Ozzie Gromada Meza

Compensation and benefits decisions play an important role in supporting nonprofit teams and long-term sustainability. The Fair Pay Compensation & Benefits Survey provides California nonprofits with local data to better understand how pay and benefits compare across similar organizations. This resource helps nonprofit leaders make informed workforce and compensation decisions using region-specific insights. Explore the survey and participation details by region: Northern California Nonprofits: https://lnkd.in/gTr9qQ8d Southern California Nonprofits: https://lnkd.in/grbpM8mJ

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This month, CRLA's Indigenous Justice team provided a training to California state agencies such as Employment Development Department, California Department of Industrial Relations's LCO, Cal-OSHA, and Agricultural Labor Relations Board on language access rights for Indigenous language speakers. Indigenous Latin American communities have enriched California’s linguistic and cultural diversity, yet encounter language barriers when agencies and service providers fail to provide meaningful access. CRLA's Indigenous Justice program is the only legal services program in California exclusively focused on the legal rights of Indigenous Latin American communities. Our team provides community services such as outreach, trainings, and systemic litigation/projects throughout rural California to help achieve our vision of a just and equitable world where all communities prosper. If you would like to support CRLA's mission to build a just and equitable future through community lawyering, please visit crla.org/donate #IndigenousJustice #California

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In partnership with WestEd, California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has announced a series of free webinars launching soon through the CDSS-funded #BeginningTogether project. During the 2025–26 program year, Beginning Together will offer five webinars in English with Spanish interpretation, all focused on promoting inclusive practices. These sessions are designed to support a wide range of #earlychildhood settings, including center-based programs, Family Child Care (FCC) homes, Head Start/Early Head Start, preschool programs, and Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers. Register here: https://ow.ly/mrHO50WIlbm 📌 August 20, 2025: Improving Behavior with the CA Teaching Pyramid 📌 September 24, 2025: Inclusion Works! Part A: Universal Design & Belonging 📌 October 29, 2025: Inclusion Works! Part B: Collaboration & Adaptation 📌 January 21, 2026: Inclusion Works! Part C: Modifications & Accommodations 📌 March 3, 2026: Building Relationships Across Teams: Connections and Continuity

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Can't wait to see so many friends and colleagues this week at the Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement National Summit in Sacramento! It's gonna be a scorching hear wave, so pack shorts and flip-flops/chanclas for anything outdoors (like karaoke Weds. night). While you might be sitting in airports today and tomorrow on your way to California, here are a few things to ponder about how you and your organizations use technology and AI: - If you use Canva for social media posts, thumbnails, tiles, etc. do you disclose when/if photos of volunteers have been altered by AI (like background remover)? - If you use ChapGPT or Claude for your job, is it an "open loop" general use license, or a "closed loop" proprietary license for your org? Do you know whether or not the questions and info you feed into it are used for training the AI and shared with outside companies/organizations? - If your org mission or personal values support environmental conservation, climate change mitigation, social justice, equity/inclusion/belonging, how is the org technology (with or without AI) helping or harming those causes? In what specific ways? If any of these questions stumped you or got you thinking more about technology and AI integration, you should participate in my Summit workshop "Is AI Good or Bad? What You Think You Know is Not the Reality" Weds 3/18, 9:45am - 11am Safe travels and see you soon!

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Sacramento News & Review and Solving Sacramento, thank you for showcasing what California Center for Civic Participation is doing to engage young people in the political process. We firmly believe youth are leaders and their voices matter. We lead by example. We’ve been able to recruit Gen Z to serve on our board and cannot keep up with the demand for our programs. This is why investing in our organization is particularly crucial in addressing systemic barriers for BIPOC communities. https://lnkd.in/g4Yc-eGW #civicparticipation #youthleadership #vote #california #civicengagement

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One of the smartest things nonprofits do in Q4? Fill ongoing roles before the holidays. That way, new staff are ready to start strong in January—without losing weeks to post-holiday searches. Planning ahead now saves time (and stress) later.

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Veterans bring an unwavering sense of duty, resilience, and mission-first mentality to the nonprofit world—every single day. They are problem-solvers, team-builders, and natural leaders who know how to navigate high-stress environments while staying grounded in purpose. Veterans show up early, stay late, and never lose sight of the greater mission. In a space where lives, resources, and impact are on the line, that kind of commitment is priceless. They don’t wait to be told what needs to be done—they assess, adapt, and lead with compassion and conviction. Their lived experience fuels empathy, their training drives efficiency, and their service mindset inspires those around them. In short: veterans make nonprofits stronger. #Veterans #Resilience #NonprofitLeadership #HireAVeteran #MissionDriven #ShieldOfSisters #USAA #ACP #FaceTheFight #TeamRubicon #USAAFoundation #BobWoodruffFoundation

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A thought provoking reality check on demographics, economic cycles, societal norms all impacting the workplace. Employers still cling to ideas around same industry experience (most jobs not a key factor), expectations to leave of older workers (most employees leave by 4 years as it is), a lot of experience on the sideline). Karen Brown -- MBA Finance Karen Brown -- MBA Finance Janine Vanderburg .

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Bringing the diverse entities addressing homelessness to the same table—with meaningful inclusion of service providers’ expertise and perspectives of people with lived experience of homelessness—takes intentionality and persistent effort, but is also necessary for making these systems coherent for the people they are meant to serve (pp20)  From the perspective of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, however, this complex web of organizations and programs can be confusing or impenetrable. Homelessness programs often have disconnected intake processes and conflicting eligibility requirements, or are unable to quickly and effectively refer people to the resources that meet their needs.  Hence, it is necessary for making these systems coherent for the people they are meant to serve. https://lnkd.in/gzb7TyiD

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San Diego Foundation and the Dr. Seuss Foundation continue their multi-year commitment to early childhood education with a new common application for early literacy funding. Eligible nonprofits can now apply for two opportunities — Ready to Learn and Bright Futures — through one streamlined process, expanding access to resources that support children’s literacy and development.

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[ PHILANTHROPY SUMMIT - MISSION: POSSIBLE ] MEMORANDUM #PS25 TO: Social Impact Operatives FROM: Sacramento Region Community Foundation SUBJECT: Philanthropy Summit Education Sessions *️⃣*️⃣ ANNOUNCEMENT *️⃣*️⃣ Stacy Towles is leading an education session during this year's Philanthropy Summit! *️⃣*️⃣ EDUCATION SESSION INFORMATION *️⃣*️⃣ "AI in Fund Development: What Every Nonprofit Leader Needs to Know" Curious—or even cautious—about artificial intelligence? This session offers a grounded look at how nonprofits can use AI to raise more money with less overhead, without compromising values or trust. *️⃣*️⃣ SPEAKER INFORMATION *️⃣*️⃣ Stacy Towles is Founder & Principal Consultant at Pradisa Partners, a boutique consultancy that helps nonprofits and local governments turn great ideas into fully funded projects. With over $40 million raised through grants, contracts, and corporate sponsorships, Stacy brings deep expertise in funding strategy, AI-powered workflows, and organizational growth. A certified change management professional and trained AI prompt engineer, she equips mission-driven teams to scale revenue without burning out their staff. Stacy earned her MBA from Southern Methodist University and a BA from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. When not writing funding strategies or advising clients, she’s volunteering in the community or teeing off at one of Sacramento’s executive golf courses. *️⃣*️⃣ YOUR OBJECTIVE *️⃣*️⃣ Join us on Monday, September 15, to attend Stacy's Education Session. You can purchase your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/gyA6KHTJ

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Facing potential layoffs? California’s Work Sharing Program lets employers cut hours instead of jobs, while employees get partial unemployment benefits. EDD is also offering free webinars to learn more about the program - https://lnkd.in/gHaC7HK5

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ACEs: The Shocking Impact of Childhood Trauma Our discussion today explores adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their profound impact. We delve into the findings of the CDC and Kaiser Permanente study, uncovering links between ACEs and issues like substance abuse, depression, and more. #ACEs #AdverseChildhoodExperiences #ChildhoodTrauma #MentalHealth #SubstanceAbuse #Depression #MentalHealthAwareness #TraumaInformed #ChildhoodDevelopment #KaiserPermanente

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Native Development Network has launched Pathways 2 Prosperity, a research project examining barriers to employment and economic stability for Native Americans in California. The study will focus on workforce pathways in sectors such as energy, health care and wildfire management, with findings intended to inform future job access and training efforts. Tribal Business News has more.

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Making Childcare Affordable for Seattle Families #Seattle’sChildCareAssistanceProgram (CCAP) – Helping Families Access Affordable Care Childcare costs can be overwhelming for working families. The City of Seattle’s #DepartmentofEducationandEarlyLearning (DEEL) is here to help. Through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), families living in Seattle can receive financial support to make quality childcare more affordable. About the Program Supports children ages 1 month to 12 years old Families save an average of $thousands annually Works with over 260 licensed providers, including childcare centers, home-based care, and school-age programs (before/after school and summer care) ✅ Who Qualifies Families living in Seattle city limits Income below 94% of the State Median Income (SMI) Not eligible for other childcare subsidy programs Need childcare due to work, school, or training schedules Why It Matters Affordable childcare allows parents to stay employed or continue their education while ensuring children thrive in safe, nurturing environments. How to Apply Visit seattle.gov/CCAP to apply online and check eligibility. For in-language assistance, call (206) 386-1050 or email CCAP@seattle.gov. Spread the Word Over 263 providers accept CCAP vouchers. Share this resource with families in your community. 💬 Need help navigating the process? Send me a DM—I’m happy to assist you directly. #SeattleFamilies #AffordableChildcare #ChildCareSupport #SeattleCCAP #FamilyResources #Equity&Community: #EquityInAction #CommunityCare #SupportSeattleKids #StrongerTogetherSeattle #ApplyToday #ChildCareHelp #SeattleParents #InvestInFamilies

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The new Open Job Report is here! This week’s report features job openings, career fairs, training programs, youth opportunities, and community events across San Francisco and the Bay Area. Curated by Mission Hiring Hall and the SF Latino Task Force Employment & Economic Committee, the Open Job Report is always free and created to help connect our community to real opportunities. Please share with job seekers, students, families, and community partners. #OpenJobReport #MissionHiringHall #LatinoTaskForce #SanFranciscoJobs #WorkforceDevelopment

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Kicked off an exciting journey with Franziska Renz and her Strategic HR students at California State University, Sacramento, as we begin the HR capstone project alongside CalPERS HR Leaders! It’s inspiring to connect with emerging HR professionals and help bridge classroom concepts with real-world applications. Can’t wait to see how these students leverage AI to tackle today’s HR challenges! #FutureofHR #AIandPeople #CSUS #CalPERS #LearningByDoing

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Demand is Rising in Indigenous Communities 55% of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian–led nonprofits reported increased demand for services, but many are being stretched beyond capacity. Communities are asking for more. Systems must respond. 📊 Source: (Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2025 State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey)

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