2005 Donor Recognition event at Pasadera Country Club
We improve the quality of life in Monterey County by raising, managing, and distributing charitable funds to qualified organizations and by creating positive connections between donors and their interests.
Vision
The Community Foundation for Monterey County is:
• A model of civic leadership and caring to all donors and to the agencies and causes we support
• A living example of diversity, fairness, and inclusiveness
• A catalyst in encouraging charitable giving
• The recipient and partner of choice for anyone able to make significant charitable gifts
• An effective manager of a permanent and growing endowment
• A magnet for gifts of any size to support our established programs
• A leader in promoting practices that strengthen the governance and management of the agencies we serve
• Both wise and sensitive when allocating funds, with a focus on the underserved
History
The Community Foundation's history actually began with historic buildings and sites. Soon after it was created in 1945 as the "Monterey Foundation", it identified, raised money to purchase, and then turned over such important buildings as Casa Gutierrez, Casa Abrego, and the Fremont Adobe to historic preservation groups. The community's attention then turned to preservation of open space, and the Foundation served as the catalyst for the dedication of a grove of cypress trees near Cypress Point as a memorial to S.F.B. Morse, the purchase of the Indian Village and Navajo tracts in the Del Monte Forest, saving the garden next to the First Theater in Monterey, and buying the top piece of Jacks Peak Park overlooking Monterey.
In 1981, thanks to the first of a 13-year series of grants from the Mewborn Trusts of the San Francisco Foundation, the Foundation hired its first full-time staff and turned toward the job of endowment building. The Foundation became the Community Foundation for Monterey County in 1984. Since then it has awarded at least 50% of its grants to agencies serving the Salinas Valley or all of Monterey County.
The Foundation also offers a countywide Neighborhood Grants Program that helps community-based organizations improve their neighborhoods. Since 1997, the Foundation has offered a comprehensive Management Assistance Program, including affordable workshops, library resources, and consultant referrals for agencies seeking to strengthen their management
As the steward of more than 250 funds and total assets of over $100 million by the end of 2005, the Community Foundation is now the largest grantmaking foundation on the Central Coast.
The Community Foundation's history actually began with historic buildings and sites. Soon after it was created in 1945 as the "Monterey Foundation", it identified, raised money to purchase, and then turned over such important buildings as Casa Gutierrez, Casa Abrego, and the Fremont Adobe to historic preservation groups. The community's attention then turned to preservation of open space, and the Foundation served as the catalyst for the dedication of a grove of cypress trees near Cypress Point as a memorial to S.F.B. Morse, the purchase of the Indian Village and Navajo tracts in the Del Monte Forest, saving the garden next to the First Theater in Monterey, and buying the top piece of Jacks Peak Park overlooking Monterey.
In 1981, thanks to the first of a 13-year series of grants from the Mewborn Trusts of the San Francisco Foundation, the Foundation hired its first full-time staff and turned toward the job of endowment building. The Foundation became the Community Foundation for Monterey County in 1984. Since then it has awarded at least 50% of its grants to agencies serving the Salinas Valley or all of Monterey County.
The Foundation also offers a countywide Neighborhood Grants Program that helps community-based organizations improve their neighborhoods. Since 1997, the Foundation has offered a comprehensive Management Assistance Program, including affordable workshops, library resources, and consultant referrals for agencies seeking to strengthen their management
As the steward of more than 250 funds and total assets of over $100 million by the end of 2005, the Community Foundation is now the largest grantmaking foundation on the Central Coast.
