The scale of need facing Los Angeles nonprofits—from food insecurity to wildfire recovery—has met a rare infusion of flexible, long-term capital. Ballmer Group has committed $3 million to Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) for a three-year initiative that combines financial consulting with pass-through grant dollars, allowing local organizations to immediately act on strategies identified during the consulting process.
“Ballmer Group is investing in the sustainability and capacity of the County’s nonprofits with a combination of financial consulting and flexible funding, which allows organizations to immediately begin implementing strategies identified through the consulting engagements,” said Mariesa Kubasek, Director of Consulting at NFF. “This rare combination of systems-level thinking and fast-action dollars will speed outcomes.”
The initiative will serve three distinct cohorts of Los Angeles organizations, each grappling with different operational pressures. NFF’s work includes:
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- Helping food-access nonprofits continue addressing food insecurity amid funding and policy shifts affecting government-supported programs like CalFresh,
- Supporting a core group of nonprofits responding to LA’s wildfire crisis to manage rapid, emergency-driven growth and plan for long-term recovery efforts, and
- Supporting networks of nonprofit leaders as they build the financial durability of their organizations.
Work is slated to begin in late 2026 and will feature financial leadership clinics, tailored consulting engagements, facilitated peer convenings, cohort analyses, and post-program assessments and learning reports. The design aims to give participants stronger financial plans, better capacity to advocate for resources, and greater operational resilience for both current and future challenges.
“Nonprofit Finance Fund is a trusted partner to LA nonprofits, and understands the financial opportunities, constraints, and unknowns that community leaders navigate every day,” said Christine Tran, Portfolio Manager, Los Angeles, Ballmer Group. “Investing in the long-term well-being of community nonprofits supports social-sector stability that benefits everyone.”
About Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF)
Nonprofit Finance Fund® (NFF®) is a nonprofit lender, consultant, and advocate. Since 1980, we’ve helped organizations access the money and resources they need to realize their communities’ aspirations. Alongside others, we’re working to build community wealth and well-being and put affordable housing, essential services, quality jobs, and excellent education within reach of more people. To learn more, visit https://nff.org/.
About Ballmer Group
Ballmer Group is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity. Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Learn more at www.ballmergroup.org.
Tricia McKenna
Nonprofit Finance Fund
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Why it matters: This initiative pairs strategic consulting with immediate, unrestricted funding—a model that could reshape how philanthropy supports nonprofits during crises. By targeting organizations on the front lines of food access and wildfire recovery, the investment underscores a shift toward durable, systems-level support rather than short-term project grants.
