[Newsletter] 2026 Project Updates
Photo taken at the offices of EdTrust-West
Dear Friends,
At Cities & People Advisors, we believe the path to transformative social justice begins with genuine partnership and trust. Our recent partnership with the Liberty Hill Foundation and the Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development on the Youth Incubation Academy serves as a powerful case study for this approach.
We hope you'll enjoy a deep dive into this project, as well as some other project updates from our ongoing work with our partners.
Summer calls us to take time for nourishment, joy, laughter, and rest. We hope each and every one of you has done one thing or that you have one thing in mind that’s just for you this summer.
We’ve been catching some sun and sand, but we’re always here for you. If you want to learn more or be reminded of our offerings, visit our website or reach out to us at any time.
Wishing you a fabulous summer!
Sheryl E. Lane & Maya Paley
Cities & People Advisors
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT | DEEP DIVE
ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING DRIVES DEEPER IMPACT FOR LA COUNTY YOUTH
The Youth Incubation Academy has been a cornerstone of Liberty Hill Foundation’s vision for youth justice over the past year. It was designed to bridge the gap between traditional government funding and the durable capacity-building needs of the organizations serving young people throughout LA County.
Liberty Hill has long served as a base for movement-building in Los Angeles. This movement-building unlocked Los Angeles County funding for the launch of the Department for Youth Development in 2022, a department that is explicitly anti-racist, prioritizes restorative justice practices, aims to address the root causes of violence, and centers and collaborates with youth and community partners in designing programs and problem-solving strategies. The Foundation’s recent partnership with LA County to create the Youth Incubation Academy is the result of the decades of infrastructural support it has provided for collective organizing and advocacy for an alternative system for youth in the County, one that prioritizes and invests in approaches that serve as alternatives to our long-time punishment systems.
Our partnership with Liberty Hill supported the Foundation in its ongoing efforts to ensure the County lives up to its promise. The Youth Incubation Academy was formed to invest financially in the root causes of violence by supporting 21 youth development organizations, located in all five supervisorial districts of the County. It was funded by the Department of Youth Development and executed by Liberty Hill Foundation, with our partnership and support on the grantmaking process, and the design and implementation of an intentional program aimed at partnering with all 21 organizations to expand their capacities in nonprofit management and leadership.
Dr. David Turner III leads training on Youth Leadership Development at 1st Convening.
Photo provided courtesy of Liberty Hill Foundation
Recognizing that the leaders of these organizations are already deeply committed and resourceful, we partnered with the Foundation to streamline grant reporting requirements, ensuring the process supported, rather than overwhelmed, our grassroots partners. We prioritized meaningful connection over administrative burdens and relied on sincere engagement and the value of the program content itself rather than mandatory attendance. This approach, in alignment with Liberty Hill’s practice in radical accommodation, resulted in a superb attendance rate, with grantees noting that the structure honored the reality of grassroots leadership and made the program a genuinely transformative experience rather than a transactional one.
The program focused on customized, deep-level capacity building. Each organization was matched with a hand-picked coach to guide them through their highest-priority challenges, supplemented by virtual trainings and in-person convenings on key topics like strategic planning, governance, and fund development. The results were significant: Many organizations created evaluation tools and plans for the first time, revisited or developed new mission and vision statements, and tried out new ideas for fund development and organizational storytelling.
On top of the technical assistance each organization received, leaders were able to take advantage of executive and leadership coaching to support them with challenges like burnout, time management, staff supervision and empowerment, and more. Here's what they had to say:
Liberty Hill's support has extended far beyond financial assistance. The combination of funding and capacity-building resources has strengthened our leadership structure, enhanced organizational effectiveness, and increased our readiness for future growth and impact. –Acceler8
Customized goal planning combined with individualized coaching allowed us to make targeted progress on priorities that are foundational to ACE's long-term growth and sustainability. What made this experience stand out was the intentionality behind every element of the program design. -Alliance for Community Empowerment
I hope more funders, when possible, consider implementing a similar model. It created an environment where organizations could focus on growth, learning, and innovation rather than compliance alone. -Black Women for Wellness
Crucially, the Academy fostered a powerful peer network among the 21 participating organizations. The three in-person convenings provided dedicated networking and peer learning time, intentionally building a broader ecosystem of youth development organizations. Grantees leveraged this community for referrals, cross-organizational learning, and new possibilities for collaboration and collective impact.
Photos provided courtesy of Liberty Hill Foundation
REAL RESULTS
A CLOSER LOOK: DIOR SUNSET
The Dior Sunset Foundation is an excellent example of this growth. They shared with us that the program helped them increase their capacity by allowing them to train staff, get items and facilities needed to fully support their participants, and get organized overall.
As a result, their youth have a better quality program, better trained staff, and the transportation barrier has been removed so that they can get to and from the program safely. They shared that the food they provide their youth is healthier and more abundant, which attracts youth to the programs and supports their physical and mental health. They are increasing and diversifying the opportunities for their youth and expanding the breadth of experiences they offer.
“Coaching through this program opened our eyes about how to run our organization more effectively. There are bigger opportunities for what we can do for the youth we serve.”
In the short term, they are now consistently working on grants and fundraising, having established an organized system and process. They have spent time improving how they attract and invite new families to participate in their programs through more intentional storytelling.
“In five years, we anticipate all of our programs being fully funded and being able to actively support the youth we serve. We will be proud to be making a real difference in the community by offering safe, inclusive programs that create positive spaces for young people to grow, connect, and thrive.”
This project stands as a testament to C&P's effective model for bridge-building and driving sustainable impact in partnership with visionary foundations.
The Dior Sunset Foundation and all the Academy organizations put an immense amount of energy and effort into participating in the program, and we love knowing that the program has made a lasting and significant impact on them.
Thank you to Liberty Hill Foundation for inviting us to support you and your grantees, to the Department of Youth Development for investing in this program, and to all 21 of the grantees, who are now part of our incredible community. Click here to check out Liberty Hill’s awesome blog post on the program.
A Seat At The Table
Accelerate Education Group
Advancing Communities Together
Alliance for Community Empowerment
Avalon-Carver Community Center
Be A Mentor
Boys Of Optimistic Manhood
Black Women for Wellness
Conaxion Inc.
Dior Sunset Foundation
Driving Hope Foundation
Love Beyond Limits
Marzette's House Community Outreach
New Economics for Women
North Valley Caring Services
Our Generation Cares
Refugee Children Center
Self Help Graphics & Art
The Action Project
Trap Medicine
United Cambodian Community Center
Shout-outs to our incredible coaches: Cris Baik, Helen Chin, Rob McGowan, Evelin Montes, Maya Paley, Christine Petit, Christina Sanchez, Tiffany Smith and the subject matter experts who provided training for the program: Cris Baik, Joanna Kabat, Sheryl Lane, Maya Paley, Marisa Ramirez, Tiffany Smith, Janedra Sykes, Dr. David Turner, Elisa Morimoto, and Pia Schiavo-Campo. And, of course, we’re so grateful to Yesenia Rodriguez, Lia Williams, and Lisa Small from Liberty Hill Foundation for their partnership.
For this project, Cities & People provided services in grantmaking design, capacity-building, coaching, program design and management, and network development. Are you interested in learning more?
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
LET'S DO BETTER THAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!
In mid-May, we facilitated and helped host the 5th convening for the Environmental Leadership Initiative, a Liberty Hill Foundation fellowship for environmental justice leaders across California. We held the convening in Palm Springs, and, for the first time ever, we partnered with the local tribe, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, to both learn and understand their story and to support them by holding 2 days of the convening at the Agua Caliente Cultural Center and Museum.
We were honored to hear opening remarks from Tribal Chairman Jeff E. Grube, experience the tribe’s ancient tradition of birdsinging, and spend hours visiting the museum and incorporating the tribe’s stories of resilience and transformational social justice into the convening’s program. Many of us ask how we can do better than the typical land acknowledgments, as activators in social justice movement spaces. This is how.
It was an honor and a privilege to be on the land of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and we thank them for their hospitality and warm welcome. And deep gratitude goes to our convening logistics team, Being Collaborative, who connected with the Cultural Center and made it all happen.
CELEBRATING THE WINS
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CLIENTS & PARTNERS ON THESE MEANINGFUL MILESTONES!
We’re so happy we could join the celebrations and we know our partners will continue their inspirational and important work toward transformational social justice!
Liberty Hill’s 50th Anniversary Upton Sinclair Dinner
SoCalCAN’s 20th Anniversary Celebration at Plaza de la Raza
We’re so happy we could join the celebrations - we're so thrilled for all that our friends and partners continue to accomplish!