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Three Valleys Community Foundation representatives distributed nearly $2.9 million in grants and funding to organizations in the Tri-Valley and greater Alameda County at the State of Giving Gathering on March 13, 2025 at the Roundhouse in Bishop Ranch. (Photo by Joy Liu Media / Courtesy 3VCF) 
Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division received $5,000 from 3VCF’s Partners for Local Press Fund. Editorial director Jeremy Walsh (left) accepts the award presented by Pleasanton Mayor Jack Balch and 3VCF CEO/President Kelly Bowers. (Photo by Joy Liu Media / Courtesy 3VCF) 
Trybe, Inc., was one of 12 recipients of Alameda County opioid settlement grants administered by 3VCF. (Photo by Joy Liu Media / Courtesy 3VCF) 
Assistant U.S. attorney Ryan Rezaei delivered the keynote address on the illicit fentanyl reality in the Bay Area and nationwide. (Photo by Joy Liu Media / Courtesy 3VCF) 
Public officials gather with the ceremonial check at 3VCF’s second annual State of Giving Gathering on March 13, 2025. (Photo by Joy Liu Media / Courtesy 3VCF) 
The Pleasanton Weekly and Livermore Vine will support Tha Town’s opioid crisis journalism project funded by an Alameda County opioid settlement grant. Pleasanton Weekly editorial director Jeremy Walsh (left) accepts the award from Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley on behalf of Tha Town, whose representative could not attend the 3VCF ceremony. (Photo by Joy Liu Media / Courtesy 3VCF) 
Amador Valley High School’s journalism program received $3,000 via the Stories from Pleasanton’s Past Powering the Future Fund. (Photo by Joy Liu Media / Courtesy 3VCF)
The good work of local nonprofits in the Tri-Valley and greater Alameda County – including the host organization – was on full display last week at the second annual State of Giving Gathering.
The hallmark of the evening was the Three Valleys Community Foundation handing out more than $2.89 million in funding to 34 nonprofits in the region, with the bulk of those dollars coming through 3VCF in its role as fiscal administrator for Alameda County’s opioid grants.
“We are honored to steward and administer Opioid Settlement grant funds on behalf of Alameda County Behavioral Health, and to collaborate with local corporations and individual donors to support nonprofits making a difference,” Kelly Bowers, CEO and president of 3VCF, said after the March 13 event in the Roundhouse at Bishop Ranch in San Ramon.
“Critical issues like the opioid crisis, mental health and wellness, health equity and access, and environmental sustainability need our collective support. These grants are a testament to the power of philanthropy in our region,” Bowers added.
As important as the “giving” was (to organizations including our own), the “gathering” portion of the evening was as essential.
With each grant award, the audience got to hear about the selected nonprofit or community project.
Through live remarks and video clips, we learned about the myriad efforts of 3VCF, its leaders and supporters toward becoming a true community foundation in the Tri-Valley and building a “give where you live” mentality among residents and businesses here.
The reception provided the opportunity to mingle among nonprofit reps, business leaders and local officials. The keynote address from assistant U.S. attorney Ryan Rezaei drove home some scary stats and anecdotes about illicit fentanyl in the Bay Area. The musical performance of “Wind Beneath My Wings” by solo vocalist Isabella Pacheco offered a nice palate cleanser.
The State of Giving Gathering was a holistic experience, but there’s no doubt the headline is still the money.
I had the privilege of representing our Embarcadero Media Foundation East Bay Division onstage to receive two awards – the very first of the night and one of the very last, so I took in the entire program.
We were granted $5,000 from 3VCF’s Partners for Local Press Fund.
The foundation’s other specialty fund awards included $3,000 for Amador Valley High School journalism via the Stories from Pleasanton’s Past Powering the Future Fund, $1,500 for Sunol Glen School via the Sunol Relief & Recovery Fund, and $5,000 for CityServe of the Tri-Valley, $2,500 for One Nation Dreammakers and $2,500 for Tri-Valley Seek & Save from the Project HOPE Fund.
Meals on Wheels Diablo Region ($25,000), Choice in Aging ($12,000), Innovation Tri-Valley Community Fund ($5,000), Samuel Merritt University ($5,000) and Associated Students of UC Nuclear is Clean Energy Club ($5,000) also received specialty grant funds.
Awards from the 3VCF Community Health Impact Grants went to Alan Hu Foundation ($20,000), Contra Costa Crisis Center ($10,000), Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area ($10,000), Fertile Groundworks ($5,000), Narika ($10,000), Quest Science Center ($10,000), Runestone Ranch ($10,000), Shepherd’s Gate ($10,000), Spectrum Community Services ($10,000), Tri-Valley Conservancy ($20,000) and Z-Cares Foundation ($10,000).
And 12 applicants were selected for a share of more than $2.7 million in county opioid settlement grants: Bay Area One Health Coalition ($62,327), Black Girls Mental Health Collective Foundation ($299,000), CAL-PEP: California Prevention and Education Project ($250,000), city of Fremont Human Services ($128,669), HEPPAC – HIV Education and Prevention Project of Alameda County ($299,150), National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives ($250,000), Roots Community Health ($250,000), Tha Town ($194,400), Tri-Valley Haven ($179,299), Trybe Inc. ($300,000), West Oakland Punks with Lunch ($189,482) and Youth Uprising ($300,000).
We will be partnering with Tha Town on the project for young journalists to cover the opioid situation throughout the county.
“We are pleased to partner with Tha Town to recruit junior journalists who will bring more public attention to the opioid crisis in Alameda County,” our publisher Gina Channell Wilcox told me. “We want to help these students relate to their peers through writing, video and podcasts. By informing the public about the dangers of opioid misuse, promoting safe prescription practices and providing resources for prevention and recovery, we hope to play a critical role in reducing opioid-related harm.”
The event lived up to its billing as “A Night of Gratitude, Generosity and Celebration” – getting to learn more about the nonprofit grantees and 3VCF’s focused efforts was inspiring and informative.
But as I look back with my objectivity glasses on, I have to add another word to that list: apprehension.
Just the vibes in the reception at times, a recurring theme in certain conversations, the contextual backdrop of the presentation.
These rooms were filled with local nonprofit representatives whose ability to do amazing work depends on the support of others — private and public sources whose ability to give generally depends on market success and government stability, respectively.
There are real concerns about both in the nonprofit world as the first quarter of 2025 winds down and what those trends might portend for the rest of the year. A tough reality could exist on the revenue side across many levels: the stock market, inflation, federal contracts canceled or funding left in limbo, a tenuous state budget, and many cities and school districts staring at significant cuts.
Any or all of which also tend to result in increased need within the community.
Whether that cloud dissipates, 3VCF is a beacon for the Tri-Valley for 2025 and beyond.
“Together, let’s build our foundation and our sense of belonging — one person, one donor, one cause, and one contribution at a time,” Bowers said in her closing remarks. “In times of funding uncertainty at many levels, let’s create a ripple effect of ‘infectious generosity’ that transforms our community.”
“In a world where so many things — germs, misinformation, even negativity — can go viral and spread rapidly through our interconnected lives, it is profoundly inspiring to witness how the deliberate act of giving can also be contagious,” she added. “Our local nonprofits work tirelessly to improve lives, and they deserve our support not only tonight, but year-round.”
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
