Orange County Grantmakers

Orange County Economic Resilience Fund (CERF)

What is CERF?

The $600 million Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) was created to facilitate a sustainable and equity focused economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Administered by the state, CERF aims to:  Promote a sustainable and equitable recovery from COVID-19 that creates high- quality and accessible jobs for all Californians Support the development of regional economic roadmaps that invest in industries that will thrive in a carbon-neutral future and build sustainable economic growth  Align and leverage state, federal, philanthropic, and private-sector investments to maximize recovery efforts and catalyze long-term economic resilience Integrate the priorities of community residents into regional planning processes Each region of CA was provided an equal amount of funding to accomplish these goals. Orange County received $5,000,000.  In Orange County, this will be accomplished through the High Road Transition Collaborative, a multi-sector group established to advance the high-level objectives of CERF. Together as a community, the HRTC will:  Coordinate regional efforts to maximize resources and impact Develop data-driven frameworks to measure success and ensure accountability Design and deploy effective community engagement processes Collaborate with funders to implement equitable re-granting for capacity-building in regions and communities Establish stakeholder groups to activate and engage various sectors

A Community Effort

In Orange County, the Orange County Business Council serves as the convener for the collaborative with Charitable Ventures as a fiscal agent. This brings together community experts with both a business and nonprofit background to deploy the communication and resources needed to make the effort successful.

The High Road Transition Collaborative consists of representatives from every industry with over 70 voting members. Attention was focused on ensuring equal and diverse representation across the sectors and service areas.
Additionally, the HRTC is supported by industry specific stakeholder groups (including CA Native American Tribes, Business, Education, Environmental Justice, Grassroots Organizations and CBOS, Government, Labor, Philanthropy and Workforce Development) meant to drive collaboration within the various sectors and support the identification of future projects for investment. Orange County Grantmakers and the Orange County Community Foundation support the philanthropic stakeholder group.
Orange County Economic Resilience Fund

Timeline

Due December 31, 2023.
Regional Plan Part I
Comprises of a stakeholder map, regional summary on the economy, climate and environment, and public health, labor market analysis, industry cluster analysis, and SWOT Analysis.
Due December 31, 2023.
Due June 30, 2024.
Regional Plan Part II
Comprises of Vision and Goals, and strategies for:
  • Growth of targeted industries
  • Increasing economic diversification
  • Responding effectively to economic shocks
  • Increasing economic equity
  • Increasing health and environmental equity
  • Aligning with State strategies
Also includes identifying 2-5 investments or projects into a competitive grant pool totaling nearly $270 million.

The goal is for a SFP for projects to be released January 1, 2024, with formal proposals due February 29, 2024. Each stakeholder group will have the opportunity to elevate two projects in March with the HRTC evaluating and selecting projects from April – June 2024.
Due June 30, 2024.

Engagement Strategy

Through the HRTC process, community partners are invited to provide feedback and suggestions, informed by data and research, into prospective projects and community collaboratives. Currently, 27 Orange County based organizations have been funded to support expanded outreach and engagement with a focus on disinvested community members.

These organizations are: 

  • Abrazar
  • Ahri Center
  • Banning Ranch Conservancy
  • BPSOS Center for Community Advancement, Inc.
  • California Forward
  • CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County
  • Climate Action Campaign
  • Community Action Partnership of Orange County
  • Cooperación Santa Ana
  • CREER Comunidad y Família
  • Delhi Center
  • Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County
  • Goodwill Industries of Orange County
  • HOPE Community Services
  • Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County
  • Latino Health Access
  • OC Coastkeeper
  • OC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • OC Labor Federation
  • OCCORD
  • OMID Multicultural Institute for Development
  • Orange County Iranian American Chamber of Commerce
  • Sustain SoCal
  • The Kennedy Commission
  • THRIVE Santa Ana
  • VietRISE
  • Vital Access Care Foundation

These organizations are currently out in the community, hosting community forums, pop-ip events, town halls, focus groups, door-to-door canvasing, social media, radio shows, and presentations, all with the goal of engaging every member of the Orange County community in the development of ideas and projects. Once completed, the findings will be analyzed and presented to the HRTC to inform what strategies and projects should be priorities for the Regional Plan Part II. 

Funder Alignment and Investment

While initial funding for the CERF Process has come from the state, we know that to truly develop community based roadmaps and build out the long-term projects to support them, additional philanthropic dollars will need to be aligned. Through the existing work of Orange County Grantmakers and the Orange County Community Foundation, funders are invited to support this work in a variety of ways. 

Data - $50K 

As part of the CERF process, the HRTC has engaged the UCI Labor Law Center to develop a set of data tables to identify employment and wage patters in the region. This enhances the existing data research already being undertaken through the CERF planning process. To the extent possible, the UCI Labor Law Center will identify union density and wage differentials and will aid the OC CERF process in developing strategies to build a more equitable, resilient, and environmentally sustainable economy as well as recommend regional investments to bring those strategies to life. 

Currently, OCG is already supporting the re-fresh of the 2019 Orange County Equity Profile, the first report of its kind to look at our region with an equity lens. Philanthropy is invited to support this need for additional data to in order to provide the most accurate picture for the current equity landscape and ensure alignment of the proposed projects under CERF. 

Stakeholder and Community Engagement – Ongoing Support Needed 

All stakeholder groups are co-led by trusted community organizations. These organizations, many of them small nonprofits, are doing so without compensation but provide the integral role to the HRTC of securing community input on the planned CERF outcomes. While not voting groups, their feedback ensures the CERF process is truly representative of all of Orange County. 

Additional funds will also allow the HRTC and supporting partners to host more community forums to provide CERF updates and for the community to weigh in on projects they would find most impactful once proposals start coming in. 

Funding will be used to compensate the community organizations leading the convening as well as the attendees attending.

The Ask

While the projects will be submitted to the state for funding, we know that it is critical for Orange County to receive the maximum amount of funding possible by showing the state that Philanthropy and our community is already invested. Therefore, we encourage funder to get involved NOW, in order to demonstrate that the projects already have key community and philanthropic buy-in and investment.

Empowering Economic Resilience in Orange County

The $600 million Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) was created to facilitate a sustainable and equity focused economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Administered by the state, CERF aims to: 

  • Promote a sustainable and equitable recovery from COVID-19 that creates high- quality and accessible jobs for all Californians
  • Support the development of regional economic roadmaps that invest in industries that will thrive in a carbon-neutral future and build sustainable economic growth 
  • Align and leverage state, federal, philanthropic, and private-sector investments to maximize recovery efforts and catalyze long-term economic resilience
  • Integrate the priorities of community residents into regional planning processes

Each region of CA was provided an equal amount of funding to accomplish these goals. Orange County received $5,000,000. 

In Orange County, this will be accomplished through the High Road Transition Collaborative, a multi-sector group established to advance the high-level objectives of CERF. Together as a community, the HRTC will: 

  • Coordinate regional efforts to maximize resources and impact
  • Develop data-driven frameworks to measure success and ensure accountability
  • Design and deploy effective community engagement processes
  • Collaborate with funders to implement equitable re-granting for capacity-building in regions and communities
  • Establish stakeholder groups to activate and engage various sectors

In Orange County, the Orange County Business Council serves as the convener for the collaborative with Charitable Ventures as a fiscal agent. This brings together community experts with both a business and nonprofit background to deploy the communication and resources needed to make the effort successful.

The High Road Transition Collaborative consists of representatives from every industry with over 70 voting members. Attention was focused on ensuring equal and diverse representation across the sectors and service areas. Additionally, the HRTC is supported by industry specific stakeholder groups (including CA Native American Tribes, Business, Education, Environmental Justice, Grassroots Organizations and CBOS, Government, Labor, Philanthropy and Workforce Development) meant to drive collaboration within the various sectors and support the identification of future projects for investment. Orange County Grantmakers and the Orange County Community Foundation support the philanthropic stakeholder group.

Regional Plan Part I 

Comprises of a stakeholder map, regional summary on the economy, climate and environment, and public health, labor market analysis, industry cluster analysis, and SWOT Analysis. 

Due December 31, 2023.

Regional Plan Part II

Comprises of Vision and Goals, and strategies for:

  • Growth of targeted industries
  • Increasing economic diversification
  • Responding effectively to economic shocks
  • Increasing economic equity
  • Increasing health and environmental equity
  • Aligning with State strategies

Also includes identifying 2-5 investments or projects into a competitive grant pool totaling nearly $270 million. 

Due June 30, 2024. 

The goal is for a SFP for projects to be released January 1, 2024, with formal proposals due February 29, 2024. Each stakeholder group will have the opportunity to elevate two projects in March with the HRTC evaluating and selecting projects from April – June 2024. 

Through the HRTC process, community partners are invited to provide feedback and suggestions, informed by data and research, into prospective projects and community collaboratives. Currently, 27 Orange County based organizations have been funded to support expanded outreach and engagement with a focus on disinvested community members. These organizations are: 

  • Abrazar
  • Ahri Center
  • Banning Ranch Conservancy
  • BPSOS Center for Community Advancement, Inc.
  • California Forward
  • CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County
  • Climate Action Campaign
  • Community Action Partnership of Orange County
  • Cooperación Santa Ana
  • CREER Comunidad y Família
  • Delhi Center
  • Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County
  • Goodwill Industries of Orange County
  • HOPE Community Services
  • Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County
  • Latino Health Access
  • OC Coastkeeper
  • OC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • OC Labor Federation
  • OCCORD
  • OMID Multicultural Institute for Development
  • Orange County Iranian American Chamber of Commerce
  • Sustain SoCal
  • The Kennedy Commission
  • THRIVE Santa Ana
  • VietRISE
  • Vital Access Care Foundation

These organizations are currently out in the community, hosting community forums, pop-ip events, town halls, focus groups, door-to-door canvasing, social media, radio shows, and presentations, all with the goal of engaging every member of the Orange County community in the development of ideas and projects. Once completed, the findings will be analyzed and presented to the HRTC to inform what strategies and projects should be priorities for the Regional Plan Part II. 

While initial funding for the CERF Process has come from the state, we know that to truly develop community based roadmaps and build out the long-term projects to support them, additional philanthropic dollars will need to be aligned. Through the existing work of Orange County Grantmakers and the Orange County Community Foundation, funders are invited to support this work in a variety of ways. 

Data – $50K 

As part of the CERF process, the HRTC has engaged the UCI Labor Law Center to develop a set of data tables to identify employment and wage patters in the region. This enhances the existing data research already being undertaken through the CERF planning process. To the extent possible, the UCI Labor Law Center will identify union density and wage differentials and will aid the OC CERF process in developing strategies to build a more equitable, resilient, and environmentally sustainable economy as well as recommend regional investments to bring those strategies to life. 

Currently, OCG is already supporting the re-fresh of the 2019 Orange County Equity Profile, the first report of its kind to look at our region with an equity lens. Philanthropy is invited to support this need for additional data to in order to provide the most accurate picture for the current equity landscape and ensure alignment of the proposed projects under CERF. 

Stakeholder and Community Engagement – Ongoing Support Needed 

All stakeholder groups are co-led by trusted community organizations. These organizations, many of them small nonprofits, are doing so without compensation but provide the integral role to the HRTC of securing community input on the planned CERF outcomes. While not voting groups, their feedback ensures the CERF process is truly representative of all of Orange County. 

Additional funds will also allow the HRTC and supporting partners to host more community forums to provide CERF updates and for the community to weigh in on projects they would find most impactful once proposals start coming in. 

Funding will be used to compensate the community organizations leading the convening as well as the attendees attending.

While the projects will be submitted to the state for funding, we know that it is critical for Orange County to receive the maximum amount of funding possible by showing the state that Philanthropy and our community is already invested. Therefore, we encourage funder to get involved NOW, in order to demonstrate that the projects already have key community and philanthropic buy-in and investment.

Sign up to Our Newsletter

Contact
Who We Are
What We Do
Become a Member
© 2022 OC Grantmakers. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

How do we build a compassionate and inclusive America in an age of distrust? WAJAHAT ALI knows from personal experience that when we come together to be the superheroes of our own stories, we can create honest social change. The beloved TED speaker has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Atlantic about our urgent issues—immigration, politics, parenthood—with boldness, hope, and humor. His memoir Go Back to Where You Came From, one of Amazon’s Best Books of the Year, follows his life as a Muslim Pakistani-American on a surprising, emotional, and challenging quest for the good life. Iconic journalist Katie Couric says that “we are all so fortunate to be on the receiving end of his intellect, his humanity, and his heart.”

Wajahat Ali

“With wit and charm, Ali delivers a masterful meditation on growing up brown in America...he gives us a clear-eyed affirmation of the country America could be.” — Mara Gay, New York Times

Mara Gay, New York Times

Wajahat Ali uses his platform to fight tirelessly for the social change we need in our country—and he isn’t afraid to get personal while doing it. The Daily Beast columnist and former New York Times writer, TED speaker, award-winning playwright, and Peabody-nominated producer of the documentary series The Secret Life of Muslims offers us his experiences of triumph over hardship as a beacon of hope and resilience in the face of life’s impossible situations. From his experiences of Islamophobia growing up as a Muslim Pakistani-American to his two-year-old daughter’s liver cancer diagnosis, Wajahat is living proof that when we share our authentic stories, we build the America we wish to live in.”

In his memoir Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American, Wajahat teaches us how to create our own superhero origin story, invest in hope for the future of America, and enact real social change. The book was called “biting and funny and full of heart” by NPR. Representative Ilhan Omar called Wajahat’s work “hilarious” and “deeply moving”, and legendary writer Dave Eggers said it was the book he’d “been hoping Wajahat Ali would write for ten years—hilarious, stylistically fearless, deeply humane.”

Wajahat is also the author of The Domestic Crusaders—the first major play about Muslim-Americans in a post-9/11 world. He was the lead researcher and author for the Center for American Progress’s seminal report “Fear Inc., Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America,” and served as a national correspondent for Al Jazeera America, where he told stories about communities and individuals often marginalized or under-reported in mainstream media.

As Creative Director of Affinis Wajahat Labs, he worked to create social entrepreneurship initiatives to support and uplift marginalized communities. He also worked with the US State Department to design and implement the “Generation Change” leadership program to empower young social entrepreneurs. Wajahat initiated chapters in eight countries, including Pakistan and Singapore. For his work, he was honored as a “Generation Change Leader” by Sec. of State Clinton and recognized as an “Emerging Muslim American Artist” by the Muslim Public Affairs Council. 

He has given keynote speeches around the world such as TED, The Aspen Ideas Festival, Google, the United Nations, and The New Yorker Festival. His writing appears regularly in the New York Times, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and The Guardian. He’s a Senior Fellow at The Western States Center and Auburn Seminary and co-host of Al Jazeera’s The Stream.