With today’s global challenges, we know it’s more important than ever to support economic advancement strategies that are regions-up and focused on the growth and stewardship of California’s valuable communities, land, and resources.
Our work recognizes that an economy built without attention to the reality of climate change is an economy that will not provide the tangible benefits all Californians deserve.
Here are the strategic priorities and programs we, along with our partners, are advancing to build stronger and more resilient economies across all of California.
To build a New California Economy, CA FWD, along with our partners, is committed to advancing our core programs through the following projects:
Regions-Up
Investor Exchange Series
Convening two Investor Exchanges—follow-up events to the Investor Exchange held at the 2024 California Economic Summit—to connect regional projects to private funding opportunities for sustained implementation driving capital to regional priorities.
Policy Advocacy to Support Regional Economic Action
Catalyzing a policy agenda that supports a durable, sustainable, regions-up economic development system for the state of California.
Community Benefits Hub
Partnering with the Possibility Lab at the University of California, Berkeley to develop community benefits resources and tools designed to align public investment, community priorities, and private sector goals.
CA FWD Young Leaders Program
Launching a new cohort of the CA FWD Young Leaders Program (YLP), formerly the Young Leaders Advisory Council, to elevate the next generation of empowered industry, policy, and non-profit leaders through professional development curriculum, peer knowledge exchange, and opportunities to engage with experts.
CSN Peer Exchanges
Convening bi-annual opportunities for California Stewardship Network (CSN) members to collaborate as peers, share best practices, and strategize around statewide collective action priorities.
Growth & Stewardship
Supporting California’s regions to Build a Sustainable & Resilient Industrial Economy
Lifting up and connecting regions across the state in their efforts to build a more sustainable economy that provides high road jobs and broadly shared economic opportunity, with targeted projects on the bioeconomy and the battery supply chain.
Increasing Fiscal Stability of Public Budgets
Advancing efforts to reform California’s Rainy Day Fund to reduce the volatility of the state’s revenue structure by saving more in the Fund during strong revenue years.
Supporting implementation of the state’s risk disclosure agenda and connecting and convening public and private sector partners on implementation of related legislation, including SB 261.
Catalyzing investment in Climate Resilience
Convening cross-sector experts through Resilient Design Sprints to tackle the fiscal risks climate impacts pose to governments, identify market gaps, and implement strategies to leverage the insurance sector as a tool for reducing public risk.
Advancing a climate resilience implementation accelerator that provides models for adaptation action and drives structural reforms to overcome barriers to implementation.