The San Joaquin Valley stretches like a spine down the middle of California. Along the way are tiny places like Cantua Creek, tucked into… Read More »
Who Gets to Stay: When Housing Collapses in Rural Places
In rural places like West Marin, where vast landscapes and small populations shape daily life, communities depend on informal networks. And when disruption ripples through… Read More »
Floods, Housing, and the Future of Merced: The San Joaquin Valley Collaborative Site Visit
Our recent visit to Merced kicked off with a problem that’s still unresolved: nearly two years after historic floods devastated the unincorporated community of Planada, many families are still rebuilding their… Read More »
Seeds of Change in Fresno: Funders Witness CEMI at Work
West Fresno knows what it means to be overlooked. When Valley Children’s Hospital relocated to another community 25 years ago, it left a void in… Read More »
From Scarcity to Strength: Three Strategies for Funders in Rural Places
Rural communities in California, and nationwide, are reeling from federal workforce cuts that threaten jobs, incomes, and already-strained safety nets. These pressures came into sharp… Read More »
Resilience and Equity in Action: A Day with the Great Communities Collaborative
Shade trees softened the sun as we stepped onto Jardín del Pueblo, a vibrant community farm in Healdsburg where local farmworkers grow their own food… Read More »
California’s Climate Bond: What it Funds, How it’s Spent, Why it Matters
Two opposing forces are shaping California’s environmental landscape: rising momentum in federal rollbacks and increasing urgency around the state’s $10 billion Climate Bond to meet… Read More »
The Battle for Common Sense: What I Learned About Cultural Mindsets at TFN25
After an eye-opening exchange with a fellow passenger about California wildfires, Diana Williams reflects on insights from TFN’s 25th Anniversary Conference, where cultural mindsets like… Read More »
Learning from Lithium Valley: From Brine to Green Energy
The Lithium Crossroads Once a beachfront haven for celebrities, Southern California’s Salton Sea turned toxic long ago from too much agricultural runoff and too little… Read More »
The Power of Community Vision: Highlights of the San Joaquin Valley ‘24 Fall Gathering
Something magical happened as we stepped onto La Milpa Farm. One minute we were driving past fast-food restaurants on a hot Fresno afternoon and the… Read More »
