Golden State Opportunity Fellows Spearhead Outreach

Each year, Golden State Opportunity offers a fellowship program with the goal of introducing fellows to organizing and advocacy work through hands-on experiences. GSO’s Organizing Fellowship is an opportunity for aspiring leaders in nonprofit, anti-poverty, or advocacy work to gain critical skills.

This year, eight fellows joined GSO for the fellowship. Their tireless efforts this tax season have made a significant difference in their communities. They’ve recruited and trained volunteers in their own regions and utilized GSO’s peer-to-peer texting platform to spread the word about tax credits and free tax filing opportunities to millions across the state, positively impacting countless lives.

Fellows this year have been so engaged they developed TikTok reels to further promote the power of cash back tax credits and helped with gathering testimonial videos at GSO’s Tacos and Taxes events.

“It’s important to do this outreach because so many people don’t know about these benefits. I didn’t even know about them,” said GSO Fellow Donna Nino. “Growing up, I always lived in lower-income communities, so now I like to put myself in the shoes of the people we’re reaching out to. I wish someone had let me and my family know about this.”

For Fellows Lead Emily Blocher, who started two years as a Fellow in the program and has gradually assumed more of a leadership role, the fellowship has been transformative. It has not only honed her skills as an organizer but also fostered her personal growth, instilling in her a sense of purpose and commitment.

“It’s so important to have hands-on experience in things like this when you’re interested in organizing as a career,” she said. “Learning in school is important, but mostly, it is about how to do work in theory. I’ve had the opportunity to see my actions have an impact and to learn in real time.”

Learn more about the GSO Organizing Fellowship.