How Community Partners Mobilized $2 Million for Food Access Across Los Angeles
When food insecurity rises, delays cost more than time — they cost meals and health for thousands of families.
This year, Community Partners’ Intermediary team mobilized nearly $2 million from Ballmer Group to strengthen food distribution efforts across Los Angeles County. Approximately 47 organizations received awards through this rapid-response investment, delivering fresh produce, pantry staples, hot meals, and culturally relevant foods to communities disproportionately impacted by SNAP (USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) disruptions and government shutdown uncertainty.
At its core, this investment represents more than funding. It reflects innovation, collaboration, and infrastructure — proven systems built for speed, equity, and food justice.
A Roadmap for Rapid, Equity-Centered Investment
Ballmer Group directed resources through the LA Food Equity Fund, a grant program established in 2023 with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding through Los Angeles County’s Chief Sustainability Office and administered by Community Partners to address food and nutrition insecurity and strengthen food system resilience across Los Angeles County. With rigorous due diligence and a vetted grantee pool already established, resources could be deployed quickly and thoughtfully through this existing infrastructure.
“Community Partners had the ready-made infrastructure, the trusted relationships, and the equity lens we needed to move resources quickly and thoughtfully. We saw this as an opportunity to respond in real time — by investing through intermediaries who already have strong community partnerships in place.”
– Christine Tran, Portfolio Manager, Ballmer Group Los Angeles
Rather than build a new grantmaking mechanism from scratch, Ballmer Group leveraged Community Partners’ established Food Equity Fund, enabling funds to reach high-performing, community-rooted organizations in a matter of weeks.
The Intermediary team, grounded in deep community knowledge, identified organizations already providing critical food distribution in high-need areas. Importantly, the focus was on increasing grants to some smaller organizations — groups that often lack access to large-scale philanthropy despite their deep neighborhood impact.
That equity perspective was embraced and honored.
“This partnership amplifies why intermediary work is so important for lasting change. Because we have established funds, vetted grantee partners, trusted community relationships, and strong administrative infrastructure already in place, we can help funders move resources quickly and responsibly. Through our Food Equity Fund and collaborative models like CACHI (California Accountable Communities for Health Initiative), Ballmer Group was able to deploy nearly $2 million with both speed and equity at the center.”
— Phyllis Owens, Vice President, Intermediary & Strategic Partnerships, Community Partners
On the Ground: Impact Across Communities
The flexibility and speed of this investment are already strengthening food systems across the region.
In South Los Angeles, Black Women for Wellness is responding to a 65% increase in food requests:
“Over the past year, we have seen a dramatic rise in food insecurity… Additional grant funds would allow us to expand our Food Justice program from a monthly to a biweekly distribution model, increasing access to fresh produce, pantry staples, and culturally relevant foods for more households throughout the month.”
In the San Gabriel Valley, the Asian Youth Center is serving families facing language barriers, transportation challenges, and fears related to immigration enforcement:
“This grant will help us support food-insecure clients… Many still face barriers in accessing healthy, fresh, and culturally relevant foods… The funds will allow us to continue to be adaptable to meet the changing needs of our community.”
At GrowGood, mobile farm stands are expanding into more low-income housing sites across South and Southeast LA:
“Our farm stands sell out every time… With this funding, we will be able to increase the number of sites and provide more produce to communities that need it the most.”
And in West Los Angeles, Westside Food Bank is leveraging improved cold storage capacity to increase distribution of fresh food:
“This support directly strengthens our ability to provide nutritious food to low-income households… sustaining health and stability for our neighbors facing food insecurity.”
From senior centers to mobile markets, from culturally specific food ecosystems to emergency meal programs for unhoused neighbors, the grants are reaching diverse communities with solutions tailored to local realities.
“Collaborating with Community Partners allowed us to respond quickly to urgent food needs while trusting that the funding would reach organizations deeply embedded in their communities,” shared Tran. “This partnership model ensures resources move where they are most needed.”
In a moment when public funding is shrinking, and community needs are rising, the ability to move flexible dollars quickly is essential. This partnership addresses food security and justice through Ballmer Group’s commitment to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States.
As food insecurity continues to challenge families across Los Angeles, this $2 million investment is more than emergency relief — it is a blueprint.
A blueprint for how philanthropy can act boldly, collaboratively, and at the speed of need to help our families and communities thrive.
Learn more about Ballmer Group here.
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