Imagine: it's the middle of November, the election is over (along with most of 2020), and we finally have some ideas about what 2021 will bring for the nonprofit community.

What better time to come together and talk about how we'll shape the future? 

Our 3-day agenda features an all-star speaker line-up, including:

Joseph Tomás McKellar, Co-Director, PICO California (Oakland, Sacramento, and Los Angeles)

Jessica Nowlan, Statewide Executive Director, Young Women’s Freedom Center (San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles)

Joanna S. Jackson, Vice President, Programs, Weingart Foundation (Los Angeles)

...just to name a few!

Join us November 17 – 19, 2020!

Learn more about our speakers, see the agenda of sessions, and register today!

Ballot measures are rarely straightforward, and sometimes it's hard to figure out what a "yes" or "no" vote means. And it can be even harder to know how they might impact your community.

You may also be wondering how we as nonprofits can advocate for or against them.

You're in luck! Join us for the California Policy Forum webinar on the 2020 statewide ballot measures and how to advocate for (or against) them! 

The November election will be a defining moment for California policy, especially during the current pandemic, economic uncertainty, and ongoing racial injustice. Election outcomes for the twelve statewide propositions on the ballot will have a significant effect on our communities.

We as nonprofits and philanthropic organizations have an important role to play in educating our communities about these measures and can also, within certain parameters, advocate for or against them. 

2020 Ballot Measures: What, Why, and How to Advocate
October 8, from 1:00 to 2:15 PM (Pacific)
FREE! but RSVP required 

You will:

• learn about each of the twelve statewide ballot measures
• get a deeper understanding of the six that will impact nonprofits and foundations (Propositions 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, and 25)
• gain valuable tips on how to support or oppose measures while staying inside the legal boundaries

Speakers

David Carroll, Vice President of Public Policy and Government Relations at Southern California Grantmakers (SCG) 
David provides strategic leadership in the development, enhancement, and implementation of SCG’s policy advocacy and legislative agendas and leads the public policy and government affairs portfolio of Philanthropy California. 

Lucy Salcido Carter, Public Policy Director at CalNonprofits Lucy directs policy initiatives that protect and promote California’s nonprofits. Her work includes developing and implementing campaigns that encourage advocacy and civic engagement among CalNonprofits’ more than 10,000 members. 

Crispin Delgado, Policy Director at Northern California Grantmakers (NCG) 
Crispin served as Program Officer for Blue Shield of California Foundation where he worked to advance value-based care policy efforts in California. He brings to NCG a vision for advancing equity and social justice through an exciting policy agenda for NCG, its members, and its community.

Nona Randois, California Director at the Alliance for Justice (AFJ) AFJ offers expert training, resources, and technical assistance to support nonprofits and foundations conducting advocacy. Nona is a thought leader who directs AFJ efforts to protect nonprofit advocacy rights in California.

Laura Seaman, CEO of the League of California Community Foundations

The League of California Community Foundations is a statewide association of 30 community foundations serving over 95% of the population of California. Prior to joining the League, Laura served as Associate Director of the Digital Civil Society Lab at the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society.

The California Policy Forum is a partnership of CalNonprofits, Philanthropy California (Northern California Grantmakers, San Diego Grantmakers, and Southern California Grantmakers), and the League of California Community Foundations. The California Policy Forum not only provides a platform to bring together the voice of nonprofits and philanthropy in our state but also amplifies the sector's significance and priorities to policymakers and experts.

More than 1,000 California nonprofits responded to our recent "We Ask the Community" survey.

TL;DR: Nonprofits are struggling, as are our communities. We are adapting with heroic energy and speed, and we are worried about the future. We aren't doing what we used to do, but we are prevailing: we are continuing to live our missions, lead with our hearts and values, and serve our communities well. And we're proud that we are doing so.

Your Stories

We expected to hear stories of financial fears, difficulties with government contracts, and deep suffering in communities. And we did hear those stories:

“Killed fundraising”
“Lost more than $100,000 in contracts due to crisis”
“PPE supplies are very difficult to obtain and cleaning services are very expensive”
“Reduced hours by more than 50% for 3 months with most staff on reduced time or furlough”
“More people needing services, however less capacity due to COVID restrictions/precautions”
"greatly reduced our ability to connect with clients in crisis”
“Our staff have been physically and emotionally taxed"

But we also heard pride in accomplishments and victories in the work, with many bright spots:

“Staff did not have the knowledge or resources needed to provide remote services, but for the most part, they have been willing to learn – despite their fears – because it's in the best interest of the clients with disabilities whom we serve"
“Moved 465 staff to remote work within two weeks. Continuing with all of our programming in a virtual environment”
“We found a solid partner, which will allow us to stream our fall dance film festival”
“We were able to place 90% of our animals in foster care within the first two weeks of shelter-at-home”
“We have quadrupled our senior meals from 60k per month to almost 240k per month”
“We have been able to combine Census outreach with COVID-19 Response Team efforts for our Pacific Islander communities”
"I'm proud of how creatively and energetically we adapted to pandemic restrictions"