Advocacy in Action: October 2025 Update
Welcome to the monthly roundup of how the Business For Good Advocacy Committee is making a difference in our community.
First up, here are the local policies affecting San Diego that our committee is addressing.
Flagship Campaign* Win: San Diego City Minimum Wage Increase for Hospitality Workers Has Passed Unanimously!
Read all the updates about what the ordinance means and why we supported this as business owners in our September issue of Advocacy in Action.
The Outcome
- On September 16, 2025, eight BFG members delivered in-person public comments and many other BFG members submitted e-comments in support of raising the minimum wage for hospitality workers.
- After hearing from more than 90 speakers in a highly debated meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to pass the ordinance!
What’s next
Business For Good will continue monitoring the City’s ordinance to ensure the first phase of the wage increase takes effect in July 2026, with incremental increases each year until it reaches $25 by 2030.
Making Headlines For Good
BFG was quoted in several news articles about the minimum wage increase ordinance. Here are a few:
- Voice of San Diego: Politics Report: Minimum Wage Dealmaking
“A smaller group of businesses called Business for Good released a statement supporting the ordinance. ‘The cost of living in San Diego has become unsustainable, and working people are desperate for relief,’ said Mikey Knab, co-founder of the networking group.”
- Times of San Diego: Union leaders, workers, business owners rally for $25 hospitality minimum wage
“What’s good for workers is good for business,” [Emily Renda, BFG board chair & small business owner] said at the briefing. “At Business for Good, we reject this outdated thinking because we’ve seen the evidence in our own companies. When workers earn living wages, they become better employees, more stable, more motivated, with lower turnover. That means better service for customers and lower hiring costs for employers.”
“Business for Good Board Chair Emily Renda says she lives in an area with many hospitality workers forced to make tough decisions as the cost of living in San Diego surges.
‘So my neighbors are either forcing to make choices either buying groceries, or buying medication or you know affording rent or having to live in their car,’ said Emily Renda, Business for Good Board chair and local business owner.”
“Mikey Knab, co-founder of Business For Good, a nonprofit business collective advocating for pro-worker business policies, said he backed the proposal wholeheartedly.
‘We know from experience that higher wages strengthen local businesses and neighborhoods,’ he said. ‘A $25 tourism wage keeps money circulating in San Diego and builds shared prosperity for everyone.’”
*The main campaign our Advocacy Committee is using our voice to support this year
Issue: Supporting Immigrants, Refugees, and New Americans
What it means
The current federal administration is implementing policies that target and negatively affect immigrants, refugees, new Americans, and undocumented people.
Why we support this
We believe America thrives when our communities are diverse. As purpose-driven business owners, we understand that staying silent isn’t an option when our community’s values are under attack. Check out this blog article for more info on the BFG perspective.
How we stepped up
- BFG Advocacy Co-Chair, Erica Castllo, formally submitted Letters of Support and public comments on behalf of BFG for the following initiatives:
- City of Oceanside’s Community Trust Resolution – Protects immigrant families and affirms the city’s commitment to community safety and trust. (passed)
- County of San Diego’s Proposal to expand the Immigrant Legal Defense Program to include legal representation for unaccompanied minors. (passed)
What’s next
- The Advocacy Committee will co-host a Know Your Rights training in collaboration with the County’s Office of Labor Standards & Enforcement Department (OLSE) for BFG members.
- We continue to work with San Diego County staff, coalition advocates, legal experts, and community organizations to ensure BFG and values-driven small business owners have a voice in shaping immigrant rights policies across the Greater San Diego region.
Immigrants’ Rights Resources
- Employer guides: Helps employers get prepared to assert their constitutional rights and ensure safe working environments for their workers and customers in the case of an ICE raid:
- Guide for Employers from the National Immigration Law Center (NILC)
- Employer Guide from the National Employment Law Project (NELP) and NILC.
- ReadyNow! – a free and secure mobile app from Human Rights First’s Innovation Lab
- One-click emergency alerts via SMS to pre-selected contacts
- Personalized emergency plans for childcare, medical needs, legal support, and more
- Option to share key information with National Immigration Legal Response Alliance (NILRA) if faced with arrest, a national network of pro bono immigration attorneys
- Currently available in six languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Haitian Kreyol, and French
- Check out the Protect & Progress toolkit (see sample here)
- 🖨️ Download print-ready materials for your storefront or print them out and give them to businesses in your neighborhood
- 📱 Grab pre-sized images for your social media and website
- 👕 Support the cause with Protect & Progress apparel from BFG member Fervor & Zeal (50% of profits support coalition organizations)
Partnering with Purpose
Other organizations making a positive difference for immigrants’ rights in San Diego
- ACLU San Diego + Imperial Counties
- San Diego Immigrants’ Rights Consortium
- CHIRLA (The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights)
- California Immigrant Policy Center
Issue: Climate Action
What it means
Addressing the climate crisis through sustainable policies and practices that reduce pollution, protect natural resources, and support healthier communities.
Why we support this
As business owners, we recognize that a thriving economy depends on a thriving environment. Reducing harmful pollutants like plastic foam helps protect public health, safeguard ecosystems, and create more sustainable supply chains. Supporting climate-forward legislation is both a responsibility and an opportunity to build a healthier, more resilient future.
How we stepped up
- BFG member, Erika Rodriguez, founded and co-chaired the first-ever San Diego Climate Week, October 1-8, 2025!
- As a result of Erika’s work, the City of San Diego officially proclaimed October 1–8, 2025 as the inaugural San Diego Climate Week, recognizing the crucial climate action and community-building efforts happening across the region. The City Council passed this proclamation to highlight bringing together citizens, governments, and nonprofits to share environmental solutions and foster a sustainable future.
- BFG partnered with HandsOn San Diego and San Diego Canyonlands to volunteer as part of San Diego Climate Week.
- BFG Board Member and CEO & Founder of Hey Social Good, Cindy Lin, founded the San Diego Environmental Film Festival, now in its 4th year! Tickets for the event –October 24-25, 25 – are now on sale.
What’s next
- BFG Advocacy Committee members weighed in on the top three climate action policies we will focus on in 2026, and will decide which local/state climate action policies to champion by the end of the year. Join our next meeting for more details and to share your input.
Next, we’re sharing the federal policies affecting San Diego that our committee is addressing.
Issue: Addressing the Impact of Federal Funding Cuts on San Diego
What it means
San Diego faces threats from deep funding cuts due to the passage of H.R. 1, or the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”– a federal law that hands massive tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations while slashing the critical services thousands of our residents rely on.
Why we support this
These federal cuts will directly affect small business owners, workers, our neighbors, children, families, and seniors who rely on critical services. An estimated $300 million in federal reductions to essential San Diego County programs will impact Medicaid, SNAP, housing, Medi-Cal, and other vital services.
Our action steps
- We submitted a Letter of Support and public comment to the County to express our strong support for the County’s proposal to establish an “Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Sustainable Fiscal Planning” and the Board Letter to Unlock County Reserves, both brought forward by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe. In the letter, we emphasized that:
- The Sustainable Fiscal Planning Subcommittee offers a proactive, community-centered approach to:
- Safeguard essential services
- Explore equitable, sustainable local financing solutions
- Protect vulnerable residents from preventable harm
- Maintain the County’s strong financial standing and long-term investments
- The Sustainable Fiscal Planning Subcommittee offers a proactive, community-centered approach to:
How we stepped up
- Several Advocacy Committee members formally submitted a Letter of Support on behalf of BFG to support the formation of the San Diego County Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Sustainable Fiscal Planning introduced by Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Monica Montgomery-Steppe, to develop a robust fiscal strategy in response to federal cuts to essential programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, housing, and Medi-Cal.
- In the letter, we emphasized that the Sustainable Fiscal Planning Subcommittee offers a proactive, community-centered approach to:
- Safeguard essential services
- Explore equitable, sustainable local financing solutions
- Protect vulnerable residents from preventable harm
- Maintain the County’s strong financial standing and long-term investments
- In the letter, we emphasized that the Sustainable Fiscal Planning Subcommittee offers a proactive, community-centered approach to:
What’s next
- We will continue to monitor the County’s upcoming discussions and proposals within the Ad Hoc Subcommittee to ensure ALL San Diegans in the County will continue to have access to essential services despite the $300 million in federal funding cuts due to the BBB.
Take Action
Ways you can get involved with advocacy efforts this month
Events and Meetings
October 1-8, 2025 | Click on the link above to pick an event (open to the public)
4th Annual San Diego Environmental Film Festival
October 24-25, 2025 | Buy your tickets here (open to the public)
Advocacy Committee Meeting Calendar
November 12, 2025 | 5 – 6:30 PM | Register to attend here (open to members only)
#Advocacy Slack Channel
Members can follow our channel to get the latest news about what we’re up to!
Want to learn more? Reach out to Advocacy Committee Co-Chair, Erica Castillo.
