EIF Careers Program, SoCal Fire Fund, EICOP, Trevor Noah Foundation

Dear Friends,

The advent of summer brings endless opportunities for social connection and time spent outdoors. For many, it’s a chance to unplug, refocus, and recharge after a start to 2025 that has felt deeply unsettling.

Our team at EIF, along with our partners, eagerly anticipates a summer that celebrates the community at the heart of our programs. Our friends at the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program recently launched its inaugural summer film fellowship, Lens on Emerging Talent, designed to provide aspiring content creators from HBCUs the opportunity to collaborate and learn from seasoned industry professionals. We will host a Learn on the Lot event at NBCUniversal for young women participating in The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program. She Is The Music will hold an immersive, three-day training event at Nashville’s iconic East Iris Studios to train, mentor, and advance female audio engineers working in the music industry.

This summer, we aim to strengthen our friendships, explore new paths forward for collaboration, and reaffirm our commitment to connecting young people with career opportunities. Thank you for your continued support of our work and that of our partners.

Nicole Sexton
President & CEO
Entertainment Industry Foundation

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
EIF CAREERS PROGRAM

More than 2,300 students and emerging talent gathered at Exposition Park for the second annual Entertainment Equity Alliance Careers in Entertainment Expo. The Expo was designed to build awareness of creative career pathways in the arts, media, and entertainment industry, and this year’s event featured more than 45 exhibitors that included employers, training providers, unions, and education partners.

The EIF Careers Program also orchestrated a Mentorship Day for students from the Roybal Film and Television Magnet to visit the beautiful MPTF campus in Woodland Hills. MPTF’s Passing the Torch program connects elders in the entertainment with high school students interested in industry careers. This provided an opportunity for students to gain valuable insights, career advice, and mentorship from individuals who have built successful careers in entertainment.

FISCALLY SPONSORED FUND SPOTLIGHT
SOCAL FIRE FUND

In response to the tragic wildfires that have impacted countless families and communities across Southern California, the CAA Foundation, CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), and the LAUSD Education Foundation came together to launch the SOCAL FIRE FUND. The fund is administered by EIF.

This ongoing collaboration is providing immediate and long-term support for community-centered recovery initiatives that aid students, individuals, and families impacted by the January 2025 fires.

The SoCal Fire Fund has created a plan with 5 strategic pillars to help LA rebuild over the next 5 years:

1. Cash Assistance
2. Resource Navigation & Disaster Case Management
3. Debris Removal
4. House Cleaning & Remediation
5. Community Resource Center & School Rebuilding

To date, the fund has distributed more than $4 million in direct cash assistance, supporting 4,127 households and 1,600 students.

CORE’s Disaster Case Management program is providing four full-time case managers to support 49 families over the next two years, with a goal of increasing the total of case managers to 20 and establishing a Rebuilding & Community Resource Center in Altadena.

The work of the fund, in partnership with Caterpillar, has also included debris removal from two reservoirs to restore safe drinking water to parts of Altadena. The water tanks hold a combined 1,012,000 gallons of water. Most recently, the fund oversaw the removal of 45 tons of debris from the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church and Preschool.

In addition to direct relief support for destroyed classrooms, the LAUSD Education Foundation is providing funds to impacted schools and administrators to support locally relevant programs that enhance academics, community building, and employee and student wellness.

To read the full progress report of SoCal Fire Fund, click here.

To help continue our efforts in Los Angeles, please donate.

FISCALLY SPONSORED FUND SPOTLIGHT
ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY COLLEGE OUTREACH PROGRAM (EICOP)

The EICOP Summer Internship Program, HBCU IN LA | NY | ATL, is shaping the future of entertainment by offering HBCU and minority-serving institution students life-changing opportunities.

This competitive 8-10 week program provides paid internships, housing, and meals, while preparing students to confidently pursue careers in Entertainment, Media, Sports, Music, Communications, Technology, and Game Development & Design.

Participants gain hands-on experience working behind the scenes with major studios, networks, record labels, production companies, and other top industry organizations, creating a pathway to success in the creative industry.

Approximately 130 interns were placed in 2024, with the program boasting an impressive 89% intern-to-hire conversion rate.

FISCALLY SPONSORED FUND SPOTLIGHT
TREVOR NOAH FOUNDATION

On April 3 at the Skoll World Forum, Trevor Noah announced the establishment of the Trevor Noah Foundation (TNF) Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund, a R30 million ($1.75 million) venture philanthropy initiative providing flexible funding to South African education nonprofits implementing innovative approaches that advance teacher development and youth opportunity pathways.

Named “Khulani Nathi” — meaning “we grow together” in the South African language isiXhosa — the fund embodies TNF’s philosophy that true education transformation requires collective action and shared growth. The Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund addresses significant systemic challenges in South Africa’s philanthropic landscape, where flexible capital remains scarce despite evidence showing its effectiveness in catalyzing sustainable change. With research indicating that 50% of South African teachers will retire by 2040 and the coming “YouthQuake” where 1 in 3 young people globally will be African by 2050 – this investment in Africa’s educational future is more critical than ever.

Since its founding in 2018, TNF has significantly impacted South Africa’s education landscape. Through its flagship Khulani Schools Program, TNF has partnered with underserved schools to create conducive learning environments, benefiting more than 13,000 students and 500 educators annually. Trevor Noah Foundation’s Education Changemakers initiative has equipped over 230 young leaders with skills to drive educational innovation in their communities while providing essential seed funding to fuel their projects advancing education outcomes.

For more information on the application process or how to get involved, visit www.trevornoahfoundation.org/KhulaniNathi.

See an interview with Trevor Noah at the Skoll World Forum.