Thriving Nonprofit Workforce Initiative

Thrive Alliance is committed to strengthening the nonprofit sector, and thereby improving the quality of life in San Mateo County. One of the greatest challenges facing our local nonprofit community is the ability to recruit and retain a thriving workforce.

Thrive and Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN) released the joint 2023 Regional Nonprofit Report for San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, which highlights workforce development as an "existential threat" to nonprofits, given recruitment and retention challenges exacerbated by conditions in our region, such as the affordable housing crisis.

In response, Thrive launched the Thriving Nonprofit Workforce Initiative with the support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to develop innovative solutions to some of these challenges. The Initiative is also guided by a cross-sector Steering Committee composed of nonprofit leaders, workforce development specialists, creatives, academics, and more.

Thriving Nonprofit Workforce Initiative Goals:

• Raise visibility of workforce development challenges faced by local nonprofits and generate commitment from stakeholders to address

• Generate and implement practical and creative recruitment solutions tailored to our community

• Support nonprofits in the recruitment and retention of a paid and volunteer workforce

NOTE: This series is focused on nonprofits, not on broader workforce development or individual employment.

This initiative, hosted at the CZI Community Space, includes events that bring nonprofits, stakeholders, and the workforce together, in addition to essential human resource trainings.

Thriving Nonprofit Workforce Initiative STEERING COMMITTEE

Click on the Steering Committee member’s image to read their bio

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Community Space Pillar Programming

Thrive Alliance continues to enthusiastically be the lead for one of the three pillars for the CZI Community Space focusing on nonprofit support.

The aim of this partnership is to lead the development and management of event programming for the Community Space with the goals of supporting local arts and culture, building community and supporting non-profit leaders alongside the leaders of the other two pillars: The Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation and Redwood City Together.

Community Space Vision

The vision for the CZI Community Space is to cultivate a sense of belonging, purpose, and vibrancy through conscientious community partnerships by:

• Building community

• Celebrating diverse local culture

• Supporting and connecting nonprofits

Since the Community Space’s post-pandemic-closure relaunch, Thrive has led a “Nonprofit Connection Series” to bring nonprofits back together joyfully, in-person, across key issue areas and learning topics. Since the Nonprofit Connection Series success, Thrive has pivoted to help nonprofits address workforce challenges through the Thriving Nonprofit Workforce Initiative.