Nonprofits as Civic Infrastructure: Building Trust & Community Power

About

In Inland Southern California, nonprofits serve as essential civic infrastructure, connecting residents to resources, amplifying community voice, facilitating voter engagement, and strengthening trust between institutions and the public. Yet across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, nonprofit density and philanthropic investment lag behind coastal regions, placing extraordinary strain on organizations tasked with meeting growing community needs. Building Trust & Nonprofits as Civic Infrastructure convenes regional nonprofit leaders to examine the dual reality facing the Inland region: nonprofits are foundational to civic capacity, yet they often operate with limited funding, lean staffing, and insufficient long-term investment. Panelists will explore how resource gaps affect service delivery, community trust, leadership development, and sustained civic participation. By centering the lived experience of regional nonprofit leaders, this event aims to surface structural challenges while identifying pathways toward greater equity, collaboration, and investment. Strengthening civic life in Inland Southern California requires more than participation at the ballot box , but rather requires sustained support for the organizations that cultivate trust, belonging, and community power every day.