PORT OF LOS ANGELES AWARDS $1 MILLION IN COMMUNITY GRANTS TO 32 LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
Funding Supports Initiatives, Programs and Events Benefiting Los Angeles Harbor Communities and the LA Waterfront
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — June 18, 2015 — The Port of Los Angeles has named 32 local organizations to receive a total of $1 million in non-taxpayer-funded grants for fiscal year 2015/16, selected from among 50 applicants as part of the Port’s Community Investment Grant Program.
“Our Port’s community grant program enables dozens of local organizations to have a positive and lasting impact on our local communities,” said Ambassador Vilma Martinez, President of the Los Angeles Harbor Commission. “We’re excited to be able to provide financial support for these outstanding local initiatives and programs.”
The Port’s non-taxpayer funded Community Investment Grant Program focuses on initiatives that benefit the local community and help promote the Port’s goals related to international trade, the environment, sustainability, public safety and security. The Port also looks for programs that promote the LA Waterfront and surrounding coastal areas as vibrant visitor destinations, as well as ideas that highlight the area’s rich maritime history and traditions.
Grants are awarded in three categories, small (under $5,000), medium ($5,001 to $99,999) and large (more than $100,000). Applicants this year had requested more than $2.4 million in support.
Large category grant recipients this year included the LA Maritime Institute’s TopSail Program, which uses experiences aboard tall ships to teach local youth about problem-solving, self-reliance and leadership. Also receiving support in the large grant category was the International Trade Education Programs (ITEP)’s 10-Point Program, which connects the international trade business community to the classroom through experiential learning that promotes leadership and teamwork.
Grant recipients focused on helping promote the LA Waterfront included the Grand Vision Foundation for the new Taste of San Pedro along the LA Waterfront; the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District for its DOT Utility Box Project; and funding to support this year’s Fiesta Corazon del Puerto. Environmentally focused projects receiving support included the White Point Nature Preserve Visitor Access Area; the Terminal Island Beautification Program; and the Clean Wilmington Program, among others.
All grant applications were reviewed by a grants committee, which included a representative from Los Angeles City Council District 15, a San Pedro community representative, a Wilmington community representative, and three internal Port staff members. All recipients were required to be nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to apply for and receive Port grants.
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To help local organizations prepare grant applications, two community workshops were held – one in San Pedro and one in Wilmington – prior to the application due date of May 18.
The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit Southern California’s economy and quality of life. As North America’s leading seaport in terms by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $290 billion in trade during 2014. Port operations and commerce facilitate more than 148,000 jobs (about one in 12) in the City of Los Angeles and 531,000 jobs (or one in 16) in the five-county Southern California region. The San Pedro Bay Ports support more than 1 million California jobs and 3.1 million nationwide.