California

Nearly a dozen Silicon Valley funders, including the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, have signed a pledge to make their region more just and equitable. According to their joint statement, “Blacks and African Americans, Latino/a/x, Native Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Indigenous peoples, and immigrants without legal status continue to suffer greater impacts from environmental, economic and racial injustice.” Among the organizations’ commitments, they pledge to distribute resources to help catalyze, organize, and lift up community members to engage with public and private decision makers committed to building a more equitable, just, and sustainable region; prioritize the voices, lived experience, and leadership of individuals and families affected by systemic racism; commit to collaboration and partnership to uplift the philanthropic organizations taking the pledge to create great impact; and work to ensure that everyone in the community has access to basic needs.

Connecticut

As part of its commitment to supporting the availability of high-quality, rigorous data to inform action on issues critical to the region, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has announced a three-year, $300,000 grant to DataHaven. The grant will provide flexible support for DataHaven’s efforts to collect and ensure access to data on well-being, equity, and quality of life, with the aim of empowering people to create thriving communities.

Louisiana

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has announced the release of the 15th edition of its CityStats survey, which assesses key indicators to gauge quality of life and access to opportunity in East Baton Rouge Parish. This year’s report reveals that there has been a positive shift in the community’s outlook, with fewer concerns about the parish’s direction. Moreover, the report indicates a 20 percent drop in the number of individuals expressing dissatisfaction with the pace of progress in East Baton Rouge Parish compared with the previous year. However, data also indicate that many residents of the parish are struggling financially, despite a decline in the unemployment rate to a 20-year low. Two-thirds of survey respondents said they found it difficult to pay their monthly bills, and three out of four did not feel prepared for unexpected emergency expenses.

Michigan

A coalition of business, government, and philanthropy leaders in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties has launched the Detroit Regional Workforce Partnership, an initiative designed to create an equitable, future-facing talent pipeline that will support a thriving economy in southeast Michigan. Funded by a three-year, $3 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and managed by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, the initiative will build on the success of the City of Detroit’s Workforce Development system, which helped secure 40,000 jobs for Detroiters in just over four years. By establishing a regional, employer-led collaborative and sustained engagement of the industries necessary to coordinate demand, the partnership aims to fill a gap in southeast Michigan’s workforce development ecosystem.

New Mexico

The Santa Fe Community Foundation has announced grants totaling $935,000 to 81 nonprofits serving Santa Fe, Mora, Rio Arriba, and San Miguel counties as part of its 2023 community grants program. The program provides between $5,000 and $15,000 to organizations working to improve outcomes in four fields of interest: animal welfare, arts and culture, education, and environment. Recipients include the Santa Fe Raptor Center, Wise Fool New Mexico, Youth Works, and Reading Quest.

New York

Brooklyn Org, formerly known as the Brooklyn Community Foundation, has announced that it is accepting nominations for the Just Brooklyn Prize. Presented in partnership with the Social Justice Fund, the prize is awarded annually to five BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) champions in the fight for racial justice who are dedicated to strengthening and building power in Brooklyn’s communities. Each winner will receive an unrestricted $20,000 grant. The deadline to apply is January 19, 2024.

The New York Community Trust has announced more than $7.5 million in grants to 40 nonprofits working to advance economic and educational opportunities for New Yorkers and improving lives across the city and beyond. The latest round of funding supports local organizations addressing a wide swath of community needs and opportunities ranging from an initiative to train middle and high school students to launch businesses, deploying AI technology for heart research, aiding new immigrants, and supporting older adults and individuals with disabilities. Recipients include Havens Relief Fund Society, Good Call NYC, New York Transgender Advocacy Group, and Teaching Matters.

Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Foundation has announced grants totaling $160,000 in support of eight organizations working to help Rhode Islanders stay housed this winter. Recipients include Amos House, Lucy’s Hearth, Thrive Behavioral Healthcare, and the WARM Center.

West Virginia

The Parkersburg Area Community Foundation and regional affiliates have announced support for nonprofit organizations and charitable projects across the region through its Fall Community Action Grant Program. More than 50 organizations received a total of $435,633, including $246,995 awarded through donor-advised funds at the foundation, $2,500 from the Doddridge County Community Foundation, $3,750 from the Ritchie County Community Foundation, and $4,100 from Little Kanawha Area Community Foundation affiliates. Recipients include Belpre Area Ministries, Cairo Volunteer Fire Department, Hope4Vets, and Pilot Club of Jackson County.