Our Work

What We're Tackling

Opportunity is shaped by the policies and practices that govern daily life. Every day, families are being asked to absorb rising costs, shrinking safety nets and a constant stream of federal policy changes. Our work focuses on three areas where those pressures hit hardest.

  • Economic Security

    True equity starts with everyday stability: reliably affording food, rent and daily expenses.

    Cash Plus Care

    Meeting Basic Needs

    Providing direct cash transfers has been a central part of our model since 2020. When the cost of every essential is untethered from what people earn, even a small budget gap can lead to a permanent crisis.

    mBOLDen Change provides the cash resources that allow households to pay their bills and works side by side with frontline partners to co-design approaches that stabilize and support families.

    See it in action

  • Health Access

    Health is a fundamental human right, not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it.

    Closing Health Gaps

    Advancing Health Equity

    Good health is built long before anyone sees a doctor; it depends on safe housing, clean environments and economic security. When the social determinants of health are neglected, everyday challenges can escalate into long-term crises for families and communities.

    mBOLDen Change pilots solutions to close gaps in care and collaborates with partners to strengthen community resources and protect everyone's health and well-being.

    See it in action

  • Rapid Response

    We hold our mission tightly and our methods loosely. When the world changes, we meet the moment.

    Meeting the Moment

    Responding to Urgent Needs

    Whether triggered by a natural disaster, a humanitarian crisis or a sudden policy change, unexpected shocks can upend life overnight. When traditional systems are slow to react, temporary gaps can quickly harden into lasting crises for families and communities.

    mBOLDen Change moves quickly to deploy emergency support, adapt its resources and push for policies and systems that meet the moment.

    See it in action
A City Peace Project staff member high-fives a student outside a school.

Economic Security · Featured Pilot

Student & Family Safety Net

With Alum Rock Union School District and The City Peace Project · East San José

collaborative partnerships can respond to community needs in ways that traditional systems often cannot.”

— Solomon Kincheloe, General Manager, The City Peace Project

When Alum Rock Union School District approached us, more families than ever were falling through the cracks, some after losing a parent or a paycheck overnight. As a public agency, the district couldn't put cash in their hands.

So we found another way, together. The district identified families in crisis. mBOLDen Change funded The City Peace Project, a partner families already knew and trusted, to deliver unconditional cash. Families decided how to use it, and for many that meant catching up on rent, buying bus passes or paying for emergency dental care.

Children can't focus on school when their families are in crisis. Together with our partners, we built a safety net in their own community.

Give to the Basic Needs FundPartner report (PDF)
Peninsula Health Care District logo

Health Access · Featured Pilot

Care Access Fund

Pediatric Therapy Access Pilot · Peninsula Health Care District

For children who need speech, occupational or developmental therapy, a lapse in coverage or a denied claim can mean months without care during the years when it matters most.

The Care Access Fund starts by keeping care on track. A community partner families already trust helps them renew Medi-Cal, appeal denials and find providers. Where services still fall short, the fund helps fill the gap.

With seed funding from the Peninsula Health Care District, the pilot begins in early 2027. What we learn will show where the system still leaves families without care and what it takes to close those gaps.

Rapid Response · Featured Pilot

The Gateway Fund

Bridging the Gap to Legal Protection

In 2025, the Trump administration ended fee waivers for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), the legal pathway Congress created for immigrant children and youth who survived abuse, abandonment or neglect. Now young people with no income must pay $250 just to apply.

Legal providers saw the gap first. So we built the fund with a team of immigration attorneys, and we resource legal partners to cover filing fees so the cost never keeps a child or young person from applying.

While others challenge the rule in court, the Gateway Fund keeps the process open to them now.

The Gateway Fund is supported by a grant from the San Francisco Foundation.

Give to the Gateway FundFor legal providers

Our Model

How We Work

We build trust with community and our partners. Needs and priorities differ from place to place. Each community decides what matters most, and that shapes what we work on together and how.

We Listen

We listen to those closest to the challenges. Their needs, experiences and hopes for the future guide everything we do.

We Build and Strengthen

We design and build solutions side by side with our partners, incubate new work when it’s needed and invest in what works so it can grow.

We Advocate

What we learn on the ground shapes the policies we fight for and the stories we tell.

Resources

Tools and Reports

Tools and resources to help you understand what’s at stake for families and take action.