Our Impact
Cultivate
Our program to nourish connection and collaboration among leaders of color at local nonprofits — and close pervasive fundraising gaps that affect them, their organizations, and the communities they serve.
Members of the first Cultivate cohort
To strengthen the Sacramento region, we must support the success of local nonprofit leaders and fundraisers, the very people who champion positive change.
Cultivate
Local data reflect what we know is true nationwide: nonprofits led by people of color typically receive less funding. This is true despite high-quality outcomes and strong relationships in the communities they serve.
For example, during Big Day of Giving 2022, nonprofits led by people of color raised 38% less on average and received 30% fewer gifts than other similarly sized organizations.
We can close this gap by nourishing connection and collaboration among leaders of color at local nonprofits. That’s the aim of Cultivate.
Cultivate provides ongoing learning and support for local fundraisers of color through two mutually supportive components:
Coaching
Cultivate Coaching offers personalized coaching and opportunities to learn, grow, and advance the impact of organizations led by people who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC).
Cohort members have monthly check-ins with their coaches and attend presentations covering topics aimed to advance their organizations’ goals.
Community
Cultivate Community is a regular convening for people of color who are working to raise funds for nonprofits.
All Cultivators, past and present, are welcome to join Cultivate Community happy hours to connect with peers in the nonprofit space and share quality time.
“Cultivate has been an immense and immeasurable blessing for me. It’s helped me figure out what philanthropy is, what giving is, how to ask for donations, how to build networks. I don’t know that I would have had that without this program.”
Shacunda Rodgers, Holding Space
Good Company
Past participants of Cultivate report they are better equipped to generate funding and grow their organizations’ impact as a result of the program. To date, over 60 local leaders have participated.
We partner with longtime nonprofit fundraiser and Big Day of Giving advisor, Marisa DeSalles of Good Tilth Consulting to offer Cultivate. There is no cost to participate in Cultivate, thanks to generous support from our RCA Community Fund, The James B. McClatchy Foundation, and donors to the Impact Fund of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.
During the 2024-2025 Cultivate session, the program will provide ongoing learning and support for local fundraisers of color through two mutually supportive components:
-
Cultivate Community: a quarterly convening for people of color working to raise funds for nonprofits. Participants networked, connected with topic experts, addressed common challenges and celebrated achievements. Cultivate Community is open to all nonprofit leaders of color hoping to participate.
-
Cultivate Coaching: monthly, personalized check-ins with their coaches and attend presentations covering topics aimed to advance their organizations’ goals.
Cultivate Coaching Cohort:
- Denita Pickens-Jones, P.U.R.E. Youth Group
- Emily Sanders, Connect 2 Change
- Fatima Malik, Del Paso Heights Growers’ Alliance
- Jai Asfall, Birdhouse Fly Away
- James Jackson, iSOUND Performing Arts
- Justine Villanueva, Sawaga River Press
- Paulette Wylie, Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home
- Rabiia Ali, South Sac Mental Health Collaborative
During the 2023-2024 Cultivate session, the program provided ongoing learning and support for local fundraisers of color through two mutually supportive components:
-
Cultivate Community: a quarterly convening for people of color working to raise funds for nonprofits. Participants networked, connected with topic experts, addressed common challenges and celebrated achievements. Toward the end of this year’s program, the cohort engaged in a participatory grantmaking program that awarded $10,000 in grant funding.
-
Cultivate Capacity: support and training related to running a Big Day of Giving campaign. The first phase of the Capacity Cohort focused on readiness. Then, the second phase supplemented regular Big Day of Giving trainings to maximize participants’ success.
All leaders listed below participate in Cultivate Community; leaders marked with asterisks (*) were also members of the capacity-building portion of Cultivate.
- Creo Abraham, Leap Ahead*
- James Alexander, Sacramento Youth Center
- Ali Anderson, Feed Black Futures (fiscally sponsored by Inquiring Systems Inc.)
- Twiana Armstrong, seeMYchild*
- Shirley Arnold, Sovereignty Abound African American Community*
- Liz Baidoo, Celebration Arts*
- Keadrian Belcher, C.L.A.S.S.Y. Inc (Captivating Ladies Acquiring Successful Standards Yearly)*
- Kevin Bichanga, Women of Color on the Move*
- Judy Billingsley, National Coalition of 100 Black Women -Sacramento Chapter
- Wanda Brandon, Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center
- Janne Ault-Brown, The Race and Gender Equity (RAGE) Project*
- Damaris Canton, ION- Individual Opportunity Network*
- Denise Carter, Bright Braille
- Ebony Chambers, Black Womxn United*
- Johanna Crystal, Sunny Side Theatre Co
- Cliven Daluz, Greater Sacramento Urban League
- Victoria Deal, Grandparents Gentle hugs/Seed to Skillet*
- Tanya Faison, Black Lives Matter Sacramento
- Jovana Fajardo, ACCE Institute
- Carlita Ferguson, Sacramento Delta Foundation, Inc.
- Matthew Gilliam, Access Sacramento
- Terrence Gladney, Terrell Christopher Gladney Memorial Academy*
- Kara Green, ABLED*
- Janina Guarino, Better Decisions Counseling*
- Kristee Haggins, Safe Black Space*
- Adrianne Hall, St. HOPE Academy
- Ashley Hammock, World of Powerful Youth*
- Maria Madril Hernandez, Central Valley Movement Building Organizing Institute*
- Dr. Rita Mukherjee Hoffstadt, Folsom History
- James Duran Jackson, I Sound Music Performing Arts Community Development Inc*
- Christina Marie Jeffers, Access Sacramento
- Jenine S Jenkins, Stand Up Placer
- Priya Kumar, Sacramento LGBT Community Center
- Clarissa Laguardia, The California Center for Civic Participation*
- Lee Lo, Asian American Liberation Network*
- Fatima Malik, Del Paso Heights Growers’ Alliance
- Justin Margolis, Family and Community Connections*
- Sydney Mathis, Africa House Sacramento*
- Messiah Millares, Sacramento Literacy Foundation
- Robin Moore, Weforce of California Incorporated*
- Brittney Gandy, PhD, MPH, Sierra Nevada Journeys
- NJ Mvondo, Interactive Healing Arts Project (Fiscally sponsored by Yolo Arts)*
- RoShawn Perry, Daughters of Zion (DOZ) Enterpryz
- Vanessa Richardson, California Groundbreakers*
- Christopher Robinson, 4 Your Epiphany Foundation, Inc.*
- Shacunda Rodgers, Holding Space*
- Qiana Hill-Ross, The GreenHouse*
- Alyssa Saunders, WEAVE
- Leah Savage, Living Well Community Foundation*
- Antonio Smith, AOYNOM FOUNDATION*
- Synthia Smith, Sisters of Nia, Inc.*
- Joshua T. Smith, Improve Your Tomorrow Inc.
- Janae Supuni, Mutual Assistance Network
- Chris Gee Schoon-Tong, My Sister’s House
- Yolanda Torrecillas, KidsFirst
- Mykim Tran, Wake-Up Foundation
- Sommer Hayes-Ware, Associated Students at Sacramento State
- Josephine E Watts, BEST (Building Empowerment Skills Together)*
- Renee West, Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum*
- Linda White, Sacramento Delta Foundation
- Astin Williams, Love Liberated*
- Bobbie Wooten, Feed Sacramento Homeless*
- Liz Baidoo, Celebration Arts
- Myesha Britt, Gateway Community Charter School
- Johánna Crystal, Sunny Side Theatre Co
- Roula England, 350 Sacramento
- Carlos Fuentes, Sacramento Community Concert Association
- Sandra M. Gallardo, Friends of the Sacramento Library
- Dr. Kristee Haggins, Safe Black Space
- Danielle Hamilton, Center for Fathers and Families
- Ashley Hammock, World of Powerful Youth
- Qiana Hill-Ross, The GreenHouse
- Paula Kelley, Kiwanis Family House
- Christina Laygo, Dress for Success Sacramento
- Maria Madril Hernandez, Tower of Youth
- Faith J. McKinnie, Black Artist Foundry
- Gloria Partida, Davis Phoenix Coalition
- Diana Patterson, Sacramento Area Congregations Together
- Josilyn Porras, Franklin Boulevard Business District
- Dr. Shacunda Rodgers, Holding Space
- Synthia Smith, Sisters of Nia, Inc.
- Maria Tebbutt, The Bike Campaign
- Mykim Tran, Wake-Up Foundation
- Sawan Vaden, Community Against Sexual Harm
- Josephine Watts, Building Empowerment Skills Today
- Renee West, Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum
- Nedra Williams, The Living Heritage Foundation
- Wanda Williams, Center for Fathers and Families
- Bobbie Wooten, Feed Sacramento Homeless
Stories of Impact
Discover how Cultivate is helping local nonprofit leaders build a more just and vibrant capital area.
Join This Effort
Cultivate is supported in part by donations to our Impact Fund. Gifts to our Impact Fund support our community’s greatest needs, tackling the deeply rooted issues that impact our region.
