Member-only story
The Power of Local Nonprofits
Connecting to Place, Working with Community, and Building the Movement
I have had the honor of working with local nonprofits in recent years. Their work is critical to solving local and global problems. I’ve seen firsthand their ability to effect needed change through collaborative efforts such as— Literacy for Environmental Justice, the YMCA of SF, and others in San Francisco Children and Nature; and Climate Resilient Communities, Nuestra Casa, Rise South City, and the Thrive Alliance of Nonprofits in planning San Mateo County’s first-ever Climate Summit with the theme of Adaptation and Equity.
Most nonprofits in the US are small, local, and community-based, leading grassroots change and providing mission-driven services. Ninety-two percent of nonprofits have annual revenues that are less than one million dollars.
Fran Barrett of the Community Resource Exchange in New York City shared her observations about the impact of small nonprofits that often work under the radar:
These small organizations get kids into schools and keep them there, feed hungry people and get them access to entitlements, counsel battered women, and work with immigrants to bridge the gap with a new culture, all the while providing innovative and creative arts and cultural programs.
Barrett further describes how small nonprofits often arise to address a specific local problem like housing evictions and are able to adapt quickly and customize their approach. The effectiveness of their work, and why many such nonprofits are referred to as community-based organizations (CBOs), depends on the depth and quality of their connections to place and local community.
Local nonprofits engage those experiencing the problems in co-creating solutions and directly witness the impact. Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ) in Southeast San Francisco empowers local residents and youth through workforce development programs and community stewardship projects. Their Eco-Apprentice program provides transition-age youth with valuable skills. These apprentices work in LEJ’s native plant nursery, restore nearby ecological sites, and support volunteer and education programs. Through LEJ’s trauma-informed approach and connecting people with nature and…
