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The 2024 election results revealed a far less progressive California than is often characterized. This regressive and dangerous political landscape raises many questions for state funders committed to investing in communities impacted by prisons, policing, and criminalization. How do we most effectively orient ourselves and our work in this context? What relationships do we need to nourish and build to sustain our collective efforts? What is the courageous stance for California funders now?
The fight for climate justice is at a critical crossroads. While California has positioned itself as a global leader in addressing the climate crisis, the impacts of climate change are accelerating—hitting the state’s most vulnerable communities the hardest. Decades of underinvestment have made it difficult for frontline communities to scale the bold solutions needed to meet this moment, deepening already stark economic, social, and health disparities. At the federal level, progress made under the Biden Administration is under threat, with efforts to roll back environmental protections, eliminate historic federal funding, and even criminalize organizations working toward climate resilience. Now more than ever, California, and particularly the philanthropic sector, must not only hold the line but push forward, ensuring that the path toward a Just Transition gains momentum rather than stalls.
As the impacts of climate change continue to wreak havoc, philanthropy’s role in supporting disaster-affected communities remains essential to achieving equitable recoveries and building resilience before the next disaster. Philanthropy California (Philanthropy CA) has long monitored wildfire & natural hazard events, provided resources and timely programming to support funder awareness and collaboration, and partnered with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to support immediate disaster relief as well as long-term recovery efforts. As part of Philanthropy California, NCG supports SoCal Grantmakers and Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties in their response to catastrophic disasters that may go beyond the ability of regional staff capacity. The firestorm in Los Angeles is a poignant example of how staff across Philanthropy California step up during times of crisis.
The Resourcing Resilience report, created in partnership between Philanthropy California and Nonprofit Finance Fund, provides a landscape analysis of public and philanthropic investments in climate resilience and serves as a call to action for both sectors to unlock pathways to more equitable, accessible funding. Philanthropic and government funders have important roles to play in addressing the real challenges communities face when securing funding for their work on climate adaptation, mitigation, and disaster resilience. Neither can achieve meaningful and equitable climate action alone, and community-led solutions require coordinated public and private support. The actions recommended in this report outline a path forward for ensuring communities are able to access funding they need.
Narrative change is still an emerging field, and making the case for investing in it across generations requires visionary, not reactive, philanthropic practice. It’s more than investing in typical strategic communications efforts that are short-term, like a billboard campaign. There are many historical lessons on organizing for narrative changes that show moving beyond tactical campaigns builds power for the long haul. We need to move long-term proactive investments in narrative change to get us all free.
The federal government is continuing to divest and deregulate climate and environmental justice initiatives. Philanthropic and statewide government funders have a critical role in deepening its investment in resilience ensuring frontline communities are able to withstand the impacts of a changing climate with steadfast environmental justice funding.
In California, home to the largest immigrant population in the country, the promise of mass deportation raids is bearing true, with the Central Valley seeing some of the harshest enforcement activities. While undocumented immigrants are the most visible target, DACA and TPS holders, refugees, green card holders, and naturalized citizens are impacted by this anti-immigrant agenda.