California Community Foundation
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| Headquarters | Los Angeles, CA |
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| Staff | Antonia Hernandez President & CEO Reveta Bowers Jane B. Eisner |
| Area served | Los Angeles County Worldwide |
| Method | Donations and Grants |
| Endowment | US$800 Million (2009) |
| Website | www.calfund.org |
Founded in 1915, the California Community Foundation (CCF) is one of the leading philanthropic organizations in Los Angeles County, managing nearly $1 billion in assets. Each year, the organization grants nearly $100 million to community organizations and non-profits around the globe.
It is also the largest scholarship fund manager in Los Angeles County, awarding more than $3.7 million in scholarships to 1,700 students and is a national leader for expanding services for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
CCF is a 501(c)(3) public charity organization.
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[edit] Mission and Philanthropic Empowerment
CCF’s mission is to strengthen Los Angeles communities through effective philanthropy and civic engagement. Its donor advised and priority fund giving alternatives are designed to inspire and enable philanthropic giving in LA.
It allows individuals, families and corporations to establish a donor advised funds with tax advantages and administrative benefits. In addition to offering fund and administrative services, each donor's funds are pooled for investment management purposes to minimize costs and achieve a greater return, making it possible for a smaller individual fund to enjoy the same economies of scale as a large independent foundation. CCF provides a range of philanthropic solutions, including donor-advised fund management, cause identification, non-profit research and grantmaking support, scholarship management and local civic engagement opportunities. Primary products include donor-advised funds, endowment funds, restricted endowments, field of interest funds, scholarship funds and supporting organization funds.
As a general rule, CCF allows donors to gift any type of asset, as long it is marketable and is not encumbered by an unusual liability. Most often, funds are started through gifts of cash, real estate or closely held stock but other gifts may include artwork, intellectual property and other personal assets.
[edit] History
1915 - CCF is established as a charitable giving option within the trust department of Security Pacific Bank. For the next 65 years, the foundation, which was affectionately known as the “typewriter foundation,” stayed relatively small, making small grants mostly for equipment and capital.
1980 - The foundation reaches $20 million in assets.
1986 – When the AIDS epidemic begins ravaging the Los Angeles community, CCF and donors take the lead in addressing prevention, treatment and social services, funding vital programs that are deemed “too controversial” by government agencies.
1997 – Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, names CCF one of the 10 best-managed nonprofits in the U.S.
2000 – CCF grows to $530 million in assets. Fueled by a strong stock market and escalating Southern California real estate, donors and their advisors increasingly used the foundation as a primary philanthropic vehicle. Reflecting this growth, grants also grew during this time, and the foundation built a reputation for philanthropic entrepreneurship and risk-taking.
2004 - Antonia Hernández joined the California Community Foundation as President & CEO.
2006 – In October, the foundation announces a $200 million bequest from the late philanthropist Joan Palevsky, a former wife of Max Palevsky. Her unrestricted gift is CCF’s largest to date, boosting its assets to more than $1 billion and doubling its community grantmaking to about $20 million annually.
2008 – The foundation has $1 billion in assets, managing 1,500 unique charitable funds.
[edit] CCF Priorities Funds
CCF’s mission of strengthening community is further supported by direct grants to community organizations in Los Angeles County. The foundation’s board of directors identifies and supports a range of local charities through an endowment fund called the CCF Priorities Fund. Grants are focused on helping low-income populations and strengthening the LA community in five key areas.
Arts initiatives aim to increase participation in the arts among low-income, diverse, ethnic individuals and communities and strenghten individual artists and small-to-midsize arts and cultural organizations, particularly those located in low-income and underserved communities.
Education projects focus on improving school readiness and K-5 student performances in reading and math and support partnerships among schools, districts, teachers and parents that demonstrate a commitment to this goal.
Health Care programs seek to improve access to regular, sustainable and affordable sources of quality health care for low-income adults and children, with a focus on community clinics and uninsured individuals.
Human development programs aim to increase self-sufficiency among aging adults and youth coming out of the foster care system.
Neighborhood revitalization initiatives concentrate on increasing access to affordable housing, and efforts that emphasize multiservice, geographically-focused approaches to improve conditions in underserved neighborhoods.
[edit] External links
- California Community Foundation. Official site.
- CCF President Antonia Hernandez Interview with the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy
[edit] References
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