On April 6th, we gathered in Redwood City to further “move the needle on goodness.” 150+ community-based organizations, youth, families, elected officials (including Mayor Jeff Gee and Senator Josh Becker), funders and other changemakers recognized and celebrated our accomplishments in education, wellness, and equity in Redwood City and North Fair Oaks. Our event sparked deeper dialogue and collaboration on key priorities moving forward. This event was co-hosted by Redwood City Together and SV2. 

In social impact, we often mention the value of “going farther together.” During our Community Impact and Celebration Night event, we experienced that in action.

Outstanding community-based organizations tabled at our event to share more about their work, leadership, and resources:

• El Concilio – increasing education, employment, and access to quality of life services in San Mateo County.
• Family Connections – providing free high-quality, whole-family education, paired with in-depth whole family support in the Peninsula.
• Friends for Youth – safely and expertly matching adult volunteers with youth who need support through our two mentoring programs: 1-to-1 Mentoring and School-Based, Group Mentoring in San Mateo and Northern Santa Clara Counties.
• Redwood City PAL – joining police professionals and community members in Redwood City. Providing school-age children and their families with access to academic support, life skills and personal development activities.
• Upward Scholars – providing adult immigrants the boost they need to move up the economic ladder through education and career development support.
• The YMCA – building healthy, confident, connected children, adults, and families in North Fair Oaks, Redwood City, and beyond.

Leaders with IDEAL Redwood City (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Leadership), a program of the City Manager’s Office and San Mateo County Health were also present to share more about their initiatives. Together, all of these organizations and 40+ more cross-sector partners collaborate towards advancing the success of youth and families in Redwood City and North Fair Oaks.

We delighted in vibrant and energizing performances by Redwood City’s own Ballet Folklorico Mexico Vivo and Afro-Brazilian Youth Drumming group SECOYAXE! Both groups represent some of the beautiful cultural diversity we have in our local communities, and the power of nurturing youth talent.

We then heard inspiring and thoughtful opening remarks from Rafael Avendaño, Executive Director of Redwood City Together. Rafa graciously shared his story and progression as a trusted and deeply respected leader in the community, as well as the highly impressive, community-centric work and data-driven progress of Redwood City Together.

It was really special to catch a glimpse of Rafa’s proud mom as he was sharing what an inspiration she has been to him and his changemaking!

Josh Becker, CA State Senator, then shared commendations and presented awards to Redwood City Together as well as the six community-based organizations for their outstanding community impact. The leaders have shared how meaningful and affirming it has been to have this important recognition.

We also heard from David Onek, SV2 CEO, about our Community Initiative partnership with Redwood City Together and opportunities to get involved, as well as Alisa MacAvoy, Board Trustee, Redwood City School District, about the city’s priorities and Redwood City Together’s important leadership.

The evening did not end with just listening to our speakers. We had time to engage in smaller group dialogues about community priorities and initiatives, and provide input into Redwood City Together’s strategy in:

• Ensuring that all children, youth, and families live in safe, healthy, and supportive environments
• Building resilient children + youth by expanding developmental assets
• Providing targeted support to address unmet needs at key ages

Each of the small groups was a great mix of community members with lived experiences, SV2 Partners, city and county officials, funders and other supporters. 

Throughout the evening, we enjoyed some delicious fajitas, fruits and veggies, churros, and bubble tea from local vendors Brew Coffee and Redwood City Catering!

Here are testimonials from some of our event participants. These really bring the experience to life:

“The SV2 and RWC Together event was a celebration for new opportunities and beginnings. I felt a sensation of belonging and trust from everyone. Getting to see Rafael and the community come together to cherish each other’s accomplishments felt magical. Watching others who come from the same origins as me receiving awards was incredible. The event was able to represent the culture of many North Fair Oaks Families. The folklorico dancing reminded me how grateful I am to be part Mexican and part Salvadoran. I also loved the group dialogue session where we were able to give our own thoughts and opinions about how SV2 and RWC Together should begin their journey.” – Ariana Flores, 8th Grade Student

“We were so proud of the sense of community and belonging that filled the room. This event helped bring stronger relationships and networks within our community, leading to greater trust, cooperation, and ultimately promoting transformative impact on the community that lasts far beyond the duration of the event itself.” – Ivan Martinez, ED, Redwood City PAL

“El Concilio is grateful to be in partnership with wonderful sister organizations serving our community of Redwood City and North Fair Oaks. The celebration event was a great opportunity for our promotora staff to be included. Not only did they share resources by tabling, but they took part in the learning and engaged in dialogue to help make decisions around the issues our CCCS network will tackle for the next year. This is so important! It’s part of the equity work, we want our staff who are key community leaders to know their voice and input is valuable and that we are in this work together!”  – Dr. Ana Angel Avendaño, ED, El Concilio of San Mateo County

“I want to thank all the organizers and participants who made the Spring Connections event with Redwood City Together such an engaging evening. As an SV2 partner I felt warmly welcomed; the celebratory performances and the delicious food spread created a festive backdrop for introductions and discovery. I have a much better sense of the extensive network of people and organizations all working together to serve the community in tandem with and under the guidance of RWC Together.  It was impressive to witness some of the collaboration that night, and I especially enjoyed the discussion at our table around prioritizing initiatives for the first year of the Redwood City Together and SV2 partnership. It was invaluable to hear first hand from residents about the issues that need addressing, and to learn more about each person’s important role and viewpoint. I feel even more energized for the partnership after this kick off, thank you all!” – Meg Bannick, SV2 Partner 

“What an amazing event where more than 150 people came together to celebrate and share the gifts of our vibrant Redwood City Community! The energy and inspiration were awe inspiring!” – Cynthia Lang, SV2 Partner Champion

Special thanks to Upward Scholars for invaluable interpretation and childcare support, and to our event sponsor, Legacy Venture. 

We’re so appreciative of everyone who helped make this event a big success!

How might we take excess rainwater and put it to good use? This past February, we rolled up our sleeves and did some rain gardening in East Palo Alto – a water re-directing, fresh dirt-filled, joyful planting experience! We did this with Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) – our new Climate Justice Grantee Partner, and Fresh Approach. 

In this family-friendly Get Proximate event with SV2, 5 SV2 Partners and 1 staff participated alongside 20+ fellow community members. We learned about our water sources in the Bay Area and the importance of water conservation. We soon got to work! The day comprised weeding and cleaning up the garden site, digging holes, and preparing rain barrels. 

We had a very energizing and tangible experience working with CRC and Fresh Approach, two trusted and strong climate resiliency leaders in our communities. Here is what some of our Partners had to say about their experience and how it impacted them:

“We helped prep the site for a rain garden, to control overflow run-off and additional rain water absorption, while also providing a spot for added greenery. Hands-on volunteering alongside our non-profit partners gives me a deeper connection to  their work and the communities they serve.” – Lisa Guerra, SV2 Partner and Board Member 

“The Get Proximate CRC Rain Garden event was a wonderful way to connect, both with members of the SV2 community, and with members of the Climate Resilient Communities ecosystem of local citizens and groups.  A great chance to learn about the details of rainwater collection–I had always thought it wasn’t worth the trouble in our Mediterranean climate, when rains come over a limited period of three to four months.  I learned why I was wrong, and am now actively investigating the possibility of a pilot installation at my senior community.  It was also a chance to get wet and silly on a rainy Saturday morning: my weeding partner and I got wedged under a giant cactus and were in hysterics about the contortions it took to get free!”  – Nancy Grove, SV2 Partner and Partner Champion, Climate Resilient Communities 

“Seeing rain barrels installed makes real the concept of saving rainwater to water plants.”  – Arthur Keller, SV2 Partner

More context about CRC’s Rain Garden initiative:

“A main outcome of the 2020 East Palo Alto (EPA) Community Vulnerability Assessment was an emphasis on nature-based solutions to climate change, especially pertaining to flooding. Despite this widespread community interest, most EPA residents lack the training, information, and capital needed to install and maintain natural infrastructure in their own homes and neighborhoods.

The purpose of this project is to bring together, educate, and train EPA residents to install rain gardens and cisterns in local homes that mitigate flooding, drought, extreme heat, and other climate change impacts. Our goal is to create a community- and science-based strategy for city-wide scaling of rainwater harvesting systems, as well as garden/cistern installation and maintenance at a subset of EPA residences.

We are currently working to build 25 rain gardens and cisterns in East Palo Alto. The first phase of the project involves feasibility mapping, followed by workshops and informational sessions on natural infrastructure by CRC and project partners to share types, benefits, and resources for installation.”

Source: East Palo Alto Rain Garden & Water Cistern Installation | Climate Resilient Communities

We learned so much about frontline communities, community-informed and led solutions, and opportunities. As we connected with changemakers, we learned that climate justice includes supporting frontline communities in building resilience to climate change, addressing environmental consequences of our fossil fuel economy, and providing benefits from the transition economy.

In our Grant Round, we had an in-depth process of connecting with community members and leaders, and getting their organization nominations. We are grateful to Acterra, our Alumni Grantee Partner, for participating in our “Chat with Youth”, shortlisting, and decision-making process. 

We selected Brightline Defense and Climate Resilient Communities as our new Grantee Partners. 

Brightline Defense is an environmental justice nonprofit organization that works to empower communities and create sustainable environments. The Brightline team blends public policy advocacy and on-the-ground partnerships to promote sustainability and opportunity in traditionally underserved communities. Brightline promotes sustainable policies ranging from local hiring to clean energy to energy efficiency. Brightline’s team of community-oriented lawyers connects communities most in need to critical policymaking levers at the local and state level, which can be then modeled nationwide.

Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) has a volunteer-driven commitment to helping residents reduce their energy costs, improve home health, and gain access to local resources like subsidized solar panels and home energy audits, and weatherization upgrades. Since 2016 Climate Resilient Communities has been on the ground learning the specific needs of residents in diverse, under-resourced communities in East Palo Alto and Belle Haven (Menlo Park).

We’re currently organizing opportunities for SV2 to meaningfully engage with both phenomenal organizations!

This Grant Round was thoughtfully and skillfully co-led by Jennifer McFarlane and Nancy Grove.

We continued to advance equity and trust-based philanthropy practices, with positive feedback.

We’re thrilled to announce that Redwood City Together was selected as the new Community Initiative Grantee Partner, and will receive $500,000 of unrestricted funding over the next three years. 

This amazing Grantee Partner was selected by a Core Team of community leaders, SV2 Partners, and staff who made this grant decision on behalf of SV2. Join us for a “Shareback Session” (Wednesday, January 25 from 11am-12pm on Zoom) to hear more about the Core Team’s process and learn about the work of Redwood City Together. Having community leaders so deeply involved in shaping a grantmaking strategy and funding allocation is a significant step for SV2 towards participatory grantmaking, and is a way we are seeking to live our value of sharing power. This was a new approach for us, and the learnings were rich and deep. Join us to hear more and enter into that experience! RSVP here.

Redwood City Together (RWCT) advances the success of youth and families in Redwood City and North Fair Oaks through community collaboration. Through our learning process about RWCT, the Core Team members were impressed by Redwood City Together’s 

• strong BIPOC leadership, with commitment to developing community leadership in partner agencies; 
• strong connections both to grassroots community and to city government; 
• systems-level thinking and partnerships to drive systems change; 
• inclusion of youth voice; 
• deep partnerships with many community based organizations, including multiple SV2 Grantee Partners in the North Fair Oaks community;
• many entry points and stated desire for engagement with SV2 Partners in various volunteer and engagement roles

We are so excited to start engaging with this dynamic and impactful initiative working deeply in their community! We expect there will be many engagement points for SV2 Partners, from direct volunteering in the community, to participating on RWCT working groups, to attending SV2 events where RWCT and their partner agencies share their work.

Here are a few next steps you can take to engage (and there will be many more along the way, this is just a start):

• Let us know of your interest by filling out this short form (no commitment, just interest!)
• Come to a Shareback Learning Lab hosted by the Core Team, as they share more about what it was like to make this grant decision on behalf of SV2. This was a new approach for us, and the learnings were rich and deep. Join us on January 25 from 11am-12pm on Zoom to hear more and enter into that experience! RSVP here. 
• Read a summary of RWCT’s work and structure in this Overview Document – it describes the Community Initiative process as well as much more detail about RWCT.
• You can read notes and/or listen to recordings from the Coffee Chats, Collaboration Brainstorm sessions, and the November 1 meeting when the initiatives shared their work with SV2 Partners.

Questions? 

Reach out to Jody Chang any time at jchang@sv2.org.

On October 31st, SV2 Partners and staff met students at Richmond High School and learned more about the Richmond community. It was such a treat! Twelve very bright and talented students who engage in the programs of College is Real, SV2 Grantee Partner, led us through a tour of their school. We learned a lot, including how students select academies / tracks, the schools’ renowned band and Robotics club, mental health support, and inspiring family changemaking in the community. 

Angelica Arriaga, Executive Director, College is Real, thoughtfully facilitated discussion about the Richmond community’s challenges and hopes. We had a roundtable discussion with the students about a recently canceled football game and how the school and community are often misperceived based on what people “hear” instead of what they “see” themselves. As students shared the struggles of people assuming they were unsafe to be around, they also shared their determination to push back against the stereotypes and contribute to their community wellness and thriving. 

When our group was asked to reflect on our time together, some responses were:

“It taught me that other people are actually interested in coming into Richmond High and wanting to learn who we are instead of just judging us”

“Impressed by the people and opportunities available at RHS”

“Definitely shifted my perception to be much more positive”

Per our Get Proximate practices, we were really able to listen, confront truths, and break down unconscious biases. The Richmond community is vibrant and aspiring, and we’re so grateful to have experienced that directly!

In October, ten SV2 Partners and CEO David Onek took an unforgettable journey with Telos Group to New Orleans, Jackson, Selma, and Montgomery, into the heart of the US racial justice and civil rights movement. Participants visited key historical sites and met with local advocates and leaders, deepening their understanding of our history and of the advocacy efforts on the ground today. Getting proximate is a key SV2 practice and this trip was another step in listening to and learning from multiple community voices.

Participants visited Congo Square, Whitney Plantation, the Louisiana bayou, the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the National Voting Rights Museum, the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, among other sites. Even more impactful were meetings with local advocates and leaders such as Konda Mason from Jubilee Justice, Luther Gray of the Congo Square Preservation Society, Monique Verdin of the Houma Nation, Will Snowden from the Vera Institute of Justice, Everett Ofray and Louis Gibson from Orleans Public Defenders, Bishop Ronnie Crudup from New Horizon International Church, Cassandra Welchlin and Toni Johnson from Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, Kyita Welchin and Amyah Akharume from Mississippi Black Youth Vote, Freedom Rider Hezekiah Watkins, former US Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, voting rights advocate JoAnne Bland, Ainka Sanders Jackson of the Selma Center for Truth, Nonviolence, and Reconciliation, and Montgomery-based artist and activist Michelle Browder, among others.

SV2 Partner Paru Desai will be hosting a lunch and learn event in January and a video will be forthcoming. In the meantime, we invite you to read snippets from their group journal.

October 18, 2022
Paru: On the eve of the trip, doing some logistical work of group email and setting up text message – looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow! This trip is a few years in the making – planned for 2020 but as with so many things, the pandemic forced a change of plans. In some ways, perhaps the moment is more right for it to happen now after the events and learnings of the last few years?

October 19, 2022
Alice: Just re-read Letter from a Birmingham Jail on the plane. It’s even more compelling than I’d remembered. (I was thrilled when it was the second reading assignment my son had as a freshman in college, just a few weeks ago; the first was Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow!) MLK Jr’s voice is so powerful and eloquent, but it was a little jarring how so much of what he says is still so relevant today, especially the section “just” versus “unjust” laws and complacency of so much of organized religion when it comes to social justice. I also continued reading How the Word is Passed, including the chapter on the Whitney Plantation in preparation for tomorrow. Parts of it were hard to read, and I expect it will be even harder to see in person.

October 21, 2022
Don: Lots to process from yesterday’s visit to Whitney Plantation. Delighted to hear Konda’s innovative approach to rice, but sad to hear the loss of land.

October 24, 2022
Kwok: The experiences on this trip demonstrates the power of storytelling from the first person to engage minds and change hearts. Examples that stick with me are Monique, talking about the disaster of the oil spills, and the direct impacts of climate change on her community. Luis and Buck and their lived experiences in dealing with a justice system that is rigged against them. Hezekiah and his personal story with the freedom riders. JoAnne and her experiences dealing with the violence and hatred fueled by racism in her fight for voting rights. They make us deal with the painful truth of our history, but also they share the promise that with courage, belief and hard work over time , the fight for equity will make a difference.

October 26, 2022
Grace: The training at the Selma Center for Nonviolence Truth and Reconciliation was phenomenal. Powerful learning and testimonials and delectable food (Mama Callie’s collard greens slow-cooked with smoked turkey, baked chicken with homegrown and hand-ground herbs, Uncle’s recipe macaroni and cheese, jalapeño cornbread, and peach-bursting cobbler). So much makes sense in how violence (active and passive) is fear-based, and how the steps of nonviolence (as opposed to non-violence) apply to so much conflict in our world. As Mama Callie sings, “Hold on, hold on.”

For more information on the US South Trip, please get in touch with Paru Desai at desaiparu526@gmail.com.

In mid-October, we had an energizing gathering of over 60 changemakers. Thanks to all who joined our Fall Connections: Voices from our Community event at the beautiful and inspiring EPACENTER! The evening was filled with joyful catchups, dance, delicious local eats and drinks, and of course, motivating social impact breakouts. 

“It was such a lovely venue, and the event had such a special feeling.  It was more intimate, less formal; more engaging; more community integrated etc than the semi-annual gatherings we had pre-covid.  It was so consistent with the new strategic themes of SV2 so really resonated.” – Jennifer McFarlane, SV2 Partner

Special thanks to:

• EPACENTER for graciously hosting us and sharing your creative and fun community space!
• Our inspiring and thoughtful Breakout Speakers: Ivan Martinez (Redwood City PAL), Jasmyne and Quincy Sanders (StreetCode Academy), and Kurt Kuhlmann (Amped Innovation)!
• Our talented vendors:
  • Diana Zaldivar – Pastry Chef, and an Upward Scholar 
  • Natalia Gutierrez – Floral Artist, and an Upward Scholar 
  • Crumble & Whisk – an ICA Company
  • Curated by Trang
  • Taqueria La Cazuela
• Rekha Pai, SV2 Partner and Board Member, for doing a fun Indian Navratri dance demo with Amy!

We’re also very grateful for skillful interpretation provided by Brenda Graciano and Yeny Ramos (Upward Scholars) and to Legacy Venture and Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) for sponsoring our event. 

We hope to see you at future events!

High school can be a formative and significant experience. Beyond the classes, lockers, extracurriculars, and questionable cafeteria food, students are developing their identities and sense of belonging. 

When we gather, students will take this opportunity to provide insights into their community; share challenges and accomplishments, and highlight the experiences that have shaped them. We’re doing this on Halloween, feel free to come in costume if you’d like! There just might be a Halloween Contest! 

College is Real (CIR) identifies, motivates, educates and mentors the “college-aspirational” students at Richmond’s three public high schools in order to have as many students as possible apply to, attend, and graduate from four-year colleges. We want to change the lives of the students in the program so they can ultimately improve the lives of their families and change their communities. 

CIR was selected as a Grantee Partner in SV2’s 2022 Equity in Education Grant Round. 

This Get Proximate event is happening soon after the grantmaking as part of SV2’s commitment to advancing strong trust and relationship building earlier on. Read more about how Get Proximate is a core approach embedded in our philanthropic work. 

Monday, Oct. 31st | Richmond High School | 1250 23rd St, Richmond, CA 94804

Agenda: There is a combination of indoor and outdoor activities. 

• 9:30-10:00am: Arrive 
• 10:00-10:25am: Introductions + Overview of what CIR does 
• 10:25-10:30am: Overview of the day
• 10:30-10:55am: Student-Led Tour of High School Campus 
• 10:55-11:20am: Icebreakers with Students
• 11:20-12:00pm: Small Breakout Discussions
• 12:00-1:00pm: Lunch
• 1:00-1:30pm: Games 
• 1:30-1:50pm: Reflection 
• 1:50-2:10pm: Close and Next Steps

135 Bay Area changemakers gathered on the Sunday afternoon of August 28th, under one-hundred-year-old redwoods at the beautiful Atherton home of SV2 Partners Aarti and Asheem Chandna, to celebrate the end of summer. 

After a long pandemic, 40 SV2 Partners were able to catch up with each other in person and engage in meaningful conversations with Grantee & Impact Investee Partners Upward Scholars, SV@Home, Puente de la Costa Sur, Redwood City PAL, College is Real, and Amped Innovation. 

Gatanya Arnic, the Executive Director of Grantee Partner Safe & Sound Center for Youth Wellness who recently joined the SV2 Board, acknowledged the timely support of SV2 through a critical merger and unrestricted grant funding for 3 years, thanking SV2 Partners Deb Dauber and Kelly Pope and SV2 Director of Community Engagement Amy Badiani.  

“We appreciate the trust from SV2 to let us lead the way we know how to lead the people we serve, but really—I just have to say that I appreciate how welcome you’ve all made me feel today,” said Grantee Partner Puente de la Costa Sur Executive Director Rita Mancera, who also thanked SV2 Partner Leaders Kwok Lau and Cindy Lang for their moral support through an unexpected pandemic and talent shortage. 

Tony Stayner, who has been an SV2 Partner since 2013, shared his philanthropic journey with the SV2 community of continuous learners, encouraging the audience to look at the broader spectrum of giving. “My real passion is impact investing. In reality, we all have a lot more money to invest than we have to give away. If we can put that money to work through impact investing, we unleash market forces to scale true innovation.” Tony shared how proud he and the SV2 partners were of the impact investment portfolio of 22 social enterprises generating positive impact in the world, 4 of which have seen over 2x in returns after exit. 

New friends and family of SV2 who joined the Backyard Impact Social included educators, doctors, community leaders, venture capitalists, artists, scientists, engineers, and strategic allies such as Thrive Alliance, Legacy Venture, Northern California Grantmakers, Santa Clara University Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and Berkeley Skydeck. Even the newly crowned Miss California 2022 Catherine Liang made an appearance. 

Together, we caught up with old friends and made new ones while enjoying the stylings of a French jazz trio ensemble from SFJAZZ All-Stars, an award-winning training program for Bay Area high school-age musicians. Tasteful appetizers were prepared by Chef Susan Leon. We ran out Aarti’s special Spanish sangria but the adults joined the kids in supporting local food entrepreneurs Shao-ying Fang of SF Gelateria and Vincent Ma of Sana Tea by dutifully eating fresh gelato and slurping hand-crafted boba brûlée lattes. 

“Magical things happen when we bring a diverse group of people committed to equity and power sharing together. We connect, we learn, and we practice innovative giving—in community,” concluded SV2 CEO David Onek. SV2 hosts two Backyard Impact Socials each year at the start and end of summer to bring together SV2 community and new friends to foster connection and collaboration. Save the date for our next all-community gathering, Fall Connections: Voices from Our Community, taking place on October 13th at EPACENTER in East Palo Alto.