Countywide Strategies: Resource Mobilization

The First 5 LA Commission has, since its inception, recognized that it must mobilize and leverage resources to sustain desired outcomes. After reviewing lessons learned from First 5 LA's first 10 years, it became clear that more could be done, and needed to be done, to build and strengthen investment capacity.

The newly-formed Community Investments Department will ensure that the resource mobilization strategy will maximize the amount of fiscal and non-fiscal resources available to support and enhance First 5 LA's four priority outcomes, as outlined in the 2009-2015 Strategic Plan. Resources to be leveraged include First 5 LA commissioners, staff, partners and grantees, as well as money, facilities and contracts and networks.

There are three main approaches to leveraging resources:

1. Grantmaking, which includes co-designing and co-investing in opportunities with other funders and investors, as well as matching grants, technical assistance grants, social enterprise grants and more.

2. Building relationships by developing letters of support for communities, partners and grantees; connecting communities, partners, grantees and investors, as well as maintaining, expanding or enhancing First 5 LA's external contacts and networks, among other strategies.

3. Sharing information through the research and dissemination of information on best practices in the field; financial analysis of existing and future community investments; the tracking and sharing of information about existing and future partnering opportunities and more.

Besides leveraging fiscal and non-fiscal resources, outcomes of resource mobilization include increased capacity for organizations and communities and changes in systems practices and policies. In addition, a long-term outcome of leveraging resources is the spread of best practices.