The mission of Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance (TVNPA) is to provide local nonprofit organizations with opportunities to meet, collaborate, share resources, and strengthen each other as they work to raise community awareness and strive to achieve their missions. A nonprofit itself, the organization works to support the hundreds of nonprofits that serve and enrich the Tri-Valley area. Recognizing that most nonprofits work on shoestring budgets, TVNPA provides free monthly, industry-specific educational programs and also provides opportunities to network and build collaborations and partnerships.

Nonprofits "support our vulnerable populations, provide us with arts, education and scholarships, recreation, sports, health and wellness support, protect our land, and so much more," says Kathy Young, President and CEO, who co-founded the group.

TVNPA recently created the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Fund (TVNF) to help stabilize six regional safety-net organizations with missions severely impacted by Covid-19. The beneficiaries of the fund are Axis Community Health; CityServe of the Tri-Valley; Open Heart Kitchen; Senior Support Services of the Tri-Valley; Spectrum Community Services, which provides the Meals on Wheels program; and Tri-Valley Haven.

"As a result of this collective crisis, members of our communities have suddenly found themselves experiencing shortfalls in many basic needs simultaneously," notes Young. "This fund takes a holistic approach, supporting community members through organizations well-positioned to meet the moment."

These nonprofits regularly address the basic needs of vulnerable populations such as senior citizens, children, the disabled, veterans, those living paycheck-to-paycheck, and the homeless by providing food, clothing, safe housing, behavioral health assistance, wellness checks, transportation, and medical care, Young points out. They also work as informal extensions of local governments to help manage human service needs in our communities.

"While donating to any one of these organizations is a great choice, donors to the TVNF can double their impact and wrap a blanket of services around their neighbors, providing food, shelter, healthcare, and more with just one donation," says Young. "The TVNF will provide unrestricted financial support, equally, to each organization to help stabilize them and assist them in scaling. Funds will be disbursed as soon as possible, once key matching benchmarks are reached."

The new fund has already inspired a number of unique contributions to help get it started. Tri-Valley residents Tammie Crislip, Suzanne Callison, Sue Bornemann, and Marci Balfour started Masks Sewn for Love as a fundraiser to benefit the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Fund. There is no cost for a mask but those who order a mask are encouraged to donate any amount to the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Fund.

The matching program was initially seeded by the Community Health & Education Foundation (CHEF) in Livermore, with a donation of $20,000. In addition to CHEF, Hacienda Helping Hands contributed $10,000, enabling the fund to make its first distribution after just one month in operation. Businesses that would like to join the matching funds program can contact Young at kathy@tvnpa.org .

"Corporate matching partners are vital to the fund's ability to support our community through this pandemic," notes Young. "We know the capacity for individual giving may be limited since everyone is impacted to some extent. We are looking to local businesses and foundations to partner with us so that every individual donation doubles immediately."

To order a mask, please send your name, address, and number of masks (there is a limit of two) via email to maskssewn4love@gmail.com. Donations can be made at chefgivingcommunity.org/tvnf; please enter the group name, Masks Sewn for Love.

For more information about Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance, please visit www.tvnpa.org.