A Note from Liz Warner, Executive Director
My first three months with the Fund have flown by! I wouldn’t say I feel settled just yet, but I am certainly energized — by all of the exciting fall events going on, by the transformative work being done in our community, and by the curiosity and spirit of collaboration our partners bring to complex issues. It is truly an honor to be part of West Marin Fund, working alongside you for a just and thriving West Marin.
A few Fund-related news items I want to call to your attention:
- Measure P is on the ballot in November. Earlier this year, West Marin Fund supported research that led to Measure P, a voter-led effort to expand access to affordable, high-quality childcare and early childhood education throughout Marin County. If passed, it will create dedicated local funding to help families afford childcare and preschool, strengthen and retain Marin’s early childhood education workforce, and expand and improve the places where young children learn and grow. Learn more here.
- Emergency preparedness. With a super El Niño on the horizon this winter, the County recently tested the AlertMarin system and launched an Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery Fund, which West Marin Fund will administer to support both preparedness and recovery efforts in an emergency. If you haven’t already, sign up for AlertMarin and KWMR’s emergency alert system (see more under the grantee highlight below). You can learn more about the County’s emergency preparedness efforts on the Marin County website.
- Our strategic direction. Over the past several months, West Marin Fund’s strategic planning work has sharpened our focus into three broad goals: enriching community life, strengthening local capacity, and catalyzing solutions to community challenges. You’ll see each of them reflected in the sections of this newsletter that illuminate the ways we’re organizing our work and honing our mission.
Lastly, we have some exciting changes coming for West Marin Fund that I think you’ll be pleased to see and hear (hint, hint)! Stay tuned for a special message that I’ll be sharing soon.
In the meantime, enjoy the splendor of October!
With gratitude,
Enriching Community Life
Helping people across West Marin gather, create, learn, stay healthy, and build connections that keep our communities vibrant.
Announcing Our Fall 2026 Community Enrichment Grantees
We are pleased to announce that 17 organizations will receive Community Enrichment grants of $3,000 to $4,000. These grants strengthen the social fabric and cultural richness of West Marin by supporting one-time projects that respond to community priorities such as improving a program or service, hosting events that celebrate our cultural diversity, or caring for community assets like historical records and public art.
Grantee Highlight: Slide Ranch Brings West Marin Together Through Music and Arts
With support from a Spring 2026 Community Enrichment grant, Slide Ranch hosted a community event series this past summer that included live music and a puppet show. The series brought members of the West Marin community together in a special way with several affordable, all-ages cultural experiences that introduced more local residents to the ranch. At least 20% of attendees at the series were from West Marin, compared with 3.5% at an earlier 2026 concert that did not have the same local-engagement focus.
Strengthening Local Capacity
Helping local organizations grow stronger and work better together, from spaces to connect and learn to collaborations focused on shared priorities.
Two Free Strategic Planning Workshops
West Marin Fund is offering a no-cost, two-part Do-It-Yourself Strategic Planning Workshop series this November for nonprofit teams and board members, plus an optional tailored coaching session to help you put the tools into action. You’ll walk away with resources and templates to create a strategic roadmap for your organization now and in the future, while increasing clarity, alignment, and impact.
Collaborative Impact Work Gets Another Boost
On September 8, the Marin County Board of Supervisors approved a renewed commitment of $400,000 over two years to support West Marin Fund’s Collaborative Impact grants. Together with funds from the Marin Community Foundation, the Sarlo Family Foundation, and our generous donors, we are able to offer nearly $1.2 million in grants over the next two years toward reducing service gaps for disadvantaged residents on the rural coast. Our Collaborative Impact Program uses a participatory model where community members serve on grant review committees that recommend which projects to fund.
As Supervisor Dennis Rodoni told the Marin IJ, “Instead of funding organizations separately, this model brings nonprofits, residents, public agencies, and philanthropy together to identify priorities and develop shared solutions.”
Individual donors are essential to helping us fund the strong, community-driven proposals we receive under this initiative. Please reach out to us if you’re interested in supporting this work. Your support means more collaborative solutions to our region’s greatest needs.
Grantee Highlight: KWMR Text System Supports Emergency Response in West Marin
With support from a West Marin Fund grant, KWMR built a text system that sends emergency alerts, in English and Spanish, to opted-in subscribers when cell, internet, and 911 services are down. The system was put to the test on January 4, when floodwaters damaged an AT&T station in eastern Marin and knocked out cell, internet, and 911 service for several hours. That first real-world use helped the developer fine-tune the software, and KWMR now hopes to share the approach with groups like Rapid Response Networks and Disaster Corps.
With a super El Niño expected this winter, now is a great time to subscribe to KWMR’s emergency text alerts.
You Can Be a Part of the Grantmaking Magic
Ever wondered how you can help organizations serving West Marin grow their work and impact? Join a grant review committee and help advise West Marin Fund’s grantmaking. Committee members review and recommend proposals for our Collaborative Impact and Organizational Effectiveness grants, with support from Fund staff. Each committee has 6 to 8 members, and each year we invite community members to nominate themselves or others.
Catalyzing Solutions to Community Challenges
Partnering with the community on time-bound initiatives to make tangible progress on big challenges facing our region: early childhood equity, economic opportunity, and housing stability.
Strengthening Infant & Toddler Care
Our three-year Infant and Toddler Initiative is moving from listening to action. Together with the Early Learning Collaborative Action Network (ELCAN) and other key partners, we’re taking an in-depth look at how to strengthen every part of the system of care, from prenatal through kindergarten, and setting clear benchmarks for the improvements that are needed. Early activities have included hosting West Marin’s first Early Childhood Family Fair, developing a bilingual resource guide for families, and fostering stronger provider collaboration and data sharing. You can read our full report, executive summary, and resource guide on our website.
Start Up West Marin Launches Its Next Cohort
As part of our Economic Opportunity work, our newest Start Up West Marin cohort kicked off in August, and roughly 20 local entrepreneurs are now meeting weekly for free training and one-on-one support from the Marin Small Business Development Center. The program is funded through Marin County’s Microbusiness Support Program. Graduates are eligible for start-up grants of up to $5,000 from West Marin Fund.
This latest group’s entrepreneurial ambitions reflect a breadth of interests: from pasture-raised eggs to homemade ice cream, from film and screenwriting to digital media, from mobile hair and foot care to nutritional counseling, from landscaping to moving services, from English-Spanish translation to a home security app.
Stay tuned for more stories as these entrepreneurs turn their small-business dreams into reality.
West Marin Jobs Hub is another aspect of our economic opportunity work. Created with the County of Marin and the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay, it helps residents find local jobs, connects them with career advisors, and gives local employers a place to post openings. Read how it came together.
Keeping Our Communities Housed
Congratulations to the Community Land Trust Association of West Marin (CLAM) and its partners, who recently celebrated the opening of the tiny home village at 100 Sixth Street in Point Reyes Station. CLAM’s July 8 celebration marked a major milestone that saw families displaced by ranch closures moving into new homes in Point Reyes Station and beyond. West Marin Fund was proud to be among the many partners who helped bring this housing effort to fruition. It is a testament to how much we have all accomplished together to keep our community members housed.
