5 Nonprofits To Get Behind In The Healdsburg Area

HEALDSBURG, CA — Nonprofit groups are keystone community organizations in the Healdsburg area. Fortunately, there is no shortage of organizations to volunteer for or get behind financially— and that need your help.

Here are five outstanding nonprofit groups you should know about in the Healdsburg area:

1. Healdsburg Forever was founded in 2003 as a regional affiliate of Community Foundation Sonoma County to serve the greater Healdsburg area—Healdsburg, Geyserville, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and parts of Russian River Valley — with a secure source of revenue available for the community's changing needs. Since then, Healdsburg Forever has become a critical source for good in the community. Healdsburg Forever has grown its endowment to over $2 million and has granted more than $2.5 million to more than 70 nonprofit organizations serving the Healdsburg and Geyserville areas hit hard by wildfires and COVID-19. By acting as a central point of funding, Healdsburg Forever captures the collective generosity of the community and makes the various local nonprofits stronger with efficient use of donor funds while also helping build their capacities.

How To Help: Become part of the community endowment by making a monetary contribution via personal check, online, through the transfer of stock or securities, or through your donor-advised fund. To contact Healdsburg Forever about supporting its organization in a different way, send an email to impact@healdsburgforever.org.

2. Farm To Pantry started with a walk around a Healdsburg neighborhood. Founder Melita Love saw so many fruit trees in her neighbors’ yards with once beautiful fruit rotting on the ground beneath them. She thought what a shame it was to see waste like that when 1 in 4 people in Sonoma County were facing food insecurity. So, she DID something about it. In 2008, the nonprofit Farm to Pantry was launched to serve a need in the local community: to provide a continuous supply of fresh, healthy produce to its most vulnerable neighbors who lack access to it by cultivating a community of growers and volunteers. The mission then and now is to bring together communities to end food injustice and reverse global warming by rescuing and sharing locally-grown food with those who have been systematically marginalized. Farm to Pantry envisions a just food system in which everyone has access to healthy food that honors and nourishes our community and heals the planet by eliminating food waste. Since 2008, the group has delivered over 6 million servings of fruits and vegetables. In 2022 alone, the nonprofit rescued over 400,000 pounds of produce.

How To Help: Farm to Pantry accomplishes this do with the power and commitment of over 500 volunteer gleaners, 400+ property owners and more than 100 community partners. There are many ways to help: become a volunteer gleaner, help grow the table, or grow a row/start a community garden. Sign up here to become a volunteer.

3. Healthcare Foundation of Northern Sonoma County was formed in 2001 when a group of community members rallied to save their local hospital. The resulting $14.5 million capital campaign succeeded in keeping the Healdsburg District Hospital open and contributed to significant improvements, expansions, and upgrades including a new Wetzel Family Emergency Department, the reopening of the hospital’s intensive care unit, the adoption of robotic telepresence allowing medical staff to work directly with specialists in remote locations, state-of-the-art equipment for its Women’s Health Center, new radiology and diagnostic equipment, and more. Committed to advancing and promoting the health of all residents in northern Sonoma County — from northern Santa Rosa to the Mendocino County line— the Healthcare Foundation soon began channeling grants to other local healthcare providers and community-based health services, becoming the only funder exclusively focused on health for the northern region of Sonoma County. Since 2001, the Healthcare Foundation has invested over $23 million in community health in the region.

How To Help: In addition to several ways to give monetarily, the foundation is always looking for community volunteers to support a range of programs from outreach to events. Its current volunteer wishlist includes mailing assistants, a photographer and event support. Request information here about volunteer opportunities.

4. Common Ground Society all began at a preschool when "Just Two Moms" did a presentation on Down syndrome at their children’s preschool for World Down Syndrome Day in 2018. News of the presentation quickly spread and the two moms were asked to come and present in many classrooms. The requests quickly became overwhelming, so they decided to try their hand at all-school assemblies, and they were a hit. Common Ground Society, founded in 2020 as a 501c3 nonprofit, shifted its focus from just Down syndrome to a multitude of diagnoses. Its mission is to share stories to educate and empower the community to be more compassionate, accepting and inclusive of people with disabilities. The organization works to connect families through monthly meet-ups and support groups; offers customizable presentations to help get the conversation started about disabilities and inclusion; offers teacher resources; provides hospital support bags; and more.

How To Help: Volunteers with a high dedication to the Sonoma County community are sought to serve on social media pages, as event coordinators and as support for meetups and events. Learn more here.

5. Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife; the promotion, understanding, appreciation, protection and conservation of wildlife through educational outreach programs and advocacy efforts. Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue also makes charitable contributions to animal rescue and rehabilitation organizations as authorized by its board of directors. Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue has a team of trained staff and volunteers available to rescue wildlife seven days a week and provides specialized medical care to over 1,500 animals a year. On average, Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue releases 70 percent of the patients it helps.

How To Help: There is always a need for new volunteers for many roles, from administrative duties to animal care duties. Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue has a junior volunteer program for children 13 and older; it has year-round internship opportunities and a community service volunteer program. People can also volunteer to host a release site or volunteer to transport animals or supplies. Read more here about the various volunteer opportunities at Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue. This organization also accepts donations of food and supplies and online monetary donations. Read about several other ways to help.

RELATED: Read about five Healdsburg-area nonprofits previously featured by Patch as part of this series.

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