The James Irvine Foundation and the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) have partnered to strengthen local nonprofit organizations and develop local leaders in an effort to ensure low-income workers in Salinas have the opportunity to advance economically. Ten Salinas-based organizations have been selected to take part in the 18-month project. Nine received $35,000 grants in December 2018 to start...
2019 Legacy Society Luncheon The Legacy Society honors those who have made the important decision to name the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) in their estate plans to benefit the nonprofit(s) of their choice. This year more than 175 Legacy Society members and friends gathered February 5, 2019 at the annual Legacy Society Luncheon to hear how their partnership with the...
Thanks to the generosity of local individuals, families and businesses, the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) announced that more than $1.43 million in scholarship awards is available for Monterey County students who aspire to attend college. The CFMC has increased its focus on scholarships, doubling the dollar amount of scholarships awarded from 2017 to 2018. In 2017, the CFMC...
By Dan Baldwin, Community Foundation for Monterey County President/CEO It appears a new era of services for the homeless in Monterey County is just around the corner. Approximately $10.5 million in state HEAP (Homeless Emergency Aid Program) funds have been approved for Monterey County. Many meetings have taken place to get public feedback, to hear from homeless services providers and...
By Cristina Medina Dirksen, Community Foundation for Monterey County Communications Coordinator Everyone has likely played the game Monopoly. The object is to acquire properties, collect mounting rents from players who land on your properties, thus building compounding wealth. By applying those rules to the concepts of inclusion and equity at a Center for Nonprofit Excellence workshop, panelist Ed Allen, Diversity...
$50,000 AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENT-LED GROUPS THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD GRANTS PROGRAM Information Sessions: January 30, 2019 (Salinas), January 31, 2019 (Greenfield) Application Deadline: by 5 p.m., February 15, 2019 The Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) has a total of $50,000 available to award to volunteer-led groups through the 2019 Neighborhood Grants Program. Community groups throughout Monterey County are encouraged to...
The Fund for Homeless Women (FHW) of the Community Foundation for Monterey County has topped $1 million in cumulative grantmaking. Since the fund began awarding grants in 2014, it has distributed 43 grants to 11 different nonprofit organizations totaling $1,149,110. The $230,000 awarded in 2018 to seven organizations in December 2018 helped the fund reach the grantmaking milestone. Fund organizers...
By Dan Baldwin, President & CEO, Community Foundation for Monterey County Chair, League of California Community Foundations Community foundations are fast becoming community leaders. Last month, I had the opportunity to lead a two-day retreat of the League of California Community Foundations attended by the CEOs and board chairs of community foundations from across California. As you can imagine, there is...
It’s been the craziest primary season anyone can remember. Candidates vying to become POTUS while a scrum continues over a nomination to SCOTUS. Angry. Disenfranchised. Establishment. We endure these words on a daily basis. It dominates the air waves, family discussions, book clubs, golf talk, water coolers, you name it. Generosity – the Common Denominator Somehow, philanthropy maintains its calming place in the eye of...
Legacy Giving The CFMC held its annual Legacy Society Luncheon on March 2. The Legacy Society is comprised of folks who have let us know they’ve included the CFMC in their estate plans, have established a charitable remainder trust or charitable gift annuity with the CFMC, have started an endowed fund, or made life gifts of $25,000 to any of...
Writing a blog in January begs the question of whether to look back or look forward. Maybe some of both. 2015 was another remarkable year for the CFMC. As the year progressed, we began to adopt a theme of “Giving Together,” a recognition that the assets and grants of the CFMC stem from a collection of funds and donors with...
By Susie Polnaszek, Program Officer, Center for Nonprofit Excellence of the Community Foundation for Monterey County Have you considered your social media voice – just how your organization portrays itself through its messaging? A workshop presented by the Center for Nonprofit Excellence of the Community Foundation for Monterey County explored this topic and helped participants from smaller nonprofits develop guidelines...
Monterey County Gives! brings together donors big and small to support local nonprofits and their Big Ideas. Monterey County Gives! Nov. 8 – Dec. 31, 2018 By Dan Baldwin, Community Foundation for Monterey County President/CEO and Steve John, Monterey Peninsula Foundation CEO Monterey County Gives! is here—nonprofits have submitted their applications highlighting their Big Idea for this year, website retooling is...
Giving Options There are many ways to integrate charitable giving into your financial planning in 2018. The Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) can help. You can give to causes you care about while gaining maximum tax benefit.” – Christine Dawson, Vice President of Philanthropic Services Each of these options offer tax advantages and can help you make a meaningful...
By Susie Polnaszek, Center for Nonprofit Excellence of the Community Foundation for Monterey County Volunteers can make a big difference in nonprofits reaching their mission. Independent Sector has even calculated an economic value for volunteer hours in California: $29.09 in 2017! Volunteer managers and coordinators from a range of local nonprofits recently discussed best practices and lessons learned for how...
(l to r) CFMC Board Chair, Ken Petersen, Distinguished Trustee Recipients Leon and Sylvia Panetta, CFMC President/CEO, Dan Baldwin Leon and Sylvia Panetta Honored for Philanthropic Leadership Secretary Leon Panetta and Sylvia Panetta have made an incredible impact on the Central Coast. Their accomplishments were celebrated Wednesday, October 24, 2018 by the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC). 2018 Distinguished...
By Daniel R. Baldwin, President/CEO Community Foundation for Monterey County For the past several months, Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) have been the subject of considerable negative press. And by association community foundations have been drawn into the discussion. Questions about DAFs have been raised in some quarters for many years, especially since financial services providers such as Fidelity and Schwab...
Siembra Latinos Fund More than 100 supporters of the Siembra Latinos Fund (SLF) of the Community Foundation for Monterey County gathered at the Taylor Farms Building in Salinas, CA Thursday, September 27, 2018 to launch the new Latino-focused philanthropic initiative. The SLF, created by a group of local Latino leaders to empower the Latino community, has set its sights on creating...
