Annenberg Foundation Spotlights Nonprofits At Peer-to-Peer Event

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 26) — Led by philanthropist Wallis Annenberg, the Annenberg Foundation Alchemy Peer to Peer event gathered more than 1,200 nonprofit leaders, funders and government officials to salute the contributions of Los Angeles' nonprofit organizations and to watch the final rounds of the Social Innovation Fast Pitch competition at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles.

The top honors of the competition went to L.A. Diaper Drive, a nonprofit that distributes diapers and offers parenting education to low-income families.

A major component of the Peer to Peer program was the final competition of Los Angeles Social Venture Partners (LASVP) Social Innovation Fast Pitch Competition with four awards and more than $100,000 in prizes:

• L.A. Diaper Drive received two of the awards — the $20,000 Judges Award and the LASVP Investee Award of $20,000 in cash and a three-year commitment from LASVP for philanthropic support including $60,000 in total funding and ongoing coaching to accelerate the organization's growth.
• Gumball Foundation, which helps students start small-scale vending machine businesses to earn money for college, won the Annenberg Audience Award of $10,000 based on the audience's text voting.
• Get On The Bus, a nonprofit that provides children with free transportation to visit a parent in prison, received the Coaches Award of $5,000.

The other finalists that competed were the Beauty Bus Foundation, Cardborigami, GRID Alternatives, Inner-City Arts, Mother's Day Radio, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and Village Market Place.

The Los Angeles City Council in conjunction with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa declared Tuesday, October 25, as Nonprofit Day in Los Angeles, a first in the city.

Mayor Villaraigosa said, "The City's first annual Nonprofit Day honors the good works, imagination and compassion of the 245,000 men and women who so tirelessly work in this crucial sector that generates $35 billion for the Southern California region. We can and must do more to assist nonprofits by removing the bureaucratic hurdles and cutting red tape to allow our nonprofits to do what they do best - help our fellow Angelenos and make this a better, more caring city."