California is on the frontlines of defending democracy. Texas Governor Abbott, backed by Trump, is redrawing maps to hand Republicans five extra congressional seats. This is an unprecedented power grab. In response, California voters have the chance to fight back with Proposition 50. Passing Prop 50 will cancel out Texas’s partisan power grab and protect fair representation.

Join us at our September monthly meeting to learn more about Prop 50 and why it matters for democracy, hear directly from guest speaker Assemblymember Sade Elhawary about how we got here, and sign up to take action to ensure Prop 50 passes. 

RSVP for the Zoom link below or HERE.

Measure ULA is LA’s largest dedicated fund for affordable housing — passed by voters and shielded from federal interference. But right now, state legislators are trying to push through a last-minute bill that would strip these funds away.

WE ONLY HAVE ONE DAY TO ACT! Join us tonight to learn what’s at stake and how we can act together to protect affordable housing in LA.

RSVP for the Zoom link below or HERE.

Learn how your action and organizing can Make Polluters Pay and influence upcoming meetings with LA City leaders! RSVP below, or HERE.

Are you happy with the City of LA's infrastructure: sidewalks, street light updates, parks, and bus lanes? Right now, the City of LA is the only major city in the United States without a CIP -- a Capital Infrastructure Plan (CIP), a 5-10 year infrastructure budget that envisions, coordinates, and commits a city to a list of infrastructure projects. Our infrastructure has suffered as a result of ballooning budget deficits, lack of clarity and direction, and a chaotic annual budgeting cycle.  

Here at LA Forward Institute, we believe that a strong CIP can change lives. To ensure that the future CIP equitably addresses the needs of all Angelenos, we are inviting people who envision a CIP that transforms our public spaces and holds the City accountable to one of our 3 teach-ins in September.

These teach-ins are for people and organizations who are new to the CIP, but believe that it is important enough to ensure community voices are plugged in. RSVP below or at this link.

Are you happy with the City of LA's infrastructure: sidewalks, street light updates, parks, and bus lanes? Right now, the City of LA is the only major city in the United States without a CIP -- a Capital Infrastructure Plan (CIP), a 5-10 year infrastructure budget that envisions, coordinates, and commits a city to a list of infrastructure projects. Our infrastructure has suffered as a result of ballooning budget deficits, lack of clarity and direction, and a chaotic annual budgeting cycle.  

Here at LA Forward Institute, we believe that a strong CIP can change lives. To ensure that the future CIP equitably addresses the needs of all Angelenos, we are inviting people who envision a CIP that transforms our public spaces and holds the City accountable to one of our 3 teach-ins in September.

These teach-ins are for people and organizations who are new to the CIP, but believe that it is important enough to ensure community voices are plugged in. RSVP below or at this link.

Although California's 2025 legislative season is coming to a close in the next few weeks, the work has already begun to ensure that renters and affordable housing advocates win in 2026! Find out more with reps from Housing NOW during this meeting of LA Forward Institute's Housing Justice group.

Sign up below or click here.

We’re excited to launch a brand new social series: LA Forward Fridays! LA Forward Fridays will happen every two months in different parts of the County, giving us a regular space to strengthen community ties outside of our campaigns and meetings.

Join us on Friday, August 29 at Audio Graph. There’s no formal program—just a chance to hang out, meet fellow Angelenos, and build relationships that can become the foundation of deeper organizing and action. Whether you’re brand new or have been part of LA Forward for years, we’re excited to see you there!

Food and drink will be available for purchase. All ages welcome.

Join LA Forward Institute's Climate Justice working group as it revisits *37* Climate Justice goals that the City of LA prioritized in 2019, and help us figure out how to get updates on these goals in 2025! You don't have to be an expert to lean in -- just curious about how we're doing in terms of energy, water, decarbonization, and more. You'll likely get updates about our contributions to the Make Polluters Pay movement too! RSVP below or click here.

We all know the rent is too damn high, but did you know that LA City Council has been sitting on a proposal to cap the rent for a year and has done nothing to pass it? Join LA Forward's Housing Justice Group for a phone bank to build support for our campaign to Cap the Rent at 3%.

RSVP by signing up for our Housing Justice Working Group HERE.

Join LA Forward Institute's Transportation Justice work group to take action during the homestretch of public comment for Sepulveda Transit Corridor. As Metro weighs billions of dollars in investment in a new public transportation option connecting LA's Westside and San Fernando Valley, YOUR VOICE is incredibly important to ensure the investment supports the needs of regular, everyday people across Los Angeles. Join us to learn more -- and to take action in these last few days. RSVP below or click here.

Across the globe, societies have found ways to stand up to authoritarian regimes and win back their democracies. What can we learn from their victories, and how can we apply those lessons here at home?

Join us for a timely conversation with Rev. Zach Hoover from LA Voice, who will share insights from international movements that have successfully fought back against authoritarianism. Together, we’ll explore what resistance could look like for Los Angeles as part of a broad-based, coordinated movement to counter the Trump administration’s attacks on democracy — and what concrete steps our community can take to join this effort locally.

RSVP for the Zoom link below or HERE.

Join LA Forward Institute's Climate Justice working group as it continues to support a statewide effort to Make Polluters Pay -- for environmental hazards and dangers WE have to suffer through. Taxpayer money cannot be a crutch for the consequences of corporate greed. California legislators will have an opportunity this coming legislative session to represent regular, everyday people -- not oil and gas. Zoom in to get involved. RSVP for the Zoom link below or HERE.

Jessica Meaney and Investing in Place have been advocating for inclusive decision making and equitable resource allocation in public works and transportation funding for years, and more recently have advocated for the implementation of a Capital Infrastructure Plan (CIP) in LA. In the past week, Jessica and her team released 16 policy recommendations that could transform how the city manages and coordinates its infrastructure investment and support a CIP for decades to come if implemented. Jessica will be joining LA Forward Institute’s CIP working group this Monday August 4 from 8:00pm - 9:00pm to discuss these policy recommendations and how the city can better serve its residents. The CIP group will also be sharing out from conversations it’s had with council offices about this work, and sharing next steps that anyone can plug into and support.

This is a special meeting of the LA Forward Institute CIP working group. To RSVP and get the Zoom link, sign up at the form on the working group page here: laforward.org/cip

A new California State bill, SB79, promises to enable the construction of more apartment buildings near transit. And while more housing is good, it’s critical that legislation is crafted to minimize displacement and gentrification and create as much affordable housing as possible. Several different housing justice coalitions are working to make sure that the bill doesn’t steamroll carefully-crafted local programs which promote more housing construction in high-resource areas while minimizing impacts in areas experiencing or at-risk of gentrification.

Join LA Forward Institute, ACT-LA, SAJE, and Public Counsel to learn more about these important housing policies and how you can get involved! RSVP at the form below or here.

We’re in an era of rising authoritarianism and vicious attacks on so many of our communities in California and across the country. Despite how bad things are, all is not lost. There is still the opportunity to fight back.

One thing we can do to make a difference is to become more intentional and strategic with how we give our money away to causes we care about. There are amazing groups across the country who are building power to win elections – including in Republican leaning and Republican dominant places, and they need our support now more than ever.

Join LA Forward for a teach-in about ways to make your dollars go further and help win elections to get Republicans and bad Democrats out of power. Plus we’ll tackle questions like “Should I be giving to candidates? How important is it to get a tax-deduction for donations?”

We’ll talk about how to be more intentional in your giving generally and how to be strategic in responding to this particular moment, winning elections, and building power for the long haul.

RSVP below or at us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/iGPu7pwXSt6JATU9PdKyJA

For the last several weeks, Southern California has experienced racial profiling and disappearances of our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and family members. Although it is heartbreaking to process every day’s events, we must stay vigilant and organized to end this systemic violence. We welcome you to join our first working group meeting on July 17. At this first meeting, we will get to know one another and co-develop next steps and actions together. All of this work will be done in collaboration with organizations on the frontlines of immigrant justiuce and rapid reponse work. RSVP below or here.

Many of us are wondering: Where are our elected leaders? Why aren’t more of them standing up to Trump? At our July Monthly Meeting, we’ll dive into these questions together. We’ll be joined by D’Ana Pennington, Program Director at Local Progress, a movement of local elected officials advancing a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of local government. D’Ana will share how local leaders are organizing and taking action to push back against the Trump agenda. We’ll also hear from Maywood Mayor Mayra Aguiluz, who will offer a first-hand perspective on what it’s like to lead at the local level here in LA County during these incredibly challenging times. RSVP for the Zoom link below or HERE.

At LA Forward Institute, we've always been in the weeds of LA City Charter Reform, platforming teach-ins about Independent Redistricting (which we won in November!), City Council Expansion, and more as possible governance reforms that LA City could be considering to become a better city for its residents. Now, with the advent of a 13-person City Charter Commission, we want to make sure our community members have access to tracking this process and readying for advocacy -- all the way through whatever charter reforms end up on our ballot in November 2026. Start by RSVPing to the Zoom below to catch up on everything that's happened with this pivotal commission -- or click HERE.

We're thrilled to invite you to the kickoff of a brand-new working group dedicated to serving as your community bridge to LA’s very first Capital Infrastructure Plan (CIP).

For the first time in history, Los Angeles is developing a long-term, citywide roadmap to invest in our infrastructure—from sidewalks and parks to public facilities and green spaces. Thanks to Mayor Karen Bass’s Executive Directive 9, we now have the chance to shape a more equitable, transparent, and connected LA.

Join the LA Forward Institute for a CIP Teach-In where we’ll:

• Walk you through what we know about the CIP so far

• Share how you can plug into our growing advocacy efforts

• Create space for your questions, priorities, and vision for LA's future

Be part of this exciting first step toward building the infrastructure LA deserves!

RSVP below or at this link.

In the midst of our region fighting against federal overreach and supporting our immigrant neighbors, different jurisdictions are continuing to push through -- or push out -- key climate-related legislation. We have seen over and over again how climate justice policies have fallen through the cracks for leaders at all level, and as an organized group of people, we are committed to staying at the table for climate justice even while we rally for many other issues. Join this group of volunteer leaders for updates on Air Quality Management District's latest decisions; what gaps are being filled and left hanging by the City of LA's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan; and what opportunities there are to advocate at LADWP in the coming weeks. RSVP below or HERE.

Immigration raids have shaken our communities. This moment calls for action, solidarity, and deeper community defense. Join us for our June monthly meeting where we’ll reflect on what’s happened over the last week and a half. We’ll be joined by our partners who have been working in immigrants rights for years, to learn about rapid response networks: what they are, how they work, and how you can plug in to support our immigrant neighbors. We’ll also touch on local police involvement in these raids and how we must hold them accountable for their collaboration with immigration enforcement. 

We will be discussing the above topics from 7-8pm, and hear community updates and learn about ongoing work from our Working Groups from 8-8:15pm.

RSVP below or at this link.

Metro has been working toward a transit solution for the traffic-clogged Sepulveda Corridor, which would connect LA's Westside communities with Sherman Oaks and the rest of the Valley. LA Forward Institute's Transportation Justice Working Group wants you to get to know the options Metro is considering; pros/cons of each option; and get you ready to make your voice heard on a project that could revolutionize the way our city is connected! RSVP below or here.

Come build community with LA Forward Institute community members who are doing amazing things in LA. Our City Hall Academy participants will have just finished 2.5 months of workshops exploring opportunities to work for City Council offices, and separately, our Unarmed Crisis Response working group has built a context in which LA City Council expanded the city’s much-needed Unarmed Models of Crisis Response program – even with a budget deficit. Find out more from our incredible community members, in-person! Join us in Silverlake at Jay’s Bar.

LA Forward Institute is launching its first Deep Canvassing Academy— a cohort-based opportunity to practice deep canvassing skills and build a community of people committed to making deep canvassing a more regular part of our ecosystem of civic engagement in LA.  Learn more about deep canvassing and this academy opportunity here.

We will be meeting in Sherman Oaks, exact location coming soon. Sign up for our June 4 info session below.

Join LA Forward Institute's Housing Justice Working Group for important updates on two major developments concerning LA City's Rent Stabilization Ordinance (LARSO) and the Venice Dell Community affordable housing project. Learn where things stand, what’s coming next, and how you can stay involved in shaping the future of affordable housing in Los Angeles. RSVP below or click here. 

LA Forward Institute is launching its first Deep Canvassing Academy— a cohort-based opportunity to practice deep canvassing skills and build a community of people committed to making deep canvassing a more regular part of our ecosystem of civic engagement in LA.  Learn more about deep canvassing and this academy opportunity here.

We will be meeting in Westside, and the address will be shared upon RSVP. Sign up for our June 1 info session below.

LA Forward Institute is launching its first Deep Canvassing Academy— a cohort-based opportunity to practice deep canvassing skills and build a community of people committed to making deep canvassing a more regular part of our ecosystem of civic engagement in LA.  Learn more about deep canvassing and this academy opportunity here.

We will be meeting in East Hollywood, location coming soon. Sign up for our May 27 info session below.

LA City Council will vote on final amendments for the city's budget on May 22, so Wednesday, May 21 will be our final opportunity to speak out on the City of Los Angeles 2025-26 budget! Come share your story, advocate for your neighborhood, and stand with others fighting for a more equitable Los Angeles. Let’s show up strong and make sure our communities are seen and heard!

Never given public comment before? We have all the tools you need to prepare. RSVP below to join us. 

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is an incredibly powerful 13-member air quality regulatory agency that has jurisdiction over a vast region that’s home to 17 million people — nearly half of California’s total population: most of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties. As we continue to advocate for climate justice in Southern California, we cannot exclude this entity from our advocacy. Learn more from environmental justice lawyer Fernando Gaytan, including ways you can advocate as soon as June for a more accountable and responsible climate policy. Join us to plug in! RSVP below, or here for the Zoom.

Join us at LA-Forward's popup during CicLAvia to share your vision for the future of Los Angeles! CicLAvia is the perfect place to be inspired by what our city could look like if our streets were designed to be playgrounds for people. Stop by our booth to share what you want LA to look, feel, and smell like in the future. Your input could help shape the Capital Improvement Plan!