fully replace the systems that have traditionally failed our communities’ young people.
For too long, we’ve been told that only these systems can protect, serve, and rehabilitate youth—yet we know that’s not true. Organizations in this ecosystem have spent decades proving that their approaches are effective. Through YES grantmaking and capacity-building support, we’re working to expand and amplify these proven approaches.
Learn more about our YES grantee partners and Youth & Transformative Justice work at Liberty Hill.
