Last week, SCF staff and members of the SCF Grants Committee had the opportunity to visit El Concilio California's Modesto office. Founded in Stockton in 1968, El Concilio is a non-profit community-based organization offering a variety of services across eight departments to high-risk youth, infants, families, and adults representing (primarily) the Hispanic population of the Central Valley. Twenty years ago, El Concilio expanded its services to the Stanislaus County community. Some of the current programs offered at their location in Downtown Modesto include ESL classes, citizenship classes, and legal aid appointments. They also hosted a free Small Business Forum earlier this year at CSU Stanislaus, gathering local entrepreneurs to learn the ins and outs of strengthening their independent businesses and start-up companies. We appreciate President & CEO Jose R. Rodriguez, VP of Strategic Innovation Mark Apostolon, and VP of Operations Jose Moreno for their hospitality and taking the time to share more about the mission of El Concilio. (fb)

STANISLAUS COUNTY NONPROFITS! Applications for the Civic Solutions Fund, Health Careers Fund, and Latino Leadership Fund grant cycles are now OPEN through Monday, June 30. Each of these grant cycles will support existing projects & programs and help bring new initiatives to life. Civic Solutions Fund: Seeds and sustains the community news ecosystem and boosts the quality of civic engagement and discourse in Stanislaus County. Health Careers Fund: Bolsters health career pathways by investing in programs that train, upskill local talent, and strengthen the talent pipeline for local health careers. Latino Leadership Fund: Invests in programs and organizations that empower, amplify, and uplift future Latino leaders. To learn more and apply, visit stanislauscf.org/scf-grant-cycles. (fb)