Photo courtesy of Jonathan Moore
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
While celebrating its 10th year of giving, The SAM Initiative recently completed its annual cycle, awarding $500,000 in grants to seven area nonprofits and microlenders.
“The SAM Initiative is an LA-based giving circle whose members are committed to driving social change and nonprofit sustainability—many of which live in the Palisades,” according to Michelle Ohayon, director of operations.
The program was launched in 2013 by Mindy Freedman, a member of Kehillat Israel, as a group of individuals who pool their financial resources and experience to fund and support programming throughout the city that aims to promote social change and benefit women, children and families. Since its first giving cycle, the program has awarded $3 million to local nonprofits.
In fall, SAM awarded $300,000 worth of grants to Alexandria House (“provides safe and supportive housing for women and children in the process of moving from emergency shelter to economic stability and permanent housing”); East LA Women’s Center (“ensures that all women, girls and their families can live in a safe and healthy place, free from domestic and sexual violence”); Ready to Succeed (“empowers foster youth and first-generation college students to graduate college, launch successful careers and reach their full potential”) and Village for Vets (“fills critical gaps in key services for homeless and at-risk veterans in greater Los Angeles”).
“SAM also looks to invest in the movement toward sustainable solutions for large-scale societal problems,” according to a press release. “As such, this spring SAM focused its efforts on supporting organizations that provide access to capital, recognizing the significant role this plays in alleviating poverty.”
SAM granted $200,000 to three area organizations—Accessity, Inclusive Action for the City and TMC Community Capital—that are designed to provide “microloans and support services to underserved women entrepreneurs to help them move toward economic independence.”
“It’s been a pivotal year for SAM, celebrating our 10th anniversary,” Freedman shared in a statement. “We reached significant financial milestones and explored new avenues of philanthropy to invest in innovative means to reduce poverty. Our members continue to be generous with their philanthropic commitment and willingness to embrace new ventures in their giving.”
For more information, visit saminitiative.org.
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