Sacramento’s initial attempt to establish a dedicated children’s fund began in 2016, with Measure Y. Co-led by former City Council Member Jay Schenirer and the EBAYC Sacramento chapter, the measure would have increased the tax on cannabis cultivation from 4% to 5% and dedicated the revenue to children’s services. As the measure was a tax increase, it needed to receive a two-thirds majority, but it narrowly failed after receiving 65.8% support.

Soon thereafter, EBAYC and Youth Forward brought together multiple organizations and youth leaders to establish the Sac Kids First Coalition with the intent to run a grassroots youth-led campaign. Sac Kids First led this second attempt in 2020, Measure G, with continued support of former allies on the city council. The Sacramento Children’s Fund Act was a proposed initiative on the March 2020 ballot and it would have created a 2.5% general fund set-aside. Youth leaders collected thousands of signatures to place the measure on the ballot, but it faced organized opposition from city leaders and the mayor and it once again failed, receiving only 45% support from the voters.

After two tough campaign losses, Sac Kids First persevered and used the momentum from previous campaigns to continue building political influence in the city. While staying true to the campaign’s grassroots youth-led values, over time Sac Kids First strategically expanded its coalition to include new allies such as elected officials who were previously opposed, as well as labor unions, and business groups. In 2022, Sac Kids First made its third attempt to establish a children’s fund. For months, after the March 2020 campaign loss, advocates organized at city council meetings and were able to exert their political influence to get the city council to place Measure L on the November 2022 ballot, avoiding the need to collect more signatures. Measure L differed from the previous measures, creating a children’s fund from a set-aside equivalent to 40% of the city’s existing marijuana tax revenue, or around $10 million per year. This time Sac Kids First worked collaboratively with elected officials, including the sitting mayor, and the campaign faced little paid opposition. After a grassroots campaign that heavily engaged youth as lead advocates and volunteers, voters passed the measure with 62% support, creating the Sacramento Children’s Fund. The fund provides grant funding to programs that support youth development and violence prevention, particularly for youth who experience the greatest impacts of poverty, trauma, and violence.