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Funding the Community

Bridging the gap between public resources and community impact.

Navigating public grants to obtain funding can feel overwhelming and out of reach for the community based organizations doing some of the most vital work in justice reform. As an experienced Third-Party Administrator (TPA), Amity Foundation simplifies the complex. We connect justice-focused community-based organizations – a vital safety net that fills the gaps government can’t always reach – with the funding they need to grow and thrive.

Are you a CFCI Grantee or a Community Based Organization looking for more information about JCOD’s CFCI grant? Visit our Care First Community Investment page to learn more.

The Los Angeles County Justice, Care, and Opportunities Department’s Care First Community Investment Grant

Our Approach

JCOD and the Board of Supervisors are committed to advancing a “Care First” approach to best serve the justice-involved people of Los Angeles County. The Care First Community Investment (CFCI) is a significant investment that builds up our collective capacity to achieve our mission. We continue to maintain our commitment to this critical investment despite the legal challenges that underlie ballot Measure J.

For Year 1 (2020), The Board approved an unprecedented $187.7 million spending package for direct community investments and funding for alternatives to incarceration—accelerating the transformative process of creating a more just and equitable Los Angeles County for all residents. Years 2 and 3 have further advanced that mission, with an additional $100 million and $88.3 million allocated respectively.

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JCOD Conference

We go beyond connecting the right organizations to public funding, and support our grantee community as a capacity builder. In our capacity as a TPA, Amity Foundation is focused on:

Risk Mitigation:

We shoulder the legal and financial responsibility of the public funds to protect smaller CBOs.

Compliance Without the Burden:

Amity handles auditing, reporting, and decoding all the “government speak” so community leaders don’t have to.

Trust & Proximity:

Given our deep relationship with the justice-involved community, Amity is able to communicate and advocate for the complex needs and unique challenges many community based organizations face.

Technical Assistance:

Amity is committed to providing grantees with all of the tools, resources, and materials they need to thrive – teaching them how to scale their operations and empowering them to support more people, more often.

Our Role

Amity Foundation is proud to serve as the Third-Party Administrator (TPA) for L.A. County’s Care First Community Investment Grant, issued by the Justice, Care, and Opportunities Department, as well as Non-CFCI grants. We are proud to connect justice-focused community-based organizations – a vital safety net that fills the gaps government can’t always reach – with the funding and resources they need to grow and thrive. 

Over the last four years, we’ve helped JCOD distribute $350 million dollars to 400 community-based organizations across two-dozen program areas, prioritizing groups that have historically faced barriers to public funding. 

Our approach to administrating grant funding starts with bringing in people with lived experience to help identify and select grantees, to ensure funding decisions are grounded in real-world knowledge and meeting the needs of the communities we serve.

Learn About Measure J Funding
CFCI GRANTEES
CFCI APPLICANTS

About the Care First Community Investment/Non-Care First Community Investment Third-Party Administrator

Through a competitively bid process, Amity Foundation was selected to act as Third-Party Administrator (TPA) to manage and distribute a portion of funds included in the Care First Community Investment (CFCI) spending plan, and Non-Care First Community Investment (Non-CFCI) funds for Grants to Justice-Focused Community-Based Organizations. Amity will be responsible for distributing $55M over three years across eight program areas with the goal of equitably increasing access to funding for organizations serving youth and those impacted by injustice and inequities within the criminal legal systems and will give priority to organizations that have historically experienced barriers to accessing County funding.

History & Background: Care First Community Investment

November 3, 2020

Measure J

On November 3, 2020, the voters of Los Angeles County approved Measure J, which directed the County to set aside at least 10% of the County’s locally generated unrestricted revenues to address systemic racism through direct community investment and alternatives to incarceration.  Directly following approval of the ballot measure, the Board of Supervisors (Board) established an Advisory Committee and charged the committee with developing spending recommendations for Measure J funds. 

November 3, 2020

June 2021

Funding Secured

In June 2021, the Advisory Committee delivered its spending recommendations to the County’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who reviewed them, made adjustments, and then included them in her recommendations to the Board.  The Board approved $187M in funding for CFCI programs ($100M in CFCI funds and $87M in American Rescue Plan funds). 

Funding is distributed in two manners:

  • Via County Departments
  • Via a Third-Party Administrator

During the process of developing spending recommendations, the public consistently requested that the County use a third-party administrator to disburse funds to community-based organizations (CBOs) positioned to deliver services within the community, with a focus on smaller CBOs who have traditionally had difficulty obtaining County contracts.

June 2021

June 2021

Care First Community Investment

In June 2021, there was a court action nullifying Measure J, but the Board reaffirmed its commitment to the vision of Measure J and renamed the effort Care First Community Investment (CFCI). 

CFCI adheres to the spirit of Measure J and the above-mentioned budget policy by allocating at least 10% of locally generated unrestricted revenue to be invested directly into communities and alternatives to incarceration to address the impact of racial injustice — in particular within the criminal legal systems. In addition, CFCI prohibits using these funds for carceral systems and law enforcement agencies. The CFCI Programs budget policy identifies how the County will determine the amount of locally generated unrestricted revenues in the general fund (net County cost) to be set aside for CFCI programs. L.A. County’s new Justice, Care & Opportunities Department (JCOD), which was created by the Board of Supervisors in November 2022, is now responsible for the stewardship of CFCI. JCOD continues to follow the guidance of the Board of Supervisors, CFCI Advisory Committee, and CEO in ensuring that the CFCI funding goes to those who need it most

June 2021

September 6, 2022

Care First, Jails Last

On September 6, 2022, the LA County Board of Supervisors approved Year 2 allocations to further advance Los Angeles County’s Care First, Jails Last vision using direct community investments and funding for alternatives to incarceration. The Year 2 allocations build upon the Year 1 CFCI investment (including American Rescue Plan Act funding). Funding is distributed in two ways: 1) via County Departments; and 2) via a Third-Party Administrator. In Year 2, the Third-Party Administrator is responsible for distributing approximately $104MM through 3-year Service Provider funding awards.

September 6, 2022