SoCal Grantmaker’s 2025 Annual Conference: Acts of Courage

One act of courage can inspire a movement.

Southern California has risen in the face of extraordinary challenges this year. In January, when Los Angeles was devastated by wildfires, the region came together to support the individuals and communities affected by the crisis. In June, when federal immigration raids targeted Los Angeles’ immigrant and migrant populations, the region mobilized in defense of Angelenos and our constitutional rights. Today, as legislation threatens to cut vital services for Californians and attempts to limit civil society’s independence, the region is preparing for the long-term work to support local communities and defend democracy.

As philanthropy continues addressing the complexity of the region’s recovery, ongoing political shifts, and mounting threats to civil society, philanthropy is increasingly called on to be courageous on behalf of our communities, our freedoms, and our future.

SoCal Grantmaker‘s 2025 Annual Conference, Acts of Courage, will explore the necessity of courage as the sector navigates the next chapter of work. The conference will explore courage in its many forms: the fortitude to lead with compassion and humanity in a divided world; the commitment to reimagining grantmaking practices for the long run; the bravery to stand up for grantees and communities facing extraordinary challenges; and the determination to advocate for the rights and freedoms of the sector and broader civil society.

SCG is proud to convene a lineup of civic, philanthropic, and movement leaders to discuss how philanthropy can be a bold force in an uncertain world. The conference speakers will explore how funders can be courageous across key issues, such as immigrant rights, healthcare, public policy and advocacy, climate justice, and more. You will build the skills you need to communicate with courage and lead with compassion. As a community, we will engage in timely conversations on protecting the sector’s independence and right to support nonprofits and communities in the region and across the country.

Join SCG’s annual conference on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in Downtown Los Angeles. Together, we will explore the courageous actions philanthropy can take to build thriving communities, a robust civil society, and a resilient democracy.

In this crucial moment, every one of us can be brave.

Every act of courage matters.

Early Bird Registration is now open. Register today to reserve your spot at the best price.

Fees and Eligibility

Early Bird Member Rate: $575 (available until July 31st)
Member Rate: $650
Non-member Rate: $1200

Only SCG members and eligible non-member grantmakers can register and attend SCG’s Annual Conference. If you are a grantmaker that is eligible for SCG membership (review SCG’s eligibility criteria), you can register at the non-member rate. If you’d like to learn more about SCG membership, contact [email protected] for more information.

Members of Northern California Grantmakers and Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties can register at the SCG member rate. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Conference sponsors have an allotted number of complimentary conference tickets included in their sponsorship package. For more information about sponsor registration, please contact [email protected].

Speakers

Gregory Boyle | Founder | Homeboy Industries

Father Gregory Boyle a Jesuit priest is the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. Born and raised in Los Angeles and Jesuit priest, from 1986 to 1992 Fr. Boyle served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights. Dolores Mission was the poorest Catholic parish in Los Angeles that also had the highest concentration of gang activity in the city. Fr. Boyle witnessed the devastating impact of gang violence on his community during the so-called “decade of death” that began in the late 1980s and peaked at 1,000 gang-related killings in 1992. In the face of law enforcement tactics and criminal justice policies of suppression and mass incarceration as the means to end gang violence, he and parish and community members adopted what was a radical approach at the time: treat gang members as human beings. In 1988 they started what would eventually become Homeboy Industries, which employs and trains former gang members in a range of social enterprises, as well as provides critical services to thousands of individuals who walk through its doors every year seeking a better life. Fr. Boyle is the author of the 2010 New York Times-bestseller Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. His most recent work is Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times (2024). He has received the California Peace Prize and has been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. In 2014, President Obama named Fr. Boyle a Champion of Change. He received the University of Notre Dame’s 2017 Laetare Medal, the oldest honor given to American Catholics. Homeboy Industries was the recipient of the 2020 Hilton Humanitarian Prize validating 32 years of Fr. Greg Boyle’s vision and work by the organization for over three decades.Most recently he was one of the recipients of the 2024 The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian honor.

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