Community Foundation Celebrates 20 Years with 20 Stories
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN NEVADA CELEBRATES 20 YEARS, 20 STORIES AND HELPING DISTRIBUTE OVER $109 MILLION TO THE COMMUNITYRENO, Nev. [Feb. 12, 2018] – The Community Foundation of Western Nevada is celebrating their 20th anniversary of business by highlighting 20 impactful stories from over the years and helping distribute over $109 million in scholarships and grants to the local community.
Founding Board Chair, Jim Webster, tells the story about the beginning of the Community Foundation of Western Nevada. In the early 1990s, two different charitable trusts totaling $25 million were to be given to a “Reno Community Foundation.” At that time the region did not have a community foundation, so the trusts were distributed to community foundations in other cities in southern California and Nebraska where the donors had connections. Losing this potential charitable resource for our region made its potential value clear to the small group of business people and community advocates working to establish the Community Foundation of Western Nevada.
The Community Foundation serves as a community leader, permanent charitable resource, and a philanthropic advisor in charitable giving by connecting people who care with causes that matter.
The Community Foundation of Western Nevada will be sharing a new story each day for 20 days beginning on February 3 and leading to the anniversary on Feb. 23, 2018. Visit @NevadaFund on Facebook to follow their stories or visit www.NevadaFund.org for more information about investing in the community.
Highlights:1998 – Approved as a Nevada Public nonprofit by IRS, and first fund established2002 - Phil and Jennifer Satre Establish Scholarship that Generates Impressive Returns
When the Satres invested nearly 1 million dollars with the Community Foundation in 2002 to create a scholarship for the children of Harrah’s employees, they made a prudent investment in the future. The selected students were frequently from families facing difficult struggles, often immigrants or children of immigrants, all intelligent and excellent students. From the initial investment the Phil and Jennifer Satre Scholarship Fund has granted a total $893,000 in scholarship support to 92 students.
2004 – Celebrate Diversity Endowment
Celebrate Diversity Endowment began collaborative work with other funds and the Washoe County School District to address school bullying. What began as an anti-bullying curriculum in all Washoe County 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classrooms expanded to funding the State mandated Child Assault Prevention Program. In 2014, Lilli Trinchero, founder of the Celebrate Diversity Fund, brought in a consulting firm to perform a school district climate audit. This audit, paired with the evidence-based suggestions, helped the school district earn a $4 million federal grant to nurture more peaceful and safer schools.
2007 – Partnership Grants
The first Community Foundation annual discretionary grant program for regional nonprofits working in all charitable areas, (arts & culture, civic, environment, health, human service, recreation and education in large and small communities throughout the region). In just 10 years, Partnership Grants have given $1.9 million to nonprofits touching our community in a meaningful way.
2014 – Youth Network Initiative
By convening homeless young people, nonprofits and services that help youth with interested funder, and community leaders this initiative established the need for a drop-in center for homeless youth, runaway youth, and youth aging out of foster care. The Community Foundation brought together funders to help start the Eddy House and created RenoYouthNetwork.com, a go-to directory of local youth services and outreach.
2017 – Caregiver Support Initiative
A collaboration with the University of Nevada, Reno’s Sanford Center for Aging, and the Savitt Medial Library helped develop www.WashoeCaregivers.org - a comprehensive directory of needed senior services, documents, information, and support for family caregivers. Also published an original and local Washoe Caregivers Guidebook to the Basics of Beginning Care in English and in Spanish. Guidebooks are distributed to family caregivers as part of patient discharge plan by Renown Health and are available free at health and community centers throughout Washoe County.
2017 – Housing Availability is a Primary Concern
Key challenges of increasing rents and home prices compounded by an insufficient supply of diverse housing has led to a shortage of the “missing middle” housing, dwellings such as attached houses, townhomes, and multiplex apartment complexes. In April 2017, working with Truckee Meadows Healthy Communities the Community Foundation hosted a community conversation and panel discussion about ideas to increase workforce house in our region. Panel participants, experts from Denver, Portland, the California Bay Area, a local developer, and the Executive Director of Wells Fargo Housing Foundation offered ideas about housing efforts that worked and some that did not in their communities. Mayor Schieve addressed audience concerns and questions. Community Foundation impact investing in affordable housing began 3rd quarter 2017 with a $500,000 investment in the local CDFI, financing Hillside Meadows, 44 units of affordable family housing near Virginia Lake in central Reno.
2018 – $109 million has been distributed in grants and scholarships
$109 million has been distributed in grants and scholarships by more than 239 separate charitable funds that benefit Nevada and beyond. Families, businesses, nonprofits, government organizations, and schools created these funds to achieve varied charitable goals that strengthen our communities.
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About Community Foundation: The Community Foundation of Western Nevada was established as a Nevada public nonprofit in 1998 and has distributed more than $109 million in grants and scholarships from more than 200 charitable funds. The Community Foundation serves as a community leader, permanent charitable resource, and a philanthropic advisor in charitable giving by connecting people who care with causes that matter.
Media Contact:Margaret Stewart, Communications Directormstewart@nevadafund.org775-333-5499