Donor Events
Check out some of the highlights from this year’s live events.
Housing Justice Salon
At our 2023 Housing Justice Salon, Liberty Hill’s NextGen Giving Circle held a two-part session welcoming fellow donor activists to a special community conversation with grantee partners and frontline leaders to discuss innovative solutions to the L.A. housing crisis at the state and local level. It was an engaging conversation on the housing issues facing low-income communities of color, and the work being done to power progressive decision-making and create fair housing policy in L.A.
From Port to River: EJ Bus Tour
On our “From Port to River: Environmental Justice Bus Tour,” Liberty Hill community partners and donor activists embarked on a tour along the I-710 and I-110 corridors, meeting with frontline organizers from community-based organizations like East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ) and Communities for a Better Environmental (CBE), to learn about the impacts of ports, refineries, and warehousing on local L.A. communities. Co-hosted by Liberty Hill’s Environmental + Justice Donor Circle and NextGen Giving Circle, the tour brought our community of donor activists together to witness the impacts of environmental racism on local urban communities. Guests visited the Ports of L.A. and Long Beach, the L.A. River, and oil drilling sites in the Long Beach neighborhood of Wilmington—which ranks among the top 5% of communities in California with the highest pollution exposure.
Reparations and the Future of Pro-Black Policies in California
Liberty Hill hosted an engaging conversation on the work happening locally in support of reparations policies that aim to heal and enable thriving Black communities. Moderated by Liberty Hill Board Member Mark Smith, the panel featured Kaci Patterson, founder of Social Good Solutions, Allison Thomas, Liberty Hill DAF holder, and California Assemblymember Isaac Bryan of the 55th District. The conversation was framed around exploring the very complicated, and often divisive, narrative of reparations and the challenges ahead for securing pathways of healing for Black Americans. Panelists urged the Liberty Hill community to let their voices be heard through engagement and charitable giving.
We have an opportunity and a responsibility as funders to think about the history we want to make in this moment—whether we are going to be pioneering or whether we are going to preserve inequitable systems.
40th Annual Upton Sinclair Celebration
This past year, the Liberty Hill Community came together like never before to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Upton Sinclair Celebration! We brought together the frontline organizers, community leaders, and donor activists who contribute to the progressive victories that power social change in Los Angeles. And it was a night full of festivity, friendship, and fun as more than 750 guests gathered at the beautiful Skirball Cultural Center to celebrate the theme, “Uniting Power and Purpose.” The foundation recognized four honorees who have dedicated their lives to the fight for social justice.
Honorees included philanthropist and LGBTQ+ donor activist, Weston Milliken, recipient of the Founders Award; Emmy-nominated choreographers Chloe Arnold and Maud Arnold of the Chloe and Maud Foundation, recipients of the Creative Vision Award; the Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling – Los Angeles (STAND-L.A.) Coalition, recipients of the Wally Marks Changemaker Award; and keynote speaker, President and CEO of The California Endowment, Dr. Robert K. Ross, recipient of the Upton Sinclair Award.
Featured Video
Liberty Hill is at the core of what I do with my philanthropy, and I rely on them for their recommendations and engagement.
Creating Safe Spaces for L.A.’s LGBTQ+ Youth
At their Mental Health Action Day event, our OUT Fund Giving Circle grantee Rainbow Labs brought together youth development professionals working with and alongside LGBTQ+ youth and other stakeholders for a panel discussion and training on how to support LGBTQ+ youth and their mental health needs. Liberty Hill’s OUT Fund Giving Circle member Paul Moore was among the panelists participating in the event. In his remarks, Paul highlighted the important role that the philanthropic community plays in supporting organizations that serve and empower local queer youth. Through funding initiatives—like those spearheaded by our OUT Fund Giving Circle—community-based organizations are able to build up their infrastructure and better support underserved frontline communities.
Leadership Appreciation Brunch
Liberty Hill’s Leadership Appreciation Brunch brought our community together this past year with special guest speaker Mayor Karen Bass—who spoke to us on the eve of her inauguration. In a conversation moderated by Liberty Hill President & CEO Shane Murphy Goldsmith, Mayor Bass discussed her plans to address the most pressing issues facing Los Angeles, including the future of youth, housing, and environmental justice. She also shared the impact that Liberty Hill has made on the philanthropic community, and the role that donor activists need to continue to play to make L.A. a more just place for all.
Thanks to the work that Liberty Hill has done over the years to lead many efforts across L.A., we have a good set of goals—my plan is to continue along that road to fulfilling those goals.
