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Event Description

Census, redistricting, and elections are all integral and interconnected elements of democracy that significantly impact our political system and daily lives. Accurate census data is crucial for the fair distribution of government funds and for determining how redistricting lines are drawn for political representation at local, state, and federal levels. As we approach the middle of the decade, it may seem early for philanthropy, government, and communities to prepare for the next Census and redistricting cycle, but this mindset fails to recognize the need for long-term investment and advocacy. Continued strategizing and coordinated efforts in between cycles are crucial to support civically engaged communities. Philanthropy has an opportunity to fund ongoing Census and redistricting work, with the understanding that these elements of our democracy cannot be treated as separate entities but instead function best in unity. This session will highlight the significance of these foundational elements of our democracy, the preparations needed for the next cycle, and the ways philanthropy can support and take action.

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Dr. Gabino Aguirre SCG Member

Special Projects Coordinator, Ventura County Community Foundation

My focus in life stems from my early experiences as a child in a family of farmworkers. These experiences provided a context for understanding a reality of haves- and have-nots... those that have too much and those that don't have enough, an inequity that exists institutionally and is comprehensive in its impacts. Thus, I am deeply concerned about social justice issues impacting Latinos and other disenfranchised minority groups. In 2002-2003, I served as part of a Mayors for Peace delegation that addressed the United Nations on the renewal of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, represented Ventura County as a Nuclear Weapons Free Zones conference in Santiago, Chile and co-chaired a Civil Society Forum in Mexico City; I've served as an elected official (2002-2010) and was selected as one of 14 members on the CA independent citizens state redistricting commission (2010-2020) and various boards of local community based organizations. Currently, I serve as volunteer executive director of El Centro del Pueblo in Santa Paula, CA. As an under-one-roof facility, we support and provide office space for several organizations as well as serving as an informational platform for other agencies and programs that inform local residents about current social issues and environmental challenges. Currently, I'm co-chair of the Santa Paula Highest Quality Early Childhood Education Pilot Project, otherwise known as The Isabella Project whose objective is to provide high quality education for all children, ages 0-8, in the city of Santa Paula.
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Melina Sanchez

Funder Liaison, Census Equity Initiative

Melina Sanchez, Funder Liaison for the Census Equity Initiative, was most recently a Senior Program Officer at the James Irvine Foundation. She led the foundation’s 2020 Census work, including co-chairing the Statewide Census Funders' Table. Melina also led grantmaking for the Irvine Foundation’s Voter and Civic Engagement Grantmaking Initiative and was part of the foundation’s Protecting Immigrant Rights team. Earlier in her career, Melina was a Civic Engagement Officer for the California Community Foundation, helping to define and implement strategies for the foundation as part of its inaugural Civic Engagement Department. Melina was also a legislative assistant for Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard in Washington, D.C. where she managed a broad portfolio of policy issues. Melina began her advocacy work at Public Campaign, where she helped promote the public financing of elections. A native of Los Angeles, Melina earned her MPA at Harvard’s Kennedy School. She is now based in Denver, Colorado and navigates life in a wheelchair.
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Rosalind Gold

Chief Public Policy Officer, NALEO Educational Fund

Rosalind Gold is Chief Public Policy Officer with the NALEO Educational Fund, where she has worked for 35 years on policy analysis and research for the organization’s Latino civic engagement efforts. Ms. Gold coordinates the research for NALEO Educational Fund’s publications, including its Directory of Latino Elected Officials and Latino Voter Profiles.

Ms. Gold has extensive expertise in the areas of naturalization, voting rights, redistricting and the Census. She has delivered testimony before and served on many public and private committees and commissions, including the California State HAVA Plan Advisory Committee, and the City of Los Angeles Municipal Elections Reform Commission. She also currently serves on California Secretary of State’s Motor Voter Task Force, and the Board of OpenSecrets. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and B.A. from Pomona College in Claremont, California.
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Tavae Samuelu

Director of Community Initiatives & Grantmaking, Asian Pacific Fund

Tavae Samuelu (she/her/hers) is the daughter of a pastor from Leulumoega and a nurse from Saleimoa. Rooted in fa’a Samoa, she is a storyteller who empowers people to own their narratives, articulate their healing, and resource our movements.

Tavae was born and raised on Tongva Territory, in what is presently known as Long Beach. She left home to attend UC Berkeley where she majored in Ethnic Studies. After college, Tavae took a job as the District 5 Field Organizer for Jean Quan’s Oakland Mayoral Campaign which allowed her to grow her movement building skills and learn how to impact local institutions. When the campaign concluded, Tavae took her organizing skills to various Bay Area nonprofits and eventually made her political home at the RYSE Youth Center where she played both programming and fundraising roles. She credits her time on unceded Ohlone land for her political consciousness.

In 2017, Tavae returned home to Long Beach where she advocated passionately for Pacific Islanders locally in LA, statewide in CA, and nationally. This time showed her the importance of sustainable leadership and the ways that anchored care can bolster an organization during and after crises.

Tavae is currently based in the Bay Area working with the Asian Pacific Fund as the Director of Community Initiatives & Grantmaking. In addition to that, she serves as a board member for Pacific Islanders In Communications. During the pandemic, she learned that her most important title is Aunty Vae.

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