Government and philanthropy often share common goals and a capacity to enable wide-scale systems change. When they work together, they make ideal partners—philanthropy contributing nimbleness and a spirit of experimentation, while government commands the resources to sustain what works. In Los Angeles County, such collaboration was catalyzed by the murder of an 8-year-old boy in 2013. This tragic death prompted the Board of Supervisors to empanel a commission of notable child welfare experts to examine systemic failures.
Since then, an increasingly durable and agile spirit of collaboration in L.A. has fueled an ability to test new ideas, assess their effectiveness, and bring them to scale in ways that significantly impact child welfare reform. As a result of these efforts, the previously siloed and reactive child protection system is moving toward becoming a more integrated countywide child well-being system. Cultivating Hope Through Action: How Public-Private Partnerships Are Strengthening Child and Family Well-Being in L.A. County, is a report chronicling the work that drove increased collaboration and funding in L.A. County. It also addresses ways to grow similar collaborative ecosystems for child and family well-being in the future. Read the executive summary and full report below.
Jennifer joined the Foundation in 2011, bringing a broad range of nonprofit and philanthropic experiences, including leadership and capacity-building roles at the Sterling-Dorman and Whitecap foundations, and various positions in arts, education, the environment, and youth development. She holds an MSc in positive organizational development and change management from Case Western Reserve’s Weatherhead School of Management, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, and professional certifications in appreciative inquiry, sustainability, coaching, and college counseling. Jennifer serves on the boards of Westside Neighborhood School, SEED School LA, and Southern California Grantmakers, as an advisory council member for East West Players, and on the LA County Arts Commission as a Supervisor Barger appointee. She was a 2017 Council on Foundations Career Pathways Program Fellow.
letscher@rmpf.org