Center for Conflict Resolution

CCR wants to mediate over 3,000 cases per year and involve over 10,000 individual participants in our mediation services. CCR wants to be one of the largest providers of mediation services in the United States for cases of limited value (Under $10,000). CCR wants to mediate cases for the most diverse population in the world. CCR wants to maintain an extremely qualified and diverse composition of mediators that is reflective of the community. CCR wants to be known as the organization that can handle to difficult case in the community, through mediation or group facilitation. CCR wants to raise enough money to have a strong capital reserve that acts as the foundation of our continued success and is a buffer in our time of need. CCR would like to be able to compensate more mediators for the amazing work they provide. CCR wants to maximize efforts to spread the good word of mediation and get the larger community to buy in to the idea that mediation is a great alternative to the Court process. We want to help to bring peace to a divided and fractured society.

CCR will maintain its strong relationship with our primary funder, the County of Los Angeles. Since the early '90s the County has funded our organization with funds from the Dispute Resolution Program Act. This consistent funding has allowed us access to the Los Angeles Superior Court. Every day we send mediators to 12 different courthouses throughout Los Angeles County to provide day of hearing mediation services. 95% of these individuals are volunteers or clinic students from law schools or graduate schools with an emphasis in Dispute Resolution. Los Angeles is one of the most culturally diverse cities and counties in the world. Being connected with Universities who recruit from around the world helps to have a consistent pool of diversity among our mediators as well. Our foundation will be built one brick at a time. Reaching out to those that believe in the organization, believes in the idea that peace is a process built through understanding and relationships. We will continue to reach towards a peaceful resolution of conflict.

The development of online systems that are easy to use for the parties and mediators.
Creating an interface for our mediators that makes it easy and effective to volunteer.
Reaching out to communites beyond just the court in areas of facilitation, mediation, conciliation in various areas of the community.

We currently have a consistent budget that can support 3 full time employees and one part-time employee. The rest of the organization is currently built on volunteers giving their precious time. Driving in Los Angeles traffic, arriving at courts, and dealing with everyone's dispute in a respectful and professional manner. We have the best staff available. They work extremely hard to handle the recruiting, scheduling, oversight, reporting requirements, and so so so much more. But financial resources would and are always needed. More than just what the grant provides. If some of our mediators could be paid Court Liaison's on a consistent basis, the locations would be better served. As three employees we can only be in 1 place at a time. We have such amazing volunteers and University partners. They provide us will the capacity and we wish we could do so much more for all of them and for the community. And of course we have restrictions in our grant that require a fairly substantial reserve.

Now we have an online dispute resolution solution along with Zoom that can connect our mediators with the clients where they are. It will help to eliminate some of the previous stresses of Los Angeles life with the ability to resolve things from the comfort of your home. But also we are increasing our panel of qualified mediators to be able to handle cases even outside the County of Los Angeles. Extending our reach to other areas that might need our services.

CCR has mediated 28,000 cases since 2000. Last year CCR mediate 2400 cases and served over 6,000 individuals. The demographics of the individuals we served were ethnically, economically and culturally diverse. We are so proud of that ability to serve so many people. Financially, we still have the grant, but we need to raise money. We need a financial buffer for when payments from the County are not made and when payroll needs to be made. All non-profits understand this and over time CCR has been sustained without having to ask for many financial donations. Now the time has come and every dollar will help to sustain our organization and move our community in a more peaceful direction. One dispute at a time individuals can be introduced to an alternative that can have a significant impact on the whole.