At Thrive: Climate Summit, Education Summit, Housing Elements!
Candidate Forums and Voter Outreach
In the Legislature
More Upcoming Thrive Events
COVID-19 Updates
In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)
Dear Community,
Through Thrive’s regular convening of nonprofit leaders at our TAG, Program Committee, Steering Committee, and general meetings, we hear about the biggest issues confronting local nonprofits. We help address these issues by creating cross-sector forums focusing on these critical matters to raise awareness, facilitate collaboration, and move the conversation and the work forward.
Our upcoming candidate forums will again feature our nonprofit members asking the questions of the candidates so that our future representatives can hear about and address the concerns of the nonprofit community directly. If you would like to participate, please reach out to me.
Finally, responding to requests from the Environment & Sustainability community to have a space where we can gather and learn about each others’ work, we are partnering with Climate Resilient Communities, Nuestra Casa, and Rise South City for the first-ever Climate Summit for San Mateo County, co-presented by Stanford University. The summit will focus on the critical issues affecting the frontline communities these organizations serve. This cross-sector summit will include government officials, Stanford researchers, other CBOs, policymakers, and community members.
We invite you to participate in these forums and look forward to continuing to engage with you on these and other important issues in our community.
In partnership,
Petra Silton, Senior Director of Programs
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For more Thrive and Community events, visit Thrive's Event Page.
This summit is free to attend, but registration is required. Capacity will be limited, but livestream will be available. This is a nonpartisan event. Registration is coming soon!
A Summit of Education Leaders on Partnerships in Education
Thursday, September 22, 10:00 - 2:00 pm, in person
Join Thrive Alliance, The San Mateo County Office of Education, and The Haas Center for Public Service For Stanford for a summit for out-of-school-time providers and school district leaders. This summit will provide an opportunity for districts and providers to network and collaborate, gain understanding and perspective, and identify the next steps for our work together.
As a community of action-oriented practitioners, we will:
Strengthen relationships between schools and providers to address equity gaps better
Explore successful partnership models
Lay the groundwork to build a coordinated approach for holistic programming
Agenda and speakers coming soon!
We will provide lunch and ample networking opportunities. This event is in person, however, we will provide a Zoom link for those unable to attend, but you will not be able to participate.
Every city and town in San Mateo County—and the county itself—is currently drafting housing plans for the next eight years, work that will impact every nonprofit in the county and its clients. Called a Housing Element, this planning blueprint will determine in January 2023 how much housing each city will commit to building by 2031.
In a process that started in Sacramento, every jurisdiction is assigned how many housing units they must build at varying income levels, starting with very low income. The availability of affordable housing for the rest of the decade, an issue of huge importance to nonprofits and their clients, is being determined now.
Learn how nonprofits can affect the housing supply. Join the Thrive and housing advocate Yimby Action for an informative, action-oriented session. Panelists to be announced.
In partnership with other nonprofits, Thrive will host a series of candidate forums to elevate the most pressing issues of nonprofits and their communities in San Mateo County. Please join us for the following:
Thrive's Election Education Toolkit aims to amplify and strengthen voter outreach and education in traditionally less engaged communities by addressing the lack of knowledge about the process. Give this toolkit to leaders in your community for informal voter education.
Email Yajaira Ortega, Thrive's Policy & Advocacy Associate, if you are interested in more information about receiving the stipend. The toolkit is sponsored by The Grove Foundation.
Nonprofit VOTE launched the Nonprofit Staff Vote Campaign, a joint, nonpartisan campaign with a dozen nationally recognized organizations to ensure nonprofits step up to give employees time off to vote during early voting or on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8, 2022.
In the Legislature
Below is a list of priority bills housing advocates across California are watching closely:
SB 886* (Wiener) helps universities build student housing faster and at lower cost by streamlining the environmental review process for housing on university-owned land that is not at high risk of wildfire or in sensitive habitat.
AB 2011 (Wicks) fast-tracks new affordable housing on land zoned for commercial uses and includes strong provisions for affordability, labor standards, and environmental protection.
AB 2097* (Friedman) reduces housing costs and air pollution by eliminating expensive parking mandates on new homes built near high-quality transit.
AB 2221* (Quirk-Silva) accelerates building Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs, aka granny flats or casitas) by clarifying ambiguities in existing law and removing arbitrary barriers that some cities have imposed on ADU development.
AB 2873* (Jones-Sawyer) advances diversity, equity, and inclusion by requiring developers that receive state affordable housing dollars to report if the firms they contract with are owned and operated by people of color, women, or LGBTQ+ people.
Significant State Funding Headed to Nonprofits
A few highlights below include COVID-19 relief, arts/culture funding, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, support for nonprofits that are targets of hate violence, and more:
COVID-19 Supplemental Sick Leave Relief Grants – State leaders allocated $250 million for grant relief to those nonprofits and small businesses required to comply with the state’s COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave mandate covering Saturday, January 1 - Friday, September 30, 2022. CalNonprofits led the charge for this cost offset and is working with state leaders to ensure maximum eligibility and smooth and timely implementation.
PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) Outreach & Support – The budget appropriated $10 million to The CA Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (CDFPI) to help as many student borrowers as possible move closer to loan forgiveness before the current waiver ends on Monday, October 31 of this year.
Continuing COVID Relief Grants – CalNonprofits pushed hard for more COVID-19 relief funding for nonprofits and more inclusive eligibility guidelines to assure more organizations would qualify.
Arts & Culture Funding – More than $175 million will invigorate arts and culture in the state, with $30 million going to the California Cultural Districts Program and a re-appropriation of $20 million in COVID-19 relief funding for nonprofit cultural institutions, including the opportunity for applicants to re-apply.
Funds to Combat Hate – Governor Newsom and the legislature agreed to fund $90 million to help nonprofit organizations that are targets of hate-motivated violence and hate crimes to improve their security and will also support nonprofits or community-based organizations that provide services to victims of hate incidents, including legal services, health care, mental health, victim’s compensation, or counseling.
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More Upcoming Thrive Events
Thrive Wellness Wednesdays
Mind, Body, & Spirit
Wednesday, September 14, 2:00 - 3:00 pm, virtual
Our minds, bodies, and spirits are each an important component of our being and contribute greatly to our overall sense of wellness. Join Thrive and the County of San Mateo Employee Wellness Team as we build strength in each of these areas, and learn skills that can be used daily. This month's exercises are designed to help improve our minds, bodies, and spirits and will feature music therapy, chair yoga, a journaling activity, and a collaborative and fun group poem.
Note: These sessions are not a replacement for professional guidance or counseling.
*Zoom information will be sent to registered attendees.
Get kids ready to go back to school with COVID-19 vaccines! Vaccines help kids stay engaged with in-school learning, socializing, and after-school activities. To learn more about the vaccines, talk to your child’s doctor or visit MyTurn.ca.gov.
Masks may no longer be required in schools or childcare facilities, but they are still strongly recommended to help protect your children, family, and community against COVID-19.