In 1908, a group of Pleasanton women established the Women's Improvement Club, according to Pleasanton, California: A Brief History by Ken MacLennan, the Curator of the Museum on Main. “The club’s early activities included pressing the board of trustees for improvements in sanitation, beautification campaigns that emphasized the preservation and planting of trees, and fundraising efforts such as street fairs.” The club’s signature achievement, writes MacLennan, was the club’s successful campaign to build a new town hall and library for the city.

Philanthropy has been important throughout the Tri-Valley’s history. The dedication of many to the public good by sharing their “time, talent, and treasure,” as the saying goes, has contributed to the region’s strong sense of community and overall quality of life. The Tri-Valley has long supported an important range of nonprofit organizations working to feed low-income residents, protect the land, shield animals, aid cancer patients, fight pollution, and tackle a host of other important issues. The Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance (TVNPA) and Three Valleys Community Foundation (3VCF) are two key and complementary nonprofit organizations that support other nonprofits through their work.

TVNPA is a collaborative hub that supports both the professionals working for Tri-Valley nonprofits and those in the community the nonprofits serve. Through partnerships, professional training, organizational resources, and networking, it serves a diverse range of more than 400 nonprofits in the arts, education, health, and more every year. TVNPA also serves the region’s residents directly by connecting them with essential services for housing, education, healthcare, violence prevention, and more. The group’s Tri-Valley Nonprofit Fund (TVNF) also awards unrestricted operating grants that range from $1,000 to $5,000 per nonprofit with a goal to grant $100,000 or more annually. The uniqueness of the TVNF grants is that funds are disbursed in the quarter in which they were received, so nonprofits are not waiting for funds.

3VCF is a nonprofit community foundation. By definition and design, community foundations are grantmaking public charities, dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. The community foundation’s mission is to strengthen the Tri-Valley region through “inclusive leadership, thoughtful funding, informed giving, and collaborative action.'' Since the organization’s founding in November 2021, more than $2.2 million in donations have been garnered from generous individual fund holders and corporations that have allowed this community foundation to operate as a philanthropic hub and award generous grants to local nonprofits. In 2024, 3VCF will be launching and convening its Professional Advisors Network, comprising attorneys, financial and wealth advisors, investment managers, and accountants, which will work closely with 3VCF to learn more about the community and to better address their clients' philanthropic goals.

TVNPA Celebrates 10th Anniversary

In 2024, TVNPA will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. There have been many accomplishments to celebrate since the nonprofit’s start in 2014. Recent milestones include the March 2022 opening of the CommonPoint Nonprofit Center in Livermore, being selected by Alameda County to receive a two-year grant to lead the Livermore Connects coalition, and revitalizing the Anti-Poverty Collaborative.

The CommonPoint Nonprofit Center is an innovative co-working space that provides a low-cost, collaborative environment for nonprofits. Organizations that share the space benefit from reduced rent; shared facilities that include kitchens, restrooms, and a conference room; and options for both physical and virtual office spaces. CommonPoint fosters community engagement, resource sharing, and collective knowledge growth among nonprofit professionals, officials say.

In the spring of 2023, TVNPA was selected by the Alameda County Department of Public Health to lead the Livermore Connects coalition, which also includes Axis Community Health, Open Heart Kitchen, Tri-Valley Haven, and City Serve of the Tri-Valley. The Livermore Connects initiative serves vulnerable populations living in or near poverty with the goal of enhancing their health and economic outcomes. Livermore Connects held its first public outreach event in August. More than 700 community members turned out to receive services, enjoy activities, and benefit from giveaways. Quest Science Center, La Familia, and the Tri-Valley Air Quality Alliance also participated in the event, which was produced by TVNPA.

Last year, the organization reinvigorated its Anti-Poverty Collaborative to emphasize awareness and dialogue around social issues related to poverty in the Tri-Valley and beyond. Last year's notable events included Race, Power, and Privilege, a discussion led by Sheila Burks, the manager of equity and inclusion at Alameda County Food Bank, and Bridging the Gap, a panel moderated by Burks and featuring Jim Pugh, co-founder of the Universal Income Project; Tiana Moore, Ph.D., with the Benioff Homelessness Initiative; and Larissa Estes White, Executive Director at California Racial Equity Commission.

“These convenings have been instrumental in fostering discussions and actions addressing the root causes and effects of poverty in our community,” according to Kathy Young, CEO and President. Revitalizing the Anti-Poverty Collaborative has been crucial in raising awareness about poverty-related issues, she adds, demonstrating TVNPA's commitment to tackling social challenges in the Tri-Valley area. To that end, the organization recently hired a bilingual Community Outreach Manager to enhance its outreach and make its services more accessible and inclusive.

“The nonprofit organizations that make up the tapestry of our community are all incredibly important for quality of life,” Young notes. “The direct service organizations that help the most vulnerable populations are critical. But there are also organizations that protect our land. That provide scholarship opportunities for our children. That provide science education and outreach. That help our animals. That add beauty to our lives through the arts. These groups are all intertwined, which is why we take a holistic approach in resource building through education, networking, and knowledge-sharing opportunities.”

TVNPA plans to celebrate its anniversary throughout 2024. The first anniversary-related event will be combined with the annual Mayors Panel, which is planned for March 14, 2024. A Livermore Connects event is scheduled for August 10, 2024, and the group’s annual Power of Giving Celebration will be held on November 13, 2024. Additional meetings, workshops, and other TVNPA events will be held as usual.

3VCF Launches Podcast

Since its founding, just over two years ago, 3VCF has worked hard to support the Tri-Valley. It hosted the annual Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund campaign in 2021 and 2022 at no charge, donating its services and absorbing all credit card fees associated with donations to the fund. After the unprecedented January 2023 rains and flooding, 3VCF was able to award $25,000 to the Sunol Relief and Recovery Fund. Through 3VCF’s Dublin Fallen Officers Fund, it also provided funds in 2022 for the surviving spouse of a Deputy who died on duty.

"3VCF has assisted in the distribution of more than $840,000 in community funds since 2021, primarily in mental health. That includes the more than $218,000 in grants given in 2023."

“Nationwide, community foundations are evaluated by two standards, grantmaking and asset management,” according to Kelly Bowers, CEO and President. 3VCF has assisted in the distribution of more than $840,000 in community funds since 2021, primarily in mental health. The foundation’s managed assets are currently valued at approximately $1.5 million. Earlier this year, it released the 2023 Community Impact Report, which has more details on the foundation’s work.

“We encourage nonprofits to join our free, online directory to publicize their events on our nonprofit community events calendar, to apply for community impact grants during our application cycles, and to invite us for a field trip tour of their organization,” Bowers says. She also invites nonprofits to be featured on 3VCF’s upcoming podcast, Nonprofits Now!, which launches early next year.

“We want to learn as much as we can about the nonprofits in our region so we can help grantmakers and donors connect, and elevate and amplify their good work through our communication channels. We are focusing on local dollars, local giving, local impact and a 'give, grant, grow' concept. We believe there is an as yet untapped opportunity to address critical unmet needs that are often not apparent but really do exist in our area, including mental health, food insecurity, and homelessness. 3VCF can serve as a geographical philanthropic hub to help address these needs.”

Bowers expresses gratitude for the supporters who have helped the foundation since it began. The Founding Champions and Corporate Challenge donors made a big impact. They include Amazon, PG&E, Sensiba, John Muir Health, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and dozens of others. Bowers hopes additional supporters will become a part of 3VCF’s efforts. 3VCF’s annual State of Giving Gathering is scheduled to coincide with Giving Tuesday, on December 3, 2024.

“With the economic success in our region, there is an obligation to ensure all in our community can equitably access and live a full and rewarding life,” notes Bowers. “We encourage corporations to join our cadre of leaders in our corporate challenge and to participate in our grantmaking next year. Community foundations don't compete with nonprofits; we support them and work to procure and channel additional, vital resources to them. Our goal is simply to raise the philanthropic tide locally so that our entire community thrives.”

The Women’s Improvement Club of Pleasanton did not stop working for the welfare of local residents after the new town hall and library were built. As MacLennan writes, the club “campaigned to bring more trees to the town’s streets, to have a local emergency hospital established, and to improve Pleasanton’s parks with playgrounds, gardens, and water foundations.” Today, a host of nonprofit organizations follow earlier philanthropists by doing vital work to benefit the region. The Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance and Three Valleys Community Foundation, in turn, enrich the area by offering resources and funding that help those nonprofits thrive.

For more information about the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance, please visit www.tvnpa.org, www.instagram.com/trivalleynonprofitalliance, www.facebook.com/TriValleyNonprofitAlliance, or www.linkedin.com/company/tri-valley-nonprofit-alliance.

For more information about Three Valleys Community Foundation, please visit www.3vcf.org, www.facebook.com/ThreeValleysCommunityFoundation, or www.linkedin.com/company/three-valleys-community-foundation.

The Three Valleys Community Foundation Tri-Valley nonprofit events calendar can be accessed at www.3vcf.org/events.