Category: Housing, Justice, Listening Sessions, Personal Stories, Poverty News & Policy Updates, The Safety Net, Wealth Building, Work
February 26th, 2025
By Isabella Gelfand
An extended version of this article originally appeared on Medium.
In October 2024, state and philanthropic leaders gathered in El Centro, California, for the Imperial Valley Civic Ecosystem Convening, a first-of-its-kind meeting organized by the California Governor’s Office and its partners.
During the convening, state secretaries, philanthropic CEOs, local government representatives, and community-based organization (CBO) leaders participated in walking through Niland, an unincorporated community, where residents shared stories about devastating environmental disasters. In Calipatria, community leaders highlighted how the region invested in electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and has become a leader in the green energy transition.
The Imperial Valley region is home to one of the world’s largest sources of lithium, a mineral critical in manufacturing EV batteries. The lithium revolution could transform the region into a center for economic growth. Still, residents worry that the new industry will fail to deliver the high-paying jobs and new infrastructure that leaders promised. The region has already suffered decades of disinvestment, leaving inadequate roads and sidewalks, poor air and water quality, and a lack of access to fresh food, transportation services, and health care.
“We have been forgotten, neglected, and abandoned,” said Niland community leader April Ochoa. “I want to be able to offer things to my children. We all want to be able to offer more.”
At this convening, participants listened to local leaders about the needs, challenges, and opportunities that the region faces, established strong connections, and made long-term commitments. Vice Chair of the West Shores Advisory Council Imari Nuyen-Kariotis said: “I’ve lived here for two decades, and we heard all kinds of things, and nothing has happened. There is mistrust of the officials who have promised us stuff. But today was the cracking of a nut. Everyone here has a piece of the puzzle, and we can fix it.”
State officials, local government, and CBO leaders took action to bolster the capacity of Imperial Valley communities to build regional economic prosperity. Partners launched the Imperial Valley Civic Ecosystem Initiative, a set of three interrelated public-private partnerships that provide technical assistance, grant writing support, and training to local governments and CBOs so they can access public dollars and collaborate more effectively.
This support is critical as Imperial Valley local governments often miss out on state and federal funding because they lack matching funds and staff capacity to complete applications. “It is challenging to be competitive with larger cities because we are so small,” said Laura Gutierrez, City Manager of Calipatria, California. “When grants require a match, say a $1 million match—well, we don’t have $1 million to spend.”
By better resourcing local governments and CBOs, cities will be more equipped to improve community infrastructure, ensure that energy developers pursue lithium extraction in an environmentally safe way, and guarantee that local communities benefit directly from any economic boom. California’s foundations have provided $600,000 towards the Imperial Valley Civic Ecosystem Initiative to date and continue to build on this investment–one they hope will strengthen local power so that the Imperial Valley can meet the moment of the lithium transformation.
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Isabella Gelfand is a Senior Associate at Freedman Consulting, LLC, which helped coordinate the Imperial Valley Civic Ecosystem Initiative and convening. Isabella works to build public-private partnerships and coordinate philanthropy around economic opportunity and criminal justice reform.