Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance

ESTABLISHED IN 2014 IN LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA, THE TRI-VALLEY NONPROFIT ALLIANCE SERVES ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA.TRI-VALLEY NONPROFIT ALLIANCE (TVNPA) OFFERS REGULAR OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET AND COLLABORATE WITH PEERS TO ENHANCE AND GROW THE SKILLS AND TALENTS OF THE DEDICATED PEOPLE WHO WORK AND VOLUNTEER IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR. ORGANIZATIONS SHARE THEIR CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES, ANNOUNCE JOBS AND EMPLOYMENT OPENINGS, AND NOTIFY EACH OTHER OF UPCOMING VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCES AND EVENTS. TVNPA PROVIDES NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITH INDUSTRY-RELEVANT SEMINARS, COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSIONS AND ALLIANCE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AT MONTHLY MEETINGS AND ORGANIZED EVENTS.

-MONTHLY COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FEATURING QUALITY SPEAKERS IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR, OFFERED FREE-OF-COST 11 MONTHS OF THE YEAR TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.-NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NONPROFITS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, SHARE INFORMATION AND POTENTIALLY BUILD COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS.-ANNUAL GRANT MAKERS PANEL FEATURING GRANTMAKING ORGANIZATIONS SHARING BEST PRACTICES FOR OBTAINING AND STEWARDING GRANTS.-"MEET THE CANDIDATES AND NEWLY-ELECTED OFFICIALS" PROGRAMS.-ANNUAL EMPLOYMENT LAW UPDATES.-CREATION OF THE TRI-VALLEY NONPROFIT FUND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION TO RAISE FUNDS FOR SIX NONPROFITS WORKING ON THE FRONT LINES OF COVID-19.-MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM FOR ORGANIZATIONS, CONSULTANTS, BUSINESSES, AND INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

THE TRI-VALLEY ANTI-POVERTY COLLABORATIVE (TVAPC) PURSUED ITS ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION TO INCREASE EQUITY IN THE TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITY BY SHARING INFORMATION, CREATING CONNECTIONS, AND PROVIDING EDUCATION THROUGH ORGANIZATIONAL, MISSION, AND FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES. TVAPC ACHIEVED ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES BYINITIATING AND COMPLETING A PARTNERSHIP WITH A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH A SIMILAR MISSION THAT WILL PROVIDE BACKBONE SUPPORT TO TVAPC. IN 2020, THE TVAPC STEERING COMMITTEE CREATED CRITERIA FOR THISPARTNERSHIP, VETTED POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERS, AND FORMALIZED AN AGREEMENT FOR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TRI-VALLEY NONPROFIT ALLIANCE. TO INCREASE ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, TVAPC STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS EVALUATED AND REVISED DECISION-MAKING RULES AND GUIDANCE TO THE PROJECT MANAGER IN THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND WORKPLAN. IN THE AREA OF INCREASING FINANCIAL STABILITY, TVAPC PURSUED SEVERAL OBJECTIVES INCLUDING CREATING AN ORGANIZATIONAL BUDGET, CREATING A LIST OF POTENTIAL FUNDERS AND REQUIREMENTS, APPLYING FOR A PROJECT SPONSORSHIP AND MAKING CONTACT WITH GRANTMAKERS. IN THE AREA OF MISSION-RELATED ACTIVITIES, THE TVAPC HOSTED QUARTERLY MEETINGS FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP TO PROMOTE COMMUNICATION ON UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM INTERVENTIONS FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND TO SHARE INFORMATION RELATED TO SERVICES DURING COVID-19. THE PROJECT MANAGER PARTICIPATED IN RELATED EFFORTS BY SITTING ON THE ALL IN ALAMEDA COUNTY STEERING COMMITTEE, THE ALAMEDA COUNTY COVAX COMMITTEE, THE PLEASANTON CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, AND COORDINATED COMMUNICATION VIA EMAIL FOR MEMBERS RELATED TO THEIR PROJECTS AND REQUESTS. TVAPC CONVENED MONTHLY MEETINGS OF THE HOUSING COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SEVERAL ADVOCACY EFFORTS WERE PROMOTED AND THIS COMMITTEE HELD A COMMUNITY FORUM TO PROVIDE EDUCATION ON THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN NOVEMBER OF 2020. FINALLY, THE TVAPC PROVIDED COMMUNITY EDUCATION THROUGH A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN DRIVEN TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEEDS IN THE TRI-VALLEY.

THE TVNPA FORMALLY ESTABLISHED THE TRI-VALLEY AIR QUALITY COMMUNITY ALLIANCE (TVAQCA) IN MARCH 2020. SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE BAAQMD, TVAQCA WAS TASKED WITH THE ORGANIZING PROJECT TO ENGAGE RESIDENTS AND RAISE INTEREST IN LOCAL AIR QUALITY ISSUES IN THE TRI-VALLEY AREA. TVAQCA SET OUT TO DEVELOP,DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO TARGET AND ORGANIZE THE COMMUNITY AROUND AIR QUALITY AND TO UTILIZE AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS, WHICH STIMULATE INTEREST AND INVESTMENT BYPROVIDING COMMUNITIES WITH THE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION TO MEANINGFULLY PARTICIPATE IN DECISIONS THAT IMPACT COMMUNITY HEALTH. IN ADDITION, THE TVAQCA BEGAN TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION TO ABROAD RANGE OF THE COMMUNITY. TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, THE TVAQCA ORGANIZED AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WHOSE PARTICIPANTS ARE CURRENTLY COMPOSED OF COMMUNITY LEADERS CONNECTED WITH A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL, TECHNICAL, AND LEADERSHIP BACKGROUNDS REFERRED BY LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND DRAWN FROM LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEES. THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR GRANT ADMINISTRATION. IT HELD REGULAR MEETINGS AND MONITORED WORK PLAN PROGRESS. THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE REACHED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED ABOUT LOCAL AIR QUALITY ISSUES. THESE CONTACTS FORMED THE ADVISORY GROUP. THIS GROUP, REPRESENTING A WIDE RANGE OF INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS ANDSTAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS, HAS BOTH PROVIDED INPUT AND FACILITATED OUTREACH. WORK TO EXPAND BOTH THE BREADTH AND INVOLVEMENT OF THE ADVISORY GROUP WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. TVAQCA'S SCIENCE COMMITTEE WAS ALSO ACTIVE, DELIVERING ASSESSMENTS AND INTERFACING WITH TECHNICAL STAFF FROM THE AIR DISTRICT TO UNDERSTAND LOCAL AIR QUALITY ISSUES AND ENSURE THAT OUR EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL INTERVENTIONS IS GROUNDED IN SCIENCE. TWO MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN YEAR 1 OF THE SCIENCE COMMITTEE: 1) PROVIDING INPUT IN SUPPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT BY ARENA FLORES (BAAQMD) OF A LAYERED MAP OF THE TRI-VALLEY (HTTPS://ARCG.IS/0VPQI5) TO HELP UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES IN THE AIRSHED; AND 2) CREATING A DOCUMENT "TVAQCA UNDERSTANDING OF AIR QUALITY IN THE TRI-VALLEY" TO HELP THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND OUR AIR QUALITY ISSUES. THROUGH ITS OUTREACH AND INVESTIGATIONS, TVAQCA IDENTIFIED OPPORTUNITIES TO FOCUS FURTHER EFFORTS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: 1) PARTNERING WITH LOCAL MUNICIPAL CLIMATE ACTIONS PLANS. TVAQCA CAN HIGHLIGHT AND HELP EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE CO-BENEFIT OF CLEANER AIR/IMPROVED HEALTH. IT CAN ALSO ADVOCATE FOR PRIORITIZATION OF CAP ACTIONS WHICH OFFER THIS CO-BENEFIT. 2) HASTEN THE TRANSITION TO BATTERY ELECTRIC COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING EQUIPMENT. CARB HAS IDENTIFIED SMALL OFF-ROAD ENGINES (SORE) AS A LARGER CONTRIBUTOR TO AIR POLLUTION THAN CARS IN CALIFORNIA. AT SOME POINT, CARB WILL PHASE OUT PURCHASE OF GAS-POWERED LANDSCAPING EQUIPMENT IN CALIFORNIA, BUT THE AGENCY CANNOT BAN PURCHASE ELSEWHERE AND IMPORT ACROSS STATE LINES; LOCAL ORDINANCES AND INCENTIVES WILL BE NEEDED. THIS TRANSITION HAS BARELY BEGUN IN THE BAY AREA. RESIDENTS WHO RESPONDED TO THE BASELINE TVAQCA SURVEY IDENTIFIED COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING EQUIPMENT AS BOTH AN AIR POLLUTION AND NOISE PROBLEM. 3) WILDFIRE-RELATED EDUCATION AND RISK MITIGATION. WILDFIRE EVENTS WERE UNIVERSALLY AND CORRECTLY RECOGNIZED AS PROBLEMATIC BY BASELINE SURVEY RESPONDENTS. TVAQCA WOULD BE FAILING AS A LOCAL ADVOCATE FOR CLEAN AIR IF IT IGNORED THIS PROBLEM. 4) FINE PARTICULATE MATTER (PM2.5) EDUCATION AND MITIGATION. TVAQCA BELIEVES THAT THE SUMMER SMOG ISSUE WILL CONTINUE TO LESSEN WITH THE ELECTRIFICATION OF TRANSPORT AND OTHER ONGOING TRENDS. THE PARTICULATE MATTER PROBLEM HAS A LESS CLEAR PATH FORWARD. A FIRST STEP IS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND BUILD REGIONAL INTEREST IN SOLUTIONS. TVAQCA PROPOSES STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AS ONE PATH FORWARD. TVAQCA IS EXPLORING POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS (E.G., WITH QUEST SCIENCE CENTER IN LIVERMORE, WITH LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS AND LAS POSITAS COLLEGE, AND WITH STI VIA THEIR STI KIDS MAKING SENSE CURRICULUM) TO ENABLE THIS OUTREACH AND EDUCATION AND TO EMPOWER YOUTH AS ADVOCATES FOR CLEAR AIR.