MOTW: Fruit Ridge Community Collaborative

The location of the Fruit Ridge Community Collaborative (FRCC) is easy to mistake. From 1938 to 2012 the building was the Fruitridge Elementary School. Nestled in the Promise Zone of Oak Park, the building still has the distinctive remnants of a school; a playground, classrooms, and a gymnasium.

What’s not hard to mistake is the impact FRCC is making in the community.

22 nonprofits are located in the Fruit Ridge Community Collaborative. FRCC is an umbrella organization that oversees and assists with the growth and support of 22 nonprofit partners. These nonprofits share the building, resources, and insights while providing wrap-around services to the community.

Impact Foundry is featuring members who demonstrate collaboration, innovation, and sustainability. Impact Foundry’s Megan Fox sat down will Erin Stone to learn more about how FRCC is using collaboration to change the how nonprofits serve our community.


Impact Foundry: How does your organization practice innovation?

FRCC: Fruit Ridge Community Collaborative (FRCC) was founded by a community member in 2016 as an innovative way to transform a former elementary school. FRCC brought together dozens of organizations to provide a wide-range of services to help the community thrive and help empower grassroots community organizations by offering affordable and accessible locations to deliver programs and services.

Today, FRCC continues to practice innovation by driving collaboration with its 23 nonprofit partners, business, government and the community to ensure that FRCC serves as a hub of community vitality, offering a safe place to learn and play, and provides comprehensive services to help the community thrive.

Two specific examples of innovative collaboration at FRCC underway today include: 1) implementation of a full-time, four week summer camp for high school and middle school youth; and 2) implementation of site-wide internet service.

FRCC and other partner organizations are coming together to create summer programming that is purposeful every step of the way — programming that is guided by trauma-informed practices and that focuses on supporting students’ social, emotional skills. The demand and need for summer programming is high, especially a full-time program that also includes meals. By working together organizations will be able to fulfill this need – something that would be a great challenge individual organizations.

FRCC organizations have come together to leverage resources and respond to the digital divide at FRCC, investing in a site-wide internet solution that will result in a free wi-fi network for the community, better access for organizations, and significant savings for organizations.


Impact Foundry: How does your organization practice collaboration? Who are your key collaborators?

FRCC: FRCC strives to be a hub for community vitality – a place where the community, nonprofit organizations, business and government can come together to play, learn and help the community thrive. FRCC organizations are collaborating to create more comprehensive programming as well as streamline administrative functions to deliver more value per donated dollar. FRCC is engaging business, government and foundations to support the site and its services. In the last six months several organizations including Five Star Restoration, Sutter Health, and the California Highway Patrol have donated time and supplies to help improve the FRCC site.

 


Impact Foundry: How does your nonprofit practice leadership for the nonprofit community

FRCC: FRCC is striving to create a model that can be replicated and other sites throughout the city, state and country. FRCC also wants to lead the nonprofit community in finding ways to engage the community and to continue to foster diversity, equity and inclusion. FRCC has been successful in empowering diverse, grassroots nonprofit organizations with more than 70% of FRCC organizations led by people of color, vs. only 25% statewide.


Impact Foundry: What strategies, practices, and processes are key to your organization’s long term sustainability?
FRCC: Continuing to build out a collaborative model that engages the community, nonprofit organizations, business and government to leverage resources, and provide comprehensive services is key to FRCC’s long-term sustainability. FRCC is striving to create collaboration that provides structure and stability while at the same time provides flexibility to respond to the needs of the community and foster innovation.

KEN HENDERSON

Sublime Digital Marketing Group

https://sublime.digital

About Ken

Ken Henderson is a seasoned entrepreneur and digital marketing professional, presently serving as the CEO of Sublime Digital Marketing Group, a respected marketing agency located in Rancho Cordova, California.

 

Boasting over two decades of industry experience, Ken has cultivated expertise in numerous facets of digital marketing, such as website design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), copywriting, communication, CRM systems, and advertising on platforms like Facebook and Google. As a certified Google Partner and Zoho Partner, Ken’s knowledge is both extensive and cutting-edge.

 

Alongside his marketing abilities, Ken has delved into automation and artificial intelligence applications, integrating them into his collaborations with businesses and non-profits. His work with a wide array of clients, including non-profits, law firms, property managers, political campaigns, private schools, and small to medium businesses, has aided them in achieving their marketing goals.

 

Beyond his business accomplishments, Ken is an active community leader. He sits on the board of the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce, contributing to the shaping of the region’s economic outlook, and is also a special advisor to MLK365, a group dedicated to making positive impact in communities. Moreover, he is a graduate of the prestigious Rancho Cordova Leadership Program and also a Certified GENEIUS, attesting to his remarkable leadership qualities.

 

Ken’s speaking engagements provide valuable insights into digital marketing, automation, and artificial intelligence and creative finance for businesses. His goal is to encourage others to embrace innovative marketing strategies and utilize technology for business growth.

BRAD SQUIRES

Social Venture Partners

https://www.socialventurepartners.org

About Brad
Brad brings over 20 years of executive leadership in both the for-profit and non-profit sector. As a technology entrepreneur, he has helped to launch several enterprise software startups, one of which he led as Co-Founder and Vice President from 2002 through to its exit in 2016. He brings a people-centered style of leadership that leads to healthy organizational culture. He enjoys developing systems, strategy, and structure that set the foundation for organizations to scale and grow. Brad is considered a purpose-driven person and always seeks to “start with why” in everything he gets involved with. 
 
Beyond the enterprise technology roles he’s held, Brad was also instrumental in launching several community-based social entrepreneurship endeavors. He is the founder of the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Food Bank, Orangevale Food Bank Farm, HART of Orangevale and Fair Oaks, and the Big Day of Service. He also served as President of the Orangevale Chamber of Commerce from 2018-2022 where his impact led to a re-energized business and nonprofit membership community. Under his leadership, the Chamber secured $10M funding from SACOG for Greenback Lane streetscape improvements, 3x membership growth, 5x budget growth, formation of the Orangevale Community Council, and a more vibrant culture throughout the community. Brad currently serves on the boards of several other nonprofit organizations in the Capital Region. 
 
Brad currently serves as the Executive Director for Social Venture Partners of Sacramento, an organization seeking to build nonprofit connections and capacity by bringing together leaders from the business and nonprofit community. He oversees partnership growth strategy, daily operations, portfolio engagement, and major events such as the annual Fast Pitch social innovation program.
 
In 2018, Brad and family also launched a 10-acre u-pick flower farm called Heirloom Acres Farm. Thousands of people visit their farm all summerlong for flower u-pick events, and they also host a holiday barn market and have Christmas trees available in December. 
 
Brad’s superpower and life mission is about bringing people together for a purpose. He believes our community will be stronger when leaders are connected and engaged. 

DEBRA
OTO-KENT

HEALTH EDUCATION COUNCIL

https://healthedcouncil.org/

About Debbie

Debbie is the founder and Executive Director of Health Education Council. Her two primary areas of expertise are cross-sector coalition building and reducing health disparities in diverse low-income communities.

MICHELLE ODELL

KAISER PERMANENTE

https://www.kp.org

About Michelle

Michelle Odell is the Director of Public Affairs for Kaiser Permanente in South Sacramento, where she oversees all aspects of Public Affairs including community relations, government relations; community health and community benefit planning; and internal and external communications, including media relations.

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KRISTI
ROLAK-POYNER

SALES DIRECTOR, ONE WORKPLACE