The North State Equity Fund: Strengthening Our Community and Removing Barriers

It seems like it was just yesterday we were living in the uncertainty of the pandemic. We remember stocking up on soup cans and toilet paper, children running up and down the stairs while they were supposed to be learning math on Zoom and rising racial tension. And then the tragic death of George Floyd shook the nation.

Minneapolis was nearly 2,000 miles from our Northern California mountains, yet the message rang clear: we must act.

NSEF grantee Advancing Modoc works to grow resilience in children, train young people to be successful and retain workers and leaders in their rural community.

North State Funders Work Together to Help Shape an Equitable Future

Aware of our own racial issues and the need to respond, United Way of Northern California, North Valley Community Foundation and Community Foundation of the North State joined forces to create the North State Equity Fund (NSEF). The fund was established to promote racial justice and social equity throughout the North State.

Since its inception in 2020, additional funders, including the McConnell Foundation, S.H. Cowell Foundation, Sierra Health Foundation and The California Endowment, have added their support. Together, they have helped uplift voices shaping a more equitable future, providing more than 70 grants to local grassroots organizations doing the on-the-groundwork of racial and social justice. NSEF’s goal is to ensure these resources reach communities across the region, including Shasta, Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties.

 Through trust-based philanthropy, NSEF removes barriers that often prevent small organizations from accessing funding. Many of these groups do not have accounting teams or professional grant writers. Most are powered by passionate volunteers. “The way the grant is set up, you don’t need to be a 501(c)(3) to receive funding,” says Myriam Kalmogho, who oversees NSEF at United Way of Northern California. “You can simply be a group doing amazing work. We don’t require traditional applications like other grants. It removes the stress of ‘I need a grant writer.’”

NSEF Investments Build Strong, Healthy Communities

Last year’s grants invested in a diverse spread of initiatives and organizations, from community pig pens to Afro-Latino dance nights and even AAU basketball teams. Some grantees have been so impacted by NSEF’s support that they returned to give back.

That is the case for former grantee and current NSEF mentor Araceli Gutierrez. With NSEF funding, Araceli’s organization, Latino Outreach of Tehama County, was able to sustain its work through the pandemic. The organization bridges gaps between businesses and Hispanic and Latino communities in Tehama County. Funding helped launch drive-thru health fairs, expand outreach efforts and provide nonprofit management training. Its impact spans multiple generations, bringing people together to build a stronger and healthier Tehama County.

 NSEF Inspires Shared Success

Araceli has seen firsthand how meaningful this funding can be for small organizations where staff members wear multiple hats. As a mentor, she uses her experience to help those struggling. By sharing her successes and failures with Latino Outreach, she can better guide them through whatever problems arise and give them hope that with their passion and determination, their work will soon pay off. “Never be afraid to ask for help,” says Araceli. “It’s our time as mentors to help others and pay it forward.”

The path to creating a nonprofit is long. It presents numerous challenges and requires significant external support. However, the journey is what makes the successes, big or small, so impactful to everyone involved.

Sharing that success becomes a success in itself.

Like a rising tide, each win builds momentum across the nonprofit community, reinforcing partnerships and uplifting others on a similar path. In 2026, the North State Equity Fund plans to convene its grantees to celebrate those wins and encourage one another. If you are interested in getting involved in racial equity or social justice work, consider volunteering with a North State Equity Fund grantee.

A full list of grantees can be found at norcalunitedway.org/nsef.