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With the 2024 election upon us, we see the Valley made more vulnerable in a democracy hanging by a thread for the very same people that make the Valley a dynamic place. To give visibility to the multiracial richness and need for active civic engagement, the James B. McClatchy Foundation is ensuring the Central Valley is seen by fortifying the pillars of local journalism and democracy, particularly as we immerse ourselves "all in" during this election year.
I connected with Tanir Ami, CEO of the CARESTAR Foundation, and Michael Heil, Board Chair, during the final week of NCG’s learning series Unconscious Whiteness for Board Members & Trustees, where a cohort of 15 white-identifying board members and trustees came together to learn. We discussed their motivation for participating, the challenges and opportunities CARESTAR has encountered in attempting to center racial equity, and what’s next in manifesting their commitment. The conversation has been edited for brevity.
I’ll be the first to acknowledge that I’ve arrived as NCG’s CEO on the shoulders of many others that came before me. Two of the strongest shoulders belong to my first professional mentor and a heavyweight in philanthropic circles, Joe Brooks. During my seventeen years as a work partner and friend at The San Francisco Foundation and then PolicyLink, I learned more from him than I could ever adequately describe. He had a habit of saying things that were increasingly profound the more you thought about them. One of those sayings was, “how much do you need to know to act?”, often dropped in a setting surrounded by other foundation colleagues where he was about to propose bold action to engage some of the Bay Area’s most vexing social challenges
When I started at NCG early in 2015 I spent a lot of time listening. Like, a LOT. During close to 200 meetings in my first year, I sought to learn what was strong about our work, what members of our community wanted more (and less) of from NCG, and – perhaps most importantly – what folks needed to increase their impact and to remain connected to their sense of purpose, their agency, and their community of colleagues. The guidance I received was remarkable in its continuity – and in its vehemence.
When I started at NCG early in 2015 I spent a lot of time listening. Like, a LOT. During close to 200 meetings in my first year, I sought to learn what was strong about our work, what members of our community wanted more (and less) of from NCG, and – perhaps most importantly – what folks needed to increase their impact and to remain connected to their sense of purpose, their agency, and their community of colleagues. The guidance I received was remarkable in its continuity – and in its vehemence.
The Community Arts Stabilization Trust’s goal is to acquire 100,000 square feet of space for arts groups by the end of 2018 and expand its footprint in Oakland. Today, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation announced $3 million in additional funding for the Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST), a game-changing organization that protects San Francisco Bay Area arts and cultural organizations from displacement. This three-year grant will help CAST realize an ambitious goal to acquire 100,000 square feet of space for arts groups by the end of 2018. With this funding, CAST will expand and prioritize its work in Oakland to create permanently affordable spaces for arts organizations. The funding will also help CAST continue its work in San Francisco.
The multiple polycrises of our time continue to disproportionately impact trans, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary communities of color.