Follow Redwood Region RISE's California Jobs First (formerly CERF) initiative: Find out the latest news, announcements, and our video highlights.
Redwood Region RISE's Collaborative Gathers On April 29-30 In Humboldt
April 5, 2024
We are thrilled to meet with you at our RRRISE In-Person Collaborative Gathering on April 29-30* at the Bear River Tish Non Community Center in Loleta, Humboldt County. Over the last few months, several members of our Collaborative have requested time to gather in person to network, connect, and collaborate. We agree that while Zoom is great for initiatives that span large geographical areas such as ours, it is not the same as working together in the same space. So…Let’s gather!
- Date & Time: Monday, April 29, 8:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. to Tuesday, April 30, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Location: 266 Keisner Rd, Loleta, CA 95551 (Bear River Tish Non Community Center)
- Invitees: Members of our Equity Council, Tribal Table, Sector Tables, Voting Members, as well as community leaders and residents from our Tribal Lands and four counties.
Please note that hotel accommodations, meals, beverages, and snacks are included for participants, and reimbursements for travel and childcare are available. This event will be in-person only, there will not be a hybrid option.
*Update: Our RSVP deadline was April 23, 5:00 p.m. If you have any questions about this event, please reach out to RISEoutreach@ncoinc.org
We look forward to seeing you in-person!
Redwood Region RISE Awarded $14 Million in Catalyst Pre-Development Funding Through California Jobs First
March 19, 2024
Redwood Region RISE (Resilient Inclusive Sustainable Economy) has officially been awarded $14 million in Catalyst pre-development funding. As one of the 13 “California Jobs First” regions–and especially as a rural region comprising Tribal Lands and Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties–the Catalyst funding will help us bridge the gap between planning and implementing our regional economic development strategies and investments. These funds will enable the Redwood Region to develop ready-to-go projects that can compete for funding opportunities from federal, state, and private sources.
“For rural and under-capitalized regions like ours, getting projects ready for implementation is often held up by the expense and workload of the pre-development phase. After a year of figuring out our planning and governance structure for Redwood Region RISE, this next phase will be where the rubber hits the road and we start to move some funding to those projects that will have the best chance to receive implementation funds from the state, or that will be attractive to other funding agencies.”
— Susan Seaman, Program Director, AEDC (RRRISE’s Fiscal Agent)
Tribal Engagement Grant: New Deadline February 20, 2024
January 31, 2024
Tribal Governments in the Redwood Region RISE are encouraged to apply for a grant of up to $20,000 to participate in the California Jobs First Planning Phase. The purpose of California Jobs First is to create high-paying jobs, build carbon-neutral economies, and to provide access to priority communities. All applicants must participate in Redwood Region RISE activities, which may include outreach to Tribal communities. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 20, 2024. Return completed applications to RISEoutreach@ncoinc.org.
- If you would like more information, please watch the recording of our informational webinar regarding the Tribal Engagement Grant. Passcode: 2Hz%1R!S
- Additionally, If you would like to have technical assistance for the grant application or discuss ideas, we encourage you to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Roseanne Ibarra, Director of Community Wellness at North Coast Opportunities. Please reach out to RISEoutreach@ncoinc.org or give her a call at (707) 467-3200 to schedule.
Redwood Region RISE: Regional Summary Part 1 Launched
January 24, 2024
The RRRISE convening team submitted our 470-page Regional Summary: Part 1 to the State Interagency team at the end of 2023. This report lays the groundwork for examining economic development strategies that CA Jobs First will potentially fund in our region. We've since received feedback from the State and are currently revising the report. We look forward to sharing our revised report in May-June 2024.
As we're revising the report, we are also developing a set of short & sweet topical “policy briefs” with accompanying slide decks, videos, and social media content to allow our community to easily digest the reports’ key findings.
If you have any questions about these reports, please reach us at ccrp@humboldt.edu.
Mini-Grant Opportunity for Humboldt, Lake & Mendocino
January 9, 2024
The Outreach & Engagement Team through North Coast Opportunities (NCO) invites community-based organizations to apply to receive a mini-grant of up to $10,000 to assist the team in Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino in outreach activities*.
NCO is reaching out to grassroot organizations and nonprofits. Here is an example of some of the activities we’d love your help with:
Help engage with priority communities to encourage participation;
Conduct empathy interviews and listening sessions; and
Hold focus groups and/or community meetings.
Redwood Region RISE Outreach: Training Opportunity
January 9, 2024
Our facilitation partner ThinkPlace West will offer free training for individuals and organizations interested in learning how to do Empathy Interviews to assist outreach in the Redwood Region. The training will be held on Zoom on January 19, 2024 from 9am-12pm. Please email us if you are interested in receiving a calendar invite at RISEoutreach@ncoinc.org.
Call For Photographers/Videographers: Capture The Stories Of Redwood Region RISE's Diverse Communities
December 6, 2023
Redwood Region RISE is launching a Request For Proposal (RFP) for up to two Photographers/Videographers in our Region. In this position, the Photo/Videographer would create content photography and/or videography for Redwood Region RISE’s storytelling, digital communications, and project mapping purposes. Between January-June 2024 (for a six-month period), the Photo/Videographer will work with the California Center for Rural Policy's Communications Associate to develop a visual content strategy to ensure photo/video materials are inclusive, representative, accessible, and help foster a shared vision for economic development in the Region that aligns with Redwood Region RISE's objectives: to develop a community-led, climate-forward economy.
The photo/videographic content should make tangible and bring to life the economic development projects and initiatives taking place within Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino Counties and Tribal Lands, and highlight our diverse communities’ lived experiences, challenges, and opportunities.
You can apply to submit a proposal for the position of Photographer, Videographer, or both. Please send your proposal to Leoni Fohr, Communications Associate via email to ccrp@humboldt.edu and include “Proposal for Videographer/Photographer” in the subject line.
We are accepting proposals until January 1st, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
California Jobs First: When & What Projects Are Eligible For Funding
November 2, 2023
The State shared with us a "Project Readiness" document (below). The document describes how California Jobs First (formerly CERF) will invest up to $450 million statewide ($162M in the Predevelopment/Catalyst Phase and $268M in the Implementation Phase) in projects that support a community-led, climate-forward economy. The document states: "Through the Predevelopment Phase, regions will develop a portfolio of projects designed to attract additional federal, state, and private investment while building the economy envisioned by each California Jobs First Regional Collaborative. Implementation Phase investments will fund projects that directly support the investment strategies identified in each Regional Plan."
California Economic Summit & CERF Rebrand: "California Jobs First"
October 13, 2023
The 12th annual 2023 California Economic Summit took place in Indian Wells, from October 11-13. Nearly 1,000 attendees from around the state gathered in the Coachella Valley to discuss solutions to California’s most pressing issues, including housing and homeownership, arts and the creative economy, climate resiliency and more. Representing Redwood Region RISE was California Center for Rural Policy's Director of Research and Policy, Amanda Peçanha Hickey.
During the Summit, state representatives from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and others from the administration announced the rebranding of the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) to California Jobs First. The statewide initiative is an opportunity for the 13 regions throughout the state to be empowered to chart their own course.
“Having accessible language is crucial and ‘Jobs First’ helps us to build that shared purpose within our collaborative,” said Amanda Peçanha Hickey. “For rural California in general, we have seen some of California’s growing prosperity pass us by. We are embracing the opportunity to examine this critically and right the course for our communities.”
Check Out Our Collective Meeting & Events Calendar
September 26, 2023
What's happening, where and when? Our Calendar (through 2023) will give you insight in our scheduled meetings for our High Road Transition Collaborative (HRTC), Equity Council, Tribal & Local Planning Tables, and Sector Planning Tables. We will also include other relevant events and occasional working sessions for our Voting Member Block - but the bulk of the Voting Members' work will take place during our monthly HRTC Meetings. Please note this calendar is subject to change.
If you have anything you think should be added to this calendar, please reach out to ccrp@humboldt.edu. Thank you!
Highlights From Our High Road Transition Collaborative's Launch Event
September 25, 2023
We are still reeling from last week’s hybrid “High Road Transition Collaborative (HRTC) Launch Event” and following Annual Economic Development Summit in Ukiah - we loved meeting many of you “in the flesh”, and engaging more in-depth with so many others through Zoom. In case you weren’t able to join (in-person or through Zoom) or would like to revisit what we discussed: please find the meeting recording, agenda, and presentation here. And if you haven’t yet, please fill out our Partner Survey - we have 44 respondents so far, and we’re looking for many more!
We are currently gathering and digitizing the thoughtful input that you all provided during our hybrid meeting, and we will get back to you on our (initial) findings soon. We also want to note that we appreciate all the evaluation forms that have been submitted, and we are deeply committed to make our next gathering even better than this one! If you'd also like to let us know your thoughts, please send us an email at ccrp@humboldt.edu.
Would you like to get more information on our HRTC Launch Event?
Have You Filled Out Our New "Partner Survey" Yet?
September 12, 2023
If you've been involved in Redwood Region RISE's efforts for a little while, you might remember our "Onboarding Survey", in which we asked whether you'd be interested in engaging with our Region's CERF initiative. The many responses helped us create our High Road Transition Collaborative's Governance Structure. Now that our Collective has been taking shape, we are gearing up for our next steps. This includes creating our research deliverable—the Regional Summary Part 1—which will inform the strategies and projects put forth by our Collective at the end of our Planning Phase.
Our new 'Partner Survey' is a required part of our Region’s plan, and your responses are crucial. Your survey responses will help us learn more about community members and organizations interested and/or available to participate in economic development planning and decision-making in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino Counties and Tribal Lands. We will use the survey results to prepare these parts of our regional plan:
- A searchable directory of people and organizations interested and available to participate in the Redwood Region RISE planning process.
- Graphics and charts that illustrate all combined survey responses.
- A written analysis of the take-aways.
If you're not representing an organization/affiliation, this survey will take about five minutes to complete. For those representing an organization/affiliation it will take about twelve minutes to complete this survey.
If you'd like to participate, please complete our survey by October 15, 2023. Thank you so much!
Join Our Informational CERF Webinar (And Spread The Word!)
September 8, 2023
It is easy to get tangled up in CERF’s ambitious scope and objectives - especially if you’re new to economic development! That’s why we are organizing a regional CERF Webinar on September 14 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. on Zoom. This Webinar will be especially relevant to those new to our efforts, and for folks interested in joining our Local Planning Tables. That’s why we’re asking you to please forward this webinar invite to anyone in your organization, community, or personal circle. It will be the perfect opportunity to get a more personal introduction to CERF - and Redwood Region RISE specifically.
- What? CERF Webinar
- When? September 14 from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
- Where? On Zoom
- Why? We will go over all you need to know about CERF, our efforts so far, next steps, and ways for you to get involved.
Call For Up To Four Industry Development Sector Experts To Convene Planning Tables
August 25, 2023
Redwood Region RISE is seeking up to four organizations to facilitate industry Sector Planning Tables as part of the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) Regional Planning process. The entity/entities selected for this role will possess sector experience and will be responsible for convening the necessary partners to advance industry development across the Redwood Region–Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino counties, and Tribal Lands.
The Sector Table Coordinators will lead working sessions to surface strategies and projects that can grow their respective sectors, with emphasis on approaches that are environmentally sustainable and create thriving wage opportunities for workers. Our Region's four Sector Planning Tables are:
1. Arts, Culture, and Tourism
2. Health and Caregiving
3. Renewable and Resilient Energy
4. Working Lands and Blue Economy
You can apply to submit a proposal for Coordinator of one or more (or all) of the Sector Tables. We request that the bidder submit a notice of intent to ccrp@humboldt.edu by Friday, September 8, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.
Proposals should be submitted by Friday, September 15, 2023 by 11:59 p.m. and should be addressed to Amanda Hickey, Director of Research & Policy via email to ccrp@humboldt.edu and include “Proposal for Sector Table Coordinator” in the subject line.
News On The CERF Catalyst Program
August 25, 2023
The State received over 140 unique pieces of feedback by 300+ organizations and individuals during the Public Comment Period for the Catalyst Program. This impressive volume of comments informed a thorough revision and the creation of Catalyst Program 2.0. This program is an investment in project pre-development for all 13 CERF Regions. The Program also aims to help communities access billions of dollars in additional federal, state, and private funds.
The Catalyst Program 2.0 includes up to $14 million per Region to bridge inclusive economic planning with project and program implementation:
- Up to $2 million in HRTC operations
- Up to $1.5 million towards Sector Investment Coordinators
- Up to $9 million for project pre-development activities
- Up to $1.5 million towards grant administration and compliance (Fiscal Agent overhead)
In their communications, the State noted: "The Community Economic Resilience Fund is designed to spur systemic change to build a more equitable, resilient economy. The Catalyst Program funds will support HRTCs to invest in pre-development activities, enabling regions to develop projects and maximize investment opportunities while reserving implementation funds for ready-to-go projects."
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to WSBCERF@EDD.CA.GOV.
Presenting Our New Governance Structure
August 23, 2023
Thanks everyone for providing input and thought partnership to help establish Redwood Region RISE's governance structure. To center the community voices that don't always participate in or benefit from economic development planning processes, we are establishing a regional-level, formal participatory governance structure designed to shift power to, and lift up, marginalized voices within and beyond the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF). This document provides a "bird's eye view" on CERF, our timeline, a Planning Phase "Flow Chart" and description of our High Road Transition Collaborative' bodies, and lists our priority communities and partners.
Announcing HRTC Launch Event: September 20th in Ukiah
August 12, 2023
After months of emails, online meetings and digital dialogue… We are thrilled to announce a hybrid Redwood Region RISE (Resilient, Inclusive Sustainable, Economy) High Road Transition Collaborative (HRTC) meeting!
This get-together will be the official launch of our Collaborative, and prepares us for the next part of our Planning Phase. To help us navigate our community outreach efforts, we are looking forward to a training, and much more. We will share the meeting agenda shortly.
- Who: Members from our Voting Block, Sector Tables, and Equity Council are welcome to join us in-person. All are welcome to engage via Zoom.
- Date: September 20th, 2023
- Time: 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.
- Location: 200 S School St, Ukiah (Ukiah Valley Conference Center)
- Join via Zoom: We will set up video conferencing equipment for Zoom. Please also note we’re planning to hold our second in-person gathering in March of 2024, in Del Norte County.
Call For Skilled Facilitators
August 11, 2023
Redwood Region RISE is seeking proposals for facilitation of round tables across our Region: Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino Counties. Facilitation will be from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024 for the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) Planning Phase. Facilitator(s) will be responsible for assisting community members to dialogue, make decisions and produce a regional roadmap for economic recovery that centers equity and the transition to carbon neutrality.
You can submit your proposal here by August 24th at 5:00 p.m.
If you have any questions regarding this RFP, please reach out to riseoutreach@ncoinc.org no later than August 17, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. Please share this RFP broadly with your contacts.
Download Request For Proposal Proposal Form & Budget Governance Structure
Join Our Team: We're Looking for a Project Coordinator in Del Norte County
July 18, 2023
Redwood Region RISE's Outreach and Engagement lead North Cost Opportunities (NCO) is seeking a Project Coordinator to help implement regional community engagement strategies for building equitable and sustainable economies. Are you highly collaborative, creative and able to think strategically, and committed to use your skills and knowledge to empower communities to authentically participate in economic development planning? As NCO's Project Coordinator for CERF, you may be called upon to act as a liaison to local, regional, state, or federal partners, as well as engage with clients and members of the community, requiring a high level of professionalism and emotional intelligence, and the ability to be an effective presenter. In some cases, the Project Coordinator may be primarily responsible for management of an overall project budget, including any required tracking and reporting. Find out more and apply today!
Call for Nominations: Equity Council
July 10, 2023
Redwood Region RISE is calling for nominations for our Equity Council (formerly called 'Community Outreach & Engagement Advisory Committee'). This Equity Council will include up to twenty community members representing priority population groups and shall provide guidance on community outreach and engagement. Stipends will be available based on eligibility and meeting the requirements stated in the Commitment Form and Stipend Policy, which will be released shortly.
Would you like to—or know someone who should—join our this council? You can use the Nomination Form below to nominate someone, or fill out the Commitment Form yourself. Send your fully completed form(s) to Radhika Misri at rmisri@ncoinc.org.