“Art Washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Pablo Picasso
In 2005, the Shasta Regional Community Foundation was presented with an opportunity. The James Irvine Foundation offered them the chance to re-grant $150,000 to the arts in their region. The Board and staff of the foundation decided this was an opportunity to bring a focused approach to grants for the arts and to provide funding at a time when arts funding from the state was being reduced dramatically. read more
Seniors in rural areas face unique challenges. In Tahoe Truckee, long months of snow and cold pose significant challenges ranging from the risk of slipping on ice to the difficulties of affording adequate heat. Many low-income seniors are homebound and during the long, long winter they may not see anyone except the volunteer who delivers Meals on Wheels.
When TTCF heard about proposed cuts to the Meals on Wheels program (less delivery days, fewer clients, packaged meals,) staff quickly convened a group of community “power players,” including elected officials, donors, service club presidents etc. After walking the 35 people present through cuts that the program was proposing, the meeting quickly transitioned to problem solving.
read more
With a grant to the National Resources Defense Council in June, Silicon Valley Community Foundation reached a significant milestone of awarding $1 billion in grants since their creation in 2007. The Foundation manages more than $2 billion in assets. See the Mercury News article for more information.
“How do we increase charitable giving in our region to ensure the health of community nonprofits into the future so they can continue to do their vital work?”
This question is at the heart of the Greater Sacramento Generosity Project’s mission to understand and nurture philanthropy in the region. The first step of the project has been to quantify giving in the region as compared to national standards, and to understand local motivations for giving – or not. This quantitative research effort, commissioned by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation and the Nonprofit Resource Center, revealed that Sacramento regional residents as a whole, are less likely to give and donate fewer dollars than the national average. The most striking negative variance in total giving was found among households with more than $200,000 in annual income as compared to their national counterparts.
If successful, the Generosity Project could provide a catalyst that will mark a historic expansion in the base of regional residents who clearly recognize charitable giving as fulfilling an essential and personal responsibility to their community’s well-being.
A multi-year community outreach campaign will begin this fall. See the Press Release and Fact Sheet. Download the full report at http://www.sacregcf.org.
California Community Foundation recently launched a search for Unsung Heroes – individuals impacting lives and communities through their selfless and notable acts of charity. Unsung Heroes are individuals who are remarkable and effective contributors to charities or charitable causes and/or exceptional humanitarians who employ leadership and vision in their philanthropy. They must be residents of L.A. County, but their impact can extend to lives and communities beyond.
See the Press Release and Nomination Form, and learn more at www.calfund.org.
