On October 17, 2023, Sierra Health Foundation’s President and CEO Chet P. Hewitt gave a presentation at the White House about a new $20.5 million investment in inclusive economic development through the Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI).

CEMI aims to advance equity, inclusion and the goals of federal and state climate-resilient economic development initiatives by enabling community-based nonprofits to shape inclusive economies in their own neighborhoods. Sierra Health Foundation is a founding funder, and CEMI is managed by its nonprofit sister organization, The Center.

California is on the cusp of receiving an unprecedented level of federal and state financial investments to strengthen under-resourced communities from initiatives such as Justice40 and the California Community Economic Resilience Fund. CEMI meets the urgent need to equip nonprofits with the resources to seize and, eventually, lead these crucial funding opportunities.

“Equity is the throughline that motivates and sustains all CEMI partners,” said Chet. “We know that even in a state like California, communities do get left behind. If we’re going to improve health and livelihoods, then that infrastructure money has got to hit those communities in a disproportionate way.”

“It’s an exciting time for communities of color to galvanize, collaborate and lead a new vision of a truly inclusive economy,” said Chris Cooper, Program Officer for California Funders for Boys and Men of Color. “Several of our partners are CEMI funders, including The California Endowment and The California Wellness Foundation. We’re energized by the momentum CEMI has generated.”

Visit www.CEMIresources.org to learn more about the CEMI Technical Assistance Resource Center, which helps nonprofits develop content knowledge, spark peer-to-peer relationships, facilitate community engagement and leverage public funding.