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Bringing the power of sport and play to all children.

Play Equity Fund

View our 2024 Play Equity Report. A first of its kind study in play equity, youth sports participation and physical activity.

2024 Play Equity Report

Investing in programs that level the playing field.

Our Grant Opportunities

Kids Enjoy Exercise Now Los Angeles (KEEN LA) holds the mission to empower youth with disabilities by providing free, non-competitive programs of sports, fitness, and fun. KEEN LA’s vision is to foster confidence, self-esteem, and community inclusion for youth with disabilities, strengthen communities through education of volunteers, and provide families with respite and a supportive network. Participants are visually impaired, have autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or another significant physical or intellectual disabilities. KEEN LA is also one of the few organizations that can accommodate those who are nonverbal. By offering a variety of activities and pairing each child with one of over 700 volunteer “coaches,” KEEN LA is able to assist children with realizing their goals of becoming athletes.

KEEN LA offers sports and recreation programs based on pairing one-to-one a trained volunteer with an athlete. Its free general sports, basketball, and aquatics programs are open to all and are non-competitive, to ensure access and inclusion in programs of athletics, socialization, and wellness. KEEN LA primarily serves communities located in Central, East, and South Los Angeles County. The general sports program also includes soccer, tennis, volleyball, Zumba, and bowling. Programs occur on the weekends with each session lasting for 1 to 1.5 hours. Each practice session includes a volunteer orientation as well as individual “showcase” and appreciation opportunities with the team play.

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Keen Los Angeles

In Long Beach, action sports are close in geography, but often distant in affordability for many youth. The YMCA of Greater Long Beach is looking to flip that narrative.

Snowboarding, skiing, surfing, mountain biking, climbing, sailing, golf and archery are activities offered at the YMCA, which serves mostly disadvantaged youth in California’s seventh-most populous city.

The program is not only giving over 400 teens a chance to find their passion and expand their horizons, but it will also align with LA84’s mission of leveling the playing field for girls in youth sports. The Youth Institute aims to recruit with the goal of a 50-50 gender split, a massive step considering the traditionally male-dominated nature of the sports being offered. A local institution, founded in 1884, the YMCA of Greater Long Beach is now taking things to a new level when it comes to opening doors and changing lives through the power of sport.

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YMCA of Greater Long Beach

The Makapo Aquatics Keiki Krew is an inclusive outrigger paddling program for youth with special needs.  The program’s goal is to provide the benefits of participation in outdoor team sports by creating a safe, welcoming, and energetic experience. Outrigger paddling is the perfect sport for disabled youth since minimal, if any, adaptations to the equipment and rules is required.  

The program has two levels – the Jr. Outrigger Team and the Krewzers Adaptive Team.  Both levels encourage participation of typically developed siblings and friends as well.  The Jr. Outrigger team is primarily made up of blind and visually impaired youth and sighted siblings.  The Krewzers Adaptive team specializes in working with youth with other physical and/or cognitive delays such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and Down syndrome.  What makes this program so unique is that members of the Krewzers team are paired with a trained paddling buddy who provides both hands-on physical coaching and emotional support.

Makapo’s central focus is on Ohana – the Hawaiian word for “family”. Its programs offer a life-long opportunity to be a part of a community that promotes the healing power of sports. Participants are given a platform to develop relationships with families from different walks of life who face similar day-to-day challenges. Not only does Makapo give families a means of connecting with one another, but it gives them an opportunity to enjoy time on the water without limitations. Makapo strives to support the entire Ohana with having a fun and freeing experience out on the water.

Makapo Aquatics Project

The LA84 Foundation is committed to leveling the playing field in sport, which includes a commitment to gender equality in youth sports. In the areas that SCPGA serves, 70% of female golfers have competed with secondhand and borderline serviceable equipment in high school team matches. Forty-four percent borrow or share equipment for these matches.

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Southern California PGA Foundation

FEATURED GRANTEES STORIES

ARE CHANGING THE WORLD THROUGH YOUTH SPORTS

4.0M

3065

200K+

THIS

The LA84 Foundation awarded $1.8 million in grants to community-based organizations that support play equity and continue to advance the Foundation’s mission to increase access for youth to be involved in sport, play, and movement programming in six counties in Southern California. The LA84’s Board of Directors approved a docket of 26 grants. This funding reaches organizations in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties.The grants support positive youth development through sport, encourage engagement in sport and play in an inclusive setting with young people participating with their peers, and expand opportunities for physical activity for kids who live in marginalized communities – as well as during their after-school hours. All are priorities of the legacy of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles – to invest in local communities and help prepare kids to be “Life Ready Through Sport.” These latest grants will reach organizations that support 188,720 youth.“We have a deep understanding through our research where the gaps in play equity exist, and these grants are targeted to help remove the barriers to physical activity that kids and families in our region are experiencing,” said Renata Simril, President &amp; CEO of the LA84 Foundation. “Sport, play, and healthy movement are critical to the well-being and success of our youth – and can be key in supporting their aspirations in life.”Four grants are focused on providing increased opportunities utilizing the adaptive and inclusive sports approaches for youth with disabilities. A grant to The Help Group will support an inclusive sports league pilot program for youth who are neurodiverse in Los Angeles County. This grant will help to build a community-based, year-round league pairing youth with disabilities with a peer mentor, the first of its kind in LA County.“We’re deeply grateful for the generous support of the LA84 Foundation, which is making it possible for us to launch a year-round inclusive sports league that unites neurodivergent and neurotypical youth through the transformative power of play,” said Dr. Susan Berman, CEO and President of The Help Group. “Across our four Los Angeles campuses, students will have opportunities to build confidence, form lasting friendships, and experience the joy of being part of a team—during school, after school, and on weekends.”A grant awarded to Orange County Makapo Aquatics Project supports inclusive outrigger paddling initiatives for youth with disabilities and their typically abled peers that will reach 450 young people. LA84 supports after-school youth sports programs as a resource that positively engages kids and builds their academic, social, and emotional skills. A grant to Teens Rise Foundation supports 1,100 youth in after-school and in-school tennis programs in San Diego County.“Partnering with the LA84 Foundation is a game changer for Teens Rise Foundation and the youth of South County, San Diego,” said Gaby Millan, Executive Director of Teens Rise Foundation. “This grant allows us to expand our reach, deepen community connections, and bring tennis to an area where access to the sport is historically limited. By making tennis accessible to all – regardless of ability or background – we’re breaking down barriers and creating new opportunities for youth in our binational community.”Seven grants support Boys and Girls Clubs across Southern California – including in Burbank, North County, Greater Redlands-Riverside, Santa Clara Valley, West San Gabriel Valley and Eastside, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Monica. Boys and Girls Clubs are a primary asset in many communities for providing a safe space for young people to develop confidence, life skills, and build connections through sports. This grant support helps fund free recreation and leagues, inter-club competitions in multiple sports, coach trainings, and in North County, the repair of the gym roof. The Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club grant included funds for the renovation of the swimming pool for the Northeast community of LA.In Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange Counties, three grants support greater youth access to and involvement in golf. A grant awarded to First Tee Inland Empire supports golf programming in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, both of which have limited access to sports activities for young people. The First Tee program reaches 30,000 youth through its programming. A golf-related grant to the Southern California Golf Association will support Girls and Golf chapters in Southeast and Southwest Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, as well as Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.The grant funding followed public outreach to increase awareness of the opportunities and an informative webinar explaining the application process. If organizations are interested in applying for future grants, they are encouraged to visit the <a href="https://www.la84.org/grants">LA84 Grants &amp; Programs Home Page</a> for guidelines.A Place Called Home
County: Los AngelesA World Fit For Kids
County: Los AngelesAfter-School All-Stars Los Angeles
County: Los AngelesAthletes For Life Foundation
Counties: MultipleBoys &amp; Girls Club of Burbank, Inc.
County: Los AngelesBoys &amp; Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley
County: VenturaBoys &amp; Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley and Eastside
County: Los AngelesBoys &amp; Girls Club of Greater Redlands-Riverside
Counties: MultipleBoys &amp; Girls Club of Santa Monica, Inc.
County: Los AngelesBoys &amp; Girls Club of North County
County: San DiegoBrighton Hill Academy Sports &amp; Learning Center DBA First Tee – Inland Empire
Counties: MultipleFORE LA Kids, Inc. DBA First Tee – Los Angeles
County: Los AngelesLos Angeles Boys &amp; Girls Club
County: Los AngelesOrange County Makapo Aquatics Project
Counties: MultipleRainbow Labs
County: Los AngelesRio Hondo Education Consortium
County: Los AngelesSan Bernardino Valley College Foundation
County: San BernardinoSanta Barbara School of Squash, Inc.
County: Santa BarbaraSCGA Foundation
Counties: MultipleSouthern California Tennis Association
Counties: MultipleTeam Prime Time, Inc.
Counties: MultipleTeens Rise Foundation
County: San DiegoThe Help Group Child and Family Center
County: Los AngelesVolo Kids Foundation
County: San DiegoWoodcraft Rangers
County: Los Angeles

Funding Supports Adaptive and Inclusive Sports For Youth With Disabilities, Seven Boys & Girls Clubs Across the Region, And Youth Golf Programs in Four Counties

LA84 Awards $1.8 Million in Grants Focused on Access for All to Youth Sports

The California Science Center will premiere GAME ON! Science, Sports &amp; Play on May 15, 2025 – a uniquely Los Angeles exhibition that will inspire people of all ages, backgrounds, genders and abilities through an array of exciting and immersive activities.Designed by the California Science Center with the generous support and collaboration of the LA84 Foundation, Walter Family Foundation and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, this dynamic exhibition showcases the powerful connection between science, sports and play, while celebrating the joy of the human body in motion. The new exhibition will give guests the opportunity to explore both new and popular sports through a multitude of interactive experiences. GAME ON! will help visitors discover that understanding the scientific principles behind sports can empower their lives and elevate performance. Spanning 17,000 square feet, the groundbreaking exhibition offers hands-on activities and virtual guidance from a diverse team of well-loved Los Angeles-based mentor athletes.“I am looking forward to kids experiencing the transformational power of sports through this unique exhibit and learning the science behind the games they love to play,” said Renata Simril, President and CEO of the LA84 Foundation. “I appreciate the California Science Center for taking an idea and developing an immersive experience, and I am grateful for our partnership with the Walter Family Foundation and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation as we conceptualized an interactive exhibit that will give visitors of all ages memories that last a lifetime.”Guests can try a range of activities including baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, swimming, yoga, dance, snowboarding, climbing and more. Among the many activities, visitors can:• Learn how to synchronize their swing with a simulated pitch at speeds varying from 30 to 60 mph.
• Discover how to kick a soccer ball with proper positioning and movement through technology-enhanced kicking drills.
• Swim with an elite Para athlete in a virtual pool.
• Explore the mind-body connection through visual perception and controlled breathing.
• Understand the importance of food and nutrition for lifelong health.
• Explore diverse careers in the sports industry extending beyond the field of play.“We’re excited to bring this innovative exhibition to our guests, exploring the intersection between science and sports,” said Jeffrey Rudolph, President and CEO of the California Science Center. “GAME ON! presents a unique opportunity to inspire fans and participants to explore the science behind their favorite sports, empowering athletes at all levels to improve their performance and prioritize their wellness.”GAME ON! kicks off on May 15 and is included in free general admission to the Science Center. It will remain on view at least through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.“Sports have the power to inspire, educate, and create opportunities for young people. GAME ON! aligns perfectly with our mission to provide access to new experiences that promote physical activity, learning, and well-being,&quot; said Nichol Whiteman, Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. &quot;We’re proud that this exhibition will engage youth and families across Los Angeles, reinforcing the vital role sports play in education and community development – especially as we look ahead to the world’s greatest athletes competing in Los Angeles during the 2028 Games.&quot;All groups of 15 or more guests will require a GAME ON! exhibition timed reservation along with a timed reservation to the Science Center. Reservations must be made by calling 213-744-2019.