COVID-19: How we helped Sonoma County Recover

In March 2020, everything changed. Nearly overnight, the nonprofit organizations that act as Sonoma County’s safety net faced a crisis like no other: how to help the thousands of people who suddenly lost jobs or faced other economic hardships survive the widespread closures, how to help students who lacked access to technology or internet at home adapt to distance learning, how to help elderly seniors who were isolated, how to help people with medical needs stay safe in the midst of a pandemic?

For nonprofit leaders, this crisis was compounded by economic uncertainly: would donors continue to give? Would they be able to find funding for the programs they needed to scale up?

As the early months of the pandemic unfolded, we quickly developed a focused grant strategy, investing nearly $4 million from our Sonoma County Resilience Fund into nonprofit organizations supporting communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

The COVID pandemic has repeated the pattern we found to be true from other disasters: when it comes to access to resources, there is a great divide along the lines of both wealth and race, be it having secure employment or access to healthcare and vaccines.

Our donors stepped up to give an unprecedented amount in response to the Covid crisis. Grants from donor advised funds and from our Resilience Fund are making a tremendous impact, helping provide vaccines, food, and economic assistance to thousands of Sonoma County families.

In the two years since the coronavirus pandemic first hit in Sonoma County, our donors (through their donor advised funds) and our Community Impact Team (through our Resilience Fund) activated to give more than $8.2 million to covid-related programs at nonprofits working to help the local community.

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Grants made to support COVID-19 recovery

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Read our Impact Stories:

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Our Grants

[qode_accordion style=”toggle”][qode_accordion_tab title=”Economic Assistance – $3,617,420″ el_id=”economic-assistance”][vc_column_text]

Buckelew Programs: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Burbank Housing Management Corporation: to support the digital divide that low-income families face by providing free, high-quality internet service
California Homemakers Association: to provide deliveries of hygiene supplies, PPE, and fresh and prepared food to low-income families
California Indian Museum & Cultural Center: to provide financial assistance, food, and other relief to Native Americans in Sonoma County
California Parenting Institute (CPI): for general support to contine serving our most vulnerable children and families during this COVID19 crisis
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Centro Legal de la Raza: for the Oakland Undocumented Relief (OUR) Fund
Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County: to support the ongoing services to clients as they navigate food, rent and financial assistance needed due to COVID
Conservation Corps North Bay: to provide paid job training, case management, and basic human needs support for young people of color preparing to enter a workforce impacted by COVID-19
Corazón Healdsburg: to provide direct financial assistance and case management for underserved COVID-19 impacted community members in Northern Sonoma County
Covia Foundation: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Downtown Streets Team: to provide basic needs stipends in the form of gift cards for food, clothing, and medicine to individuals experiencing homelessness
Face to Face Sonoma County AIDS Network: to provide housing, utility, food, transportation or other emergency support for Latinx and BIPOC clients who are ineligible for government funding
Family Justice Center of Sonoma County Foundation: to provide food, housing, immediate needs (gift cards), and emergency supplies to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking
First 5 Sonoma County: to support the Sonoma County Child Care Resiliency Fund, intended to ensure that child care businesses remain sustainable in the midst of the COVID-19 public health emergency
Friends in Sonoma Helping: to support Latinx families and seniors who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 by providing rental assistance
Friends of the Petaluma Family Resource Center at McDowell: to assist low-income families affected by COVID-19 with emergency financial needs
Immigration Institute of the Bay Area: to provide essential immigration legal services to Latinx immigrants
Intersection for the Arts: in support of the Covid – 19 Safety Net Fund for artists
La Luz Center: to support the La Luz Center’s Micro Loan program
La Luz Center: to support low-income Sonoma Valley families with assistance as they work toward regaining financial stability
Legal Aid of Sonoma County: for general operating support
Lilliput Children’s Services: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
NDN Collective: for NDN Covid-19 Response Project
New Venture Fund: for Oakland COVID-19 Relief Fund
New Vision Santa Rosa Foundation: to support grants for small businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19
Next Village SF: to provide assistance to the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic
North Bay Childrens Center Inc: to provide direct child care services and early educational programs for children of essential and front line workers disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
North Bay Organizing Project: to provide direct economic assistance to undocumented families and individuals who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to a reduction or loss of income
North Bay Organizing Project: for youth organizing, housing, and disaster work
On The Move: to support direct emergency financial assistance for Sonoma County Latinx community members for living expenses related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
On The Move: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Petaluma City Schools: to support the McDowell Family Resource Center pilot program Convivencia
Petaluma People Services Center: to support the COVID-19 Eviction Prevention Pilot
Petaluma People Services Center: to support low-income families and individuals impacted by COVID-19 with food and emergency financial needs
River to Coast Children’s Services: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Salvation Army – Santa Rosa: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation: in support of Direct Relief
Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation: in support of the SRJC Crisis Relief Fund
Side by Side: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Sonoma County Black Coalition: to provide COVID-19 Care Packages to low-income families and homeless communities in Santa Rosa and Petaluma
Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation: for the Farmworker Resiliency Fund for farmworkers impacted by COVID-19
Sonoma County Vintners Foundation: in support of the 2020 Sonoma County Wine Auction Fund-A-Need to bridge the technology gap in education and help provide underprivileged youth in Sonoma County with internet access, computers and other resources needed to support remote learning
Sonoma State University DREAM Center: to expand the Undocu-Survival Initiative, which provides financial and technology assistance to undocumented students that allows them to persist in their education and employment
Sonoma State University Seawolf Scholars Program: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Sonoma Valley Community Health Center: to create a pilot program to provide financial assistance to COVID-19 impacted residents of Sonoma Valley
St. Eugene’s Cathedral: to provide financial support to parishioners of St. Eugene’s suffering from the effects of COVID
TLC Child & Family Services: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
United Way of the Wine Country: to launch a fund to support small business in partnership with the Economic Development Board
Verity-Compassion Safety Support: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
West County Community Services: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
YWCA of Sonoma County: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic

[/vc_column_text][/qode_accordion_tab][qode_accordion_tab title=”Food Security – $1,835,144″ el_id=”food”][vc_column_text]

California Homemakers Association: to support the ongoing services related to food distribution provided to clients
California Human Development: to provide education, PPE, and food to day laborers and families that utilize the Day Labor Center Program during COVID-19
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa: to support the food distribution program
Ceres Community Project: for emergency food assistance for local community members affected by the coronavirus health pandemic
Christ Church United Methodist Church: in support of Elisha’s Pantry
Coastal Seniors, Inc: to provide home delivered meals to qualifying Sonoma County seniors and disabled adults
Congregation Shomrei Torah: to support Elisha’s Pantry
Conservation Corps North Bay: to provide emergency food to corpsmembers
Council on Aging Services for Seniors: to provide nutritious meals and wellness checks to low-income seniors in Meals on Wheels service areas
Farm to Pantry: to provide nutritious produce to those who need it most
Feeding America: for general operating support
FISH of the Santa Rosa Area Inc.: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Food Bank for Monterey County: for general operating support
Food For Thought: to provide lifesaving nutrition services to 250 low-income residents of Healdsburg and Geyserville living with serious illnesses
Food For Thought: to provide healthy groceries and meals to low-income Latinx families affected by COVID-19
Foodbank of Santa Barbara County: for general operating support
Forget Me Not Childrens Services: to distribute organic produce and provide animal-assisted and horticultural therapy to children who are survivors of abuse, neglect, community violence and wildfires
Friends in Sonoma Helping: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Healdsburg Shared Ministries: to support the Healdsburg Food Pantry
Institute of Ecological Design: to support the COVID response with food and hygiene kits among the Misqitu tribe
Interfaith Food Sustainable Collaborative: to provide continuity for low-income seniors accessing produce through farmers markets
International Community Foundation: for the Todos Santos Relief Fund. Donation is for the food bank
Justicewise: to sustain and expand the Text FOOD/COMIDA program
LandPaths: to provide food distribution and COVID health, financial, and resource services in Spanish and English to the neighboring community at Bayer Farm
North Bay Organizing Project: to support Food for All/Comida Para Todos food and outreach response to COVID
Northern California Center for Well-Being: to provide medical nutrition services and increased access to critical resources to low-income Latinx and senior populations who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19
Petaluma Ecumenical Properties: for food and grocery cards for 710 senior residents
Redwood Empire Food Bank: to provide health groceries to local individuals, children, and families who have been affected by COVID-19
Roseland School District: for the Roseland Family Food Relief Fund
Salvation Army – Santa Rosa: for food distribution during the Covid-19 crisis
Sonoma Applied Village Services: to provide direct food and outreach services to the homeless of Sonoma County
Sonoma County Black Forum: to provide food assistance to individuals and families and support the Urban Gardening Series
Sonoma Family Meal: to assist with the preparation by chefs of meals to be delivered to nonprofits serving seniors and at-risk families
Sonoma Valley Education Foundation: in support of student lunches and general student support during the COVID-19 crisis
Una Vida: to support the Community Pantry-Crisis Response program developed to support vulnerable community members affected by COVID-19
Vintage House: to stabilize and expand their meal delivery and outreach program
West Seattle Food Bank: for general operating support

[/vc_column_text][/qode_accordion_tab][qode_accordion_tab title=”Healthcare and Mental Health – $1,622,750″ el_id=”health”][vc_column_text]

Alliance Medical Center: for unrestricted support to ensure equitable administration of the COVID vaccine to Sonoma County residents
Alliance Medical Center: General operating support for COVID-19 response
American Red Cross of the California Northwest: for annual contribution
Botanical Bus: to empower Latinx farmworkers, domestic workers, and day laborers in Sonoma County with holistic health resources through a bilingual mobile herb clinic
California Parenting Institute (CPI): to fund a .5 FTE therapist in order to expand the Child Abuse Treatment Program
Centro Laboral de Graton: to support the Membership Vaccination project
Cloverdale Senior Multipurpose Center: to provide mental health support to isolated seniors and other members of the community effected by COVID-19
Coppertower Family Medical Center, dba: Alexander Valley Healthcare: for unrestricted support to ensure equitable administration of the COVID vaccine to Sonoma County residents
Doctors Without Borders: for general operating support
Earle Baum Center of the Blind: for general operating support
Global Offsite Care: in support of Covid-19 response
Henry the Hand Foundation: for purchase of face shields and the area of greatest need
Hospice By The Bay Foundation: to provide increased advocacy, counseling, and resources to low-income, medically fragile children and seniors and their families through the Coronavirus Emergency Fund
Humanidad Therapy & Education Services: to support delivering mental health therapy and resources to some of Sonoma County’s most vulnerable individuals during COVID-19
Inquiring Systems, Inc: to support Farmworker Clinics by providing free integrative health services to Latinx community members working in Sonoma County vineyards as fiscal sponsor to Integrative Healers Action Network
Jewish Community Free Clinic of Sonoma County: to support coronavirus vaccination services focused on vaccinating underserved people, especially immigrants and people of color
Jewish Community Free Clinic of Sonoma County: to support direct services focused on prevention, quarantine, and coping with COVID-19 impact for Latinx, elderly, and other at-risk patients
La Luz Center: to support the El Verano Family Resource Center Mental Health Program
LifeWorks of Sonoma County: to provide bilingual youth and family therapy to the Latino community through the El Puente program
Literacyworks: to provide plain language mental health information, workshops, and resources to low-literacy, low-income Latinx/BIPOC families
Lomi Counseling Clinic: to support delivering mental health therapy and resources to some of Sonoma County’s most vulnerable individuals during COVID-19
NAMI Sonoma County: for general operating support
Northern California Center for Well-Being: for general operating support
Nuestra Comunidad: to provide PPE to vineyard, agricultural, and essential workers through the Farmworker Clinic Project
On The Move: for general operating support to La Plaza, to continue providing outreach and resources to Latinx families during and after the pandemic
Operation Access: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Operation Dignity: for general operating support
Petaluma Health Center: for unrestricted support to ensure equitable administration of the COVID vaccine to Sonoma County residents
Petaluma Health Center: to support the COVID TEAM, a specialized health care team to provide COVID-19 education, outreach, screening/testing, and referrals targeted at uninsured and Latinx populations
Petaluma People Services Center: in support of IsoCare, to assist with telecare for those ordered to self-isolate due to COVID-19
Raizes Collective: to support the Novel Artist Health Equity COVID Campaign event series
Redwood Coast Medical Services: for general operating support
Redwood Community Health Coalition: to support the Outreach and Enrollment program with service referrals to help the most vulnerable families affected by the pandemic and its resulting economic downturn
Samaritan’s Purse: for the Emergency Medicine Fund (#013759) for Covid-19 response
Santa Rosa Community Health: for unrestricted support to ensure equitable administration of the COVID vaccine to Sonoma County residents
Santa Rosa Community Health: to expand the work of Sonoma Community Resilience Collaborative during disasters
Sonoma Valley Community Health Center: for unrestricted support to ensure equitable administration of the COVID vaccine to Sonoma County residents
Sonoma Valley Community Health Center: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation: to support an eight-week mass vaccination clinic
Support Our Students: to support delivering mental health therapy and resources to some of Sonoma County’s most vulnerable individuals during this COVID-19 pandemic
The Living Room: to provide mental health services to women currently experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness
Verity-Compassion Safety Support: to augment therapeutic counseling services to Spanish-speaking survivors of sexual violence and their families
Vintage House Senior Multipurpose Center of Sonoma Valley: to hire a part-time, bilingual vaccine navigator
Vintage House Senior Multipurpose Center of Sonoma Valley: to address food insecurity and mental health issues resulting from the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 on low-income seniors and Latinx residents of Sonoma Valley
West County Community Services: to expand in-home health services and nutritional support to low-income Russian River seniors
West County Community Services: for the Crisis Support Program in response to COVID 19
West County Health Centers: in support of COVID vaccine clinics in West County
West County Health Centers: to provide access to medical and behavioral health services through telehealth patient visits via video or phone and limited in-person visits for dental and other services during COVID-19
YWCA of Sonoma County: to provide trauma-informed and trauma-focused therapy services to victims of domestic violence in Sonoma Valley

[/vc_column_text][/qode_accordion_tab][qode_accordion_tab title=”Housing and Homelessness – $503,650″ el_id=”housing”][vc_column_text]

Alliance Redwoods Conference Grounds: to provide food and shelter for homeless adults
Alliance Redwoods Conference Grounds: for emergency funds / Redwood Gospel Mission program
COTS (Committee on the Shelterless): to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
InterFaith Shelter Network: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
North Beach Citizens: to provide assistance to the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic
PEP Housing: to provide resources to seniors living in PEP Housing during COVID-19
Reach for Home: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Reach for Home: to support winter shelter, rent and utilities support for Healdsburg and Geyserville community members
Rebuilding Together – Petaluma: for general operating support
Redwood Gospel Mission: for general operating support
Shared Housing and Resource Exchange California: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Social Advocates for Youth: to provide job support to homeless youth
Sonoma Applied Village Services: for operating expenses
Sonoma Overnight Support: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice: for the Emergency Shelter for Homeless Families Program
St. Vincent De Paul Society of Sonoma County: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Living Room: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
TLC Child & Family Services: to support transition-age homeless youth in the THP-Plus Expansion program with a monthly basic needs stipend to help ensure Rapid Rehousing

[/vc_column_text][/qode_accordion_tab][qode_accordion_tab title=”Other – $625,500″ el_id=”other”][vc_column_text]

10,000 Degrees: for General Operating expenses
Alexander Valley Film Society: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Art Escape: to support organizational sustainability during the COVID-19 crisis
Artstart: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Bay Nature Institute: for general operating support
Becoming Independent: for 2020 annual contribution
Bilingual Broadcasting Foundation: to inform English, Spanish, Triqui, Mixteco and Chatino speaking community critical information on the COVID-19 pandemic
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin: to support the Distance Learning Clubs
Boys and Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley: to support organizational sustainability during the COVID-19 crisis
California Indian Museum & Cultural Center: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
California Poets in the Schools: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership: to develop and implement a webinar series titled, Stronger Together: Effective Nonprofit Leadership During the Crisis
Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership: to support the operations of Sonoma County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (SC-COAD)
Charles M. Schulz Museum & Research Center: for general operating support
Children’s Museum of Sonoma County: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Cinnabar Arts Corporation: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Commonwealth Club of California: for 2020 operating expenses including COVID-19 Fund
Corazon Healdsburg: to support Camp HBG 2.0
Crocker Art Museum: for general operating support
First Congregational Church of Sonoma: for Rev’d Dr. Curran’s discretion – Covid-19 response
Healdsburg Center for the Arts: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Healdsburg Education Foundation: for general support in advance of year-end
Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Inc: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
H-Town Youth Theatre DBA Young Actors Studio and Left Edge Theatre: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Hudson River Museum: for general operating support
International Community Foundation: for benefit of Palapa Society of Todos Santos
Juliette’s House: for general operating support
Kid Scoop News: to provide urgent literacy educational news materials for Latinx families, children, and low-income seniors suffering from COVID-19 disruption and insecurity
Knights of Indulgence Theatre United States: for general operating support
Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation: for general operating support
LandPaths: in support of LandPaths summer camp scholarships
Lifehouse.: for 2020 annual contribution
Main Stage West: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Museum of Sonoma County: to assist the Museum during the Covid-19 closure
Oakland Museum of California: for general operating support
Occidental Center for the Arts: for general operating support
Pepperwood Foundation: for general operating support
Petaluma Arts Center: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Petaluma Educational Foundation: to support TK-12 grade students with Social Emotional Learning Programs helping students and families adapt to challenges of COVID-19
Raizes Collective: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Roustabout Theater: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Russian Riverkeeper: for annual support in advance of year end. We hope others will step up without the need for events and other “virtual” gatherings.
San Francisco Conservatory of Music: for general operating support
San Jose Museum of Art Association: for general operating support
Sebastiani Theatre Foundation: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Sebastopol Center for the Arts: for general operating support
Side by Side: to support the New Immigrant Collaborative pilot at Healdsburg Junior High School
Sonoma Community Center: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Sonoma Conservatory of Dance: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
Sonoma Ecology Center: to support organizational sustainability during the COVID-19 crisis
Sonoma Land Trust: for general operating support
Sonoma Springs Community Hall: to support organizational sustainability during the COVID-19 crisis
Sonoma Valley Education Foundation: to support Preschool for All providing tuition-free, high-quality preschool education to low-income students in Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance: to support organizational sustainability during the COVID-19 crisis
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art: for general operating support
Sonoma Valley Youth & Family Services: to support organizational sustainability during the COVID-19 crisis
St. Helena Montessori School: in support of students needing assistance during the pandemic
St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church: for Rector’s discretionary fund – Covid-19 response
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Burlingame: for Rector’s discretionary fund – Covid -19 response
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church: for Rector’s discretionary fund – Covid 19
Teen Services Sonoma: to support organizational sustainability during the COVID-19 crisis
The Bishop’s Ranch: for 2020 annual contribution
Transcendence Theatre Company: to support immediate organizational needs related to COVID-19
United Way of the Wine Country: to support 2-1-1
Vintage House: to support organizational sustainability during the COVID-19 crisis
Vital Immigrant Defense Advocacy and Service: to support the Secure Families Collaborative
Women’s Recovery Services: to provide support for economically vulnerable individuals and nonprofit operations affected during the COVID-19 pandemic
Yamhill Community Action Partnership: for general operating support
YWCA of Sonoma County: for general operating support