ABOUT US
OUR STORY
Z.A. Gives was born during the height of the pandemic, starting simply by pooling our network and resources to provide hands-on support at longstanding community anchors like the Weingart East LA YMCA, supporting the Boyle Heights neighborhood where co-founder Gina Zapanta grew up.
We called on our community to volunteer their time during deeply uncertain days, and donated meals to frontline healthcare workers both here in California and in Louisiana, where co-founder Mike Alder is from.
Through some of the most critical challenges and disasters of recent years—from COVID surges and the 2021 LAPD fireworks incident, to the 2022 Uvalde shooting, ICE raids, the devastating Los Angeles fires in 2025, and most recently the Lineage Logistics warehouse fire—Z.A. Gives has consistently shown up on the ground when our neighbors needed it most.
“They were a blessing during the fires.”
— Ray (Altadena Resident)
MEET THE FOUNDERS
Gina Zapanta
Founder
Gina Zapanta steers Z.A. Gives with a vision rooted in equitable opportunity, ensuring every outreach effort meets real, pressing needs on the ground. She practices conscious philanthropy, whether that means buying healthcare workers lunch from neighborhood restaurants or sourcing teacher wishlist items from community-aligned businesses.
That dedication to service builds on the legacy of her parents, Dr. Richard and Rebecca Zapanta. Her father, an orthopedic surgeon, helped found the USC Latino Alumni Association, establishing a vital network of scholarship support that has opened doors for generations of students.
Carrying that foundational commitment forward, Gina remains deeply dedicated to expanding educational access and opening doors for today's students.
Founder
Mike Alder
Growing up with limited means in rural Louisiana, Mike Alder navigated his path through grit and determination, working his way through college and law school before building a successful trial practice from the ground up.
That foundational journey shapes his deep commitment to lifting others as he climbs. Beyond mentoring law students and young attorneys to sharpen their skills as trial advocates, he has shared his expertise as a legal educator and speaker, while consistently opening doors by inviting students to attend his professional development events.
That same hands-on, all-in energy defines his presence at Z.A. Gives events: during community distributions, you will consistently find him right out on the front lines, hauling goods, talking, and dancing with community members.
