Background

As an ecosystem-building, non-profit start-up that launched a few months before the pandemic in Richmond, CA - one of the most economically, politically, educationally, and equity-challenged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area - the odds for success were already stacked against CoBiz to establish a lasting co-working, business incubator space. Coupled with navigating the pandemic, we are truly proud to have established CoBiz as a trusted brand and an affordable hub for businesses, entrepreneurs, professionals, free lancers, creatives, elders, returning citizens, students, and civic leaders to be productive, connected, supported. 

The Challenge

As we celebrate 5 years of Doing The Work on November 4, 2024, we are not satisfied.  Our very limited staff (1 FTE and 2 contractors) manages not only 9,000 sq ft of space, 24/7 operations, members, non-members, business incubation, partnerships, events, programs, grocery giveaways, and much more, but we also go above and beyond to initiate solutions to overcome the systemic challenges of red-lining, gate-keeping, food deserts, and simply, the unfortunate lack of investment in this under-invested community. In other words, we do a lot with a little even though we are not resourced to do all that we do. 

While we are proud of what we have accomplished, we are not satisfied.  Instead, we want to be resourced to maximize the impact of our efforts and the impact of our programs by delivering excellence and consistency of excellence to the stakeholders we serve. 

We want to see people empowered, not dependent on us.

Yes, we have hit some very key milestones to validate the need and value of this space, such as:

• 100% occupancy of our office spaces at CoBiz
• $10M Economic Impact
• Over $1M in co-working revenue despite the pandemic
• 1-on-1 Incubation of 100s of businesses, non-profits, resulting in contracts, grants, government procurement
• Partnership with over 50 organizations
• Hosting 400+ Events
• 60 Grocery Give-A-Ways

However, funding support (sponsorships, grants, etc.) to help us operate in a sustainable manner has been essentially non-existent despite what we have accomplished in Downtown Richmond. 

We are looking for genuine support from those who understand that CoBiz operates as a force multiplier for businesses, non-profits, and people by providing access to know-how, capital, social capital, resources, space, support, and much more.

Specifically, we seek:

1. Sponsorships of the Space (long-term and short-term) 
2. Growth of headcount from 1 FTE to 4 FTE (Program Manager, Business Development Lead, Operations Manager, Communications/Outreach Lead)
3. $50K for Marketing Campaign

We have been doing the work, but we need to be resourced to optimize the effectiveness of our efforts.   For these reasons, we appreciate your financial support and encourage you to tell a friend about CoBiz.

Visit Our Impact Page to learn more about our work, accomplishments, and ultimately, why this space is needed:   www.cobizrichmond.com/cobizimpactreport.html

Let's Build!