Established in 1926 by a prominent, reform-minded physician and his suffragist wife, the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation is a leading supporter of social science research for Los Angeles. It is also the oldest private foundation in the city.

Each year, the Foundation distributes up to $3 million in grants and scholarships to various institutions, most of them local. These funds, in turn, are used to encourage study and research into the underlying causes of social problems in Los Angeles and to recommend ways of addressing them.

Over the years, the Foundation has funded hundreds of important urban studies in the areas of business and economics, education, transportation, local government, elections, public safety, demographics, public personal services, natural resources and supporting archival materials. In doing so, the Foundation has remained true to its Founders' purpose of "promoting the well-being of mankind."