CALIFORNIA FORWARD

Sacramento, CA   |  www.cafwd.org

Mission

California Forward (CA FWD) leads a statewide movement, bringing people together across communities, regions and interests to improve government and create inclusive, sustainable growth for everyone. A 501(c)(3) organization, CA FWD drives collective action to identify solutions that can be taken to scale to meet the challenges the state is facing. The organization is driven by the belief that this collective action will help ensure the economic, environmental, and social prosperity of all people. It has a sister organization, the California Forward Action Fund, that engages in aligned lobbying and advocacy activities. CA FWD serves as the backbone for the California Stewardship Network, an alliance of regional leaders, and is the host of the California Economic Summit.

Ruling year info

2008

CEO

Dr. Micah Weinberg

Main address

925 L Street Suite 600

Sacramento, CA 95814 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

26-0566540

NTEE code info

Public, Society Benefit - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C. (W99)

Community Improvement, Capacity Building N.E.C. (S99)

Voter Education/Registration (R40)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

California, the world’s fifth largest economy and a state known for innovation, is also home to significant challenges. From having the highest rate of real poverty in the country to disastrous wildfires to systemic social, racial, and geographic inequities, California harbors tremendous barriers for many to achieve shared prosperity and the California Dream.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

California Economic Summit

Co-hosted by the California Stewardship Network and grounded in triple-bottom-line solutions, the Summit is a vehicle to put forth policy recommendations that transform regions, including initiatives that create more homes, more skilled workers, and more quality jobs.

From preparing a 21st century workforce, ensuring equitable homeownership, and bridging the digital divide to creating ecosystems and climate resiliency, the Summit is the only space of its kind to provide a platform to showcase inclusive, regional economic development efforts to a broad range of stakeholders, influencers, and powerbrokers, including the governor, legislators, and investors. Leaders across all sectors, industries, and regions come together at the Summit to propel solutions-oriented, bipartisan collaboration that moves the state forward.

Population(s) Served
Adults

The California Forward Young Leaders Advisory Council is comprised of Californians ages 16-24 from diverse backgrounds and social identities who are committed to intergenerational collaboration. The Council is poised to address both regional and statewide issues that greatly impact the next generation through advocacy, civic engagement, coalition building, and policy development. The Council is constructing a future of equity and opportunity for all Californians.

Population(s) Served
Young adults

The California Dream Index consists of 10 trackable outcome measures that influence economic security, mobility, and inclusion through a common platform. The California Dream Index offers regions an "apples to apples" comparison across the state. Through the California Dream Index, local, regional, and state leaders have access to both a shared platform of measurement tools and a community of practice that spurs policy and collective action across the state.

Population(s) Served

The Becky Morgan Steward Leadership Program invites local leaders to deepen their understanding of regional and statewide policy issues, hone their decision-making skills, and unite with other leaders to learn, grow, and change California. The learning objectives of the program aim to develop an awareness and commitment to practicing stewardship, building coalitions, leading consciously, and incorporating triple-bottom-line approaches into community-based solutions and decision-making.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of people who attended the California Economic Summit

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

California Economic Summit

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Impact: 590 people networking, sharing, learning, and moving policies forward in the state.

Number of scholarships provided to people attending the California Economic Summit

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

California Economic Summit

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

California Forward drives collective action to bring people together across communities, regions, and interests to identify triple-bottom-line (economy, environment, equity) solutions that can be taken to scale to meet the challenges the state is facing; improve government; and create inclusive, sustainable growth for everyone.

California Forward works closely with cross-sector partners throughout the state to improve economic, environmental, and equitable outcomes for the people of California. California Forward carries out this work through a core set of institutional assets that include the California Stewardship Network (a diverse alliance of regional leaders), the California Economic Summit and associated policy work groups (California Forward’s signature event fostering cross-sector collaboration and elevating state and regional policy initiatives), the Young Leaders Advisory Council (representing youth and young adult voices throughout the state), and the Becky Morgan Steward Leadership Program (a leadership development program for rising professionals). All residing under the umbrella of California Forward, these entities are focused throughout the year on creating a more inclusive and prosperous California for all. In addition, California Forward houses the California Dream Index, a data platform that tracks progress toward a more equitable California utilizing 10 indicators for economic mobility, security, and inclusion.

California Forward has extensive experience in areas such as engaging in collective action, building coalitions, hosting convenings, conducting research, and providing policy expertise and technical assistance—all of which contribute to moving the policy needle forward to create inclusive and sustainable impact within the state’s different regions.

For our equitable economies work, California Forward offers specific capabilities to help regions with inclusive economic growth strategies. Please note that these capabilities can be tailored to fit the needs of other initiatives as well.

Imagine & Design: With an equity lens, California Forward works with partners to imagine and design a customized regional economic planning process from strategic planning to implementation, providing support to accelerate collaboration by bringing diverse stakeholders together to ensure community voices are included at the thought leadership table.

Impact: Harnessing the power of our influential regional network (California Stewardship Network), policy work groups (California Economic Summit), data platform and community of practice (California Dream Index), and our advocacy partner (California Forward Action Fund), we help partners move data-based policy solutions forward to drive sustained impact and systemic change.

Scale: Leveraging California Forward’s policy expertise, we provide counsel on how regional economic efforts can best align with statewide strategies and be taken to scale. Leaders of our California Stewardship Network are deeply engaged in model regional economic development efforts, allowing us to tap into valuable insights, best practices, and opportunities for collective action.

Invest: By regranting resources that provide the opportunity for local organizations to build capacity, we help partners accelerate their vision to create an economy where all can prosper.

California Forward, with support from our partners, networks and work groups, continues to advance collective action work that is moving the policy needle forward within interconnected issue areas ranging from homeownership expansion to climate resilience to workforce development.

Throughout the state’s different regions, California Forward also continues to collaborate with California Stewardship Network partners and other stakeholders to identify and elevate inclusive regional economic development priorities through strategic convenings and planning sessions. Some of the regional initiatives include Fresno DRIVE, Better Bakersfield & Boundless Kern (B3K), Regions Rise Together: Salinas, Inland Economic Growth and Opportunity (IEGO), and Propel LA, among others.

As California Forward’s reach, network, and institutional assets continue to grow, more progress will be made in helping all Californians achieve greater shared prosperity and the California Dream.

Financials

CALIFORNIA FORWARD
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

CALIFORNIA FORWARD

Board of directors
as of 2/3/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

John Chiang

Apollo Medical Holdings

Term: 2019 - 2021


Board co-chair

Ashley Swearengin

Central Valley Community Foundation

Term: 2021 - 2023

Peter Weber (Co-Chair)

California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley

Jennifer Hernandez

Holland & Knight

Pete Peterson

Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership, Pepperdine School of Public Policy

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 10/19/2021

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 10/19/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.