From Experience to Impact: Grantmaking & Identity in Reentry

Members of Beyond Us & Them’s Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative share reflections on grantmaking and identity in reentry.

On June 20, the Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative gathered for an inspiring afternoon of connection, learning, and storytelling at an event centered on Experience and Impact. With a focus on the intersection of grantmaking and identity in the reentry space, the event brought together leaders with lived experience, nonprofit professionals, and community advocates to explore how authentic identity and organizational clarity can powerfully shape funding opportunities.

Speakers included Manny Gomez, a doctoral student and public sector leader; Richard Clarke, founder of Raise Up LA and a post-award grant analyst at UC Irvine; and Keeairra Dashiell, a law student and co-founder of the After Life Initiative. Together, they shared powerful reflections on how personal journeys not only inform reentry work but strengthen it.

The session covered everything from crafting compelling narratives and conducting needs assessments to navigating the full grant lifecycle, all with the reminder that stories are data, and identities are assets.

Attendees left feeling affirmed, and energized to turn their experiences into impact. Some feedback from the day includes hopeful testimonials:

“It was such a meaningful day full of reflection, practical tools, and strong community energy.”

“Such an awesome event! So grateful to be a part of it.”

What is the Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative?

The Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative is a network of organizations partnering to promote successful reentry and reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals and reduce recidivism in Los Angeles. Launched as an initiative of Beyond Us and Them, the Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative supports a wide network of reentry service providers in Los Angeles, as one of 37 Accountable Communities for Health (ACH) funded by CACHI.

The LA Reentry Collaborative operates in an interdisciplinary manner, weaving together organizations from several sectors, including but not limited to healthcare organizations and hospitals, community based organizations, case management services, peer therapy providers, residential facilities and homeless shelters. Members of the LA Reentry Collaborative provide a range of critical services to those individuals on the journey of reentry and reintegration, including prison in-reach services, warm handoff support, professional training, counseling services, housing, educational opportunities, tattoo removal, case management and linkages to providers throughout the reentry process.

Why Now?

California is home to one of the largest prison populations and Los Angeles County has one of the largest populations of system-impacted people in the country. One third of the individuals released from California state prisons now return to the Los Angeles area. Central Los Angeles is a major transit center and, as a result, many individuals on the path of reentry end up in the area. Central and South Los Angeles also consist of many neighborhoods that have historically been harmed by racially biased practices and policies and have been negatively impacted by over-policing. For these and other reasons, the health and wellness of individuals on the journey of reentry presents a critical challenge that must be addressed as part of the public health and wellness priorities of Central and South Los Angeles. 

Incarceration in California is a public health crisis

The wellbeing of system-impacted populations presents an enormous challenge and addressing this need is a necessary facet in improving the overall public health conditions of Los Angeles. California, and Los Angeles in particular, is home to very large populations of system-impacted people and the health and wellness needs of individuals involved in the reentry process are critically important. Cycles of incarceration, reentry and recidivism are complicated and multidimensional. Addressing this complex need calls for the mobilization of a strong, interwoven network of providers, resources and solutions. Our collaborative seeks to engage the emergent collective wisdom of a diverse,  interconnected, multi-sector collaboration to respond to this profound challenge. 

Our Vision

Our vision for the Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative is to foster an inclusive environment where diverse organizations can come together in a meaningful way, share expertise, exchange ideas, and forge valuable partnerships that will ultimately lead to improved health and wellbeing outcomes for our communities.

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