Cross Sector Collaboration and Advocacy

County-CBO Advocacy
Town Halls and Forums with Elected Officials
Policy Affinity Group
Children and Education Partnerships

Nonprofit Cross-Sector Collaboration and Advocacy brings nonprofits, government, philanthropy, and community partners together to align strategies and strengthen collective advocacy. Through County–CBO Advocacy, we support community-based organizations in engaging county systems, budgets, and decision-making processes so that policies better reflect community needs. We also convene town halls and forums with current elected leaders, creating accessible spaces for nonprofits and community members to ask questions, share lived experience, and engage directly with decision-makers.

County-CBO Advocacy

Thrive Alliance’s County–CBO Advocacy work strengthens collaboration between San Mateo County and community-based organizations to advance policies that better serve our communities. Guided by the Policy & Advocacy Steering Committee, this work helps translate on-the-ground nonprofit experience into informed policy engagement. Thrive monitors key local, state, and federal policy developments, shares timely updates through convenings and communications, and supports coordinated advocacy efforts that elevate nonprofit priorities. By aligning collective expertise and relationships, County–CBO Advocacy ensures nonprofits have a meaningful voice in shaping policies that impact the communities they serve.

Policy & Advocacy Steering Committee

Arts & Culture

A woman with dark curly hair smiling, wearing a yellow top and standing in front of a colorful wooden wall.

Nadine Rambeau
Executive Director, EPACENTER

Immigrant & Worker’s Rights

A smiling woman with short brown hair, glasses, and gold earrings, standing in front of a bookshelf filled with legal or academic books.

Stacey Hawver
Executive Director,
Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County

A woman with long dark wavy hair and a big smile, wearing a black top.

Rita Mancera
Executive Director,
Puente De La Costa Sur

Basic Needs & Safety Net

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiling, wearing a black top with a small cutout and gold jewelry, standing against a plain white brick wall.

Laura Bent
CEO, Samaritan House

A smiling man wearing a suit jacket, white shirt, and purple tie, standing outdoors with greenery in the background.

Aubrey Merriman
CEO, LifeMoves

Children & Education

A smiling woman with short blonde hair standing outdoors with greenery in the background.

Heather Cleary
CEO, Peninsula Family Service

Members at Large

A woman with black hair, wearing pearl earrings and a black blazer over a pink top, standing in front of a colorful abstract background.

Miriam Yupanqui
Executive Director, Nuestra Casa

Portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing glasses, a white shirt, and a maroon sweater, indoors.

Melissa Platte
Executive Director,
Mental Health Association of San Mateo County

A smiling middle-aged man with short dark hair, wearing a white shirt, standing outdoors with a blurred background of trees and a building.

Bryan Neider
CEO, AbilityPath

Woman with brown hair in a red shirt speaking into a microphone during a presentation.

Georgia Farooq
CEO, Thrive Alliance

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a white blouse and a pearl necklace, smiling at the camera in a brightly lit modern indoor setting.

Susan Cortopassi
Executive Director, San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Contractors' Association

Town Halls and Forums with Elected Officials

Thrive Alliance convenes town halls and forums that bring nonprofit leaders, community members, and current elected officials together for open, informed dialogue on key policy issues. These spaces create opportunities for shared learning, relationship-building, and accountability, allowing community voices and nonprofit expertise to directly inform public decision-making. By fostering respectful and accessible conversations, Thrive helps strengthen civic engagement and collaboration between elected leaders and the communities they serve.

Group of nine people posing for a photo in front of banners at a Leadership Council event in San Mateo County.

Board of Supervisors Candidate Forum 2024

Policy Affinity Group

The Policy Affinity Group (PAG) convenes nonprofit leaders and advocates committed to advancing shared policy priorities in San Mateo County. PAG creates space for connection, learning, and coordinated action by bringing together organizations to exchange insights, engage with public officials, and align advocacy strategies. Through regular convenings and collaborative dialogue, PAG strengthens nonprofit voice and collective impact in local policy decisions.

Youth Advocacy Policy Affinity Group (PAG)

The Youth Policy Affinity Group (Youth PAG) centers the voices, experiences, and leadership of young people in policy and advocacy efforts across San Mateo County. Convened by Thrive Alliance in partnership with the San Mateo County Health Division of Public Health, Policy, and Planning, Youth PAG creates a space for adult allies to listen, learn, and support youth-led advocacy. Recognizing that young people are deeply impacted by decisions related to education, housing, public safety, and civic participation yet are often excluded from policy conversations, Youth PAG convenes youth and youth-serving organizations across issues to build advocacy skills, elevate youth priorities, and inform local policy efforts. The group meets on the second Wednesday of each month.

Group of twelve diverse people posing indoors in front of a colorful mural featuring cityscape and architectural images.
A woman presenting at a workshop titled 'Policy Affinity Group' in a conference room with attendees seated at red-covered tables.
Handwritten notes on a whiteboard discussing policy issues such as Measure 2, decriminalizing defiance, climate resilience, affordable housing, homelessness, youth rights, bail reform, sheriff oversight, and education policies.

Children & Education Partnerships

Thrive Alliance plays a convening and coordinating role in advancing child- and youth-focused advocacy in San Mateo County. By bringing together Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), philanthropic partners, and government entities, Thrive helps align resources, insights, and policy conversations to better support students and young people.

Summit for Partnerships in Education

In direct partnership with the San Mateo County Office of Education, Thrive Alliance hosts this annual convening. The Summit brings together diverse stakeholders to foster cross-sector collaboration, share innovative data-driven strategies, and create a unified vision for educational equity across the county.

Banner for the United for Youth Summit for Partnerships in Education featuring photos of diverse young people and logos of supporting organizations including San Mateo County Office of Education, Coalition for Safe Schools & Communities, Sand Hill Foundation, Stanford Haas Center for Public Service, and Thrive.

CONTACT US

We appreciate your interest in exploring our programs and ways to get involved. This area is managed by our Policy & Advocacy Senior Manager, Yajaira, who would be happy to connect with you. Please fill out the contact form, and Yajaira will follow up with you soon.

professional headshot of Yajaira Ortega

Yajaira Ortega
Policy & Advocacy Senior Manager