SCG's 2022 Virtual Policy Conference

Malik LovesYall uses movement and sound to attune our selves/cells to the frequency of Love — Love for ourselves, Love for our people, and Love for our Purpose. In this performance, Malik connects with beats, rhymes, and rhythm to inspire movement. Through music, Malik seeks to create an atmosphere in which gettin’ down, and deep thought can thrive with one another. Overall, we pray that at all parts of the experience, you feel connected, respected, inspired, and empowered. #MalikLovesYall

Situating policy and systems change within a broader ecosystem approach is critical to ensure lasting success. Organizing and base building sits at the center of the USC Equity Research Institute’s Power-Building Ecosystem Framework, which provides guideposts to rectify structural inequities while simultaneously building the capacity of historically marginalized communities. Join us for a two-part conversation with Research Director Jennifer Ito to hear directly from community leaders about the power of this approach, followed by discussions with several long-time funders of power-building work. Panelists will share strategies and efforts to hold the philanthropic sector accountable while also creating space for the leaders to lead the policy changes they want to see in their communities.

Join mental health advocate and postpartum care guide Maria Lazano as she guides us through a 15-minute meditation to visualize our first plant ally. Together we will exercise deep breathing and muscle relaxation while being guided through a meditation and visualization that connects us to plants that have served as allies in our healing and/or in our ancestral realms. Join us to breathe and connect to the wisdom of plants and ancestral healing.

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan dedicates his career to advancing activist-led movements and policy change around issues of racial, economic, and social justice. Having experienced challenges in the foster care system, inequity in public education, lack of social safety net, and criminalization of poverty, Isaac utilizes his unique perspective to address racial injustice and strengthen communities. Join us to hear from Isaac Bryan about his journey from community organizer to his current role as California State Assemblymember, and how he has been able to affect systems of inequality from both the outside and within the state government.

Building power for systems change requires a broad ecosystem of organizations with diverse expertise and reach — from local to regional to state levels. 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 funds represent more than a tax status; each funding mechanism holds unique guardrails when supporting policy change. Separately and together, c3 and c4 can help philanthropy to fully resource power-building work in an ecosystem with other funders and partners. Join us to learn how philanthropy can maximize their c3 funding, explore how c4 activities can support movement building that centers equity, and sharpen your power-building tools to advance racial and social justice.

As guaranteed income programs gain momentum, the need for complementary narrative change work has grown. Power-building and lasting policy change are only possible if we disrupt pervasive myths and stereotypes about poverty, race, and gender that prevent widespread support and understanding. Join us to unpack what it looks like for philanthropy to invest in this work. We'll use guaranteed income as a case study through which to define narrative change, explore what it looks like in practice, and discuss how funders might think about evaluation and measuring impact when supporting this work.

As part of the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy plan, Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed $65 million in funding to create the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC). Established within the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, OCPSC aims to formalize and leverage the infrastructure and work the state developed to support the 2020 Census and COVID-19 response efforts. If approved, the office would work across agencies to provide support to community-based organizations (CBOs) and facilitate outreach and public awareness campaigns — with the first campaign including COVID-19 and climate justice. Join us to learn more and how philanthropy, CBOs, and other partners can help inform the development of OCPSC.

Situating policy and systems change within a broader ecosystem approach is critical to ensure lasting success. Organizing and base building sits at the center of the USC Equity Research Institute’s Power-Building Ecosystem Framework, which provides guideposts to rectify structural inequities while simultaneously building the capacity of historically marginalized communities. Join us for a two-part conversation with Research Director Jennifer Ito to hear directly from community leaders about the power of this approach, followed by discussions with several long-time funders of power-building work. Panelists will share strategies and efforts to hold the philanthropic sector accountable while also creating space for the leaders to lead the policy changes they want to see in their communities.

You have probably heard that state leaders have a large 'surplus' of revenues to spend as they craft the 2022-23 state budget. Yet, the demands and constraints they face are also sizable — continuing to respond to the public health and economic effects of COVID-19; a disco-era state spending limit that restricts the choices they can make; economic inequities in communities across our state exacerbated by the pandemic; and the need to expand access to affordable and quality housing, health care, and cradle to career education systems. In this session, the California Budget & Policy Center team will outline pathways to a more equitable California proposed by the Governor, gaps and/or concerns about the administration's recommendations, and how legislative leaders and advocates are responding as budget deliberations continue.

Join SCG and Asset Funders Network to learn how coalition building can wield power for lasting policy change. We have seen the success of with national collaborations around the care economy, including Caring Across Generations’ Care Can’t Wait Campaign, which has elevated critical policies across sectors of the care economy — i.e., early care and learning, paid leave, and long-term care for older adults and people with disabilities — into pending federal legislation. Our state is facing a continuing pandemic, implementing two new master plans that include care economy strategies (Master Plan for Aging and Master Plan for Early Learning and Care), and preparing for potential, significant federal resources coming to our state, and thus, collaboration across the sectors of the care economy is more critical than ever.

Join Ana María for a moment of pause from the business of work and the day. Through breath awareness and gentle movement she will guide you to step back into your body and reconnect with your whole self. This practice is accessible for all bodies, and can be done from wherever you are.

As Black communities are displaced and face the impacts of gentrification in Los Angeles and other coastal communities, many are now calling the Inland Empire home. It is vital to equip Black grassroots leaders with the skills, knowledge, and investment necessary to play a greater role in advancing policy change. Join us for an intersectional conversation about the rippling effects of gentrification and displacement, as well as the opportunity and urgency of investing in Black leadership.

The incarceration and criminalization of youth is a perpetually present issue, with children and teens — especially children of color, economically disadvantaged youth, and those experiencing mental health issues or abuse — being criminalized at alarming rates. However, the number of juvenile arrests is shrinking in Southern California, thanks in part to advocates and organizations that encourage the use of research and data to build power and credibility for community advocacy efforts. Join this panel to learn about the importance of participatory action research and how Southern California’s youth justice movement has demonstrated the success of weaving together quantitative data and community storytelling.

Please join us! SoCal Grantmakers is excited to gather with our member community in person for the first time in over two years, at a reception following our virtual Public Policy Conference. Come enjoy the chance to (re)connect with your philanthropic peers, meet speakers from the conference, and mark this momentous occasion after two years apart. Light appetizers and drinks will be provided; the reception is free of charge but space is limited. Separate registration is required, please visit the "Reception" tab on the conference page for more information.