Every Connecting California grant begins with a simple idea: when people come together to share stories, communities grow stronger.
This month, California Humanities awarded $40,000 through the second round of our Connecting California initiative, supporting eight organizations from Butte County to Los Angeles. Together, these projects will use storytelling, history, movement, dialogue, and shared experiences to build understanding across California’s diverse communities.
Each project is rooted in its own community, yet they all reflect a common belief: meaningful change begins by creating spaces where people can listen, learn, and connect with one another.
“A safe environment in which community members can discover their shared humanity, dispel myths, combat stereotypes, and connect over what they truly share is priceless,” said Gail Soffer, Founder and Executive Director of Mindful Veteran Project. “We need these all too rare environments where the reality of the human experience can shine.”
From workshops exploring reparations in Oakland and bilingual cultural programs in San Jose to movement-based community gatherings on the Central Coast, conversations between veterans and civilians in Los Angeles, and storytelling projects in Chico, this year’s grants demonstrate the many ways the humanities can bring people together.
Whether preserving local history, celebrating cultural identity, fostering accessibility, or encouraging dialogue across generations and lived experiences, each project invites Californians to see one another with greater understanding, empathy, and respect.
We’re proud to support these organizations as they create spaces where stories spark conversation, conversations build connection, and connection strengthens communities.
Explore all eight Round Two Connecting California grantees here.
