Concord's Local Non-Profits
From the food bank to the crisis center and beyond, there’s no shortage of non-profit organizations that work tirelessly every day for the betterment of our community. And while they may provide different services, the one thing they all have in common is a continual need for help and support. Check out these great local organizations and learn some of the ways you can get involved and make a difference.
The Adaptive Learning Center
The Adaptive Learning Center (ALC) was founded in 1988 as an independent living program that provides day/educational components as well as vocational and medical support services with much focus on the development of social relationships. The ALC is a nonprofit organization committed to facilitating growth and achievement, through continuous education and support, in the lives of adults challenged with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Neurodevelopmental disabilities.
B8 Theatre Company
Originally a “nomadic” company, Butterfield 8 performed at the Lesher Center for the Arts and Town Hall Theatre before taking up residency at Cue Productions Live in Concord for the 2006-2007 season. In the spring of 2014, Mr. Butterfield returned to New Zealand to finish his studies, and Butterfield 8 lost its performance space.
The company remained on hiatus until 2016, when the company reorganized as B8 Theatre Company. With new leadership, an expanded vision, and a new home, B8 has returned to the Contra Costa County theatrical scene!
Bay Area Crisis Nursery
The Bay Area Crisis Nursery (BACN) was established in 1981. This all started when our Founder Sister Ann Weltz fell in love with the concept of a crisis nursery after she spent a summer working at one in Tucson, Arizona. That’s when Sister Ann decided to open her own crisis nursery. She had a vision of a grassroots organization that would give parents the much-needed time to care for themselves so they could then care for their children. The Nursery would be a loving sanctuary where parents would feel comfortable and safe leaving their children.
BACN's ultimate goal is that all children are safe, healthy, and thrive both emotionally and physically. Our mission is simple, yet powerful, to prevent child abuse and neglect through providing supportive services to families. We provide a warm, safe, loving homelike care facility.
Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
BD Performing Arts permanently enriches the lives of young people through a commitment to youth development and performance excellence, while providing enjoyment for our local community and audiences worldwide.
Music and the performing arts connect youth with their culture through a common language crossing generational, social, and racial barriers. The activities that a young person pursues influences the type of person he or she becomes. The experience that comes with participation in a performing arts organization builds discipline, character, pride, and self-confidence at a crucial age and forms the springboard to even greater achievements in adulthood.
Learn how to support the Blue Devils here.
C.O.P.E Family Support Center
C.O.P.E. Family Support Center was incorporated in September 2010 and enters its 10th year of delivering family-based prevention programs through comprehensive evidence based curricula. C.O.P.E. was founded by the acting Executive Director, Cathy Botello, who has worked in the non-profit and county agencies for the past 20 years. C.O.P.E.'s parenting program gives parents an opportunity to develop skills that support empowerment through strengthening knowledge and confidence in parenting. The families C.O.P.E. supports are seeking parenting support while dealing with the challenges of adoption, trauma, child neglect, depression, anxiety and anger in their parenting.
CASA Contra Costa
Each year, approximately 1,300 abused or neglected children and youth in Contra Costa County come under the court's care because they are unable to live safely at home. Imagine what it would be like to be removed from your parents, not because of something you did, but because they cannot, or will not, take care of and protect you. Then into the lives of these children and youth come dozens of strangers: police, foster parents, social workers, judges, lawyers and more. For some, one of these may be a Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteer.
CASA volunteers advocate one-on-one for abused and neglected children and youth in foster care to make sure they do not get lost in the over-burdened legal system or languish in an inappropriate placement. Volunteers help reduce delays and continuances and stay with each case until it is closed and the child or youth is placed in a safe, permanent home.
Center for Human Development
Center for Human Development (CHD) was founded in 1972, with a commitment to improve the quality of lives of people in various communities. CHD has a number of programs focused on prevention and wellness. These services and partnership initiatives address a large number of issues facing the community, including teen substance use, community violence, and access to healthcare. To make these initiatives effective the staff and volunteers work side-by-side at schools and community sites, throughout Contra Costa County. This process enables CHD to provide a safe and supportive environment, empower program participants, and promote their lifelong resiliency.
Coco Kids
The nonprofit CocoKids serves the needs of children, families, early educators, businesses and communities. CocoKids is the trusted organization you count on for successfully proven initiatives and a wide range of free and low cost programs and services so parents can work and children are ready for success in school and life.
CocoKids’ experts educate and support parents, care providers and policymakers to ensure responsible, healthy and safe, high-quality child care and early education for all families in our community.
Concord Art Association
Concord Art Association is a California 501c3 nonprofit group that supports and engages local artists so that we can collectively enrich the lives of everyone in our community through art education, exhibits, special events and outreach programs. Founded in 1963, CAA is the oldest art association in Contra Costa County. Members are artists, art students, supporters of the arts, and residents of the greater Concord, California area.CAA general meetings are open to the public. In addition to socializing, networking and sharing our creativity, we enjoy inspiring demonstrations from guest artists at each meeting.
Concord Historical Society
The Concord Historical Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Society was legally formed as a California non-profit corporation on February 24, 1971. Its Articles of Incorporation were filed with the California Secretary of State on March 30, 1971. The specific and primary purposes are to discover, establish, and preserve structures, objects, and materials of interest, importance, and value, in relation to the City of Concord, California, and its vicinity, and to discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge of the history of the City of Concord, California, and its vicinity.
Early Alert Canines
Early Alert Canines' diabetic alert dogs provide real and measurable help for diabetics. Hypoglycemia is an inevitable and acute side-effect of insulin therapy that can lead to severe medical problems including coma and death, so it is imperative for diabetics to receive the earliest warning possible when their blood glucose is dropping.
Early Alert Canines are always on alert for their insulin-dependent partners, ready to warn them about critical changes in their blood sugar levels. These dogs are more than just a diabetic's best friend; they are life-savers and life-changers.
We are proud to work in partnership with other established nonprofit organizations such as Canine Companions and Guide Dogs for the Blind, as well as small and local businesses that support our mission.
Family Justice Center
The mission of the Family Justice Center is to bring together our community to support the healing of family violence survivors and to integrate capable partners with a comprehensive service approach to renew individuals and our community from a trauma of family violence. We believe demonstrating respect and compassion brings out the best in everyone we encounter.
Feet First Foundation
Founders, Sean Sharkey, Daniel Dorsett, of Feet First Foundation identified how trauma can be healed using the theory of textbook boxing, and teamed up soon after with Brandon Kregel to create a 501c3 non-profit program as an alternative therapy solution to cope with depression, anxiety, aggression, impulsivity, and anger. The longer the trauma continues or goes unaddressed, the more extreme of a program is needed to minimize its effects. Studies on neurobiology of PTSD, found that traumatic stress affects the hippocampus, amygdale and prefrontal cortex of the brain.
Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano County
An alarming 1 in 8 people within Contra Costa and Solano counties turn to the Food Bank for emergency and supplemental food. The Food Bank has developed programs that address the size of this need as well as nutritional needs of the people we serve.
The Food Bank ensures safe food is available to the hungry in our community. We achieved a food safety certification and superior rating from the American Institute of Baking, International (AIB). AIB accreditation and audits are internationally recognized as the most stringent in the food industry.
We rely on more than 1,000 volunteers a month, over 70 staff members, a large fleet of trucks and two facilities totaling 70,000 square feet to procure and distribute food and grocery items.
Learn how to Support the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County
International Education Center at Diablo Valley College (IEC@DVC)
For over 20 years, the not-for-profit International Education Center at Diablo Valley College has served as the launch pad for international students seeking to fulfill their dreams of studying in the United States. IEC entered into a partnership with Diablo Valley College in 2000, with the goal of providing a premier intensive English language program for students who want to improve their English language and academic skills before beginning academic programs in the United States. We are currently offering our classes live online, via Zoom, with both daytime and evening schedules. We encourage you to contact us to learn more about the ways we can cooperate to increase the visibility of our international student community in Concord. Please feel free to email us at iec@dvc.edu, give us a call at (925) 676-4600, or message us on WhatsApp at (925) 676-4200. We look forward to introducing you to our school and our amazing students!
Meals on Wheels Diablo Region
For more than 50 years, Meals on Wheels Diablo Region has improved the lives of vulnerable seniors living in Contra Costa County by delivering nutritious meals and wrap-around services that allow seniors to remain in their homes, safely and with dignity. As a full-service organization, we are dedicated to addressing all of the needs of the seniors we serve. Meals on Wheels Diablo Region is the only Meals on Wheels that delivers both meals and services to seniors in Contra Costa County. Thousands of people every year reach out to us for help. Whether it’s a meal delivery or a wrap-around service, Meals on Wheels Diablo Region Delivers Reliably!
Monument Crisis Center
In 2003, a small group of concerned citizens banded together and founded the Monument Crisis Center. They worked out of one single office and food “closet” and served 84 families on the first day of food distribution. From that day forward, our client base has only continued to grow,adding approximately 1,300 new families each year. Today, we have more than 15,000 households signed up in our Food Distribution Program and we serve between 80-120 families at each distribution. Our programs and services have evolved and expanded in order to meet the needs of our growing clientele. Although food distribution remains our primary objective, we have developed adult education, youth, and senior programs to address the various needs of our clients.
Mt. Diablo Unified School District Education Foundation
Led by parents, educators, and community members, the Mt. Diablo Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization providing educational enrichment programs across the 28,000-student Mt. Diablo Unified School District. While we work in close collaboration with the district and individual school sites to determine priorities, we are a separate, independent entity from the district, laser-focused on enhancing the experience of every student, no matter where they live within our serving area.
Learn how to support MDUSD Education Foundation here.
NAMI Contra Costa
NAMI Contra Costa is a charitable mental health non-profit organization providing outreach, education, support and advocacy to families and individuals in need of help. We have been assisting people and families affected by mental illness in Contra Costa for over 30 years. All our programs are free, so get involved today and help make a difference in your life, others’ lives, and in the local community.
Mission Statement – To provide support, outreach, education and advocacy to individuals living with and families affected by mental illness.
NETO Community Network
Neto Community Network was co-founded in 2012 in Concord, California by a small group of ardent dreamers and doers. We had worked together at a cutting-edge collective impact initiative called Monument Community Partnership (MCP), where we witnessed for ourselves that social equity is achievable - not in some distant future, but in real time. Our founders so deeply believe in MCP’s relationship-driven approach to economic, health, educational and social equity issues.
Planned Parenthood - Concord Health Center
Planned Parenthood is America’s most trusted provider of reproductive health care. Our skilled health care professionals are dedicated to offering all people high-quality, affordable medical care. One in five American women has chosen Planned Parenthood for health care at least once in her life. Planned Parenthood is a respected leader in sex education. We deliver sex education programs, resources, and tools that empower all people to make informed choices about sexuality and relationships, and lead their healthiest lives.
Project Second Chance
The Library's Adult Literacy Program
Project Second Chance (PSC) trains and supports volunteer tutors to deliver basic literacy instruction to people who read or write below the 6th grade level.
Tutoring is:
- free and confidential
- one-on-one
- 2x/week, 90 minutes
- by trained volunteers
- according to personal schedules
- in a public place, usually the local library
PSC is offering remote tutoring opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic and is currently accepting new students.
If you know adults who need help with basic reading, writing, or spelling, please encourage them to call one of the PSC offices or their local library.
Call (925) 691-3960 or email psc@library.cccounty.us to be a student or to volunteer.
Rainbow Community Center
The organization offers a variety of programs and services including counseling, social and support groups, youth groups and summer camps, women’s services, gender voice and more. The Rainbow Center also presents the annual PRIDE festival held in Todos Santos Plaza each June. Throughout the shelter in place period, the Rainbow center has provided ongoing social connection, programming, support groups & education through remote and virtual opportunities.
Shelter Inc.
SHELTER, Inc. strives to realize a vision: rebuilding lives, one family at a time, by giving them a home, the skills, and the resources to live the life they deserve. The mission of SHELTER, Inc. is to prevent and end homelessness for low-income, homeless, and disadvantaged families and individuals by providing housing, services, support, and resources that lead to self-sufficiency.
Solo Opera
The primary purpose for which this non-profit corporation is being formed is to enrich, entertain, and educate the public in opera, musicals, and other related art forms. Solo Opera will be a performing company producing opera (and other related art forms) of the highest quality possible within its financial capabilities. At the same time it will try to remain affordable and accessible to the public. In addition to performing traditional operatic repertoire, Solo Opera will also be focusing on 20th-21st century chamber opera, short one act operas, opera in English, and new works by Bay Area composers. We have a special interest in fostering a new generation of opera lovers and enjoy producing operas that are accessible to children and families and involve children in the cast.