INVESTING IN WATTS:

A Community-Led Model for Health and Healing: The Kaiser Permanente Watts Community Impact Grant Initiative puts trust in local organizations to deliver equity-driven health solutions and lasting change.

 

When Kaiser Permanente expanded its presence in Watts with new health facilities, the commitment went beyond medical care. In partnership with Community Partners’ Intermediary Project work, Kaiser Permanente launched the Watts Community Impact Grant Initiative Program, a $1 million initiative designed to “meet the community where they are” by supporting grassroots organizations already leading critical health and wellness work within the Watts community.

 

A Community-Centered Approach

 

The program reflects Kaiser Permanente’s recognition that lasting health transformation begins with community leadership and local vision. Watts — a vibrant yet historically under-resourced neighborhood in South Los Angeles — has faced a series of compounding crises in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, devastating wildfires, and government funding cuts. These challenges exposed deep health disparities and underscored that traditional, siloed service delivery models are insufficient.

 

In response, the Kaiser Permanente Watts Community Impact Grant Initiative focuses on three key pillars:

1. Unrestricted General Operating Support – flexible funding, technical assistance, and simplified, invitation-only application process.

2. Peer-to-Peer Learning Opportunities – four facilitated sessions forming a “Community of Practice” where organizations share knowledge, build trust, and strengthen collaboration.

3. Collaborative Data and Evaluation – innovative data collection (Mentimeter surveys, data walks) that grantees could use themselves to strengthen services and storytelling.

 

Together, these elements prioritize equity, accessibility, and collaboration — moving beyond short-term fixes to build sustainable, community-driven health solutions.

 

Over the past year, 15 local organizations — from Sisters of Watts to the Think Watts Foundation — received unrestricted grants, technical assistance, and access to the learning community. Collectively, they provide food distribution, youth mentorship, case management, workforce development, violence prevention, and healing-centered support for families across Watts.

 

Unlike traditional grants, which are limited to specific programs, this initiative emphasized flexibility, trust, and collaboration. Organizations were able to hire staff, upgrade outdated technology, expand services, and even pay peer leaders — investments that build long-term capacity as well as immediate impact.

 

“Collaborations like the Watts Community Impact Grant Initiative demonstrate what’s possible when funders trust and invest directly in community-led solutions. Small, grassroots nonprofits are often the closest to the challenges — and the opportunities — in marginalized communities, but they are also the most under-resourced. By providing flexible funding and spaces for collaboration, we help these organizations not only meet urgent needs but also build the infrastructure and leadership pipelines that sustain long-term change.”

— Phyllis Owens, Vice President, Intermediary and Strategic Partnerships, Community Partners

 

Through this grant initiative, organizations reported meaningful outcomes:

• Expanded reach to seniors, youth, and families in need.

• Violence prevention programs to keep young people safe through sports, arts, and mentorship.

• Infrastructure improvements that transformed reactive service delivery into sustainable planning.

 

“This support allowed us to grow beyond survival mode. We’re reaching more families, creating safe spaces for youth, and planning for the future in ways we never could before. It gave us the breathing room to dream bigger for our community.” — Watts Community Impact Program grantee.

 

The Kaiser Permanente Watts Community Impact Grant Initiative is more than a one-time investment. It represents a new model for equity-focused philanthropy — one that prioritizes community wisdom, collaboration, and healing-centered approaches.

 

Community Partners and Kaiser Permanente are already sharing lessons learned with the hope of scaling similar initiatives across Los Angeles and beyond. As grantees emphasized, the most significant impact comes not from temporary funding but from long-term, trust-based support that strengthens both organizations and the community fabric of Watts.

 

Together, Kaiser Permanente, Community Partners, and grassroots leaders are demonstrating what’s possible when health is defined not just by medical care, but by community, connection, and the power of collective action.