Larry Kaplan is a grants advisor — seeking and writing grant proposals (government, corporate and private foundations), as well as research, fundraising strategy and program design, strategic planning and staff development, board development and recruiting, marketing and communications, public policy analysis and advocacy for community-based social justice nonprofits, collaboratives and philanthropists, primarily in Southern California.

Larry can be your strategic thought partner — he can help you focus on your true priorities and manage your limited resources.

As a trained journalist, he brings strong messaging, persuasion, writing and editing skills to the table. As an experienced fundraiser, he brings a thorough knowledge of how philanthropy works. And as an experienced executive, he understands the challenges nonprofits face every day.

He has turned around troubled non-profit organizations and started up new ones.  He has built and maintained elected officials’ offices, managed political campaigns, and has a solid understanding of the impacts of public policy.

He is a problem solver, a “fixer,” and is passionate about urban communities and social justice.  He is a strong writer and editor, with solid marketing communications skills.  He also offers freelance writing and interim executive director services.

In 2018, Larry was the managing director of Fairwarning, a nonprofit investigative news organization, where he was responsible for all of the non-editorial functions of the website, primarily fundraising, marketing and administration.

As the Los Angeles Area Director for the Trust for Public Land, a national land conservation organization, Larry managed its urban park program, and was instrumental in developing a new paradigm for urban parks and playgrounds in low-income communities.  He was executive director of Workplace Hollywood, a non-profit dedicated to increasing the workforce diversity of Los Angeles’ signature industry.

Larry was the CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and helped a national civil engineering firm market its services to both public and private sector clients.  His career includes serving as Regional Director for U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, covering the state from the Tehachapi’s to the Mexican border, during her first term. And, he served a number of state and local elected officials, including L.A. Councilman Mike Woo in his first term.

Larry, a long-time Angeleno, began his career in journalism, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Journalism.  He regularly contributed to the Nonprofit Quarterly over the past few years, and currently volunteers with Taproot and Catchafire, providing guidance, coaching and counsel to various non-profit organizations.

Larry served on the California Board of Accountancy from 2011 to 2017, and on the Los Angeles County Local Governmental Services and Economy and Efficiency Commissions from 2013 to 2023. In 2017, he was appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly to the Bar Examiners Committee of the California State Bar.  He also serves on the board of Worksite Wellness Los Angeles.

Larry is a problem solver, a “fixer,”

and is passionate about urban communities

and social justice.

Learn about Larry Kaplan's Clients

8Minutenergy Renewables – Kern Agriculture & Energy Ed. Fdn.

Academy of Music for the Blind

Afriat Consulting Group

Asian Pacific Environmental Network

Aspen Journalism

Assistance League of So CA – Volunteer Ctr of Los Angeles

Autism Resource Project

Brainerd Foundation

Bob Gold & Associates Public Relations

Books for Babies

Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson, CA

California Assemblymember Mike Gatto

California Center for Health Reporting

California Greenworks

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla

California State Summer School Arts Foundation

Cancer Support Community, San Gabriel Valley

Catchafire

Celiac Disease Foundation

Chinatown Service Center, Los Angeles

City of Carson, CA

Climate Resolve

Coalition for Clean Air – California Cleaner Freight Coalition

Coalition for Economic Survival

Coalition to Protect L.A. Neighborhoods & Jobs – No on Measure S

Communities for a Better Environment

Community Coalition of South L.A.

Comprehensive Community Health Centers

Council for Watershed Health

Dare U to Care Outreach Ministries

David & Lucille Packard Foundation

Devine Writing & Consulting Solutions

Downtown (L.A.) Women’s Center

EmpowerHer Institute

Equality California

Executive Service Corps of Southern California

FairWarning

Families in Schools

Friends of the Los Angeles River

Friends of the Pasadena Public Library

Gary Bess Associates

Green LA Coalition

Grossman Burn Foundation

GRYD Foundation

Hard Hat Communications

Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

ICPR Public Relations

Initiate Justice

Jericho Road Pasadena

Kapolczynski Consulting – Progressive Strategy Partners

Latino Donor Collaborative

Levitt Pavilion MacArthur Pk – L.A.

Licensed Adult Residential Care Assoc.

L.A. Big Picture H.S.

L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti

L.A. City Councilmember Mike Woo

L.A. City Community Development Dept.

L.A. County Parks Foundation

L.A. County Parks & Recreation Dept.

L.A. County Recreation & Parks Open Space Dist.

L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina

L.A. County Workforce Investment Board

L.A. Metro

Licensed Adult Residential Care Assoc., Los Angeles

Multicultural Learning Center

National Health Foundation

National Immigration Law Center

National Network of Fiscal Sponsors

Outfest – The LGBT Film Festival

Outward Bound Adventures — Pasadena

Pasadena Police Activities League

Parsons Brinckerhoff

Remember Us: The Holocaust B’nai Mitzvah Project

Ricardo Montalban Foundation Theatre

Rivers & Mountains Conservancy – WCA

Saving the West

School Leaders Network

Sierra Club – San Gabriel Mountains Forever/Nature for All

Southern CA Committee for the Olympic Games – Ready Set Gold!

Southern CA Jewish Repertory Theater

Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education

Taproot Foundation

Theodore Payne Foundation

Tiyya Foundation

Trust for Public Land

U.S. Bureau of the Census

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer

Unite HERE Local 11 – Hospitality Training Academy

University of Southern California

Valley Nonprofit Resources

Visual Effects Society

Walden Family Services

Washington State Association for Justice

Water Education for Latino Leaders

Wolf Connection

Workplace Hollywood

Worksite Wellness Los Angeles