Sacramento Region Community Foundation

We are proud to have supported the Lavender Library, Archives, and Cultural Exchange's great work in our community! An anonymous donor who has a charitable fund at the Foundation recently granted $1,500 to the Lavender Library for the purchase of new books. ??

We are proud to announce the 2024-2025 Cultivate Cohort! ? Denita Pickens-Jones, P.U.R.E. Youth Group | Dedicated to inspiring youths to maximize their potential. ? Emily Sanders, Connect2Change | Supporting commercially exploited women by connecting them to essential services that break the cycle. ? Fatima T. Malik, Del Paso Heights Growers' Alliance | Going beyond addressing hunger and malnutrition to transform our community's relationship with food and the environment. ? Jai Asfall, Birdhouse Fly Away | Supporting individuals up to the age of 26 facing housing and employment obstacles. ? James Jackson, iSOUND Performing Arts | Providing musical and performance activities to deter negative thinking, gang violence, and bullying. ? Justine Villanueva, Sawaga River Press | Curating cycle-breaking storytellers, talented independent artists, and passionate community partners to promote literacy, self-determination, and connections with each other, our ancestors, and our homelands. ? Paulette Wylie, BISHOP GALLEGOS MATERNITY HOME | Providing shelter and support for homeless pregnant women in crises. ? Rabiia Ali, ABD, LMFT, South Sacramento Mental Health Collaborative | Providing health education workshops on issues affecting the Black community, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high infant mortality rates, and trauma Cultivate is our program to nourish connection and collaboration among leaders of color at local nonprofits and close pervasive fundraising gaps that affect them, their organizations, and the communities they serve. This year's cohort will participate in personalized coaching, monthly check-ins, and presentations covering topics aimed at advancing their organizations' goals. Learn more on our website: https://lnkd.in/g9bnDMjf

Our Associate Director of Programs, Monica Haulman, recently visited SHORT TERM EMERGENCY AID COMMITTEE (STEAC)'s Davis food pantry! Here's what Monica shared about the experience: "STEAC works hard to make sure that the food that they distribute is nutritious and caters to the needs of the recipients, which includes children, seniors, unhoused neighbors, or families with different cultural and religious dietary needs. While I mostly only saw their food work, there is so much more that they do." In addition to its work in providing nutritious food to the community, STEAC provides rental assistance to local families, bus passes, clothing, and assistance in retrieving legal documents. STEAC is currently preparing for their holiday program where they provide gifts and food to low-income families and individuals in need. Thanks for having us, STEAC!

We thank the volunteers on our Community Impact Committee for their collaboration at our most recent meeting! ??

We had a blast at Sacramento Venture Philanthropy (SVP)'s 2024 Fast Pitch Event last week! Congratulations to this year's cohort and to Messiah Millares at the Sacramento Literacy Foundation for winning the big prize. ??

Were you unable to make it to our Philanthropy Summit, but are hoping to catch some of the insights from our keynote speaker, Jane Wei-Skillern? Check out this short snippet of her speech!

We’re proud to be one of hundreds of community foundations across the country creating social change hand in hand with nonprofits and area donors. Join us in celebrating #CommunityFoundationWeek to recognize the powerful impact of local philanthropy. ??

GRANT OPPORTUNITY: Dennis Mangers Fund for Young Performing Artists Named for a former Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, the Dennis Mangers Fund for Young Performing Artists supports young performing artists from high-promise backgrounds in the Sacramento region, ensuring they enjoy increased access to performing arts education and training. The cause is a personal one for Dennis; he recalled the barriers he encountered as a young man who loved the performing arts but whose family was unable to afford the costs of private art instruction. The Dennis Mangers Fund for Young Performing Artists aims to ensure that all students who love to perform have opportunities to pursue their passions. Apply by Friday, November 15 on our website:

Our Associate Director of Programs, Monica, recently attended the American Evaluation Association Conference in Portland, Oregon! During the conference, our partners at Northeastern University did a presentation on our Culture Is Mental Health Program. "Much of the evaluation field is in an evolution right now to better amplify community voices and adopt practices that better engage communities as partners rather than subjects," Monica shared. "And during the conference I strengthened my relationships with other evaluators who are a great resource for peer learning and sound-boarding ideas and work."

Our partners at Friends of the Yolo County Archives recently shared a story about Black residents of Yolo County who were drafted into service during World War I, including Joseph Richard Clark and James Porter Diggs, pictured here. It’s a complicated story. For many of us, Veteran’s Day offers an opportunity for reflection, so we invite you to read it on the Friends of the Yolo County Archives website: https://lnkd.in/gHbYyz9X.