Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI)

Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI) is sponsored by The Center at Sierra Health Foundation. Offers flexible funding and technical assistance to BIPOC-serving and tribal organizations, potentially including those in Uganda.

Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI) - The Center at Sierra Health Foundation Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI) Taking the Lead in Responding to a Generational Economic Opportunity Preparing for an Unprecedented Level of Financial Investment Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act California Jobs First (formerly CERF) Federal program benefits to vulnerable communities per Justice40 The size of the investments listed above and their timelines for deployment have placed intense political and social pressure on economic development organizations to quickly ramp up planning activities.

Communities that are under-resourced and home to vulnerable and marginalized populations have been historically left out of these processes and investments. That’s exactly where CEMI comes in: CEMI is an innovative effort to advance equity, inclusion and the goals of federal and state climate-resilient economic development initiatives. CEMI’s $15.

3 million investment in 53 nonprofit partners throughout California supports organizations and leaders in leveraging public funds for meaningful community change. Locally, partners are building power for climate-resilient economic development that addresses historic and persistent inequities. Together, we are creating an inclusive economy that benefits every community across California.

Action Council of Monterey County, Inc. California Association for Microenterprise Opportunity California Calls for Education Fund (Million Voter Project) California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund Central Valley Community Foundation Chaffey College Foundation Chinese Progressive Association City Heights Community Development Corporation Comite Civico Del Valle, Inc. (Imperial Valley Equity and Justice Coalition) Community Alliance with Family Farmers Community Development Technologies Community for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership (CIELO) Council on American-Islamic Relations California Dolores Huerta Foundation East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation Foundation for California Community Colleges (LAUNCH) Friendship House Association of American Indians Inland Empire Black Worker Center (COPE) Inland Empire Community Foundation Inland Empire Labor Institute Jewish Vocational and Career Counseling Service La Familia Counseling Center, Inc. Los Angeles Black Worker Center Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade, Black United Fund, Inc. Monterey Bay Economic Partnership Nevada-Sierra Connecting Point Public Authority North Bay Jobs with Justice Organizacion en California de Lideres Campesinas, Inc. Oroville Southside Community Improvement Association Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California Roots Community Health Center San Joaquin Community Foundation Siskiyou Economic Development Council Small Business Majority Foundation, Inc. Stanislaus Equity Partners The Anti-Recidivism Coalition The Regents of the University of California (UC Berkeley Labor Center) The Regents of the University of California, Merced Two Feathers Native American Family Services United Way California Capital Region West Fresno Family Resource Center Capacity-building funding offers ways for community partners to participate in CEMI.

The Center manages and regrants the funds. Technical Assistance and training builds on our funded partners’ existing organizational capacity and includes the CEMI Resources website , a Steering Committee to provide guidance and oversight, peer learning and linkages to support organizing and power-building.

The Center at Sierra Health Foundation partnered with Informing Change to evaluate our Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI). In our first year, the evaluation found CEMI implementation strongly aligned with the values articulated by The Center. It also concluded that most staff, funding partners and funded partners have had positive experiences with CEMI.

In the second year, the evaluation documented substantive progress in efforts to secure public resources for inclusive economic development. However, shifts in federal funding and increased threats to the safety and dignity of priority communities that are part of CEMI have introduced additional challenges to advancing inclusive economic development.

Nonetheless, CEMI continues to strengthen program implementation, which is even more crucial as the initiative moves into its third year. Learn more and download our reports >> CEMI Resources for Grantee Partners Visit our online hub of resources which provides training, technical assistance and guidance for community organizations.

These resources are designed to help our partner organizations influence inclusive economic development in their communities, cities and regions. Importance of Inclusive Economic Development Research from William Julius Wilson, Ron Ferguson, Katharine Bradbury and Robert Triest has shown that to be inclusive, economic development planning and implementation need to be driven by changes in policy as well as practice and funding.

Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor, in a paper titled Inclusive Economy Indicators , funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and distributed by Brookings Institute, identified five key components of effective inclusive economic development: Growth : Increasing good job and work opportunity Equitable : Upward mobility and reduction of inequality Sustainability : Social and economic well-being is increasingly sustained over time Participation : People can access and participate in markets as workers, consumers, and business owners Stability : Public and private confidence in the future and ability to predict outcome of economic decisions CEMI is funded by a collaborative of philanthropic partners including Sierra Health Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, The California Endowment, The California Wellness Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and Bank of America.

CEMI is managed by The Center. If you are a funder who would like to drive generational inclusive economic development for communities across California, please contact us for more information. The Center Awards $3.

9 Million for Inclusive Economic Development The Center Announces Second-Round CEMI Grantees Learn more in the February-March issue of Partnerships . CEMI Announces Inaugural Grantees Virtual Briefing for Community-Based Organizations Access the webinar recording (YouTube. com) Ensuring Equitable and Sustainable Public Funding: Philanthropy’s Critical Role SoCal Grantmakers Virtual Event Learn more at SoCalGrantmakers.

org New $15 Million Fund for Inclusive Economic Development Sierra Health Foundation and The James Irvine Foundation UC Santa Cruz scholar receives major new grant to support inclusive community development throughout California Philanthropy Needs to Ensure That Massive Infrastructure Spending Goes to Communities That Too Often Miss Out The Chronicle of Philanthropy Sierra Health Foundation and The Center Senior Vice President of Programs and Partnerships Kaying Hang presented at Together for Good: Northern California Grantmakers Annual Conference Project to Help Non-Profits Gain Access to Almost $200B in State and Fed Funds Sierra Health Foundation and The Center President and CEO Chet P.

Hewitt interviewed with KCRA-TV Sacramento California Foundations Look to Ensure Billions in Government Aid Are Allocated Equitably James Irvine Foundation Commits $107 Million to New Prosperity Program The Chronicle of Philanthropy Irvine Foundation awards $35 million, launches $107 million initiative