The Impact of Philanthropy as Civic Engagement
The Philanthropy as Civic Engagement Course at UCLA has strengthened the university and Honors Program’s commitment to philanthropy education and has tremendously impacted the Los Angeles region since 2012. To date, students in the Philanthropy as Civic Engagement Course at UCLA have collectively awarded over $1.2 million to Los Angeles nonprofits.
$1.2 million awarded
42 nonprofit awardees
200+ student participants
$27,453 avg grant
| Nonprofit | Award | Year | Category | Website |
| Compton Girls Club | $32,000.00 | 2026 | Youth | https://girlsclubla.org |
| Resilient Palisades | $24,000.00 | 2026 | Environment | https://www.resilientpalisades.org |
| Project Ropa | $44,000.00 | 2026 | Homelessness Services | https://www.projectropa.org |
| BARK Reading Dogs | $5,000.00 | 2025 | Animals & Wildlife | https://barkdogs.org/ |
| Better Together Forever | $5,000.00 | 2025 | Animals & Wildlife | https://www.peopleandpetsbtf.org |
| Friends of Ballona Wetlands | $40,000.00 | 2025 | Environment | https://www.ballonafriends.org |
| Painted Brain | $12,500.00 | 2025 | Mental Health | https://www.paintedbrain.org/ |
| Peace4Kids | $19,500.00 | 2025 | Youth | https://www.peace4kids.org |
| Piece by Piece | $28,000.00 | 2025 | Arts & Culture | https://www.piecebypiece.org/ |
| Heal the Bay | $15,000.00 | 2024 | Environment | https://healthebay.org/ |
| Safe Place for Youth | $15,000.00 | 2024 | Homelessness Services | https://www.safeplaceforyouth.org/ |
| Women and Children’s Crisis Shelter | $35,000.00 | 2024 | Social Services | https://www.wccshope.org/ |
| L.A. Goal | $30,000.00 | 2024 | Youth | https://www.lagoal.org/ |
| Flintridge Center | $40,000.00 | 2022 | Social Services | https://www.flintridge.org/ |
| Proyecto Pastoral | $40,000.00 | 2022 | Social Services | https://www.proyectopastoral.org/ |
| Skid Row Housing Trust | $20,000.00 | 2022 | Homelessness Services | https://skidrow.org/ |
| Jazz Hands for Autism | $15,000.00 | 2021 | Disability Services | https://www.jazzhandsforautism.org/ |
| Open Paths Counseling Center | $40,000.00 | 2021 | Mental Health | https://openpaths.org/counseling/ |
| School on Wheels | $25,000.00 | 2021 | Youth | https://schoolonwheels.org/ |
| Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project | $20,000.00 | 2020 | Immigration | https://www.esperanza-la.org/ |
| LA Compost | $50,000.00 | 2020 | Environment | https://www.lacompost.org/ |
| PS Science | $30,000.00 | 2020 | Youth | https://psscience.org/ |
| L.A. Kitchen | $50,000.00 | 2018 | Food Security | https://lakitchen.org/ |
| St. Joseph’s Center | $40,000.00 | 2018 | Homelessness Services | https://stjosephctr.org/ |
| Swipe Out Hunger | $10,000.00 | 2018 | Food Security | https://swipehunger.org/ |
| BeautifyEarth | $10,000.00 | 2017 | Environment | https://www.beautifyearth.com/ |
| Kindred Spirits Care Farm | $49,000.00 | 2017 | Animals & Wildlife | |
| OurHouse | $50,330.00 | 2017 | Mental Health | https://www.ourhouse-grief.org/ |
| InsideOUT Writers | $25,200.00 | 2016 | Arts & Culture | https://www.insideoutwriters.org/ |
| Los Angeles Audubon Society | $48,612.00 | 2016 | Environment | https://www.laaudubon.org/ |
| Military Women in Need | $27,310.00 | 2016 | Homelessness Services | |
| The Painted Turtle | $2,500.00 | 2016 | Youth | https://www.thepaintedturtle.org/ |
| Food Forward | $10,000.00 | 2016 | Food Security | https://foodforward.org/ |
| Food Forward | $29,000.00 | 2014 | Food Security | https://foodforward.org/ |
| PATH-People Assisting the Homeless | $10,000.00 | 2014 | Homelessness Services | https://epath.org/about/ |
| The Painted Turtle | $35,000.00 | 2014 | Youth | https://www.thepaintedturtle.org/ |
| Disability Community Resource Center (Formerly Westside Center for Independent Living) | $26,000.00 | 2014 | Disability Services | https://www.dcrc.co/ |
| Braille Institute | $20,000.00 | 2013 | Disability Services | https://www.brailleinstitute.org/ |
| Heart of Los Angeles | $50,000.00 | 2013 | Youth | https://www.heartofla.org/ |
| Central American Resource Center | $30,000.00 | 2013 | Immigration | https://www.carecen-la.org/ |
| Little Tokyo Service Center | $20,000.00 | 2012 | Arts & Culture | https://www.ltsc.org/ |
| The People Concern, Formerly Ocean Park Community Center | $20,000.00 | 2012 | Social Services | |
| P.S. Arts | $30,000.00 | 2012 | Arts & Culture | https://www.psarts.org/ |
| Pacoima Beautiful | $30,000.00 | 2012 | Environment | https://pacoimabeautiful.org/ |
Nonprofit recipients have described the grant’s impact as:
Recipients consistently describe the grant as collaborative, empowering, transformative, and deeply supportive—highlighting both personal growth and organizational impact.
Giving Opportunities
Philanthropy as Civic Engagement Course Fund
Contributions to the Philanthropy as Civic Engagement Course Fund are available for immediate use for grant awards made through the course. Each offering of the course is made possible by donor gifts totaling $100,000. Undergraduates who apply and are selected to participate in the Philanthropy as Civic Engagement course collaborate to determine how to award the funds to Los Angeles area nonprofit organizations.