Social Justice Partners LA

Success with Big Shifts and Big Asks

Social Justice Partners Los Angeles (SJPLA) was founded in 2004 as Social Venture Partners LA, an affiliate of the national Social Venture Partners International venture philanthropy network. The organization was seeking to evolve their partner fundraising model–that required individuals to make an annual contribution of $2,500 each–in alignment with their values of justice and belonging. 

Through their ChangeRaisers training, they felt empowered to lead critical conversations with board members over the next 18 months, which led to an overhaul of the SJPLA Partner model: there would no longer be a minimum or maximum contribution. This allows SJPLA to create a more open and inclusive community while also enabling the team to upgrade Partners with the means to contribute more than $2,500 annual gifts. Within two years of completing ChangeRaisers, SJPLA’s staff grew from a team of four to nine full-time professionals, and sustainable revenue more than doubled from $700,000 to $1,500,000.

“More than anything, the training was an awesome space for me to step back and reflect on how we're approaching our fundraising so that we’re more effective while remaining in integrity with our values.”

Christine Margiotta
Executive Director
Social Justice Partners Los Angeles