Berkeley’s public schools are built on inclusivity, equity, integrity, and compassion—values that every student deserves to experience every day. But those values are under threat. A $7 million state budget cut, federal rollbacks, and rising ICE activity in the East Bay have destabilized families, deepening mental health struggles and widening opportunity gaps for students across the district. Schools are more than places of learning—they are spaces where every student should feel safe, supported, and valued. [...more...]
Direct Relief has debuted a new public service announcement featuring Emmy Award-winning actress, comedian, and long-time supporter Jane Lynch. In the PSA, Lynch lends her signature voice and presence to spotlight Direct Relief’s mission: improving [...more...]
Giving List Matching Challenges
Youth Development
Soccer and poetry may seem like an unusual pairing, but America SCORES Bay Area knows it’s a magical mix with […more…]
How can we ensure young people have healthy, promising futures? By giving them the resources, relationships, and environments that support […more…]
Sherry “Dusty” Harris was a single mother raising three daughters in a subsidized housing complex in the Western Addition of […more…]
Well Being & Health
Across the world, indigenous leaders fighting for their communities’ rights face immense threats – violence, displacement, and persecution for standing […more…]
At 2 am, the phone rings at the Contra Costa Crisis Center. A 15-year-old boy, voice trembling, reaches out. He […more…]
“Where there is light, there is hope. Thank you for being a light in this dark path.” -KP, a Psychosocial […more…]
Getting the Message Out
Maty Thiane was a 14-year-old teenager from Senegal when she was uprooted from all she knew and loved and moved […more…]
Unlike mainstream media, Mongabay is dedicated to consistent, in-depth reporting on deforestation, biodiversity, and environmental justice. Our investigative journalism has: […more…]
Rhett Ayers Butler describes himself as a lucky child. With collected airline miles from his father’s job and a travel […more…]
Fostering Care
Sarah Gentle was 17 and in foster care when she had a meeting with her Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team. […more…]
“What appeals to me so much about A Home Within is the kind of person that makes the commitment to […more…]
May is National Foster Care Month, and you can help foster youth achieve their dreams by supporting Pivotal today. Pivotal provides academic coaching, college […more…]
Emergency Services
Direct Relief navigates the war zones in Ukraine to deliver cystic fibrosis medications, transports Mpox vaccines to clinics in the […more…]
Direct Relief has debuted a new public service announcement featuring Emmy Award-winning actress, comedian, and long-time supporter Jane Lynch. In […more…]
Santa Barbara-based Direct Relief has been awarded the 2025 Seoul Peace Prize for its longstanding humanitarian work in delivering medical resources to […more…]
Education
In Berkeley, a city known for its resources and progressive values, 1 in 3 students face socio-economic barriers, contributing to […more…]
“Your life won’t work out if you don’t do well in school.” “You’re a disappointment or a failure if you […more…]
Although Berkeley is less than an hour’s drive from the hub of Silicon Valley, the region’s innovation and resources remain […more…]
Advocacy
Legal Services for Children deeply believes that every youth deserves to grow up feeling safe and nurtured. Unfortunately, there are […more…]
Last Spring, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC) led its 11th annual Quest for Democracy (Q4D), a day of […more…]
Youth Speaks alumni include an Obama speechwriter, the founder of a Black-owned media tech company, and the youngest inaugural Poet […more…]
A Helping Hand
Xochtil Larios was only 16 when she found herself behind bars and caught up in the criminal justice system. She […more…]
A mom in East Palo Alto went to jail for stealing diapers; her kids went to foster care. According to […more…]