In this Must Know…
- CAMEO in the News: Carolina Martinez was interviewed by The Bakersfield Californian and Telemundo 48 Área de la Bahía about the holiday shopping season.
- 2025 Holiday Gift Guide Roundup
- Join CAMEO Network’s 2025 Annual Virtual Member Meeting on December 11, 2025 at 1:00pm PT / 4:00pm ET.
- This week’s Goodie Highlight is ICA Fund’s virtual workshop “Holiday Marketing Hot Tips: Turning Seasonal Momentum into Q1 Success” on December 17, 2025 at 4:00pm PT / 7:00pm ET.
CAMEO in the News: Holiday Shopping Season
The holidays are vital for our main street businesses and retailers. We hope many of you visited and supported some of your favorite local small businesses this past weekend, because they’re counting on us for a big holiday season!
CAMEO Network CEO, Carolina Martinez, had the chance to speak last week with The Bakersfield Californian and Telemundo 48 Área de la Bahía about the holiday shopping season, encouraging consumers to shop small and local.
This year’s holiday shopping season is especially important for small businesses as they navigate challenges related to job losses, tariffs, economic uncertainty, and rising healthcare costs. Please share on social media and spread the word!
2025 Holiday Gift Guide Roundup
To help those small businesses navigate the challenges mentioned, shop small and encourage your friends and family to do the same!
If you need some gifting inspiration, check out our 2025 Holiday Gift Guide Roundup – filled with our members’ lovingly curated gift guides, holiday markets, and festive community happenings. And submit your organization’s guides and events!
The Goodies
Funding Opportunities
- The Jerry Greenfield National Grassroots Organizing Program offers grants to small grassroots organizations. Applications are accepted until the end of December.
- The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving social and environmental problems using scalable approaches. Applications are accepted year-round.
For Your Clients
- ICA Fund is hosting the virtual workshop “Holiday Marketing Hot Tips: Turning Seasonal Momentum into Q1 Success” on December 17, 2025 at 4:00pm PT / 7:00pm ET.
- Reimagine Main Street has a prototype AI-powered Tax Credit Chatbot, designed to help small businesses save money by claiming federal tax credits. Encourage your clients to test it!
Other Goodies
- New Research: The Aspen Institute recently published a Q&A brief on “Integrating a Job Quality Practice in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).”
- Jobs: Pacific Community Ventures, The Center for Community Wealth, National Consumer Law Center, and Greenlining announced new jobs recently. See who else is hiring!