Grassroots organizing, coalition power, and the long-term work of equitable mobility in California
Overview
Philanthropy often underestimates what it takes to move public systems—especially at the scale of billions of dollars and across multiple jurisdictions. But in Fresno County, California, a different approach is demonstrating what’s possible when funders invest in trust, coalition power, and long-term civic infrastructure.
Through its partnership with Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability (LCJA), Convergence Partnership supported a multi-year, grassroots-led effort—Moving Forward Together—to advance equitable transportation, community power, and long-term civic capacity in one of California’s most politically complex regions.
What emerged was not a single campaign, but a durable ecosystem: a multi-sector, intergenerational coalition capable of shaping how $7 billion in transportation investments will affect dignity, mobility, air quality, economic opportunity, and climate resilience for over one million residents across 16 jurisdictions.
This case offers a clear lesson: large-scale systems change requires long-term, flexible, risk-tolerant philanthropy that funds both the path and the finish line of community power.
Scaling Results: How Regional Power Is Changing the Game in California
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What It Took: Trust as the Strategy
Building a Coalition That Could Withstand Pressure
Over a three-year arc—from trust-building, to strategy, to policy influence—LCJA intentionally constructed a coalition that broke out of traditional silos. Environmental justice organizations, faith leaders, youth groups, small business leaders, land-use advocates, and regional partners came together around a shared understanding: transportation is not a sector—it is a lever that shapes quality of life.
For the first time in LCJA’s 17-year history, grassroots organizations and organized labor entered into a formal partnership grounded in shared values and community benefit.
“The most important lesson learned was the importance and value of building trust organically with different groups…to build a coalition that could stay together in the long term and build the community power necessary to put residents in the driver’s seat.” — Veronica Garibay
Each partner’s expertise was honored, and each could clearly see how transportation justice connected to their own priorities—from air quality and youth opportunity to land use and economic mobility.
Trust wasn’t the pre-work. It was the work. And that trust proved decisive when political opposition intensified.
Why Flexible, Risk-Tolerant Funding Made Scale Possible
Coalition leaders were unequivocal: without Convergence Partnership’s early, flexible investment, the coalition could not have launched, scaled, or sustained its work.
“Convergence was the first funder to support this coalition. The most valuable part was the trust—the trust that we would deploy the resources where they were needed most.” — Veronica Garibay
Flexible funding allowed LCJA to:
- Respond in real time to shifting political dynamics and special interests
- Resource coalition partners equitably so smaller organizations could fully participate
- Invest simultaneously in organizing, policy analysis, facilitation, narrative strategy, and large-scale community engagement
For donors, the takeaway is clear: flexibility is not a convenience. It is a prerequisite for community-led systems change at scale.
Changing the Narrative to Change the Outcome
Transportation funding is technical, abstract, and often inaccessible to the public. LCJA treated narrative not as communications—but as infrastructure.
Convergence support enabled a coordinated, multi-voice narrative ecosystem:
- Youth-led videos, interviews, and press conferences
- Faith leaders and land-use advocates connecting sprawl to cost and displacement
- School board members writing op-eds on safe routes to school
- Business and philanthropic leaders co-authoring public commentary
- A six-month op-ed and social media strategy that kept community priorities visible
This narrative coherence expanded legitimacy, media reach, and public will—essential ingredients for policy influence.
Holding the Line: Power Under Pressure
As time went by, opposition escalated. External actors attempted to fracture the coalition—particularly by driving wedges between organized labor and grassroots partners.
The coalition held.
Why? Because shared goals were non-negotiable, communication was constant, and relationships were continuously resourced.
“Everything we did was transparent. Nobody was blindsided. Some partners were probably annoyed with how many updates we sent—but that’s what kept trust intact. When powerful actors tried to split us, the coalition stood tall. We said, ‘No. We are one community, and we deserve better.’”
This relational and narrative infrastructure made the coalition effectively unsplittable.
An Invitation: Why Philanthropy Must Fund the Finish Line
The partnership between Convergence Partnership and LCJA demonstrates what becomes possible when philanthropy trusts grassroots leaders, invests flexibly, and commits for the long haul.
Supporting these efforts reshaped how a $7 billion statewide public system will serve communities for generations. It built durable civic infrastructure, expanded narrative power, and positioned residents—not institutions—as the drivers of change.
What comes next? This is a 15-year campaign, not a three-year grant cycle.
“It would be a damn shame to support 15 years of community work and not fund the final push when $7 billion is at stake. Funders say they want change, but the idea of change is often more intoxicating than the investment needed to secure it.”
Local, place-based work like this is where democratic resilience, climate justice, and equitable recovery will ultimately be decided. The final takeaway: Invest in community power, not just projects. Fund the long arc. And resource the finish line—where lasting change is secured.