Taking the Lead in Responding to a Generational Economic Opportunity
California is on the cusp of receiving an unprecedented level of financial investments to strengthen its climate resiliency, transportation infrastructure, and housing. The Center at Sierra Health Foundation’s Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI) is an inclusive and equitable effort to build knowledge and capacity with California nonprofits and tribal partners, equipping them to participate in these funding opportunities, which they have been historically excluded from.
Preparing for an Unprecedented Level of Financial Investment
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 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.
CEMI Brochure
Download the CEMI brochure to learn more about CEMI’s collaborative approach to inclusive economic development. You’ll also hear from our funding partners and learn more about why “CEMI = See Me!”
Our Solution for Increasing Inclusive Economic Development
The Center at Sierra Health Foundation launched the Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI) to assist nonprofits in building their knowledge and capacity so that they are poised to participate in these funding opportunities. CEMI is an innovative effort to advance equity, inclusion and the goals of federal and state climate-resilient economic development initiatives.
- Provides grant funding for community-based organizations to leverage public funding opportunities
- Strengthens the capacity of nonprofits to address disproportionate and historic economic and employment disparities in under-resourced and BIPOC communities
- Establishes new policy frameworks and practice models that increase and sustain nonprofit engagement in recovery planning and implementation efforts and ensure underserved communities benefit from recovery investments
- Organizes across funder and interest area portfolios to link and leverage the impact of individual and collective investments made by public and private partners
- Assesses the scope and impact of enhanced community engagement and influence within and across selected economic and climate-resilient regions
Core CEMI Components
A Funder-designated Advised Fund and a Pooled Fund 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.
Mobilizing Community and Building Power to create a statewide advocacy network to amplify and build a grassroots constituency, develop and cultivate relationships with policy champions, and create accountability to ensure that goals are integrated at all levels of activity.
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
Join Our Funder Movement
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 Foundation, The California Endowment and The California Wellness Foundation, and it 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.
CEMI News
The Center Awards $3.9 Million for Inclusive Economic Development
Announcement
July 6, 2023
The Center Announces Second-Round CEMI Grantees
Learn more in the February-March issue of Partnerships.
March 24, 2023
CEMI Announces Inaugural Grantees
Announcement
November 3, 2022
Virtual Briefing for Community-Based Organizations
Webinar
November 29, 2022
Access the webinar recording (YouTube.com)
Ensuring Equitable and Sustainable Public Funding: Philanthropy’s Critical Role
SoCal Grantmakers Virtual Event
June 30, 2022
Learn more at SoCalGrantmakers.org
New $15 Million Fund for Inclusive Economic Development
News release
Sierra Health Foundation and The James Irvine Foundation
April 27, 2022
In the Media
UC Santa Cruz scholar receives major new grant to support inclusive community development throughout California
UC Santa Cruz
Dec. 13, 2022
Philanthropy Needs to Ensure That Massive Infrastructure Spending Goes to Communities That Too Often Miss Out
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
June 1, 2022
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
May 5, 2022
Project to Help Non-Profits Gain Access to Almost $200B in State and Fed Funds
Observer News Group
May 4, 2022
Sierra Health Foundation and The Center President and CEO Chet P. Hewitt interviewed with KCRA-TV Sacramento
May 3, 2022
California Foundations Look to Ensure Billions in Government Aid Are Allocated Equitably
Inside Philanthropy
Subscription-only access
April 27, 2022
James Irvine Foundation Commits $107 Million to New Prosperity Program
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Subscription-only access
April 6, 2022
Irvine Foundation awards $35 million, launches $107 million initiative
Philanthropy News Digest
April 4, 2022