LOS ANGELES — The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (UCLA LPPI) announced $200,000 in funding over one year from The California Endowment (TCE) on Friday, December 17, 2021. The grant will support education and awareness-building efforts around key social issues and their impact on Latinos and other communities of color to promote more equitable, data-driven policymaking.
“Visibility is critical to cross-sectoral policymaking that increases equity and creates the conditions necessary for people to live well. The lack of visibility and representation of Latinos in government, media and business has led to devastating consequences for the health and wealth of California’s plurality population,” said Sonja Diaz, UCLA LPPI’s founding director. “This grant will allow us to bring Latinos out of the shadows and educate key stakeholders about the untapped opportunity that exists when we integrate communities of color into decision-making tables.”
Over the grant period, UCLA LPPI will provide community-based organizations, policymakers, and leaders in philanthropy with reliable, digestible, and actionable data and analysis to equip them with the insights necessary to promote equitable policy transformation. In service of this goal, UCLA LPPI experts will develop policy briefs and reports on critical issues pertinent to Latino well-being, including demographic shifts, economic opportunity, health access and political representation. UCLA LPPI will share research and analysis through their website, digital channels and webinars with community leaders, advocates, and government partners. Support from TCE will also increase UCLA LPPI’s capacity to engage with media partners and drive greater visibility of California’s diverse Latino communities and their unique needs by placing culturally-competent and media-tested faculty experts across print, tv, and radio.
“The California Endowment is committed to funding work that will create better outcomes for all Californians, and we know that work must begin with supporting communities that have historically been the most marginalized,” said Dr. Robert K. Ross, President and CEO, The California Endowment. “Our investment in UCLA LPPI will provide key stakeholders, from government to philanthropy, with direct access to the data and historical context required to make better decisions that help us build a truly inclusive state where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”
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ABOUT UCLA LATINO POLICY AND POLITICS INSTITUTE
The UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute addresses the most critical domestic policy challenges facing Latinos and other communities of color through research, advocacy, mobilization, and leadership development to expand genuine opportunity for all Americans.
