Engage Empower Implement

Engage, Empower, Implement (EEI) is a new funding program that will establish and fund community-based outreach and engagement projects throughout the six-county SACOG region. Community-based organizations (CBOs) and SACOG member jurisdictions will partner to plan and implement these projects in their local communities with assistance from the EEI process, technical resources, and tools.  

EEI will incorporate community-led planning and design principles to identify communities’ priorities and develop projects that meet their needs. Through this collaborative planning process with member jurisdictions and CBOs, the region will be able to identify and create community-driven and equitable projects ready for federal, state, and local funding opportunities. 

There are $3 million that will be available once the program is finalized. 

Why is this important? 

The current phase of EEI is focused on developing funding program guidelines for community-based planning projects, with an emphasis on creating opportunities for collaboration between CBOs and cities / counties in the greater Sacramento region. Working with both groups will help SACOG staff understand where there are current barriers and opportunities with: collaborative partnerships; designing community-based projects; accessing funding; and investing in previously disinvested communities.  

The program is centered on working in systemically oppressed and marginalized communities that have largely been left out of traditional planning processes including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latinx and other communities of color, low-income communities, youth, seniors, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized groups.   

The Process

SACOG staff will collaborate with CBOs, cities, and counties across our six counties to understand the barriers and challenges they face with community-based planning and project implementation. These discussions will inform the development of a co-created community engagement process that can transform community-identified issues and ideas into implementable projects. The adopted EEI funding program framework will include resources and guidelines for member jurisdictions to use when partnering with CBOs and developing projects that meet the needs of their communities through a justice-based planning process. 

Project team 

SACOG has contracted with a consultant team (HR&A Advisors and AIM Consulting) to manage and provide support with the community-based engagement efforts included in the EEI framework development process. 

Timeline

February – March 2023: Project kickoff 

​April – June 2023: Community-based organization & member jurisdiction outreach  

June – August 2023: Draft framework development 

August – October 2023: Final framework and funding program details