Business Security Improvements Grant Program Guidelines
The City of Bakersfield’s Business Security Improvements Grants Program supports security improvements to assist small businesses and non-profits and mitigate financial hardship in disproportionately impacted areas. The Business Security Improvements Grant Program uses federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to provide grants within Qualified Census Tracts in the city limits of Bakersfield.
To be eligible for a grant:
Your business must be within a Qualified Census Tract (see map in Attachment A).
You must have a current business license with the City of Bakersfield.
Must not have any delinquent bills or outstanding liens issued by the City.
The business must have no more than 500 employees.
About The Center The Center for Sexuality & Gender Diversity (The Center) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender community (LGBTQIA2S+) in Kern County, California.
Mission and Values The Center is an easy-access hub providing safe, supportive spaces and services to Kern County’s LGBTQIA2S+ community and allies. We welcome persons of all identities and strive toward a goal of creating a feeling of belonging for all persons while serving as a bridge connecting to the greater community in Kern County.
Organizational History The Center opened as a downtown community outreach center in 2011 and operated as volunteer-run organization until the first paid staff position was filled in 2016. Currently, there is a paid staff of seven. A second location, The Annex, houses administrative offices and counseling services. The 2023-24 Budget is $750,000., funded by local donors and multiple grants.
Organizational Impact The Center provides services to support Kern County LGBTQ+ residents in living happy, productive, fulfilling lives in a safe and supportive community. Our efforts are focused on individual support services such as counseling and activities to help build self-esteem, and community transformation activities including cultural competency trainings. By conservative estimates, 66,000 Kern residents identify as LGBTQ+ (7.1% of the population, as estimated by Gallup, 2022); many have struggled for self acceptance as well as acceptance and understanding from family, friends, and community. The Center provides that acceptance and educates the wider community in how to provide affirming services. Since opening, The Center has welcomed over 13,000 visitors into its Safe Space as it serves the needs of Kern County’s LGBTQIA2S+ community.
Candidate Profile
The new Executive Director of The Center will be an experienced, motivational, and equity-centered leader with a professional track record of organizational development and mission advancement. They will bring a transparent, inclusive, and collaborative leadership style, and the ability to direct, mentor, support, and coach staff at all levels of experience and professional development. Candidates for this position should have a personal style that is empathetic, warm, and engaging, along with the ability to set healthy boundaries, hold people accountable, and actively listen/respond to the needs of a wide range of internal and external constituents. They should be empathetic, accessible, and people-centered and, at the same time, bring the professional skills and knowledge to lead The Center to new levels of success and impact. Regardless of professional background, a personal understanding of and commitment to intersectional issues/identities (race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic status, etc.) in the LGBTQ+ community is essential.
Plumas Corp is looking for a full-time (40 hours/week) Giant Sequoia Coordinator and Watershed Restoration Project Manager in the Southern Sierras. The Giant Sequoia Coordinator work is 75% of the position and directly supports the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition (GSLC) efforts. The Watershed Restoration Project Manager work is 25% of the position and assists other staff in managing a suite of Plumas Corp watershed restoration projects in the Southern Sierra region. Projects are located primarily on public lands (Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park, Sierra National Forest), at elevations of 3,000- 9,000 feet. Field work may consist of collecting meadow topographic survey data, evaluating wildfire hazard conditions, evaluating and mapping vegetation, trees and forests (including giant sequoia groves), conducting stand exams, hydrologic and forest monitoring, and project implementation. The position includes both office and field work. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand. In addition to fair weather field work, expect heat, cold, rain, snow, noise, and dust. Travel to remote locations can be expected. For more information (Click Here).
Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program (BYJP) City Hall Summer Interns videos for National Intern Day. Thank you to our partners at the City of Bakersfield and California Volunteers. For more information on BYJP, please visit www.kernfoundation.org/byjp.
Click on the image or link above to access our 2022 Report to the Community.
In this report you will view the highlights and prize winners! Thank you to all the sponsors and donors!
This year we raised $885,235 for local participating nonprofits!
Please share this report with others- especially with other nonprofits, to encourage those who have yet participated in Give Big Kern to consider doing so next year.
Save the Date for Give Big Kern 2023 May 2, 2023!!
Following another record-breaking year for Give Big Kern, Kern Community Foundation would like to share with our partners and supporters the Give Big Kern 2021 Report to the Community, which includes:
Our Giving Day results,
Feedback from donors and nonprofit partners, and
A look ahead to next year’s Give Big Kern.
Click on the hyperlink above, or on the image to access it. Happy reading and…Save the date: Our next Give Big Kern will be May 3, 2022! Till then–Give B-i-i-i-g!
Kern Community Foundation, whose mission is “Growing community. Growing philanthropy.” is seeking a Director of Community Impact to manage and develop the Foundation’s Nonprofit Strengthening Initiative, which aims to increase the Visibility, Capacity and Sustainability of Kern’s nonprofit sector through special programs, community engagement, collaboration and networking, grantmaking, marketing/communication efforts and donor relations. This is a full-time, exempt position with competitive benefits. Find the full job description here. Applicants, please send a resume and cover letter to info@kernfoundation.org.
If Kern Community Foundation (KCF) had taken out a full-page ad in each of the four April issues of the Kern Valley Sun to promote the nonprofits participating in this year’s Give Big Kern on May 4th, each ad would have cost us $844.20 at the Sun’s discounted nonprofit rate, for a total bill of $3,377!
However, thanks to their in-kind contribution, we got almost a full page each week in April to highlight three nonprofits each time, who told impactful stories about the work they do and detailed their fundraising needs in their own words. At 75% of the total advertising price, the Kern Valley Sun’s in-kind contribution to this year’s Give Big Kern effort is valued at $2,533!
But it is worth MUCH more than that, because you really can’t put a price on important community connections made by our hard-working nonprofits with potential clients, supporters, volunteers and donors who are readers or subscribers to the Sun. What’s more, some Bakersfield-based nonprofits wanting to extend their service footprint to the Kern River Valley area specifically chose to submit stories for publication in the Sun to make themselves better known among its readers.
Such a tremendous contribution on the part of the Kern Valley Sun was crucial to the success of this year’s Give Big Kern, which broke the $800,000 fundraising ceiling for the first time. All 129 participating nonprofits from all corners of Kern County received donations.
Indeed, the Kern Valley Sun’s generosity shines most brightly! Thank you!
Click on the image (or on this link) to view the entire series.
If Kern Community Foundation (KCF) had taken out a full-page ad in each of the four April issues of El Popular News to promote the nonprofits participating in this year’s Give Big Kern on May 4th, each ad would have cost us $1,575, for a total bill of $6,300! However, thanks to the partnership we enjoy with the El Popular, a total of 12 nonprofits, including KCF, submitted stories, photos and logos that were handsomely laid out in four full pages devoted to Give Big Kern, one per weekly issue during all of April. This gave Give Big Kern participating nonprofits much visibility in the Hispanic community, and helped raise awareness of our increasingly popular Giving Day – en español! Such a tremendous contribution on the part of El Popular News was crucial to the success of this year’s Give Big Kern, which broke the $800,000 ceiling for the first time. All 129 participating nonprofits received donations. We thank El Popular News for being a year-over-year Media Sponsor whose generous in-kind contributions–which we could not afford otherwise–help raise community awareness of Give Big Kern participating nonprofits’ fundraising needs and grow philanthropy among Kern’s Spanish-speaking community. As Give Big Kern’s Bilingual Mascot Billy the Give Big Goat might say, “That’s an excellent way to Give B-i-i-i-g!” (“¡Es una excelente manera de Dar en G-r-a-a-a-n-d-e!”) Click on the image (or on this link) to view the entire series.
Kern Community Foundation, whose mission is “Growing community. Growing philanthropy.” is seeking a Director of Community Impact to manage and develop the Foundation’s Nonprofit Strengthening Initiative, which aims to increase the Visibility, Capacity and Sustainability of Kern’s nonprofit sector through special programs, community engagement, collaboration and networking, grantmaking, marketing/communication efforts and donor relations. This is a full-time, exempt position with competitive benefits. 
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