PICO California

We are a multi-racial, multi-faith state network active in 18 counties through nine local affiliates. We connect 500 congregations and nearly 650,000 Californians, making us the largest faith-based community organizing network in the state. Founded in 1994 as a fiscally-sponsored project of the national Faith in Action Network, we became an independent 501c3 nonprofit in 2021, alongside the 501c4 PICO California Action Fund. We bring together congregations and faith-based individuals of diverse races, faiths, and classes to advocate for racial and economic justice.

For 30 years, our organizing and policy advocacy have brought more investment into healthcare, education, and restorative justice. We have also helped create safer neighborhoods, promote affordable housing, and support those seeking American citizenship. Our work focuses on:

We form and train people and teams within congregations, neighborhood groups, and online. Our network is leader-centric: grassroots leaders run campaigns, develop leadership among their peers, and make key decisions.

We use our position as a faith institution to express core values. We create communications that reflect our vision and organizing goals, always centering the experiences of oppressed people.

Each year, in partnership with the Million Voters Project, we conduct non-partisan voter education and outreach to advocate for fair public policies. This electoral work integrates with our leadership development and narrative efforts.

Our mission is to empower faith-based and spiritually-centered people in California to create systemic change for the most vulnerable, helping all Californians thrive. Our vision is a Moral Economy for California, which means running campaigns that lead to real improvements for vulnerable Californians. This includes: making affordable housing a human right; reducing incarceration and increasing opportunities for formerly incarcerated people; enabling low-income workers to find family-sustaining jobs; prioritizing school and community funding over law enforcement and prisons; ensuring inclusion for all immigrants and refugees; and establishing effective government that cares for everyone in California.

We operate on several principles:

We educate people about power structures, their own power, and how mobilizing others can improve their living conditions and communities.

We aim to shift perceptions of faith, connecting it with love, justice, and the dignity of every person, instead of bigotry or greed.

We believe the methods of inclusion and belonging are as important as the outcomes of liberation. We value reconciliation over victory for the sake of power and promote empathy, encouraging people to see others’ stories in their own.

Faith and spiritual values have always driven grassroots justice movements. Faith institutions provide spaces for diverse individuals to come together for a shared vision.

We have 11-50 employees. Our organization is primarily led by volunteers who have direct experience with equity issues, including immigrants, formerly incarcerated individuals, low-wage workers, people who are chronically uninsured or underinsured, and young people. These grassroots leaders connect deeply with BIPOC communities through congregations and other community organizations.

We work across racial, economic, ethnic, and religious lines. Our diverse membership of faith traditions helps members understand the systemic roots of shared suffering. We aim to help historically underrepresented communities develop agency, leadership, and ways to participate in public life. We prioritize recruiting, training, and activating people impacted by the system, because they have the knowledge, influence, and credibility to drive change and connect different communities and systems.