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Envision a future where every community in Northern California flourishes, where shared prosperity becomes a reality. Our region, celebrated for its diversity and innovation, stands at the forefront of social progress and economic vitality. Yet, amidst this vibrant tapestry, many individuals—particularly Black, Indigenous, and other people of color—struggle to sustain themselves in the communities they call home.
The Build Back Better Act has the potential to help the nation grow, as framed by the White House, “from the bottom and middle-out" by providing families with funding for childcare, expanding access to affordable housing, education, and health care, and enforcing tax laws on the extremely wealthy.
The Bay Area Homelessness Funders Network provides philanthropy a space for strategic thinking and intersectional opportunities for collective action. Learn more about engaging with the network here.
In order to make real changes in our communities, it is not enough to win elections. When progressive candidates get elected, philanthropy must provide them the support they need to govern effectively with the communities that helped elect them. Philanthropy already invests in increasing civic engagement and advocacy on social issues such as improving healthcare, education, and building a strong and inclusive economy for everyone.
Summary
In the November election, we can advance statewide policy in California that is truly transformative for our communities. The scale of the housing crisis we're facing means our efforts need more scale, and local voters need more power to address the affordable housing and public infrastructure needs in their communities. Proposition 5 empowers local voters to approve bonds for affordable housing, critical public infrastructure, and emergency response in our communities with a 55% vote – if those bonds have strict accountability and oversight.
When I started at Hirsch Philanthropy Partners, I had a few impressions. First, I was sensing a desire for big change in Bay Area philanthropy that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I was engaging in conversations about race, power and decision making, which were the kinds of conversations I was having previously in the nonprofit space. I also discovered that several Bay Area grantmakers were already doing grantmaking differently, bringing diverse communities closer to the center of their work and challenging power dynamics. It felt like a ripe time for change.