La Luz Microloan Program
When Cliff Casolla bought Marshall Auto Body in Glen Ellen nearly six years ago, he could have never predicted the bumps he’d pass over during his first years in business. Fires, black outs, evacuations, closures because of coronavirus; he maneuvered it all with small...
Supporting Student’s Mental Health
Established in 1993 by Sonoma State Professor Mark Doolittle, Support Our Students Community Counseling (SOS) continues to draw on the original mission of supporting the wellbeing of Sonoma County’s youth. “Mark created the organization with the idea that we’d keep...
Feeding the Medically Fragile: Food For Thought
The staff at Food For Thought in Forestville began implementing sanitation plans as soon as they got word of the pandemic in early March. But because the organization relies heavily on volunteers to help get food on the tables of those in need—and because the bulk of...
UndocuFund: Supporting Our Community in Times of Crisis
When shelter in place orders were instated, *Elena’s hours at the coffee shop where she’s worked for twelve years were cut from 40 to 16 hours per week. A parent with two children at home (ages 4 and 22), Elena’s job helps keep the bills paid; if she isn’t working,...
Feeding Seniors in Sonoma County: Meals on Wheels
For more than 50 years Sonoma County’s Council on Aging has provided valuable support to the region’s older adults. Of the many services they offer, the Meals on Wheels delivery program is an essential part of keeping one of our most vulnerable population safe and...
Giving Back During COVID-19: An Interview With Hanford ARC
Interview by Dani Burlison. Photo: Hanford ARC Vice President and CEO Mark Cederborg with founder Doug Hanford, by Caitlin Childs Sonoma County based Hanford Applied Restoration and Conservation (Hanford ARC) is a general engineering and landscape contractor...
Racial Justice Grantmaking: Recommendations and Resources
Recently, we shared a letter from our CEO affirming our support for racial justice, and promising to continue the conversation as we work, as individuals and organizationally, to be better. With that in mind, we asked our team to share recommendations on how donors...
Supporting Racial Justice
As our nation grapples with channeling the sadness and outrage we feel over the killing of George Floyd and so many other black and brown lives taken too soon, our team has been connecting to share our grief, our frustration, and to focus our resolve for change. I am...
Redwood Alliance Conference Grounds: Providing Shelter for Sonoma County’s Unhoused Community
Story by Dani Burlison When shelter in place orders were implemented in California, Jim Blake had an idea that could prevent overcrowding—and prevent a potential increase of COVID-19 cases—at some Sonoma County shelters and addiction treatment facilities. Blake, the...
Sonoma Family Meal: Feeding Families, Supporting Restaurants
Story by Dani Burlison, Photos by Caitlin Childs During the 2017 North Bay fires, Heather Irwin came up with what she refers to as a “silly idea” to help feed displaced families. Irwin, a local reporter focusing on Sonoma County’s restaurants, started getting phone...
Meals on Wheels: helpings seniors with food and connection
Story by Dani Burlison For more than 50 years Sonoma County’s Council on Aging has provided valuable support to the region’s older adults. Of the many services they offer, the Meals on Wheels delivery program is an essential part of keeping one of our most vulnerable...
Emergency Grants Help Small Business Owners Stay Afloat Through COVID-19
Story by Dani Burlison, Photos by Erik Castro On the afternoon of April 22, New Jersey native Tom Singerline made his way through Dry Creek Valley on his way home to Santa Rosa. Singerline, who owns and operates Jersey Tom Wine Country Tours, was emotional as he...
CFSC’s Technical Guide for Nonprofits Using Zoom
Shelter in Place has radically changed the way we interact with one another, moving most if not all, of our interactivity with the outside world online rather than in-person. Adapting to this shift has been hard on many of us, forcing us to use tools we've never used...
Healdsburg Forever Makes $80,000 in Emergency Grants
Healdsburg Forever our a regional affiliate has recently made emergency grants totaling $80,000 to six nonprofit organizations providing essential safety net services—food, shelter, and health care—to the most vulnerable people in Healdsburg and Geyserville. The...
Adapting to Shelter in Place: The Living Room
Story by Dani Burlison, Photos by Erik Castro Since 1993 The Living Room has provided a safe place for unhoused women and their children to go during the day while overnight shelters are closed. In the early days, a mere handful of women dropped in, had a cup of...