Community Organizations
Petaluma and Sonoma County have many community organizations that are doing incredibly meaningful work. We are listing them here to serve as accessible resources to the community.
Thank you Petaluma Regional Library for providing this information.
20-30 Club
Petaluma Active 20-30 #30 (petaluma2030.org)
The Active 20-30 Club develops leaders and serves the needs of children in nearly 50 clubs coast-to-coast. Every club has its own particular focus, whether it’s fundraising or community service, but each has a common goal to improve the quality of life of youth in the community.
American Association of University Women
AAUW advances gender equity for women and girls, through research, education, and advocacy. AAUW Petaluma is involved in numerous activities to promote education and lifelong learning.
All About Owls
All About Owls – Support your local owl environment
All About Owls offers presentations with live owls to schools, environmental organizations and for events. We teach about the natural history, identification and the amazing facts of our local owls. Our message is one of conservation and stewardship to inspire positive change through understanding the key role raptors play in our environment.
Alzheimer’s Association
Northern California and Northern Nevada Chapter | Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association leads the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.
Amor Para Todos (Jazz and Friends Program)
AMOR PARA TODOS – OUR STORY (weebly.com)
Mission is to join with schools and communities in an innovative, intersectional approach to cultivate more gender and LGBTQIA+ affirming environments for our youth. We believe our work will be the early intervention that can serve as a catalyst to change systematic invisibility for LGBTQIA+ youth.
Aqus Community
Aqus Community has been created to bring people together to build a strong and vibrant community.
Boys and Girls Club Southern Sonoma and Marin
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin (bgcsonoma-marin.org)
We’ve developed hundreds of unique programs to ensure kids will grow up to achieve Academic Success, choose Healthy Lifestyles, develop Good Character, and express themselves Creatively. In addition, we serve over 350,000 meals annually to ensure the most basic needs of the youth of our community are met.
Community Foundation Sonoma County
Community Foundation Sonoma County – Community Foundation Sonoma County (sonomacf.org)
As an organization that is deeply connected to this place and the people who call it home, we are acutely aware of what makes Sonoma County special and the disparities in who has access to what they need to thrive. Each day we strive to close the gap in those disparities, through our work with donors, through our grantmaking, and by participating in larger initiatives to tackle complex community issues.
Community Health Initiative of the Petaluma Area
CHIPA — Healthy Petaluma District + Foundation
The Community Health Initiative of the Petaluma Area (CHIPA) is an advisory committee of the Healthy Petaluma Board of Directors that identifies community health priorities and advocates for policy, system, and environmental changes to improve our community’s health.
Climate Action Commission Petaluma
Climate Action in Petaluma, Calif. – City of Petaluma
The Climate Action Commission shall perform the duties designated and delegated by the City Council on matters pertaining to climate action policies and their implementation within the City. The Commission shall also serve as a forum for the consideration, analysis and coordination of climate action related City policies, and shall advise the City on matters referred by City departments, and other Council-appointed hearing bodies.
COTS (Committee on the Shelterless)
At COTS, our mission is to assist those experiencing homelessness to find and keep housing, increase self-sufficiency and improve well-being. We envision a community where everyone has a place to call home.
Daily Acts
We are a holistic education nonprofit that takes a heart-centered approach to inspiring transformative actions that create connected, equitable, and climate resilient communities. We believe in the power of our daily actions to reconnect people to self, community, and place, which helps to heal our society and planet. Our Mission is to inspire transformative action that creates connected, equitable climate resilient communities.
Petaluma East-Side Farmer’s Market
Petaluma Farmer’s Market
Friends of the Petaluma River
ln 2005 Friends of the Petaluma River was formed to connect our community with the wonders of the Petaluma Watershed. While much of our work is focused on conservation and education surrounding this sensitive habitat, we also believe that celebration plays a large role in our mission. Through events at the River Heritage Center, family programming around the Watershed and access opportunities for the public we bring our Watershed to life.
Indivisible Petaluma
Indivisible Petaluma (@indivisiblepetaluma) • Instagram photos and videos
We are a local, inclusive, intersectional, Petaluma-based iteration of a diverse movement of progressive constituents. We work to build power across the country by organizing at the local, state, & national level.
Junior League of Napa-Sonoma
Volunteer in Sonoma & Napa Counties, Califonia | The Junior League of Napa-Sonoma (jlns.org)
The Junior League of Napa-Sonoma is an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
Kiwanis
Kiwanis clubs focus on changing the world by serving children, one child and one community at a time. Serving the local Petaluma community since 1954.
Petaluma Lion’s Club
Petaluma 7-11 Lions Club – Lions e-Clubhouse
Our Emphasis is the youth in our community. Donations are made to various Petalumcommunity organizations and projects.
Literacy Works
Our mission is to provide dynamic resources and opportunities that give adults, families and children a foundation for lifelong learning and achievement.
Madrone Audubon
Welcome to the Madrone Audubon Society | Madrone Audubon Society
The Madrone Audubon Society, Inc., a Sonoma County Chapter of the National Audubon Society is a non-profit organization which promotes public education, enjoyment, study and protection of the natural world, especially birds. We also recognize our responsibility to influence decisions affecting all wildlife and natural resources.
Master Gardeners of Sonoma County
Spring in Sonoma County – UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County (ucanr.edu)
The mission of Master Gardeners is to extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to residents of the State of California and, in our case, Sonoma County. We are trained and certified University of California (UC) volunteers who provide unbiased, high-quality, science-based information to non-commercial home gardeners. Master Gardeners are given an extensive science-based training program covering such topics as soil and plant nutrition, irrigation and water conservation, weed-insect-disease control and integrated pest management, vegetables, fruit trees and berries, landscape plants, composting, and much more.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
NAMI Sonoma County helps individuals and families affected by mental health conditions to build better lives through education, support, advocacy and by raising public awareness.
North Bay Organizing Project
North Bay Organizing Project Home | NBOP (northbayop.org)
We foster leadership in our community. It defines us. Since 2010, our leaders have built a regional democratic power organization. Every two years, our twenty member institutions convene an Issues Assembly to cast votes and form task forces on key issues impacting our community. Our initiatives call us to organize ongoing work. Our mutual aid and fiscal sponsorship allow us to build capacity and respond to immediate community needs.
Mentor Me Petaluma
Mentor Me(a program of Petaluma People Services Center) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower young people to reach their highest potential by matching them with a mentor. We are reliant upon and grateful for the generosity of the community of volunteers, grantors, and donors who give life to this mission.
Paula Lane Nature Preserve
Paula Lane Nature Preserve – Petaluma (cityofpetaluma.org)
This 11+ acre nature preserve will soon be open to the public thanks to collaboration between the City of Petaluma, the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District and numerous community partners. The preserve’s habitat is forever protected by a Conservation Easement focused on natural resources, open space, recreation and education and agriculture.
PEP Housing
PEP Housing – Building community from the heart
PEP Housing develops and manages affordable housing and provides services for older adults with limited incomes.
Petaluma Adobe State Park
A visit to the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park will bring you back to the largest privately owned adobe building in Northern California in the 1830-40’s and the center of activity on one of the most prosperous private estates established during the Mexican Period.
Petaluma Art Association
Petaluma Arts Association. Promoting art in our community. Supporting art education in our schools. Serving the art community since 1957.
Petaluma Arts Center
Petaluma Arts Center is dedicated to building our community’s creative capacity by making art an increasingly vital and meaningful part of our public life.
Petaluma Blacks for Community Development
PETALUMA BLACKS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (pbcd4us.com)
We exist to share Black history and culture with our community. We do this through our annual Black History program, Black History exhibit and other events that we share with our community free of charge to encourage attendance by all. Our vision is to help make our community free of hate and get rid of those issues that divide us based on color.
Petaluma Bounty
Petaluma Bounty’s mission is to create a thriving local food system with healthy food for everyone through collaboration, education and promoting self-reliance. Petaluma Bounty’s vision is to grow a thriving local food system where consumers make informed decisions; farmers make a decent living while prioritizing ecological stewardship of the land; and all people – regardless of income – have access to healthy food.
Petaluma Community Access
PCA, Petaluma Community Access Television, Channels 26, 27, 28
Petaluma Community Access, or PCA, is a non-profit public access television station in Petaluma. Through community programming, member production services, and partnerships with local businesses, PCA promotes diversity and free speech for Petaluma. Our mission is to promote freedom of expression, provide access to communication tools, and foster the use of visual media and technology.
Petaluma Community Foundation
Petaluma Community Foundation – Investing In Communities® (iiconline.org)
As a proactive foundation, PCF’s vision is to serve as the local expert community broker to insure the wisest and most cost-effective investment in community.
Petaluma Community Relations Council
The mission of the Petaluma Community Relations Council is to serve as a coalition of individuals and groups, promoting the values of respect, appreciation and understanding among all people in our community. To foster positive human relations, we respond to the needs of our community by acting as a reliable source of information and a convener on issues where all community voices are welcomed.
Petaluma Education Foundation
Home – Petaluma Educational Foundation (pefinfo.com)
PEF’s mission is to fund programs that promote critical thinking, creativity, student wellbeing, and lifelong learning. We work closely with the 35 public, private, and charter schools throughout our community to fund impact grants and award scholarships that align with PEF’s goals while taking into account each school’s and each student’s unique needs.
Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance
Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance – Sonoma County Tourism
The Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance is dedicated to supporting growing wine grapes and production of premium wines in the Petaluma Gap.
Petaluma Health Center
Petaluma Health Center (phealthcenter.org)
Petaluma Health Center’s mission is to ensure access to high-quality health care and achieve health equity for the communities we serve. Our vision is to foster a healthy community where all individuals reach their highest potential for health and wellness.
Petaluma Kinder Care
Petaluma KinderCare | Daycare, Preschool & Early Education in Petaluma, CA | KinderCare
Whether your child is just starting to explore the world or on their way to big-kid school, we have exactly what they need to foster their love of learning and build confidence. See proof that our Early Foundations® curriculum prepares kids for kindergarten, elementary school, and beyond!
Petaluma Museum
Petaluma Historical Library & Museum (petalumamuseum.com)
The former library now houses Petaluma poultry, dairy, and Miwok Indian history exhibits from the 1850s. The cornerstone for this stately Carnegie Library was laid in 1904. The building, designed by local architect Brainerd Jones and built from locally quarried stone, features the largest free-standing leaded glass dome in Northern California. The building is in the neo-classical style, featuring original fan-glass windows, round leaded-glass windows, also original interior wood paneling and columns. It also houses a fine research library.
Petaluma Peer Recovery Center
The mission of the Petaluma Peer Recovery Center is to build community by fostering growth and recovery through connection with mental health peers. We respect individual pathways to wellness and value self-direction as well as mutual support. We strive to empower ourselves and each other through education, creativity, and discovery. Our center is available to members for drop-in services, including: round table discussions, support groups, art, guest presentations, and more. We are a center of adults (18+) with lived mental health challenges. Membership to all is free.
Petaluma Peoples Services Center
Petaluma People Services Center
PPSC is much more than a collection of 90 human services programs based on best practice research with measurable outcomes. We are a community of caregivers existing within the larger community whose sole purpose is to help make people’s lives better. We strive to do this one child, one adult, and one senior at a time. Last year we served over 42,000 people through our programs. The hands-on, face-to-face support that individuals receive from PPSC is wide ranging; counseling, economic sustainability, youth programming, daily hot meals, rides to the doctor, case management, homelessness prevention, and access to fresh food.
Petaluma Quilt Guild:
Petaluma River Festival (Rivertown Revival)
Ours is a festival to celebrate our town, community and the mighty Petaluma River. We will have live music, activities on the water, delicious local food and drink, wild and exotic breathtaking creatures, creative Sonoma County vendors, a large Play Area for kids and kids at heart, interactive art and more. Every year we are dedicated to creating an unforgettable and eco-friendly event decorated with re-used, re-cycled and re-purposed materials as much as possible.
Petaluma River Park Foundation
The mission of the Petaluma River Park Foundation is to meet our vital need for shared space that connects people, art, and nature. When we succeed, the River Park will be a vibrant, welcoming place that fosters a love of nature, sparks creativity, and unifies our community for generations to come.
Petaluma TIDE (Team for Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity)
Petaluma TIDE – Team for Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity
In February 2019, after hearing stories of racism and discrimination from brave high school students and community members, describing how hard it is to go to school and live in Petaluma, 17 community members from nine different schools created TIDE: Team for Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity. TIDE works with youth, communities, and schools to ensure that everyone in our schools is treated fairly. We do this through dialogue, education, and advocacy designed to create greater equity and inclusion.
Petaluma Transit
Petaluma Transit | Home – Petaluma Transit (cityofpetaluma.net)
Petaluma Urban Chat (Know Before You Grow)
Urban Chat’s mission is to educate the public on four key elements of city planning — housing, transportation, city finances, and climate action — and to advocate for the best possible integrated solutions. Through our education committee, Know Before You Grow, we host regionally and nationally recognized speakers and leaders in their fields to engage Petalumans and share their expertise. Petaluma Urban Chat champions the best solutions to Petaluma’s land use puzzles.
Petaluma Wetlands Alliance
Home | Petaluma Wetlands Alliance
In addition to preserving habitats, with particular emphasis on birds and overall biodiversity, the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance also works with the schools, governments, environmental organizations, and our community. We educate the public about the ecology, wildlife, and the value of wetlands. The PWA is dedicated to the stewardship, restoration, and expansion of publicly accessible wetlands and associated wildlife habitats. We are active in Shollenberger Park, Alman Marsh, and the Ellis Creek Wetlands.
Petaluma Wheelmen
Petaluma Wheelmen Cycling Club – Home
PWCC creates opportunities for men and women cyclists of all levels to meet, make friends, ride, explore and train together in a safe and supportive environment.
Point Blue Conservation Science/STRAW Program)
Conservation Science for a Healthy Planet – Point Blue
Point Blue is a leader in climate-smart conservation, to help ensure that wildlife and our own communities continue to thrive in the decades to come. We believe that our collaborative climate-smart conservation actions today can lead to ecosystems that sustain healthy wildlife and human communities well into the future. As leaders and innovators in conservation science, we have the vision, scientific rigor, passion, and ability to inspire others to act to make positive conservation outcomes possible for a healthy blue planet.
Project Censored
The Official Project Censored Online Store (project-censored.org)
Creating podcasts and independent news videos.
Raizes Collective
Our mission: Empowering our community through art, culture, and environmental education.
Rising Sun Center for Opportunity
Rising Sun Center for Opportunity (risingsunopp.org)
We’re building career pathways for economic equity and climate resilience in the California Bay Area and San Joaquin County. With offices in Oakland and Stockton, our workforce development programs specialize in preparing youth, women, and individuals in reentry for high-road careers and green pathways that offer family-sustaining wages.
River Otter Ecology Project
River Otter Ecology Project | River Otters: Heralds of a Healthy Watershed
Our mission is to engage the public in supporting conservation and restoration by linking river otter recovery to the health of our watersheds through education, research, and community science. Our vision is to inspire personal connections and motivate meaningful actions to preserve our shared natural landscapes for future generations.
Petaluma Rotary
Home Page | Rotary Club of Petaluma (clubrunner.ca)
Since its founding in 1923 the Rotary Club of Petaluma has been proud to serve Petaluma and the world. Service is what Rotary is all about and the men and women of the Petaluma Rotary Club are committed to this ideal. Today about one hundred men and women, leaders in Petaluma’s business and professional community, make up the club’s membership. Meeting every week, they pursue this ideal of service while enjoying the camaraderie of like-minded individuals.
Petaluma Valley Rotary
Rotary Club of Petaluma Valley (petalumavalleyrotary.org)
Petaluma Sunrise Rotary
Rotary Club of Petaluma Sunrise (petalumasunriserotary.org)
Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights
Commission on Human Rights (ca.gov)
Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women
Commission on the Status of Women (ca.gov)
Sonoma County Youth Commission on Human Rights
Youth Commission on Human Rights (ca.gov)
Sonoma County Youth Commission on Human Rights
Youth Commission on Human Rights (ca.gov)
Sonoma County Peace Crane Project
Peace Crane Project – Building Toward A Nuclear Free World (socopeacecrane.org)
PEACE CRANE PROJECT is committed to creating a world free of nuclear weapons, where people can learn to live together in harmony and peace.
Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority
Regional Climate Protection Authority (ca.gov)
The RCPA coordinates climate protection activities countywide and performs a variety of important related functions including advocacy, project management, planning, finance, grant administration, and research. The RCPA coordinates the activities of local jurisdictions with regional, state, and federal entities at both policy and administrative levels. As a coordination agency, the RCPA provides a forum for local elected officials to engage in dialogue on countywide issues, and enables discussions among local and regional entities on a wide range of issues related to greenhouse gas reduction, including planning, program management, and project delivery.
Sonoma-Marin Fair
Home Page – Our Community Gathering Place (sonoma-marinfair.org)
The Sonoma-Marin Fair promotes and showcases agriculture, while displaying the diverse talents, interests and accomplishments of the residents of California, especially the youth of Sonoma and Marin counties. This is achieved by providing education, entertainment and recreational opportunities for the general public, while continually striving towards enhancing the promotion and preservation of California’s agricultural heritage.
AARP (Tax Aid)
Free Tax Preparation from AARP Foundation Tax-Aide
Get Help with Free Tax Assistance Since 1968, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide has provided free tax help to over 78 million taxpayers, with a focus on older adults with low to moderate income. Tax-Aide volunteers are located nationwide, and are trained and IRS-certified every year to make sure they know about and understand the latest changes and additions to the tax code.
The Living Room
Home – The Living Room Sonoma County (thelivingroomsc.org)
Our mission: To ease adversity, promote stability, and support self-reliance for SonomaCounty women and children who are experiencing, or at-risk of experiencing, homelessness.
United Way of the Wine Country
Donate to United Way of the Wine Country – Support Local Nonprofits (unitedwaywinecountry.org)
Mission: To improve financial stability for all families throughout our service area by activating local businesses, inspiring individual investment, advancing community collaboratives, and influencing public policy.
Verity
Verity ~ Verity (ourverity.org)
Our Mission: Working in cooperation with the community, Verity strives to eliminate all forms of violence, with a special focus on sexual assault and abuse. Sexual assault is an unacceptable form of oppression, which is destructive to the lives of the survivors, their families, and their friends.Verity facilitates healing and promotes the prevention of violence by providing counseling, advocacy, intervention, and education in our community.
Village Network
-Homepage (Current/Active) – Village Network of Petaluma
The Village Network of Petaluma is a nonprofit membership organization led by active older adults 50+ in the Petaluma-Penngrove area. We’re part of a nationwide movement harnessing the wisdom and collective experiences of today’s older adults to revolutionize the experience of aging. We are building a vibrant culture of giving and receiving – redefining aging on our own terms, in our own homes, and engaged with our community. The innovative and cost-effective Village model has been successful in more than 250 other communities in the U.S., with over 30 Villages in our Bay Area. In 2014 we launched our Village Network as the first in Sonoma County.