Welcome to SSMC's Advocacy Resources Page!

Here at Sustainable San Mateo County, we believe in the power of advocacy to drive positive change in our communities. Whether you’re passionate about environmental sustainability, social justice or civic engagement, this page is your gateway to making a difference.

On this page, you’ll find:

  • Our previous webinars with former councilmembers, mayors and current advocates discussing with youth and adults how to have your voice heard by local government.
  • A curated list of organizations dedicated to various causes, providing you with opportunities to get involved, volunteer, or lend your support. From grassroots movements to established nonprofits, these organizations are at the forefront of creating meaningful change.
  • Information on local city governments, including contact details and resources, empowering you to engage directly with decision-makers and advocate for policies that align with your values.

Click here for “SSMC’s 60-Second Climate Champion Advocacy Template” to create a clear, persuasive public comment for a City Council or Commission meeting (in English and Spanish.)

Click here for Key Lessons from SSMC’s Advisory Series.

Click here to learn about SSMC’s Youth Advisory Council, for youth ages 15 – 24 to collaborate on environmental and social sustainability solutions and amplify youth voices in local decision-making.

Browse through our resources, discover new ways to make an impact and join us in building a brighter future for all. Together, we can amplify our voices and drive the change we wish to see in the world.

2026 emPOWERing the Peninsula Advocacy Training (in English)

emPOWERing the Peninsula: Serie gratuita de capacitación en incidencia comunitaria (en Español)

2026 emPOWERing the Peninsula Advocacy Training: Workshop (in English)

2025 Youth for Climate Policy Training

2024 Youth for Climate Policy Training

The links below will take you to each city’s Council Member page where you will find contact information to call or email one or all councilmembers. You can also find information about city council meetings and the council’s priorities.

San Mateo County Board of Supervisors

Atherton

Belmont

Brisbane

Burlingame

Colma

Daly City

East Palo Alto

Foster City

Half Moon Bay

Hillsborough

Menlo Park

Millbrae

Pacifica

Portola Valley

Redwood City

San Bruno

San Carlos

San Mateo

South San Francisco

Woodside

Eliminating Racism

We have taken the Nonprofit Racial Equity Pledge. As members of this community and as nonprofit leaders, we both recognize these inequities and commit to action for racial justice. We pledge to take anti-racist stances in our community, and to incorporate core values of racial equity, inclusion, and diversity in our organizations. Read the full pledge here.

Also, in 2020 SSMC affirmed its support for working with communities of color and helping to eliminate racism with this Racial Equality Proclamation:

We believe:

• Racism is deeply embedded in American society
• Racism is systemic, has many facets and is difficult to end

We commit to:

• Working collaboratively with communities of color on promoting racial equality
• Actively recruiting a diversity of people for the Board
• Utilizing ways to measure racism and tracking progress on achieving racial equity with our Indicators Reports
• Working toward finding solutions that eliminate racism

Phasing Out Fossil Fuels from Building Construction

Since 2019, SSMC has worked with more than 30 organizations as part of the Campaign for Fossil Free Buildings in Silicon Valley, supporting cities that adopt building codes to phase out natural gas (a fossil fuel) from homes and buildings in order to decrease carbon emissions and promote electric vehicle infrastructure.

Supporting Equal Access to Public Transportation

In 2019, SSMC joined with dozens of other nonprofits in supporting the values of the Transportation Equity Allied Transportation Coalition (TEAMC), which advocates for equity in transportation systems.