Ready to Rise works to aid formerly incarcerated

The California Community Foundation (CCF), Liberty Hill Foundation, and the Los
Angeles County Probation Department announced this week the launch of the next round of Request for Proposals (RFP) for Ready to Rise – a public-private partnership designed to reimagine youth development through investing in programs that keep youth out of the criminal justice system.
Since 2019, the partnership, which also invests in programs that help previously incarcerated youth transition back into their communities, has provided capacity-building support and more than $22 million in grants to LA County community-based organizations that have served more than 26,000 youth.
Vince Flowers, Senior Program Officer with the California Community Foundation says, “Ready to Rise is focused on expanding the social safety net for LA County youth.” Ready to Rise was established in 2019. Between 2019-2022, Ready to Rise invested in 49 organizations that supported over 25,000 youth. Ready to Rise offers up-front funding as opposed to a cost-reimbursement system. Grants for various non-profits come from JJC. Ready to Rise is currently undergoing a countywide request for proposals. This November, Ready to Rise will be providing 50 youth service foundations with three year grants. The foundations will receive 150,000 to 600,000 dollars in total.
“This partnership is a groundbreaking way for us to leverage public resources in L.A. County to empower and support young people and the organizations that serve them when they need us the most,” said Miguel Santana, President and CEO of the California Community Foundation. This partnership achieves outcomes and enhances how we serve our community by streamlining processes, removing barriers, and investing in the long-term sustainability of our frontline organizations so we amplify our impact.”
Ready to Rise began as a one-year, $3.2 million pilot program and has since expanded into a multi-year effort serving 49 youth development organizations across the region. Since its inception, it has transformed the lives of thousands of youth across L.A. County, serving over 25,000 young people from diverse backgrounds, including justice-involved, foster, LGBTQIA+, and unhoused youth.
With a renewed contract approved by the L.A. County Probation Department earlier this year, the partnership guarantees a minimum investment of $50 million over the next seven years, underscoring an ongoing commitment to the systemic change and community empowerment that this partnership brings to traditional ways of advancing juvenile justice prevention and diversion programs.
Grantees have participated in more than 7,000 hours of leadership development training, coaching, and planning, enhancing their organizational capacity. Ready to Rise also provides crucial capacity-building support that enables organizations to expand their reach and impact.