The Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI) is a countywide grantmaking program to assist eligible organizations in building their knowledge and capacity to participate in upcoming local, state, and federal funding and planning opportunities.
CEMI is an innovative effort to advance equity, inclusion and the goals of federal and state climate-resilient economic development initiatives.
CEMI Grant Round One
As part of the post-pandemic recovery efforts, there are many new public funding opportunities to promote inclusive and resilient economic reinvestment. Organizations in San Joaquin County have and unprecedented opportunity to access these funds benefit our area. Public funding opportunities take a significant investment of time and staffing to plan, apply for, and manage. Although many organizations are doing extraordinary work locally, many of them need staffing, equipment, consultants, training, and more to take on the fiscal and administrative burden these opportunities can bring.
In partnership with The Center at Sierra Health Foundation’s Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI), San Joaquin Community Foundation and Edge Collaborative launched a countywide philanthropic grantmaking initiative to assist eligible organizations in building their knowledge and capacity to participate in upcoming local, state, and federal funding and planning opportunities.
This is a $1.6M one-time funding opportunity, broken out into three rounds. Eligible organizations interested in pursuing public funding opportunities were invited to apply for the first round’s organizational capacity building grant in the fall. There is a total of $500,000 being granted for this first round of funding. The second round of funding, focused on project development to apply for and manage public funding opportunities, will be released in early 2024.
Grantees
This grant process demonstrated the significant need our county faces with organizations needing more foundational support to stabilize, strengthen, and grow their impact and ability to access sustainable public funding. We received 95 applications requesting a total of $4.3 million in funding. With the $500,000 available funding for funding in Round 1, we are proud to award organizational capacity building grants to the following 14 organizations.
2023
Delta Sculling Center – $50,000
Mission: Break down barriers and encourage people to experience rowing as a sport that is equitably available for all.
Unbound Stockton Community School – $50,000
Mission: Education/school for upper-level elementary focused on community leadership.
iHub San Joaquin – $50,000
Mission: Provide education and training to entrepreneurs to improve local job creation/economic development.
San Joaquin Pathways Community HUB (fiscally-sponsored by San Joaquin Community
Foundation) – $50,000
Mission: Evidence-based community-centered care coordination driven by community health workers.
Restore the Delta – $40,000
Mission: Committed to restoring Sac-SJ Delta to protect water quality and EJ communities are
protected from flood and drought impacts from climate change.
San Joaquin Arts Council – $40,000
Mission: Support all artists, arts organizations, and cultural bearers in San Joaquin County, as well as provide consistent grant funding to existing local programs.
Friends Outside – $40,000
Mission: Offers evidence-based services to adults and youth who are incarcerated, reentering
the community or at risk
Concrete Development Inc. – $35,000
Mission: Equip violence-impacted and marginalized individuals w/tools to empower, educate, and engage in self-healing, self-development, and self-advocacy.
Hijas del Campo – $30,000
Mission: Support migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families to improve working conditions, health, and safety.
Community Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CCBVI) – $25,000
Mission: Provide the information, tools, and resources that will empower and inspire people who are blind or visually impaired.
San Joaquin Building Trades Council – $25,000
Mission: Works to increase the amount and availability of local High Road Construction jobs in San Joaquin County.
Sow A Seed Community Foundation – $25,000
Mission: Empower youth and their families with mentoring and mental health programs to overcome social-emotional and mental health challenges.
Equity Alliance Group Inc., (Lead Organization) and NAACP Stockton Branch – $25,000
Mission: Strengthen capacity to address equity and inclusion through advocacy and training in the San Joaquin Valley and to reduce inequity in African-American Communities impacted by systemic racism.
North Valley Labor Federation – $15,000
Mission: Partnership between labor unions in Northern San Joaquin Valley representing tens of
thousands of workers in virtually every sector.
Grant One Resource Information
- Capacity Building Grant RFP (PDF)
- View the recording of the Capacity Building Grant – Use Passcode: 3=r?wL$7
- Access a PDF of the slides from the Capacity Building Grant Informational Webinar
- Review CEMI Survey and Grant 1 FAQs
- Grant applications period closed on December 1, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. (PST)
- See Full Listing of Grantees
Partners
