Earlier this year we shared a message about challenges facing CivicWell and the steps we were taking to address them. We are grateful for the outpouring of support we have received, and are heartened to be able to provide an encouraging update on the state of CivicWell and the future of our organization.

Like many of our nonprofit peers in the wake of the pandemic, in recent years CivicWell has experienced challenges with our funding streams, fee structure, and financial model. Over the past few months we took decisive action to substantially restructure the organization to improve efficiency and save costs. These actions include the following:

• We paused certain projects or transitioned leadership to partners while we evaluated our next steps.
• We reduced reliance on projects and initiatives with burdensome carrying costs.
• We made the difficult decision to part ways with a number of our talented staff members, and are moving forward with a leaner team.
• We lowered our overhead through cost-cutting measures in software and other administrative platforms.
• Incredible partner organizations have stepped in to shepherd some of our programs forward—CivicSpark is now housed at the Public Health Institute, and the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative will be managed by Valley Vision.

CivicWell staff and Board of Directors have been working to chart a future for the organization, and we are developing several strategies to continue CivicWell’s legacy of impact that has spanned more than four decades.

We plan to host all of our signature events as originally planned for 2025. We have launched a Webinar Series featuring changemakers in transportation, equity, health, philanthropy, and climate resilience. The 33rd annual CivicWell Policymakers Conference will be held March 13-16, 2025 in Yosemite National Park. The 16th annual California Climate & Energy Forum will be held in summer 2025, and planning is underway for the California Adaptation Forum. More details about these events will be announced soon.

We are fortunate to have amazing partner agencies, and we are committed to deepening and expanding these relationships to extend our collective impact.

CivicWell has a long and successful track record of providing planning and technical assistance to local governments and their implementation partners, and supporting capacity building in communities. We are selectively continuing existing education, technical assistance and local planning projects, while also developing and pursuing new opportunities that address community needs and are aligned with our organizational vision and mission. We have strong staff expertise in areas ranging from active transportation and community revitalization to climate resilience and coalition building. We welcome collaboration opportunities – please contact us if you would like to partner with CivicWell on a project in your community.

We would like to extend our gratitude to our community for your support and encouragement throughout this challenging period, and for your continued partnership and investment in our organization. We know that CivicWell serves a crucial role transforming local vision into action and working at the intersection of resilience, capacity building, and local government. We look forward to building a strong, vibrant future together with you.