LA County Governance Reform Initiative in California

The Governance and Democracy Initiative’s Major Research Grants support high-quality planning and research activities aimed at addressing issues of governance and democracy in the Los Angeles region, encompassing Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties. This initiative emphasizes projects that contribute significantly to the understanding of governance and democracy and that seek to influence policy and practices while improving community wellbeing. Funded by a foundation committed to regional impact and collaborative research, the program encourages cross-sector engagement, particularly between academic institutions and community-based organizations or policymakers. The initiative is structured to support both planning and research-to-action grants. Planning grants are available for projects lasting up to one year, with a funding cap of $100,000. These are intended to support the early stages of project development, including groundwork for larger research endeavors. Research-to-action grants can span up to two years, with a potential for renewal for a third year. These grants may receive up to $250,000 annually, though there is flexibility for larger awards based on the project's scope and potential impact. All fields of study and disciplines are welcome to apply, provided the work is relevant to governance and democracy in the designated geographic area. Applications for the program begin with the submission of a Letter of Interest (LOI), which acts as a gateway for both planning and research-to-action grants. LOIs are evaluated on a quarterly cycle, and from this pool, selected applicants are invited to submit a full proposal. This two-stage process allows the Foundation to screen for alignment with initiative goals before committing to full application reviews. For the remainder of 2025, the LOI submission deadlines are Tuesday, July 15, 2025, and Monday, October 13, 2025. All LOIs must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the respective deadline dates. The process requires use of the access code “Democracy” when submitting the LOI. Details on application requirements and specific formats for LOIs or full applications were not provided in the current materials, nor were any direct contacts or procedural FAQs. The initiative strongly encourages collaboration between researchers and local stakeholders, including community-based organizations and policymakers. This is designed to ensure that funded projects not only produce academically rigorous results but also have practical application and community relevance. Although no explicit evaluation criteria or review panels are detailed, the program's emphasis on policy influence and regional benefit suggest a focus on applied research outcomes. Applicants should note that while no phone number or email contact is provided in the current opportunity listing, additional instructions, including contacts or templates for LOI submission, may be made available upon invitation to submit a full application. The program is not offered on a rolling basis, but it is recurring, with quarterly LOI cycles indicating ongoing funding opportunities into future years.