The nation’s first statewide investment in employment social enterprise

An employment social enterprise (ESE) is a for-profit or non-profit organization that earns revenue through the sale of a good or service produced by employees overcoming barriers to work. Each entity should have a stated mission that they exist specifically for the purpose of providing employment, training, and supportive services to people overcoming barriers to work. Program outcomes are just as important as business outcomes to ESEs.

CA RISE provides grant capital paired with technical assistance to support the growth of employment social enterprises in California.

ESEs selected for CA RISE through a competitive grant process will receive a one-time grant of between $100,000 – $500,000 to support investments related to the sustainable growth of their business, increased economic mobility among their participant employees, or, in some cases, both. (Grant award amounts will be determined by the ESE’s operating budget. Ranges and corresponding grant award amounts will be detailed at the time of the application release.)

In addition to grant funding, all CA RISE grantees will receive customized, in-depth capacity building in the areas of sustainable growth and economic mobility. Grantees will have access to:

• cohort-based and one-to-one customized technical assistance;
• cohort-based training on two learning tracks: Sustainable Growth and Economic Mobility;
• a suite of tools and learning modules on REDFworkshop;
• assistance enrolling in additional government programs (for example, SNAP Employment & Training)
• relationship management from a REDF staff member; and
• peer consulting from other local employment social enterprises.

In line with our commitment to advance the employment social enterprise sector at large, REDF will connect grantees with local public partners, training providers, and private sector employers. In partnership, we can significantly expand opportunities for people overcoming barriers to employment – and build an economy that works. For everyone.

CA RISE Program Fact Sheet

If you have additional questions about the CA RISE program, please contact our team. 

Pre-applications for CA RISE have closed. Thank you to all organizations that submitted.

If your organization is eligible to continue in the application process after a review of your pre-application, you will be notified by email, and receive a link to the full CA RISE application in early 2024. Note: this is a competitive grant process – eligibility does not guarantee a program award.

If you have questions about the CA RISE program or application process, or need assistance accessing any application materials, please contact our team. 

CA RISE is an ambitious program that requires the support of external consultants. We have launched a request for information to identify consultants interested in providing services to CA RISE.

Get more information and respond to the RFI here.

Available Contracting Topics:

Opportunity 1: Facilitation
a. Sustainable Growth Optimizing for Growth Sessions
b. Sustainable Growth Scaling Growth Sessions
c. Economic Mobility Optimizing for Impact Sessions
d. Economic Mobility Deepening and Expanding Impact Sessions

Opportunity 2: Content Development
a. Sustainable Growth Session Design Support
b. Economic Mobility Session Design Support
c. Supporting Session Content Development
d. ESE Fundamentals Content Development

Opportunity 3: Customized Technical Assistance Provider
a. Business Model – Pricing
b. Business Model – Feasibility Analysis
c. Business Model – Customer Feedback Management and Use
d. Business Model – Business Line Analysis
e. Business Model – Marketing Strategy and Planning
f. Business Model – Branding Refresh
g. Program Model – Program Data Analysis (general)
h. Program Model – Setting up Data System for Data Tracking of a Program Component
i. Program Model – Retention Services, Design, and Management
j. Double Bottom Line Analysis
k. Team, Operations, Fundraising – Roles and Responsibilities Definition
l. Team, Operations, Fundraising – Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Development
m. Team, Operations, Fundraising – Fundraising Strategy Design

Opportunity 4: ESE Leader Mentorship
a. ESE Leader Mentorship

Opportunity 5: Ecosystem Mapping and Partnership Alignment
a. Statewide Assessment
b. Accessing Government Funding
c. Sustainability Plans
d. Service Alignment
e. Employment Outcomes

Opportunity 6: Government Contracting Consultants
a. Government Proposal Support
b. Data Reporting
c. Contractual and Organizational Compliance

Opportunity 7: Program Learning & Evaluation
a. Learning and Evaluation

Applicants can respond to one, some, or all of the opportunities. This RFI will remain open during the CA RISE program development and implementation. Awards will be made on a rolling basis as needs arise on the CA RISE program.

View frequently asked questions about CA RISE, the pre-application process, and program eligibility here.

We will regularly update this document with additional questions sent to carise@redf.org.