Several local organizations are participating in the My LA2050 Grants Challenge, hoping to get funding for their idea on how to help make LA a better city.
Melrose Avenue Math, Science and Technology Magnet School has applied for a grant for its technology program in the Learn category. Former Buzz contributor, and founder of  The Edible Apartment, Jill Volat has applied for a grant to build 30 gardens. Big Sunday has applied for a grant to paint massive murals on schools, to bring color onto the campuses. And Imagine LA is seeking a grant to support its Family Empowerment and Mentoring model.
Overall, there are hundreds of organizations seeking grants from the $1,000,000 grants challenge fund. The winners will be determined by who gets the most community votes. Members of the public may vote once per goal category for a total of five votes. You must be at least 14 years old and a US resident to vote, and you have to register on the My LA2050 site to cast your vote. (Registration on site is very simple, however – you can even log in via Facebook or one of your other established log-in identities.)
Voting started Tuesday, October 18, 2016 (9am Pacific Time) and closes today – Tuesday, October 25, 2016 (5pm Pacific Time) – so if you’d like to weigh in on the future of LA, vote today!
My LA2050 was developed from the LA2050 Report first published in 2012. In 2013, LA2050 launched the online, crowdsourced My LA2050 Grants Challenge. LA2050 asked individuals and organizations to submit their ideas for programs, projects, and/or initiatives that would help improve Los Angeles’ standing along any of the eight original indicators outlined in the LA2050 report. In response, 279 organizations submitted proposals for a total of $1 million in funding. More than 70,000 people voted on the submissions in that contest, and 10 winning proposals each received $100,000 to support their ideas. Past winners can be found on the LA2050 website.