WHO WE ARE

 

THE HAYNES FOUNDATION has been a force for change in the Los Angeles Region (comprised of the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange) for over nine decades. The Foundation’s founders, Dr. John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes were passionate advocates of involved citizenship who believed that through social science research, the Foundation not only could identify critical social and political problems in Los Angeles but also offer solutions to them. The Foundation awards major research grants on governance and democracy in the Los Angeles region, archival grants, doctoral dissertation fellowships, and faculty fellowships.

MAJOR RESEARCH GRANTS

 

GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRACY IN THE LOS ANGELES REGION

 

Our initiative on Governance and Democracy funds high-quality planning and research grants that:

  • Add significantly to knowledge and understanding of governance and democracy issues in the Los Angeles region (Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties).
  • Help influence policies and practices.
  • Offer promise of helping to improve the lives of people and our communities.

We expect academic researchers to seek opportunities to collaborate with community-based organizations and/or policymakers.  We are open to all fields of study and disciplines that address governance and democracy in the Los Angeles region.

Planning grants are made for up to one year for up to $100,000.

Research-to-action grants can be made for up to two years, with a third-year renewable that may be considered. The grant maximum is $250,000 per year. Depending on the nature of the research-to-action project, consideration may be given to a larger award.

SPECIAL FOUNDATION FOCUS: County Governance Reform
The Foundation invites proposals focused specifically on LA County governance reform, as well as county governance reform throughout the LA region. Applicants can view the full RFP, including suggested topics, here.

The gateway for planning and research-to-action grants is a short Letter of Interest (LOI). The Foundation will select from among LOIs those full applications that will be invited for either program. LOIs are considered in quarterly cycles.

NEW DEADLINE!! First LOI submission deadline for 2026 consideration is 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, January 13

Application access code:  Democracy

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WE CONTINUE TO FUND OUR ANNUAL PROGRAMS:

Faculty Fellowships

The Foundation annually awards a limited number of $16,000 fellowships to faculty at universities and four-year colleges in the L.A. region. These competitive awards support innovative research that tackles critical economic, social, and political challenges facing Los Angeles.

Application Deadline:
January 6, 2026

ACCESS CODE:  Faculty

Ph.D. Fellowships

Each year, the Foundation awards $26,000 Haynes Lindley Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships to Ph.D. candidates at universities in the L.A. region. Named in memory of former Foundation President and Trustee Haynes Lindley, these fellowships support doctoral students with approved dissertation proposals working under faculty advisement.

Application Deadline:
March 31, 2026

ACCESS CODE:  Doctoral

Archival Grants

The Foundation dedicates a portion of its annual budget to support archival and cataloging projects of importance to Los Angeles. Awards prioritize collections with strong relevance to Southern California and public policy, especially those that are fragile or rare. 

Application Deadline:
June 30, 2026

ACCESS CODE:  Archival

Thank you for your interest in applying for a Haynes Foundation grant.

Please click the button to complete the appropriate application. Once you have registered, you will need to click on Apply (upper left area of the Dashboard screen), then enter the appropriate ACCESS CODE listed below to complete your application and upload your documents.

To apply for the Faculty Fellowship grants, please enter the access code “faculty”

To apply for the Doctoral Dissertation grants, please enter the access code “doctoral”

To apply for the Archival Grants, please enter the access code “archival”

To submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) for the Governance and Democracy program, please enter the code ”democracy”

CLICK TO APPLY

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GOT A QUESTION?

We have been collecting your questions since our new grants program went online on November 20, 2023. We present here our first FAQ based on a number of the questions we received on our info line, and in a webinar on December 12. Hope you find this helpful! Having launched our new Major Grants Research program on Governance & Democracy in L.A., maintaining our other three grant programs, and instituting our new online application system, we are in learning mode. Our work is continuing to evolve, and we have appreciated your continued patience as we provide the best answers we can to your important questions and comments. (Some answers are still a work in progress on our end.)

To view a recording of our past “How to Apply” webinar, CLICK HERE.

Keep the questions and comments coming! info@haynesfoundation.org.

The John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation

888 West Sixth Street, Suite 1150
Los Angeles, California 90017-2737