Executive Updates

Governor Newsom shared his 2022-2023 state budget proposal in a news conference on Monday, January 10th.

AbilityPath has fantastic board members, bringing with them their own areas of expertise.  We strive to ensure our board members can amplify the voices of the communities we serve and that they are experts in subjects that are relevant to our mission.  We are fortunate to have these excellent advisors further our organization’s work!

As CEO of AbilityPath, I want to add my voice to the calls of those seeking to prioritize COVID-19 vaccinations for people with developmental disabilities.

Governor Newsom shared his 2021-2022 state budget proposal in a news conference on Friday, January 8th.  The Governor stated his proposed budget was developed with a strong focus on the urgent needs of Californians, which includes wildfire preparation and addressing the fallout from COVID-19.

Dear AbilityPath Family,
The pace of changes we have had to adapt to this week has been unprecedented. I know how unsettling and disorienting this has been for all of us.

The thought of more than 150,000 Californians with developmental disabilities using their voice to vote on election day is incredibly powerful! 

Over the past several months, we have advocated for improved funding of the developmental disabilities system in the FY2019-20 California State Budget, seeking to stabilize the safety net of services that Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) rely on.

Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom released his revised budget for FY 2019-20. While the Governor’s budget included a modest increase to the developmental disabilities system, the funding is limited to only a few designated program areas and it provides virtually no funding relief for most service providers.

It’s been more than a decade since the Great Recession significantly impacted the funding for California’s developmental disability system. Since 2008 the cumulative budget cuts and inflationary impact to service providers has created a net shortfall of nearly $1.1 billion.

Gatepath held its 11th Annual Power of Possibilities on March 21, 2019.

It was a privilege to participate recently in Thrive’s strategic retreat, where we explored new ways to achieve the organization’s mission of supporting and promoting a nonprofit sector that’s a major contributor to the economic and social health of San Mateo County.

Nonprofits face the ongoing challenge of figuring out how best to adapt to ever-changing economic, technological, social, and political environments. As one way to survive in times of limited funding and excessive risk aversion, nonprofit leaders often adopt a scarcity mindset that leads to extreme cost reduction.

It was a privilege to be welcomed as a new member of the Rotary Club of Burlingame. 

We are extremely proud of Carolina Balladares, our Watch Me Grow and Family Resource Center manager, for receiving the Spotlight on Excellence Award from First 5 San Mateo County.

Insights from Gatepath were featured in a recent San Mateo Daily Journal article entitled “Nonprofits struggle with growing rents,” which brings to light one of the biggest challenges facing Bay Area based nonprofits – increasingly high operating costs.