Advocating for the needs of your communities can seem daunting. Policies, laws, regulations, and budgets affecting our work occur at many levels of government, including the city, county, state, and federal levels, not to mention at special districts and school boards. However, we have the opportunity to make a significant impact for our sector by understanding where and how to interact effectively with our political representatives. Thrive is here to provide the resources to help make this work easier for you.
We highlight policy developments in this newsletter and will continue to work with you on advocacy issues through our TAG meetings and summits. We have created a brand new webpage where you can identify your local representative and find out what committees and boards they are on. In addition, you can see your state and federal representatives’ committee assignments.
Most of our County Supervisors are on more than a dozen committees and boards ranging from the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) to UCC.
On our webpage, you can find out who is on San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District (OneShoreline) (spoiler alert!Supervisors Pine and Mueller) or the Big Lift Initiative (Supervisor Corzo) or the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Commission (JJDPC) (Supervisor Canepa), or the Airport Land Use Committee (Supervisor Slocum) and more!
In Sacramento, the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy is chaired by State Senator Josh Becker, while Assemblymember Marc Berman is on the Transportation Committee, Assemblymember Diane Papan is on the Appropriations Committee, and Assemblymember Phil Ting is on Subcommittee No. 3 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation.
In Washington, Congressman Kevin Mullin is on the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo is on the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
We look forward to seeing you at our next TAG meetings to talk about advocacy and more!
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For Thrive and Community events, visit Thrive's Event page.
State Policy Updates
Sign on for Nonprofit Contracting Improvements
CalNonprofits and the Nonprofit Contracting Coalition have introduced a set of recommendations to improve nonprofit-government contracting across the state. The bill package aims to empower nonprofits to assist the state in improving the lives of vulnerable community members. It covers contracting equity, sustainability, and reducing racial, economic, and geographic disparities. Sign on to support the California Nonprofit Equity Initiative. Once your organization has signed, help CalNonprofits outreach with this social media toolkit to mobilize others within your network.
Common Cause is inviting you all to get involved during this legislative process to help protect democracy. This year they will focus on the following:
Reform of our recall process
Expansion of independent redistricting commissions in our cities and counties
Prohibition of incumbency-protection gerrymandering in local redistricting
Expansion of voting rights through greater language access in elections
County Policy Updates
Economic Recovery
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the county has invested about $360 million in recovery initiatives to aid the individuals most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initiatives include the following:
$188M in Housing Security
$76M in Food Security
$33M in Small Business and Nonprofit Relief
$16M in Financial Assistance
$8.1M in Childcare
$10.7M in Youth Programs
$6M in Broadband Expansion
Identify Gaps in Broadband Access: Take County Survey
Participate in a survey by the Federal Communications Commission to help the County understand what regions lack Broadband Internet. The objective is to obtain funding to offer high-speed Internet access to local communities that are underserved or unserved. The FCC mandates Internet service providers to disclose their service availability, which they publish on the National Broadband Map. Residents have the option to contest inaccurate data on the map.
Farmworker Housing Update
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has unanimously agreed to apply for a $5 million grant from the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program to help local farmworkers purchase manufactured homes on the coast. The County plans to work with the City of Half Moon Bay to identify potential housing sites available to families and individuals, including those displaced by the recent mass shooting. If granted, the funds would help address the chronic housing shortage among the essential agricultural workforce in the County.
Medi-Cal Benefits Are Ending – Let Your Community Know How to Get Help
On March 31, continuous coverage for Medi-Cal will end. Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County will assist people with any questions about the Medi-Cal programs. If you or your community has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Legal Aid at (650) 517-8907.
Ongoing storms in our region over the past few months have highlighted the need for stronger collaboration and communication across nonprofits and government that facilitates quick and community-informed action during emergencies. Thrive RISE – a network of nonprofits, community- and faith-based organizations, and government partners, builds cross-sector relationships and a medium for communication before, during, and after emergencies. Every organization has a role to play in community emergencies, including yours.
Thrive's Environment & Sustainability TAG: Cultural Barriers to Induction Cooking gathered in person for much-needed conversations on cultural barriers to the adoption of induction cooking. If you missed Francesca's warm welcome, quesadillas, and cooking demonstrations of a Vegan Stir Fry and an Escarole and White Bean Soup you can still view the presentation slides here.
Next week, we will address the accessibility and affordability of public transportation in San Mateo County. The county is home to several public transit systems, including Caltrain, SamTrans, and BART, but many residents still need help accessing reliable and affordable transportation options. Join us and Supervisor Canepa for How Do We Get There? Accessible and Affordable Public Transportation for All.
In April, the Arts & Culture TAG will be celebrating Arts & Culture Advocacy Month and the Children & Education TAG will host the second Summit in the Partnerships in Education Series.
Upcoming Thrive Events
Environment & Sustainability Thrive Action Group (TAG)
How Do We Get There? Accessible and Affordable Public Transportation for All
Tuesday, March 28, 2:00 - 3:30 pm, Hybrid
A robust public transportation system is key to social and economic mobility for San Mateo County residents, as well as to carbon emissions reduction. However, public transit across the Bay Area remains inaccessible and unaffordable for many residents. How can we reimagine and advocate for transit systems that reduce socioeconomic and geographic barriers for our communities? What steps must we take to get there?
Join us on Tuesday, March 28, at the Burlingame Community Center (directly across from the Caltrain station) to learn about opportunities to advocate for policies and programs toward improving accessibility and affordability in public transportation. We will hear fromcommunity members on their experiences using public transit, followed byDavid Canepa, San Mateo County Supervisor District 5as well asLaura Tolkoff, Transportation Policy Director, SPUR, and Adina Levin, Advocacy Director, Seamless Bay Area, followed by a group discussion about paths forward.
Note: This event is free to attend, but registration is required. Light refreshments will be provided during the group discussion.
April is Arts & Culture Advocacy Month, a time to speak out to support the arts. Arts advocacy has traditionally been about educating the public and our legislators about the impact the arts have on the culture, economy, and vibrancy of the community to ensure that elected officials support arts and culture in their budgets and legislation. But are there additional ways to advocate for the arts?
Join us for a robust discussion on practical ways to participate in arts advocacy and examples of previous impact. This session will provide opportunities for sharing and learning from each other, networking, collaboration, and ways to get involved in Advocacy Month's activities.
This forum will use the California Community Schools Partnerships model as a frame for growing and developing connections and communication between community-based organizations (CBOs) and school districts. You can look forward to:
Join the countywide coalition of Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD), Thrive RISE for our March Monthly Meeting. We will be discussing strategies for meeting community needs in disaster based on our discussion at February's meeting, with time for organizational share-outs. All organizations are welcome, regardless of sector or experience in responding to community emergencies.
Open to all. Registration is not required for these recurring meetings. Please save this link as a recurring event on your calendar for the last Wednesday of the month.
Emergency Response Plan Development for Nonprofits
Thursday, April 13, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, Virtual
During and immediately after hazardous events and emergencies, staff need to know what to do to protect their own safety, client safety, and prevent secondary hazards like fires and gas leaks. In this 2-hour training, nonprofits and community-based organizations will learn how to develop emergency plans to promote staff and client safety during emergencies and disasters. This course will focus on immediate life safety planning in nonprofit spaces and provide participants with a blueprint for developing an emergency plan appropriate for their organization.
Nonprofit Functionality & Continuity of Operations After Disasters
Thursday, May 11, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, Virtual
Disasters and emergencies impact staff availability, communications, available funding and resources, and access to facilities, which can inhibit an organization's functionality and ability to provide its critical services to communities. This 2-hour course will cover the planning steps nonprofits should take to support the continuity of operations, including developing backup communications, contingency plans for staff availability, and more.
County Measure K Fund Grant for Affordable Housing, Emergency Services, and Children, Youth, and Families
Deadline: Friday, March 31, 2023
San Mateo County District 2 Supervisor Noelia Corzo’s Office is accepting Measure K fund grant applications from local government agencies and 501(c)(3) nonprofits for District 2-specific or County-wide projects and programs that support affordable housing, children, youth, and families, and emergency services. To learn more about Measure K and how to apply click here.
HEART's FREE First-Time Homebuyer Workshops
Tuesday, April 11, 2:00 - 3:00 pm, or Wednesday, April 12, 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Join HEART's First-Time Homebuyer Workshops to learn how you can buy your first home in San Mateo County with only 5% down and their unique down payment assistance program. HEART will be joined by local experts Bob Fryer of Meriwest Mortgage and Lee Ginsburg of Intero Real Estate Services. Register here.
Apply for HIF's Emergency Housing Fund
Apply to Housing Industry Foundation's Emergency Housing Fund if you need assistance with rent, deposit, or utilities to help maintain stable housing. In order to submit an application, agencies are required to complete a training or (refresher training) before applying. Please reach out to EHF@hifinfo.org for more information.
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