Many nonprofits focus on providing spaces for people to come together, practice something they love, and build community. As a society, we desperately need such things, which is why the Fortuna Garden Club makes for a good story. I interviewed Janet Green, one of the club’s leaders. She says “You can talk all day about gardens and just have fun. It brings people together for sure. “

I know the club best as a fan and annual attendee of their Daffodil Show, a two-day event that occurs every year in the second half of March. Janet says that “people don’t really recognize what this is. People come from out of state and up and down the coast. There are table after table of perfect peak blooms.” People who like scientific organization would find it appealing, with the scores of taxonomic classifications that are the same worldwide. You’ll leave having seen the difference between the jonquilles and the tazettae. Or, if you just like pretty daffodils, that’s great too. And there are cookies. The show is free, but the club does raise funds by selling daffodils. Pro tip: if you want to buy daffodils, plan to get there on Saturday morning for the best selection.

Other longstanding events include the June Garden Tour, where they visit various gardens and then have a potluck at Rohnerville Park. There is a secret garden tour in July. Last year, a Founders Grove tour happened during Women’s History Month, which provided an opportunity to learn about the women who were involved early on–so early on that they weren’t allowed to drive–in the movement to save the redwoods.

Janet points out that, as with most garden clubs, activities go beyond planting trees on Arbor Day. It’s a fun, social activity, and attendees are not required to be gardening experts. “We have people who put plastic flowers in their window boxes, but they still appreciate a beautiful garden.”

Many people would be surprised at how big the club is, with 124 members. People say it’s fun because they do so many different things. One more example: “clipboard tours” to places like the McKay Community Forest with an expert mushroom guide and Flower Stream Farm, a peony farm in Briceland, where club members toured among 1000’s of peonies that were in bloom.

Monthly meetings fall on the second Wednesday of every month, from 1 – 3 p.m. Janet says that this year the club’s meetings are focused on horticultural aspects. Recently, club members made hyper tufa planter pots, which involves mixing cement with peat moss, forming the pots, and planting them.

Club members also participate in broadly-gardening-related civic projects. If you’ve been in Fortuna for the Auto Expo or Apple Harvest Festival, you’ve seen some of their work, because they take care of Fortuna’s adorable bulb-out street gardens. Different members are assigned to different street corners. They also provide scholarships to high school students who plan to study something garden-related in college. They make financial donations, such as to the Open Door Community Health Center propagation benches in their greenhouse and to the Fortuna Senior Center, where they supported the purchases of galvanized feed troughs for planting. At those monthly meetings, there is a passing of a donation box. This year’s funds will go to a demonstration garden. “We’re looking at things in the community where we can assist.”

I asked Janet what her personal favorite flower is, and she replied, “whatever’s in bloom now.” At the time we spoke, that was red bread seed poppies.

To get involved, Janet invites you to come to a meeting or one of the club’s activities. You can find information and reach out to the group on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/665648921220160. It could just be the brand of fun, and a bit of community, that you’re looking for.

Michael Kraft writes the Good Work series, volunteering on behalf of the Northern California Association of Nonprofits (NorCAN). NorCAN supports connections between people and organizations that work every day to keep our communities healthy and strong by offering professional development, board support, networking connections and more. Learn more at https://norcal-nonprofits.org/. To nominate a deserving nonprofit organization to be profiled, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.

It’s never an easy time to be in the world of providing services for people experiencing homelessness. The current time is proving to be particularly difficult, but the folks of Arcata House Partnership persist. I interviewed Manager of Operations Florence Carroll.

Despite the name, the organization serves all of Humboldt County, with the mission to serve people facing homelessness with dignity. This takes multiple forms. There are several facilities including family shelters, an adult shelter and two apartment complexes, one in Eureka and one in Arcata. At this time of year, AHP opens their regional extreme weather shelters. (When Florence and I talked in December, there was a cold front expected that was likely to last several weeks.) In Southern Humboldt, AHP partners with WISH, the women’s crisis shelter. The impact is enormous, as revealed by two statistics. In a year, Arcata House provides over 33,000 nights of lodging and over 51,000 meals.

You may have heard about the point in time count. This is an effort to take a census of people either living outside or in their cars on one day. At the last count, 1500 people were counted. The actual number is probably twice that.

I was curious about the name including “partnership.” It turns out that, back in 1991, there were two groups working in Arcata, Arcata House Inc. and All Faith Partnership. Those two entities came together to better serve the area’s families.

The reasons for becoming homeless, of course, are varied. Some may simply be priced out of their homes. Mental health issues play a part. There are people who have substance use disorders and there just aren’t enough resources to help.

One of my go-to questions to ask is “what do you most want folks to know?” Florence answered “we’re here and remain committed to serving the community. We have food pantry systems. Anyone who is struggling should feel free to reach out. We can refer to other organizations. We’re absolutely stronger together.”

The social service nonprofits in Humboldt tend to work together well, and AHP is no different. “We work with everyone; it just depends on the need,” Florence said. Examples include the County Department of Health and Human Service, the Rape Crisis Center, Humboldt Domestic Violence Services and the Family Resource Centers.

The most pressing reason that 2026 proves to be very tough has to do with federal budget cuts. Over $2 million in anticipated funding went away last year. This resulted in the layoff of 18 employees, compromising the organization’s capacity. “We’re less accessible and have had to pare back services. It’s just less possible to provide all we want to provide,” Florence said, the emotion in her voice clear. She added that new Housing and Urban Development (HUD) priorities appear to phase out permanent housing in favor of transitional housing, which research has demonstrated is less likely to work. Rapid rehousing domestic violence funding was cut severely, and early. AHP staff worked hard to help eight households find new accommodations in very short order, to help those families retain some stability.

In response to the budget cuts, Arcata House Partnership has been working to diversify funds beyond federal and state money. The community has always been supportive, Florence noted, but it’s difficult now because “everyone is being taken down.” “If you can financially support, we always appreciate that.” AHP has benefitted from business sponsorships. She shared the example of a beautiful Thanksgiving event, with help from businesses like Mission Linen. There’s a donation day coming up on February 28, and both donors and volunteers are welcome.

She described that people are donating less but volunteering more. Volunteers have various opportunities: weekly pantry days, tabling monthly donation days, handling donated clothing items, staffing warming centers, serving as overnight volunteers. Theres lots of janitorial work to be done, and lots of laundry. Some volunteers teach classes, like art. Florence said, “if someone can think of it, and it’s something they want to do that will help the people we serve, we’re open to it.”

To help out in any way, you can get started on the Arcata House Partnership website link here: https://www.arcatahouse.org/get-involved.

As a final thought, Florence made this request. As winter grinds on, “be kind this time of year, when the weather is so severe. Caring and giving what you can is very important.”

Michael Kraft writes the Good Work series, volunteering on behalf of the Northern California Association of Nonprofits (NorCAN). NorCAN supports connections between people and organizations that work every day to keep our communities healthy and strong by offering professional development, board support, networking connections and more. Learn more at https://norcal-nonprofits.org/. To nominate a deserving nonprofit organization to be profiled, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.

At any one time, there are 200+ children and youth in Resource Family or Foster Family care in Humboldt County. The Humboldt Foster Care Resource Center exists to support that community by providing clothing and things like baby equipment and toys. They provide these items free of charge to all children in care, and to reuniting families and permanent placements. They also serve as a resource center to guide resource/foster families, share resources, and make referrals.

The center has existed since 2015, when it was founded in a church closet. It has been housed in various locations since then. In 2022, a group of foster parents and supportive community members began meeting and decided to seek nonprofit status, which they secured in early 2024.

I spoke with Debbie Parks, President, and Trevlene Blood, another board member.

I learned that over half the kids in care in Humboldt get placed with a family member or family friend. This has the benefit of the child not being placed with strangers but adds some complication as these people are generally not veterans of the foster system and therefore are not typically as well prepared for what is involved.

Families seeking clothing and other items are able to access the center. Open hours at the 1^st Methodist Church at 520 Del Norte St. in Eureka are on Saturdays from 10 – 2. They can also make an appointment by calling the Center at 707-243-3272.

The organization partners with people at the 1^st Presbyterian Church, who provide frozen casseroles. (New placements receive a free meal, and it’s also a way to reach out, introduce the Center’s services and provide care.) The Linus Foundation and Christ Episcopal Church make blankets. “We try to partner with as many organizations as we can,” Debbie said.

When I asked Debbie and Trevlene what they most want people to know, the answer was this: “we exist and we’re here to serve the foster community.” They explained that while they actively network with social service agencies, they aren’t as well known in the wider community as they’d like.

The Center is entirely community-supported. I asked how we in the wider community could help. The good news and bad news is that it’s a long list:

• Donations of clothing. Most needed: any new or gently used clothing items birth – teen. “Anything a teen would wear,” Debbie said. (This would disqualify my now-too-big striped polo shirts.)
• New or gently used toys, strollers, pack-and-plays, and cribs (although, as explained below, storage space is an issue).
• New items are necessary in some cases, such as underwear, socks, pacifiers, and most shoes. Or gift cards to local merchants that the organization can give to resource families to pay for these things.
• Donations of dollars (visit https://givebutter.com/HumboldtFosterCare or you can send checks sent to the address). The center relies on financial support to help with things like rent, insurance, and tech expenses.
• Community partners, including those who want to conduct clothing drives or similar. The Resource Center can help identify needs. “A diaper drive was really helpful.”
• Storage space for larger items like beds and dressers.
• Board members and volunteers. “We hope in 2026 to expand hours,” Debbie said, and new volunteers would help staffing the Center and, ideally, that larger storage space. There will be board elections in February, so now is a particularly good time to nominate yourself to serve on the board.

To amplify some on storage, as more people who are friends and families serve in resource/foster care, it causes a need for furniture—beds, dressers, etc.— on short notice. These placements can happen literally overnight and often the family doesn’t have the extra furniture the new household member requires. “We work with other providers, but we need more space to be able to quickly provide bigger furniture.” This need also exists for reuniting families who have found housing after being houseless.

You can tell how committed Trevlene, Debbie and their colleagues are to providing good, quick, relevant items that meet the needs of kids in resource/foster care. Debbie told the story of a girl, a larger than average kindergartener, who didn’t have enough clothing and nothing in the organization’s closet would fit her. “It just broke my heart when I wasn’t able to provide something that fit this kindergarten girl.”

With our help, the Humboldt Foster Care Resource Center can continue and enhance their important services. To connect, visit https://www.humboldtfcrc.org/. You can also follow the Center on Facebook.

Michael Kraft writes the Good Work series, volunteering on behalf of the Northern California Association of Nonprofits (NorCAN). NorCAN supports connections between people and organizations that work every day to keep our communities healthy and strong by offering professional development, board support, networking connections and more. Learn more at https://norcal-nonprofits.org/. To nominate a deserving nonprofit organization to be profiled, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.

The folks at the Humboldt Literacy Project estimate that some 14,000 of our neighbors in Humboldt are functionally illiterate. That means they would struggle to fill out a form or understand important issues. As a percentage, it turns out that Humboldt runs pretty close to the national average.

To improve the situation, the organization works on a twofold mission: 1) to help adults improve their literacy, and 2) to educate the public on the importance of literacy.

Executive Director Emma Breacain told me that the rubber meets the road with volunteer tutors who work one on one with clients on topics that are important to the learner. Tutor and learner together get to decide what kind of engagement works best for the pair. Some, for example, meet at the Literacy Project office, some at home, and some at a library or coffee shop. About 50 active teaching/learning pairs are active at any one time.

I asked about the math of this, the ratio of 50 to 14,000. Emma said “I may spend my entire life trying to answer how to help all of those 14,000 people. Our 50 are the ones that could find some time around their other commitments to devote to learning and have the courage to say that they need help. A lot of adults are prioritizing others’ needs ahead of their own.”

She also addressed the shame someone might feel and the risk of raising their hands to seek help. “Our learners have to wade through so much,” Emma said.

To volunteer, go to the website and look for the “give help” button on the home page of the website. (There’s a “donate” button too.) The website provides a good idea of the commitment. There’s a form to apply. To help new tutors get underway, there’s an orientation that will set expectations and includes a current tutor providing input on how they perform their tasks for the organization. Emma added that If you’re not comfortable to teaching a stranger to read, the Humboldt Literacy Project needs board members and they need volunteers to work at events.

Here’s something she wants you to know: it’s a lot more fun than you might think to combat this issue. It’s fulfilling. “We have a lot of little celebrations, a lot of pride.” One example of something to celebrate: last year, someone came in who didn’t know the complete alphabet, just the letters in her own name. Just last week, that learner wrote her first complete sentence. “It’s feel-good work.

A lot of people want to know what qualifications we want in a tutor. The good news is that almost anybody can be a tutor, since there are so many needs and clients vary in many ways. People have more to offer than the realize.”

Emma recalled a NorCAN seminar where part of the lesson was to collect “Mission Moments.” She reflected on that seminar when her father was hospitalized a few weeks ago. He’s in intensive care. It’s a safe, well-equipped room with signage everywhere. Her dad was at risk of falling so he was strapped to the bed. Looking around, there was a large volume of signage in English. You wouldn’t know what to do—what button to push to call the nurse for example—unless you could read it. And, of course you want the people working on your medical charts to be literate and to avoid the dreaded euphemism of “medical accident.”

Emma related that the Project has experienced a few little funding scares but, “so far we’re holding steady.” A good chunk of money comes from the California State Library. Private foundations and individual donors provide much of the rest. When the board’s discussions turn to financial backing, people have a whole lot of things to care about now and there’s a lot to worry about. “My sense is whatever you are passionate about, you need literacy as scaffolding,” Emma said.

There are also just straight up fun ways to provide your support. Be on the lookout for their events, such as a spelling bee and a trivia challenge.

The Humboldt Literacy Project empowers adults to improve their literacy and strengthens the community through volunteer support. Anyone can help—whether as a tutor, board member, or event volunteer—making a real difference in our neighbors’ lives.

Michael Kraft writes the Good Work series, volunteering on behalf of the Northern California Association of Nonprofits (NorCAN). NorCAN supports connections between people and organizations that work every day to keep our communities healthy and strong by offering professional development, board support, networking connections and more. Learn more at https://norcal-nonprofits.org/. To nominate a deserving nonprofit organization to be profiled, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.

A story I tell often goes back to my grad student days. I had a research assistant job, which might be research, it could devolve into grunt work, or it could involve escorting a VIP around campus. One such VIP was the late Frances Hesselbein, who had recently retired as the CEO of Girl Scouts USA to head up a leadership institute affiliated with the university.

In our time in the car, I let Ms. Hesselbein know (smart MBA student that I was) that I had unpacked some of the financials around the sales of Girl Scout cookies. The numbers were phenomenal. I found a polite way, I thought, to ask a version of “how much money do you need, anyway?” She understood the question behind the question immediately and answered, looking severely over her reading glasses, “well, Michael, we’re not for profit but we’re certainly not for loss!”

This encapsulates the no margin/no mission nature of running nonprofit organizations. Not all of your programs will earn a surplus but, overall, the organization has to do better than break even over time. A surplus is the cost of being in operation tomorrow. Even though there aren’t owners, and the “profit” doesn’t accrue to investors, you need to be profitable.

Nonprofits face tough systemic financial realities. There is overhead to starting one, running one, and even to closing one. That’s why many experts will tell people who have a passion for a cause to first see if an existing organization could provide an umbrella under which they could operate. Incorporating your own nonprofit takes time, effort and at least some money. There’s an $800 minimum franchise fee in California for incorporated organizations, even if they are dormant.

I recently answered a question for a client about what the annualized cost is to keep their nonprofit organization alive in dormancy. My research provided a range of $900 – $4400, depending on just how dormant is dormant and how much of the bureaucratic maintenance work is performed by professionals vs. volunteers.

There are required annual tax filings, both state and federal, regardless of active status. Every other year, you have to update the Statement of Information, an odd vestige of a thing required by the California Secretary of State. Active or inactive, a 501c3 must have a board and at least an annual board meeting. Board members have fiduciary responsibilities and, in extreme cases, could face personal liability.

Closing any legal entity represents a classic pain in the neck. For 501c3 nonprofits, in addition to a lot of paperwork, you need to transfer any assets to another 501c3 organization, typically one that has some similar mission.

Now, I’m not telling you, “absolutely, do not start your own nonprofit.” But be sure to do the work to understand what you’re getting into, knowing that you’ll need other folks to get into it with you. Know that someone will have to do the administrative work, which rarely is the focus of a passion project. Accept that there are real costs beyond providing services.

The path I recommend? Find that aligned organization, join them, and start the actual work you wish to do, seeking both philosophical and mission alignment, as well as a reasonable overhead fee. The umbrella organization gets to do the legal filings, performs lots of the bookkeeping, supplies the board, etc. The Northern California Association of Nonprofits (NorCAN) can help guide you.

Laura Olson, who is active with NorCAN, added this advice.

1. If you start a nonprofit without understanding the landscape of nonprofits that exist, you are potentially starting one that will be fundraising in competition with an established nonprofit with a similar mission. That causes fragmentation of support and can result in some pretty bad feelings.

2. To find existing nonprofits in Humboldt County, you can search (by city) on the IRS Website’s Charity Search: https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/. People often believe if they start a nonprofit that means money will start coming in because they can fundraise and apply for grants. But there are over 1,000 nonprofits in our County that are also trying to support their cause by fundraising and applying for grants. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it’s often much more difficult than it sounds.

Formal umbrella or partner, if it goes well, you can decide to continue to work under the organization, or to apply for separate nonprofit status in a reasonably coherent and timely way. Oh, and that application process? My experience says to figure on 6 – 12 months to get through it.

This is the non-sexy, bureaucratic slog that goes with launching and running a 501c organization. People considering founding a nonprofit should know about it. And, all of this caveat emptor information notwithstanding, the slog should all be in support of your good work.

Michael Kraft writes the Good Work series on behalf of NorCAN. To nominate a deserving organization, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.

A few weeks ago, Cassandra Hesseltine celebrated 15 years as Film Commissioner for Humboldt and Del Norte counties.

The Commission’s mission is to serve as the liaison between productions and the area they represent. Cassandra described her team’s work as a labor of love. “We’re in love with Humboldt and Del Norte and we all love movies.” They both want filming to be done respectfully, and they want economic and quality of life benefits to flow to local residents.

Economic impact is key. From 2010 to 2024, an estimated $14.6 million was spent filming in Humboldt County. A standard multiplier provides an impact of about $43 million. Over that same time period, the expenses of the Film Commission totaled $1.3 million. So, we’re getting over 10x the budget in direct spending, and over 30 times the budget with the multiplier. And these numbers are known to substantially underestimate the value of film tourism. An example is when someone gets a map of the movies online and visits Endor but doesn’t provide info that would connect the dots. (You can get that map here: https://hdnfc.org/map-of-the-movies.)

I was interested in Cassandra’s favorite experiences as commissioner. She said that one was when she went to the set for A Wrinkle in Time, where she found a truly diverse set, with all kinds of people. For a long time, Cassandra says, the industry was driven by one kind of male. This set was filled with women and different ethnicities. “It was just very special to watch that history on set.”

In her job, Cassandra obviously meets celebrities. (I asked who the biggest star who’s been in her car and, while being careful to mention several folks, her voice warmed up to say “well, Brad Pitt wasn’t too bad.”) And while she considers it an honor to meet actors and directors, people at the top of their craft, what really makes her happiest these days is when locals say how this impacts them. “It used to be the dollars that came into the community, and I still care about that, but what really has gotten me the past couple of years is when a local expresses happiness. A little kid asked once asked one of us, ‘did you bring Disneyland?’”

I inquired about the weirdest request she has fielded. She said that she was once asked to help get a permit to film a music video with a grand piano in the old growth redwoods. Okay, so far so good. But there was also going to be a panther, and then the piano would be set on fire. To this inspired fever dream, the answer was no.

Cassandra says things are looking up this year, after a hard time for filming statewide last year. In addition to the lengthy recovery from the pandemic, there were strikes in the entertainment industry and California had fallen behind in incentive programs.

So, what is being filmed here now? When we spoke, the Leonardo DiCaprio movie One Battle After Another was just being released. (It is now available on streaming platforms.) This kind of film has a great impact, of course. Features have a long shelf life. Hopefully, they will film in town for a while, and 200-300 crew might stay in the area.

In addition to feature films, Cassandra says more reality TV and documentary filming is taking place. The region also wins its share of car commercials, which provide a quick financial shot in the arm. One particular bright spot: some really good locally produced work is coming.

The Commission has had an interesting journey as a nonprofit organization. They were housed back in the day under the Humboldt County Visitors Bureau. When the organization outgrew that situation, they went to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for a time, while the work happened to become a standalone 501c3 nonprofit.

There are various ways to get involved. You can download the Redwood Coat Film Experience app to see what’s going on. To learn what might be coming in film productions, follow the Film Commission on Facebook and Instagram, where they post location and crew requests. To register your location, or to volunteer, email info@HDNFC.org. You should also plan to visit the museum in Old Town Eureka, where you can see Sandra Bullock’s boat (from Bird Box), or Danny Radcliffe’s boat (from the lovably bizarre Swiss Army Man), or a tree trunk Eric Hollenbeck from Blue Ox Millworks made for Sasquatch Sunset that the crew repurposed for their Star Wars exhibit.

As Cassandra described her journey with the Film Commission, she says that 15 years ago, she took the job to help out for a couple of weeks. Then the board asked that she help them get through the holidays. Then it became clear that they wanted her to stay. Cassandra credits her board for their consistency and caring throughout the journey. They found volunteers and the board stepped up. She says that funders and the broader community believed in them. Fast forward to now. “Last week, I was in the office, and my staff did all these amazing things while I was out…Now it’s we, not me.”

Cassandra sums it up this way: “I love storytelling. I love how it opens your eyes, warms your heart, and makes you laugh. And I love this area. I’ve had the honor of living my dream while living here.”

Michael Kraft writes the Good Work series, volunteering on behalf of the Northern California Association of Nonprofits (NorCAN). NorCAN supports connections between people and organizations that work every day to keep our communities healthy and strong by offering professional development, board support, networking connections and more. Learn more at https://norcal-nonprofits.org/. To nominate a deserving nonprofit organization to be profiled, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.

The Healy Senior Center has two origin stories, both true and one quite noteworthy.

Story 1: the center started with a potluck group in a church in Garberville, which went to the Veteran’s Hall and, eventually, to the Healy Center. This is also the origin of the center’s social dining tradition. Social dining happens on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The place opens at noon and folks generally arrive about then to interact. Lunch is served at 12:30. It’s a full, nutritious meal, which includes as many local ingredients as possible. And, while the food is great, the social interaction is equally important.

Origin story 2: The place is named for Dan Healy Sr., a real estate agent and pilot in Southern Humboldt. His son, Dan Jr., worked for years as the front of house/sound man for the band The Grateful Dead. When Dan Sr. died in a plane crash at Shelter Cove, the band wanted to commemorate Dan Senior’s life and grants from The Grateful Dead’s Rex Foundation were instrumental in buying the house that now serves as the home of the center. This explains why you’ll hear Grateful Dead music coming from the kitchen much of the time.

The Healy is the only senior center from the 100+ mile strip from Willits to Fortuna. It’s also the only Meals on Wheels program in the region. Folks at the Healy provide info on CalFresh (supplemental nutrition). They also help with navigating Medical, health care, In Home Supportive Services, and other issues critical to seniors. Many seniors prefer direct, human-to-human conversation. Many don’t dive deep into technology, so information provided via hard copies proves helpful. “We want to make sure seniors know the services that are available to them,” says Executive Director Rebecca Crossland.

Rebecca has served as Executive Director at the center for 10 months. She has lived in SoHum for 20 years. Formerly the owner of Cecil’s restaurant, she also performed lots of youth & nonprofit work in the community. The mix of food service and nonprofit service turns out to be helpful.

But life at the Healy Center is far from being only a bureaucratic slog navigating baffling systems. “We just like to have fun here!,” Rebecca says. There was Hawaiian week in August. There’s bingo. There’s live music, which can provide amazing for seniors with cognitive issues and also brings a community of musicians into the center. There’s SAIL (stay active & independent for life), a weekly, volunteer-led exercise program.

There are crafts, such as the wood & yarn shelf witches participants made for Halloween. Last year during the holidays, in a crossover of crafts and Meals on Wheels, folks made mini-Christmas trees which were then delivered with meals.

The center operates with a staff of 4, a chef, assistant chef, program director, and the ED. Volunteers prove to be indispensable, helping with meal service, running the exercise programs and taking lunch reservations. There’s a firewood program for seniors run in partnership by CalFire and Healy Center volunteers. The center’s biggest volunteer push is for the annual yard sale. I asked Rebecca what she thought was the most interesting item sold at this year’s sale. She replied, “I wish I had bought the WC Fields lamp, complete with a top hat and the man’s big nose.”

When it comes to funding, she says, “like everyone else, we’re struggling.” It’s a perfect storm of funding cuts, of the center’s regular grants, the ones they could count on from year to year, seeing many more applicants and competition and costs for food and insurance are way up. National Meals on Wheels funds have been cut. Rebecca went on to say that “what we’re going to see, we believe, is cuts to the seniors themselves. It’s very hard for seniors to decipher the cuts to medical coverage, like Medicare supplemental insurance and MediCal. Navigating this is very difficult.”

At least, she says, California is trying to blunt the impact of federal cuts on health care for seniors.

Rebecca repeats a theme that is common when you talk with folks who live and work in Southern Humboldt. “We all work so communally.”  It’s still a very giving community, but unfortunately local economics mean many residents are able to do less.

December falls dead center in the Healy’s yearly funding drive. Rebecca would like you to know the very concrete difference your donations will make. $100, for example, will feed a homebound elderly recipient in the Meals on Wheels program for a month. To help, call the center 707-923-2399, or go to www.healyseniorcenter.org and look for the donate button on the home page. You can also sign up for the newsletter or follow on Facebook.

Michael Kraft writes the Good Work series, volunteering on behalf of the Northern California Association of Nonprofits (NorCAN). NorCAN supports connections between people and organizations that work every day to keep our communities healthy and strong by offering professional development, board support, networking connections and more. Learn more at https://norcal-nonprofits.org/. To nominate a deserving nonprofit organization to be profiled, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.

The North Coast Regional Land Trust (NCRLT / https://ncrlt.org/) operates primarily in Humboldt and Trinity counties. A land trust is a community-based, nonprofit organization that actively works to permanently conserve land, either via conservation easements or by owning land outright.

It’s worth mentioning that the NCRLT is celebrating 25 years doing this work, and they produced a video to commemorate the occasion, which is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYsUyjTS9HI .

This region contains several land trusts, and it sounds like they work pretty well together, referring opportunities to each other depending on the niches of the trusts. NCRLT originally launched because a larger swath of land in the noncoastal, rural areas of Humboldt and Trinity counties, specifically wild and working lands, did not have a trust working on those lands.

The NCRLT has, to date, conserved over 66,000 acres, mostly via conservation easements. This occurs when the trust acquires specific rights on a property. Either the NCRLT, or the State of California, retain those rights which become part of the deed of the property, protecting those lands forever. While fortunate to own beautiful property, many landowners turn out to be cash-poor, and this provides a way to earn some money without choosing development. Others wish to maintain the character of the property, or to keep it without subdividing it. Of course, there can be a mix of reasons.

The trust also owns four properties, totaling about 250 acres. Freshwater Farms Reserve serves as the organization’s flagship and demonstration property. One property came to the NCRLT as a recent bequest; it will likely have an easement added to the deed and then be sold. Property on Martin Slough and the McNamara Dairy in Orick are the other two, with the Orick property serving as part of the larger Redwood Creek estuary enhancement project.

Freshwater hosts programs and events that connect with the community. You can hike, for example. I buy native plants there. Perhaps most impactful is the Cows & Cattails program for elementary school students. These are field trips, around three hours long, all inquiry based. Even in Humboldt, many kids don’t know their food comes from a farm. In a typical year 450 – 800 students visit and get to tour a working farm and learn about food before it hits the store.

I talked with Nadia Van Lynn, the trust’s Outreach and Development Director. She mentioned how much shared values and bringing people together is “baked into the work.” NCLRT’s annual celebration is called Boots & Birkenstocks. It’s a fitting title, as ranchers, agency folks and conservationists have to get to yes in the end. “Literally every acre we’ve preserved is a result of people coming together. You have to understand there will be conflict and work through it,” she says.

Most funding is from state agencies or flows through them from the feds. There is a trickle-down of federal funding cuts that are now being felt. State funds also look to be short. Proposition 4, passed by California voters last year, provides for several billion dollars for forest resiliency, clean water, and biodiversity initiatives, but it appears that little funding is coming this year. Nadia seems to take this in stride. “Priorities shift, and we just have to find the priorities that do fit. It’ll work out.”

Still, in this climate, individual donations make a huge difference. To donate, the website is easy, but Nadia is also happy to hear from you: info@ncrlt.org. It’s the same for volunteering; just email Nadia and she’ll get you on the volunteer list. Volunteer days at Freshwater are 3rd Sundays, April-October. Volunteers also serve in event staffing, stuffing mailers, and for the field trip program.

As a bit of a side note, I dislike performative do-gooding. I dislike it except when it’s me doing it, in which case I call it modeling behavior. If you find this to be a distinction without a difference, well bless your heart. In the spirit of modeling, I’ll share that, although they didn’t know it before we talked for this article, the North Coast Regional Land Trust is in my will. If Tish and I check out at the same time, NCLRT will get the same share as my mom and my brother-in-law.

Conservation easements protect private lands in ways that create or maintain a public good. Those lands remain private, so they aren’t the place I can hike with my hounds. However, the ecosystem services of working lands supply tremendous public benefits. Selective timber harvesting, active management, is healthier and adds to fire resistance. Responsibly managed working lands keep water clean. And they provide connectivity of protected lands, maintaining wildlife corridors and allowing for continued genetic diversity of animals traversing those corridors. Not least, that task of bringing diverse human parties together has always been important, and it’s super-important now.

It’s for these reasons that I personally support the North Coast Regional Land Trust, and it may be a good organization for you to help too.

Michael Kraft writes the Good Work series, volunteering on behalf of the Northern California Association of Nonprofits (NorCAN). NorCAN supports connections between people and organizations that work every day to keep our communities healthy and strong by offering professional development, board support, networking connections and more. Learn more at https://norcal-nonprofits.org/. To nominate a deserving nonprofit organization to be profiled, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Humboldt Made.

One of my favorite experiences in my career had to do with the launch of the organization, over a decade ago. My role was minor, overall. Still, in my work as Executive Director of the North Coast Small Business Development Center, I coordinated parts of a training program that had new food and beverage makers mentored by an established business, Cypress Grove Chevre. A series of workshops culminated in a trip to the Fancy Foods show in San Francisco. Our participants walked the show and saw for themselves what a good trade show package looked like, what they liked and disliked, all with the intention that some of them would return as exhibitors the next year.

We took two vans full of people. I drove one of them. The group was enthusiastic. Actually, “rowdy” would be more accurate.

Many of those businesses represent shining stars today. And some of them are now mentoring the next generation. It all fits with Humboldt Made’s vision of “coopetition,” a word I first heard in motor racing, where you work together for much of a race with competitors, knowing there will be a drag race to the finish at some point.

Earlier this year, I joined Humboldt Made’s board. After I had been away from the group for years, Rosa Dixon, one of the participants from that original trip to San Francisco, joined to add fire to the organization as Executive Director. She asked me to serve, and I couldn’t say no.

Humboldt Made is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with members who pay dues. The organization also earns money hosting and managing Eureka’s and Arcata’s Friday Night Markets. It secures grants to support programming. All of this gets ploughed back into the goal to “promote our local artisans, food makers and small businesses, helping them succeed within Humboldt County and beyond.” Grants, contracts and sponsorships round out the organization’s revenues.

Members represent a wide spectrum of Humboldt’s best offerings: beer, wine, cider & spirits, mushroom products, skin care products and perfumes, coffee as well as local meat, dairy and seafood products. And bagels. And chocolate. And caramels. It’s a lot. To see the full list, visit https://www.humboldtmade.com/ and look for the members list. While you’re on the home page, check out some of the fantastic imagery of the makers’ products.

There are also businesses that support these businesses, such as lenders and printed materials producers. Some members buy the offerings of the makers, including restaurants, food trucks, and caterers.

As we enter the holiday season, Humboldt Made and its many partners are deep into the “Shop Humboldt” campaign. While shop local campaigns are not new, this one adds incentives through a passport app that rewards community participation. Powered by the VibeMap digital platform, shoppers can check in at participating businesses, earn points, and be entered in raffles for local prizes — all while supporting Humboldt’s small businesses. Shop Humboldt is the first phase of the larger countywide Choose Humboldt movement, which will continue into 2026 with “Dine, Drink & Stay” and “Experience Humboldt” campaigns designed to strengthen the local economy and celebrate the people and places that make Humboldt unique. You can access the app using the link below. It’s probably all over your social media as well.

Humboldt Made takes collaboration (and, yes, coopetition) very seriously. If you’re a maker seeking support and comradeship but not a member, or if you are just interested in supporting local businesses, you should check out this community.

https://www.humboldtmade.com/shop-humboldt?fbclid=IwY2xjawOEUXxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFzWlJ1cU9kZ0VJRjZDdFhnc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrnTzZcr4-NYZIg4HsT0927i64K1_uEuHD98Y1YsP_6Eab0p2Zes5Xhqf4-G_aem_QFiPsimMPsot4HDB8IBr7Q

Michael Kraft writes the Good Work series. He is currently seeking nonprofit organizations to profile in 2026. To nominate a deserving organization, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.

In Fortuna, you’ll find this jewel of a place, the GLC, starting with the 27-acre campus itself. Seven acres are allocated to buildings, with the rest being protected and restored wetlands. It butts up against Strong’s Creek, near Newburg Park. There are 1.5 miles of trails open to the public and, benefitting a community center, kids and dogs are encouraged. (Leash your dogs and, for the love of all that’s holy, please use the poop bags.) Cal Poly and College of the Redwoods students have worked on sign designs so that you can learn things such as the life cycle of a tree frog.

The McLean Foundation purchased the property back in 2014. Buildout of the center itself finished just prior to the Covid outbreak, causing a period of pause-and-reset. The ERV Community Center Foundation (owner and operator of the Gene Lucas Community Center) became established as a separate nonprofit, and McLean gifted the campus and building to the new entity.

As cool as the grounds are, there’s also a lovely historical aspect to the center’s main building. During construction planning, Eric Thomsen of Loleta introduced himself. He had salvaged old growth redwood lumber, apparently a lot of it, in the wake of the ’64 flood. That gorgeous wood now adorns much of the interior.

The center’s mission is to support all people in Eel River Valley in art, education, health & wellness. This involves many different things. I spoke with the center’s team, Lauren Correll and Hayley Simera, to learn more. Lauren sorts the organization’s programming into three buckets.

First, there are the tenants. This includes McLean, which is central to many good things that happen in the Eel River Valley; Remi Vista, which provides youth mental health services; Reaching For Independence, which provides job training for adults with developmental disabilities; Healing Roots, a Latina owned therapy practice; the Humboldt Literacy Project, Teen Court (a part of Boys & Girls Club), and the Humboldt Senior Resource Center’s nutrition program. HSRC also occupies another building on the campus, where they run their PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) & adult daycare programs.

The second bunch includes community partners, over 100 different entities, such as Sunrise Rotary, Food For People, College of the Redwoods Community Supported Agriculture operation, LatinoNet, and a display from the Ink People’s Monster Project. These partners use the center free of charge. Much of the intent is to help bring services centered in Northern Humboldt further south. Related to this, the GLC also rents out space for special events.

Last, but not least, from Lauren’s sorting hat are the programs & classes run by the GLC itself. Playgroup, for example, is an initiative for kids 0-5, supplying a space for families to play & interact, free to participants and funded by community support. Playgroups demonstrably help with a child’s social skills and cognitive abilities. They also counter the isolation that parents can experience. There’s yoga for kids and Nature Joe sometimes comes in. The GLC is launching kids’ cooking classes.

Hayley grew up in Fortuna. She says “I always thought we needed a center for people to go. Now being able to provide what people in the community want, meeting our wonderful, kind community members, that’s why I get up in the morning.”

Lauren says “I’m a social worker by background. What’s really cool about our center is that it only takes one person, one moment, which helps someone feel better about themselves. It’s going to make a positive difference in somebody’s life. I see so many positive things.”

One of those favorite things: a gentleman who eats at the senior nutrition program. Prior to lunch, he walks the halls and checks in with staff and whoever is around. Intergenerational things happen serendipitously. “This is what a community center is about.”

Volunteers help the organization in various ways. They clean up the campus and remove invasive species from the walking trails. They staff game nights and events like the stocking stuffers coming up on December 6, which is like a market with youth vendors, photos with Santa, cookie decorating, food vendors. To volunteer, the best way to get started is to call Hayley or Lauren at 707-725-3300.

If you’d like to donate, go to the website (https://glccenter.org/) and look for the heart-shaped donate button at the bottom right. Staff are currently seeking sponsorships for Ollie’s Kitchen.

Now, about Ollie. Here’s something from the Who Knew? file. Ollie earned his spot as the GLC’s mascot because it turns out that Strong’s Creek at least occasionally holds otters. Otters in Fortuna creeks would never have occurred to me, although they are spotted in the Eel River, so it makes sense that some would venture up nearby streams.

If you live in the southern half of Humboldt County, it’s good to be aware of the Gene Lucas Community Center and the resources it provides. If not, you may still want to visit, walk the trails, and maybe run into some of Ollie’s descendants. Or tree frogs. It’s all good.

Michael Kraft writes the Good Work series. He is currently seeking nonprofit organizations to profile in 2026. To nominate a deserving organization, email michael@kraftconsultants.com.