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Press release from the Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission:

Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2026 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Chris Rogers. 

Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission is one of more than one hundred nonprofits that will be honored by their state senators and assemblymembers for their outstanding contributions to the communities they serve. 

The Humboldt Del Norte Film Commission (HDNFC), operating as Redwood Region Entertainment and Education Liaisons, Inc., serves as the official film commission for Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. Our mission is to bring film and television production to California’s Redwood Coast while creating opportunity through education, workforce development, and film tourism. We support productions from scouting to wrap, promote local businesses and locations, and produce programs like the Redwood Coast Museum of Cinema and the Forest Moon Festival. Our work has helped bring major productions to the region, including the Academy Award winning One Battle After Another, driving economic impact, supporting local jobs, and strengthening quality of life by connecting our communities to the global film industry.

“We are deeply honored to be recognized by Assemblymember Rogers as a 2026 Nonprofit of the Year,” said Cassandra Hesseltine, Executive Director and Film Commissioner. “This recognition reflects the growing role regions like ours play in California’s film economy. Film is not just an industry, it is a driver of jobs, small business growth, and long-term cultural tourism. Through our work locally and our leadership within Film Liaisons in California Statewide, where I will serve as incoming President, we are committed to ensuring rural communities are part of the future of this industry and to supporting programs like the California Film and Television Tax Credit that help keep production and jobs in our state.”

“We are grateful for the work of Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission and want to extend our congratulations for this well deserved recognition,” said Geoff Green, CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits) which sponsors the initiative. “Nonprofits are among our country’s most trusted organizations and an integral part of civil society. There’s likely never been a more important time to lift up the contributions nonprofits make within the communities they serve.”

Nonprofits are well known for being problem-solvers, innovators, helpers, and advocates, but they are also a major economic force. According to “Causes Count 3.0,” a new report soon to be released by CalNonprofits, the nonprofit sector is now the 3rd largest employer in the state, with approximately 1.5 million Californians working for nonprofit organizations. Collectively our state’s 110,000 501c3 public charities generate more than $430 billion in revenue each year.

Now in its eleventh year, the California Nonprofit of the Year initiative provides the opportunity for each California state legislator to recognize a nonprofit organization doing outstanding work in their district. The program culminates with a celebratory luncheon at the Capitol on California Nonprofits Day, which this year is May 20. 

The program is sponsored by the CalNonprofits in partnership with the state Senate and Assembly Select Committees on the Nonprofit Sector. CalNonprofits, the leading policy voice for California’s nonprofit sector, focuses on advocacy, education, and research to build a more powerful and politically engaged nonprofit network across the state.