Guest Blog for Fairlight’s Nonprofit Insights Series When I began volunteering with the Downtown Streets Team (DST) during the Bay Area Fall lockdown, I initially thought I would be engaging with homeless people on the streets of Berkeley and Oakland. While I have seen homeless people in San Francisco and Oakland over the years and occasionally handed out food, I did not understand the financial, social and Read More

With things looking like the economy might turn a corner, effective nonprofit hiring and recruiting has come into greater focus. Sally Carlson, Managing Partner of Carlson Beck LLC, who spoke at the Social Impact Advisory/Thrive Alliance’s Managing for Resilience Speaker Series, discussed how effective hiring may require us to question our closely held beliefs about what job applicants are a good fit. Sally founded Read More

Each month, our Social Impact Advisory Group (SIAG) meets to share knowledge with like-minded professionals, educate board members and nonprofit leaders and partner to strengthen the sector. Click here for a copy of the presentation and here for a copy of the Return to Work Tips for Employers. Read on for a synopsis of what was discussed. On April 8th, we heard from two Human Resources Industry veterans on the Read More

Thoughts on Leadership as March ends. How Allies Can Support Minority Entrepreneurs, Founders, Women and Minority Leaders. Earlier this month, around International Women’s Day, I saw a LinkedIn post that caught my attention. A woman entrepreneur had crossed out “female” in the oft-used phrase “I am a female founder”. The post made its way in my network and I saw comments ranging from “we’re not there yet” to “let us Read More

  Several months ago my middle school daughter and I traveled out of town to enjoy a different environment. From a home in Seattle, I worked virtually and she attended remote school. On the first day, we found the Wi-Fi connection strength very poor and panicked as my daughter struggled to dial into her first class. When she did get in, the connection lagged or online tools didn’t work or she was kicked out of Read More

  How Innovation is Making the Food Business More Environmentally Friendly Guest Blog by Doug Silverstein, Thrive Alliance What a brilliant display of food innovation at the September 24, 2020 Thrive Environment & Sustainability (E&S) Community and Social Impact Advisory Group (SIAG) co-sponsored panel – Sustainable Food for People, Planet, and Profits:  How Innovation is Making the Food Business Read More

The need for affordable housing in the Bay Area was a crisis before the onslaught of the COVID pandemic and the resulting economic recession. The situation become more dire as time goes on, particularly since talks in Congress still are stalled on a new economic relief package. The Social Impact Advisory Group asked experts in the area of housing—nonprofit leaders, real estate developers and investors—about the Read More

With a bachelor’s degree from Stanford, a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and stints at the DOJ and private practice, Mondaire Jones has a platinum-plated resume that you’d think would make him a shoo-in for Congress. But Jones told the New York Times, “Growing up poor, Black, and gay, I never imagined someone like me could run for Congress, let alone win.” Jones won New York's 17th Congressional District, 2020 Read More