Good Monday Morning! Today’s edition of The Newsletter celebrates the volunteer and professional philathropists who devote their time and energy to serve local community groups and nonprofits. Also as always, down below, our News Digest, which features news-you-can-use from members of the California Local Media Alliance and other trusted newsrooms. And again as always: Public Meetings! Serious fun!
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By Eric Johnson
Published Aug 14, 2023
Image credit: Julian Rovagnati, Shutterstock
Let’s Work Together: Community Builders Rule
Working Together to Make Things Better
Today we sing the praises of the individuals and organizations writer Ray Delgado calls “the unsung heroes of every community and region they serve.” Ray is talking about community foundations, which, you may be interested to learn, play a specific and very important role in California’s philanthropic universe.
The League of California Community Foundations (LCCF) defines their role thusly: “Community foundations are conveners and leaders in their communities—they help identify solutions to community issues, then leverage the resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support projects and initiatives led by high-impact local nonprofits.”
The size of their contribution is stunning. California foundations make $3.2 billion in grants to California nonprofits annually. (They send another $2.2 billion to nonprofits outside the state—a story for another day.) The most recent available statistics show that in 2021, LCCF members and their donors pumped $4.18 billion into the state’s economy, all earmarked to help charitable organizations do their work.
One in every 14 Californians works in the nonprofit sector, which accounts for 15 percent of our Gross State Product.
As you may know, supporting the work of nonprofit community groups lies at the heart of California Local’s mission. So please meet the CEOs of two remarkable institutions that are having dramatic impacts in their areas: Stacy Caldwell of the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, and Kerry Wood of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.
Working Together: TTCF and California Local
A conversation with Stacy Caldwell, CEO of Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation
What Is a Community Foundation?
By channeling funds to a number of nonprofits working on various issues in a given region, community foundations help solve big problems throughout California.
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Monterey County's Homepage |
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Recycling, Bicycling, and Green Buildings
Based in Santa Cruz for most of its 50-plus years, Ecology Action helps people live cleaner, greener lives. In addition to its super successful local programs that make biking to school and work safer and easier, EA works to promote EV adoption statewide, and has provided energy efficiency upgrades for more than 24,000 small businesses throughout California.
Ecology Action’s Plan for a Greener Future
For half a century, this group has reduced waste, reimagined local transportation and redesigned buildings. It’s all part of Ecology Action’s quest for sustainability.
Get to Know a Group
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Community Emergency Response Volunteers |
Community Emergency Response Volunteers of the Monterey Peninsula's mission is “to support local CERT programs, build public awareness about emergency preparedness, and promote the community's capacity to respond to natural disasters and man-made emergencies.”
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From Our Media Allies |
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Pacific Grove's DEI Task Force Gains One, Loses Another |
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Just as Pacific’s Grove Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force got a new member it simultaneously lost another to a resignation. |
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Carmel Unified School District Board Votes to Accept Superintendent’s Resignation |
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Transition at the top leadership level continues as the board of trustees announced Superintendent Ted Knight is resigning in exchange for a separation payment. |
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Monterey County Downgrades Algae Bloom Warning at Lake San Antonio |
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County of Monterey Public Works, Facilities and Parks is changing warning signs at Lake San Antonio from “DANGER” to “CAUTION.” |
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Soledad City Council Factions Clash Over District Election Maps |
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Soledad is the latest local city to transition away from at-large elections. The concept is that underrepresented voters have more influence in a small district. |
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Gonzales High Stadium Upgrade Moves Forward With Synthetic Turf |
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The new field at Gonzales High School’s Dick Force Stadium, along with an all-weather track, will be the first turf and all-weather facility in South Monterey County. |
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Recent Local News |
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Ritchie Lovejoy wrote a novel more than 80 years ago, and he was able to do it because of John Steinbeck’s faith in his talent. That novel, “Taku Wind,” finally got published last month, albeit in a very limited edition—24 copies.
(08/12/2023) → Voices of Monterey Bay• California Added 37,010 Million-Dollar Taxpayers in Five Years
In 2021, 109,480 Californians filed federal returns with million-dollar incomes—No. 1 among the states and 18 percent of the US total.
(08/11/2023) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Humble Sea Closes Its Felton Tavern
A deserving darling of Monterey Bay craft beer lovers, Humble Sea just announced the shuttering of its Humble Sea Tavern in Felton.
(08/08/2023) → Edible Monterey BayMany local governments see voter majorities approve bond measures without reaching the two-thirds required. A new effort to reform that system would drastically improve the ability of local governments to fund housing and infrastructure projects.
(08/08/2023) → CalMatters• Governor Signs Executive Order to Expedite Pajaro River Levee Repair
Gavin Newsom signed an executive order aimed at accelerating levee repairs and debris removal to ensure communities along the Pajaro River are prepared for the winter.
(08/07/2023) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Ask the Pediatrician: How to Choose an Insect Repellent for Your Child
Keep in mind that most insect repellents don't kill insects. Insects that bite—not ones that sting—are kept away by repellents.
(08/07/2023) → Monterey Herald• Frog Pond Wetland Preserve in Del Rey Oaks Sees Weed Abatement, Fuels Reduction
A corridor was created to help prevent the advancement of a blaze in the event of a wildfire into the neighboring property or across the trail.
(08/07/2023) → Monterey Herald|
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Recent Statewide News |
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• New Gray Wolf Pack Confirmed in Tulare County
The new pack consists of at least five individuals not previously detected in California, including one adult female, who is a direct descendant of California’s first documented wolf in the state in recent history, (OR7), and four offspring (two females, two males).
(08/11/2023) → YubaNet• How to Find Factual Health Sources
More than 70% of people have been exposed to medical or health-related misinformation, according to a GoodRx Health study. This means many people are struggling to tell the difference between factual information and false information.
(08/08/2023) → The Sacramento Observer• Millions of Californians Struggle to Get Enough Food Despite State’s Abundance
How bad is California hunger? A lot depends on your access to food aid, which expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic but is being reduced.
(08/07/2023) → CalMatters|
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Government Announcements |
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City of Pacific Grove (08/10/2023) DRAFT Archeological Resources Review and Tribal Monitoring Protocol |
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City of Gonzales (06/26/2023) AB 481 MILITARY EQUIPMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2023 |
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City of Pacific Grove (05/15/2023) Business Needs Survey |
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City of Pacific Grove (05/10/2023) Community Wildfire Protection Plan |
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City of Pacific Grove (05/04/2023) Rescheduled City Council Meetings |
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City of Gonzales (05/01/2023) Community Opinion Survey on Housing |
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City of Pacific Grove (03/03/2023) Community Meeting - AB 481 Military Equipment Annual Report |
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City of Pacific Grove (02/02/2023) Financial Transparency Center |
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City of Pacific Grove (01/20/2023) Disaster Loans Available from SBA |
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City of Pacific Grove (01/04/2023) Helpful Storm Event Links & Resources! |