From the Field: Anchoring Community Power
By: Keiona Williamson, Journalism Sustainability Director “We remind people they still have the power to fight.” That wisdom, shared with me by a leader from the Rapid Response Network of Kern, continues to steady me. Where the Raids Begin Los Angeles has rightly become the face of immigration detention, with its robust press exposing raids […]
Does Anyone Know We’re Here?
By Priscilla Enriquez, President and CEO I have never worked in a place so incredibly rich and complex as California’s Central Valley. Its history is rooted in waves of migration from all over the globe and from within the U.S. self-determined migrants on the journey to seek the American dream of economic prosperity from the land. […]
Inside Philanthropy: Four Funders Supporting the Right to Protest
Martha Ramirez | July 16, 2025 | Original Article ‘From the Boston Tea Party that served as a harbinger of the Revolutionary War to the racial justice uprisings following the murder of George Floyd, acts of protest have long been a foundational part of American civic life. They serve not only as expressions of frustration […]
Standing United for Immigrant Justice and Dignity
Immigrants Belong in Our Communities and Deserve Dignity We stand in unwavering solidarity with Sacramento’s immigrant communities. Together, we condemn the recent ICE raids and the systemic violations of civil and constitutional rights targeting immigrant families. As institutions committed to equity, dignity, and community power, we are working collectively to support grassroots response efforts, amplify […]
Three Lesser-Known Democracy Funders That Front-Loaded Support This Year
Earlier this year, over 100 philanthropic donors and advisors signed on to the All by April campaign, calling on funders to make most or all of their grant commitments by the end of April so pro-democracy organizations could sufficiently prepare for November’s election.
What I Learned From Foundation Leaders Overseeing Spend-Downs
Mike Scutari | June 27, 2024 SOUNDEATH/SHUTTERSTOCK Last year, I spoke with Priscilla Enriquez, the CEO of the James B. McClatchy Foundation, about the Sacramento-based funder’s plan to sunset by 2030. The board announced their intentions in 2016, and during our call, Enriquez said that as the co-chair of the National Center for Family Philanthropy’s […]
Lisa Burke – Rest in Heavenly Peace
There are few people in organizations who define this word. Lisa Burke was an anchor to JBMF for many reasons: historical and institutional knowledge that always came at clutch moments, as well as a cantilever to hold the organization to its core operational framework, yet also flexible as some of the most durable metals to […]
Central Valley Journalism Collaborative Names Two Veteran Journalists as Staff Reporters
Valley native Brianna Vaccari and multilingual international reporter Nancy Moya to launch beats on government accountability and community issues MERCED, California—The Central Valley Journalism Collaborative (CVJC) announced the hiring of its first two staff reporters, naming veteran journalists Brianna Vaccari and Nancy Moya to foundational roles that will boost the quality and depth of locally […]
