Imagine LA , a nonprofit focused on breaking the cycle of family poverty and homelessness, has received $1 million from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to incubate and pilot the innovative Social Benefit Navigator (SBN). The SBN is an online tool for individuals and case managers seeking to access available public benefits and tax credits and forecast changes to those benefits with changes to income. The goal is to bring transparency to the complex social benefits system, which is often one of the biggest roadblocks to overcoming generational poverty and homelessness.
In 2021, Imagine LA and the USC Price Center for Social Innovation conducted a study that identified one of the primary challenges for families seeking economic mobility: the lack of information to navigate the complex social safety net, particularly as members of a family became more stable and secured higher wages. Nightmare scenarios where a pay raise leads to a loss of benefits equal to or greater than the raise – called "benefits cliffs" – are frequent.
"Too many families worry that a little more income will make them lose their affordable housing or public benefits. Clear information is impossible to come by, The lack of transparency and coordination between benefit sources is a big barrier. The SBN will answer questions like, 'If I take this job, will I lose my monthly food benefit?' and keep families on track to achieving stability and economic mobility. The SBN is a people-centered, technology-based solution for this mammoth issue, and we're delighted that the Hilton Foundation is partnering with us to maximize its impact."
-Jill Bauman, President & CEO of Imagine LA.
Social services are fundamental to connecting young people, particularly young people who've been out of school or work, to key employment opportunities. The SBN will help young people traverse this labyrinth so that they have the right supports during this critical stage of their careers, said Elizabeth Cheung, Senior Program Officer for the Opportunity Youth initiative at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
The SBN being developed by Bauman, Brit Moore Gilmore, former President of The Giving Keys, and a team of experts, will provide:
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A comprehensive knowledge base of benefits and tax credits for LA County
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Online/mobile functionality showing users available benefits and how they change given changes to income
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Scalability via modular design allowing for user in other counties/states
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User data to inform policy change
The Hilton Foundation grant will allow for SBN beta testing and the launch of pilot over the next two years with LA-area agency partners. The SBN will then be in LA County and other counties in California.
About the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation:
International hotelier Conrad N. Hilton established the grantmaking foundation in 1944 to help people living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage worldwide. Today, the work continues, concentrating on efforts to ensure healthy early childhood development and sustainable livelihoods for youth, support young people transitioning out of foster care, improve access to housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness, identify solutions to safe water access, and lift the work of Catholic sisters. Additionally, following selection by an independent, international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $2.5 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to an organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. The Foundation is one of the world's largest, with $8.5 billion in assets. It has awarded grants to date totaling more than $2.4 billion, $339 million worldwide in 2021.
About Imagine LA:
Imagine LA (www.imaginela.org), headquartered in Los Angeles, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of family poverty and homelessness. Throughout its 16-year history, Imagine LA has created a reputation for success through its innovative Family Partnership Model, in which Imagine LA staff walk alongside families to help them build the skills and relationships to succeed.