Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust
Health and justice rooted in community parks and gardens
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
LA currently ranks 78th out of the 100 largest cities in the country for the number of people living within a ½ mile of a park. A 2016 report found that LA County neighborhoods with very high or high park need were predominately communities of color. Race, income, and geography have come to predict whether people have access to a park or garden. A direct correlation exists between park-poor neighborhoods and poor health. There is a 12-year life expectancy gap across LA County between areas such as Beverly Hills and areas such as Watts, as well as higher rates of childhood obesity and premature mortality from cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Green space access correlates to public health benefits, lower self-reported stress, lower rates of crime and domestic violence, and improved air and water quality.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Park and Garden Development
The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust was founded in 2002 with the vision of parks and gardens within walking distance for every family in Los Angeles, regardless of zip code or income. To address the critical lack of urban parks in Los Angeles’ underserved neighborhoods, we focus our efforts exclusively in communities of color that have little access to green space.
Since our inception we’ve completed 30 parks and gardens with over 21 acres impacting 500,000 Angelenos, we own or manage 15 of these sites annually. We have 7 parks and gardens in development including including two school greening projects as well as Watts Towers Arts Center Campus Renovation and Expansion, and we serve over 230,000 residents annually through access to these greenspaces as well as free programming such as gardening, Zumba, yoga, art and nutrition.
Organizing and Advocacy
Core to the LANLT's mission and key to its successful model are the equally important pillars of organizing, design and development, and stewardship. A new project always starts with deep community engagement and stakeholder involvement, where residents help to identify spaces and envision projects by identifying their own priorities. As a result of this process and our on-going joint stewardship, community members become urban land stewards who care for and manage their parks and gardens. Through door-to-door outreach, workshops, focus groups, park-based events, and monthly meetings, we develop not only residents who engage in their own neighborhood vision, but leaders who take pride and steward their open spaces, ensuring optimum utilization and future sustainability of their much-needed green spaces.
The LANLT spearheads policy initiatives that promote park access and community-building, such as public safety planning, long-term stewardship, the transformation of vacant lots, youth leadership development, and education, and include Joint-Use Access and Living Schoolyards initiatives. In 2016 the LANLT was instrumental in advocating for the passage of LA County’s Safe Clean Parks Measure (Measure A) and again for the passage of Prop 68 in June of 2018 each bringing in billions of dollars in support of park and greenspace development funding for disadvantaged communities.
Park and Garden Stewardship
Upon completion, many of our parks and gardens go on to be managed internally by the LANLT. Of the 30 parks and gardens developed since inception we manage 13 and have added 2 more community gardens for a total of 15 sites managed annually for over 230,000 Angelenos.
Key to the successful operation and management of these sites is our Park and Garden Stewardship Program, which engages local community residents to care for their own neighborhood greenspaces. This approach to operating and maintaining our sites fosters both community ownership and economic development. LANLT Stewards keep our sites active, safe, and well-maintained so that they can continue to serve as welcoming community spaces that promote social connection and healthy lifestyles.
Our sites have proven track records of less vandalism, increased safety, and higher utilization than parks that are unsupported, while our residents are empowered and trained to address neighborhood issues.
Park Equity Leadership Academy
The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (LANLT) established the Park Equity Leadership Academy in October of 2015 to engage local residents and park users around park equity, advocacy, and development. PELA is a community-based movement that unites residents and engages participants on local policies and opportunities to further the park equity and access movement in park-poor communities of color. Since its inception, the LANLT has engaged over 150 park users, stewards and community leaders through a six-week PELA curriculum.
Utilizing PELA, we familiarize local leaders with the history and mission of the LANLT, and introduce them to strategies that reverse park inequities, all while providing hands-on opportunities for engagement in park equity and environmental justice-related activities. PELA focuses on strengthening residents’ organizing power for environmental stewardship through a structured training that utilizes a popular education model. Trainings focuses specifically on developing a greater knowledge of the history and root causes of park inequities, understanding the legislative process (at the LA City and County levels), and the power of storytelling as it relates to advocating for increased resources for parks and open space.
Garden Apprenticeship Program
The Gardening Apprenticeship Program (GAP) was founded by the LA Neighborhood Land Trust in 2012 to develop the leadership skills of Black and Latinx youth in grades 9-12 at Fremont High School, a Title 1 school in South Los Angeles. Through this 10-week to 9-month program, students learn about environmental and food injustices facing their community and become advocates for change. The GAP Program develops the next generation of environmental, health, and policy leaders who can help to advance resource and social equity in South Los Angeles and beyond. The program operates on a one-acre site on a corner of the Fremont High School campus. The Fremont Wellness Center and Garden includes a California native plant garden, a fruit tree orchard, 1,600-square foot greenhouse and garden beds.
Where we work
External reviews
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planHow we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust
Board of directorsas of 07/24/2023
Damon Nagami
Belinda Vega
Venable LLP
Damon Nagami
Natural Resources Defense Council
Jack Haley
Jack Haley Exterior
Winston Stromberg
Latham & Watkins
Bruce Saito
California Conservation Corps
Lina Lee
CIM Group
Selina Vasquez
USC
Marcus Benigno
ACLU
Julie Morley
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/25/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.