Kat Taylor

POLITICO with an important update for CDFI banks waiting on Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) financial assistance awards: "The Treasury Department has proposed to the Office of Management and Budget that applicants file a so-called supplemental application for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund financial assistance awards disclosing their use for any DEI or climate purposes, said two people with direct knowledge of the plans who were granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. OMB has yet to agree to the application." https://ow.ly/JilF50WVrWZ

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📄 NOW LIVE: Regional Climate Collaboratives (RCC) Year 2 Annual Reports! 🌱🫱🏽‍🫲🏾The RCC Year 2 Annual Reports highlight how community-led, Tribal-led, and regional partnerships across California are building climate resilience grounded in equity, collaboration, and real results. From Tribal climate leadership in Los Angeles County to community-driven planning in Marin, workforce and clean energy investments in Southern California, rural resilience in Siskiyou, and neighborhood-based solutions in the San Joaquin Valley, these collaboratives are turning planning into action. 💡 Year 2 highlights include: ✅ Millions secured for climate, housing, workforce, and wildfire resilience ✅ Hundreds of community workshops, surveys, and engagement events ✅ Tribal Sovereignty centered through technical assistance and funding access ✅ Stronger partnerships across local governments, community-based organizations, Tribes, and agencies As federal funding landscapes shift, RCC partners continue to adapt by leveraging state, local, and philanthropic resources to keep climate solutions moving forward. 📊 Read the full reports to see how California communities are leading the way toward a more resilient future. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gd6AaUjE The RCC Program supports under-resourced communities by funding cross-sector partnerships that drive regional climate action. Collaboratives bring together Tribes, nonprofits, local governments, small businesses, and community-rooted organizations. Together, they build plans, strengthen leadership, and access funding for climate projects that serve community needs. #RCC #TribalLeadership #ClimateAction #CaliforniaForAll

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We are excited to announce a new report from CLEE’s Equitable Climate Infrastructure Investment initiative: “Mapping California State Investments in Climate and Communities.” Policy makers are increasingly using community benefits tools at the local, regional and state level in California. However, in order to be successful, these tools require significant investment in “soft”, or civic, infrastructure. CLEE’s latest report summarizes the existing soft infrastructure that has been created through state investments in the North and Central Coasts of California. Efforts to harness and augment existing soft infrastructure can help California achieve climate mitigation and adaptation goals, while also paving a new path for community-inclusive and equitable climate solutions. 📒 Read the report: https://lnkd.in/g9HHN5tQ  🔖 Report authors: Katherine Hoff, Ted Lamm, Malcolm Johnson, and Louise Bedsworth

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#MobilizeWithUs | In our commitment to advancing #racial, #social, and #economic justice, it is essential that we closely examine patterns present in philanthropy. Northern California Grantmakers has partnered with Candid in 2025 to more closely examine grantmaking practices, demographic data, and the impact of philanthropy in the region. 📊 By diligently gathering and analyzing demographic data about the organizations being funded, philanthropy can gain valuable insights and make meaningful strides toward achieving #RacialEquity. 📊 #Data is critical to sharing the impact of philanthropy, especially in a time when we see foundations and nonprofits coming under increasing scrutiny. With this clear framework in place, we can hold the sector #accountable for our funding decisions and #transparently assess our progress year after year, ensuring that our efforts contribute to real and lasting change. 📁 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gij2t9PP

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Are you a public agency staffer, policymaker, or housing developer working at the intersection of climate and equitable housing? Climate Smart Housing Collective (CSHC) has published a new case study - "Facilitating Multisectoral Gatherings to Leverage Energy and Housing Funding" - highlighting work done with California housing and energy agencies to accelerate equitable decarbonization in housing. This case study offers practical guidance on how to: • Convene meaningful gatherings across sectors • Build authentic relationships that unlock funding and impact • Advance equitable decarbonization in low-income communities Let it inform how you design and scale collaborative climate-smart housing programs. Share, discuss, and let’s raise the bar on interagency coordination! https://lnkd.in/d2rasw-p #ClimateSmartHousing #AffordableHousing #EquitableDecarbonization #CrossSectorCollaboration #PolicyInnovation 🌟 About the Climate Smart Housing Collective (CSHC)🌟 Climate change and housing are pressing global issues, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities that have historically been overlooked in clean energy funding. While policies like the Inflation Reduction Act and Justice40 initiative aimed to address these disparities, recent shifts threaten critical housing and climate investments. The Climate Smart Housing Collective (CSHC) is working to advance equitable decarbonization by providing resources for public agencies, lenders, and developers. Our website offers case studies, reports, and a funding database to support climate-smart housing solutions. CSHC is a collaboration between Global Policy Leadership Academy (GPLA) and Community Sustainability Partners (CSP), with generous support from Wells Fargo Foundation.

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Are you a public agency staffer, policymaker, or housing developer working at the intersection of climate and equitable housing? Climate Smart Housing Collective (CSHC) has published a new case study - "Facilitating Multisectoral Gatherings to Leverage Energy and Housing Funding" - highlighting work done with California housing and energy agencies to accelerate equitable decarbonization in housing. This case study offers practical guidance on how to: • Convene meaningful gatherings across sectors • Build authentic relationships that unlock funding and impact • Advance equitable decarbonization in low-income communities Let it inform how you design and scale collaborative climate-smart housing programs. Share, discuss, and let’s raise the bar on interagency coordination! https://lnkd.in/d2rasw-p #ClimateSmartHousing #AffordableHousing #EquitableDecarbonization #CrossSectorCollaboration #PolicyInnovation 🌟 About the Climate Smart Housing Collective (CSHC)🌟 Climate change and housing are pressing global issues, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities that have historically been overlooked in clean energy funding. While policies like the Inflation Reduction Act and Justice40 initiative aimed to address these disparities, recent shifts threaten critical housing and climate investments. The Climate Smart Housing Collective (CSHC) is working to advance equitable decarbonization by providing resources for public agencies, lenders, and developers. Our website offers case studies, reports, and a funding database to support climate-smart housing solutions. CSHC is a collaboration between Global Policy Leadership Academy (GPLA) and Community Sustainability Partners (CSP), with generous support from Wells Fargo Foundation.

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Investors and grantmakers can do more to support the people in rural America who fuel our economy, feed our families, and power our future. The Rural Funding Guide, a new resource from Partners for Rural Transformation, an RWJF grantee, outlines eight key principles to ensure investments in rural communities are impactful, equitable, and sustainable. From putting community voice first to making capital more accessible, these strategies empower rural leaders to drive lasting change. Read the Rural Funding Guide today and learn how to best support economic prosperity in rural places. https://lnkd.in/exFxdY3p

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Employee ownership is increasingly framed as good business, not just a values-driven choice. California Center for Cooperative Development This California op-ed reflects a broader shift: ownership models that center workers can strengthen companies, communities, and regional economies at the same time. California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) California Economic & Workforce Development As more states explore succession and workforce stability solutions, these narratives matter. 🔗 https://hubs.li/Q040XLjV0 #EmployeeOwnership #EconomicDevelopment #Policy

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How are states allocating their drinking and clean water state revolving funds? 💧 SSDN’s Environmental Finance Center staff joined partners at the Rural Community Assistance Partnership Incorporated (RCAP) National State Revolving Fund Infrastructure Financing and Training Workshop to learn, share, and strengthen our collective efforts to ensure water affordability and resilience. The need is urgent: according to EPA, roughly 9% of U.S. households spend more than 4.5% of their income on water and wastewater bills—a level that raises real concerns about affordability. We’re grateful to Catherine Mercier-Baggett for representing SSDN in these critical conversations. Together, we’re working to ensure that every community has access to safe, affordable, and sustainable water systems. #WaterAffordability #Infrastructure #StateRevolvingFund #SSDN

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The Sustainable Grantmaking Benchmark is more than a scorecard. It’s a tool for philanthropy to assess their grantmaking practices and their capacity to drive systems change. The California Endowment’s Gold designation reflects its deep and ongoing commitment to sustainable grantmaking. The foundation’s portfolio is built on renewal and relationship; most grantees receive multiyear funding and are supported repeatedly over time. The majority of grants are unrestricted, enabling organizations to direct resources flexible and sustainably. To learn more, follow the link in our comments!

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There are many examples of success stories from Southern California that philanthropists can use as a roadmap to improving or starting new civic engagement initiatives. SCG’s 2025 Public Policy Conference featured a powerful breakout session on this topic, Strengthening Civic Engagement through Innovative Partnerships and Narrative Strategies, led by Sky Allen (Inland Empire United Education Fund), Mike Dennis (Liberty Hill Foundation), Susan Gomez (Inland Empire Community Collaborative), Margarita (Castaneda) Luna (The California Endowment), and Dr. Ryan J. Smith, EdD (St. Joseph Center). Read "A Southern California Civic Engagement Roadmap for a New Political Landscape" by Hansen Bursic, Manager, Marketing & Communications, SoCal Grantmakers, to learn about the two civic engagement initiative success stories this session offered: the campaign to pass Los Angeles County’s Measure A and the Inland Empire Funders Alliance’s Civic Engagement Pooled Fund. Our blog provides a high-level synthesis of the session, using these two initiatives as case studies to share how foundations can maximize their impact when funding civic engagement initiatives. Read more: https://buff.ly/z2JhL2R #SCGNews #PPC25 #Philanthropy

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