Inland Empire Community Foundation

STRENGTHENING THE INLAND EMPIRE THROUGH PHILANTHROPY.

GENERAL GRANTMAKINGTHROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF OUR DONORS, IN 2021, INLAND EMPIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (IECF) INVESTED MORE THAN $19 MILLION IN GRANTS IN THE INLAND EMPIRE AND BEYOND. OVER $3 MILLION WERE FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND EDUCATION. FUNDS WERE AWARDED TO A BROAD SPECTRUM OF NONPROFITS IN OUR 27,000 SQUARE MILES, TWO-COUNTY REGION. IECF'S GRANTMAKING FALLS GENERALLY INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: ADVOCACY ($1,010,133)ARTS & CULTURE ($275,099)CHILDREN & FAMILIES ($1,229,483)CIVIC & ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT ($3,220,132) HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ($9,841,387) OTHER ($663,706)INCLUDED IN OUR GRANTMAKING ARE FUNDS PROVIDING SUPPORT TO PARTICULAR ISSUES OR PLACES. THESE INCLUDE FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDS ($762,530) WHICH ARE RESTRICTED TO A SPECIFIC PROGRAM AREA OR GEOGRAPHIC AREA. AS A SAMPLING, FUNDS ARE CURRENTLY HELPING WITH ADA COMPLIANCE, THE CITIES OF PERRIS AND IDYLLWILD, THE HIGH DESERT, VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE, SENIOR PET-OWNERS AND VET CARE, AND THE TREATMENT AND CARE OF LOW INCOME CHILDREN IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY. IECF IS PROUD TO OFFER DONORS A WAY TO INVEST LONG TERM IN THE ISSUES AND PLACES THEY CARE ABOUT, AND SEES ITS GEOGRAPHIC FUNDS AS CRUCIAL INVESTMENTS TO STRENGTHEN ALL PARTS OF THE INLAND EMPIRE. IN THE PAST, IECF HAS PROVIDED CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS THROUGH ITS ENDOWED COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND (CIF). IN MARCH 2020, ADOPTED A FOCUS ON RACIAL, GENDER, AND ECONOMIC EQUITY. THIS MEANS ENSURING OUR STAFF AND BOARD REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE AND THAT OUR GRANTMAKING BUILDS THE VOICE AND POWER OF OUR GRANTEES TO TRANSFORM THEIR COMMUNITIES. IT ALSO MEANS LISTENING TO AND INCORPORATING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE WHO DAILY STRUGGLE TO ACHIEVE SAFETY, HEALTH, AND PROSPERITY IN THE INLAND EMPIRE. IN DOING THIS WORK, IECF WILL RELY ON DATA THAT SHOWS WHERE DISPARITIES EXIST TO DRIVE OUR GRANTMAKING, PROGRAMS, AND PARTNERSHIPS. IECF IS WALKING THIS JOURNEY WITH ITS BOARD, STAFF, AND STAKEHOLDERS TO BETTER USE COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY TO CREATE A FAIRER INLAND EMPIRE. IECF STANDS FIRMLY AGAINST RACISM AND ALL FORMS OF OPPRESSION, PRIORITIZING EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND DIVERSITY IN OUR COMMUNITY WORK. IN SUPPORT OF THIS COMMITMENT, OUR 2021 CIF GRANTS WILL EXPLICITLY SUPPORT GROUPS IN THE IE TO CONTINUE ON AND WORK TOWARDS THESE VALUES AND PRACTICES.CIF GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO 40 NONPROFITS THAT HAVE: 1) MISSION, GOALS AND PROGRAMMING ADDRESS THE CRITICAL NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY RACIAL, GENDER AND ECONOMIC INEQUITY DUE TO THEIR RACE, INCOME LEVEL, GENDER, RELIGION, IMMIGRATION STATUS, DISABILITY, AGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR ZIP CODE;2) PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND CORE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THOSE SERVED;3) CLIENTS, CONSTITUENTS AND INDIVIDUALS MOST IMPACTED BY INEQUITIES ARE MEANINGFULLY ENGAGED AND INVOLVED IN DECISION MAKING TO INFORM THE ORGANIZATION'S STRATEGIES AND WORK;4) A COMMITMENT TO PRACTICING AND INSTITUTIONALIZING EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN GOVERNANCE, STAFFING, ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES AND COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS. THE COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANT OPPORTUNITY WAS ANNOUNCED IN LATE 2021 AND GRANTS AWARDED IN 2022.IECF HAS BEEN ADMINISTERING THE S.L. GIMBEL FOUNDATION FUND, WHOSE MISSION IS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN MEMORY OF SUSAN GIMBEL. PROGRAM INTEREST AREAS INCLUDE HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT, EDUCATION, AND HUMAN DIGNITY. IECF AWARDED $11,376,703 TO NONPROFITS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GIMBEL FOUNDATION TRUSTEES IN 2021.IN ADDITION TO THEIR GRANTMAKING PROGRAM, IN 2021, THE S.L. GIMBEL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP FUND AWARDED $ 549,062 IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS ARE FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE (UCR) CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN BERNARDINO (CSUSB), CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY DOMINGUEZ HILLS (CSUDH) AND CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH (CSULB) WHO HAVE UNMET NEED TO BE USED FOR TUITION, BOOKS, EDUCATION FEES, HOUSING AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES. LOW INCOME STUDENTS, UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE, ACCEPTED TO ATTEND THE COLLEGES ABOVE, AND CURRENT STUDENTS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, RELIGION, GENDER, SEXUAL PREFERENCE OR NATIONAL ORIGIN ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY. FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE-GOING STUDENTS, AND/OR TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROJECTSIN 2021, IECF WITH IE BLACK EQUITY INITIATIVE (BEI) AND IEFUNDERS ALLIANCE, RAISED FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE SEEDING, STRENGTHENING, AND SCALING OF BLACK-LED AND -EMPOWERING ORGANIZATIONS IN THE IE, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON BUILDING CAPACITY TO ENGAGE IN SYSTEMS CHANGE WORK.DURING THE PAST YEAR, BEI ACHIEVED SOME OF THE FOLLOWING SUCCESSES AND HIGH POINTS ALIGNED WITH THE OVERARCHING GOALS TO STRENGTHEN AND SCALE BLACK-LED AND EMPOWERING ORGANIZATIONS' SUSTAINABILITY: -RAISED NEARLY $3.4 MILLION, 70% OF FUNDRAISING GOAL OF $5 MILLION; -SUCCESSFULLY EMPLOYED A TRUST-BASED PHILANTHROPIC APPROACH TO ENGAGE A COHORT OF BLACK-LED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO DESIGN AND LAUNCH A GRANTMAKING PROGRAM; -BUILT A COMMUNITY OF LEARNING AND PRACTICE THROUGH THE INLAND EMPIRE FUNDER ALLIANCE MEMBERS AND EXTERNAL FUNDERS HELPING TO BREAK DOWN POWER DYNAMICS AND BUILD TRUE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN FUNDERS AND BLACK-LED ORGANIZATIONS; -$21,000 RE-GRANTED TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 6-MONTH PLANNING PROCESS TO DESIGN THE GRANT PROGRAM; -$740,000 RE-GRANTED TO 16 NONPROFITS IN THE FIRST ROUND OF GRANTS FROM THE IE BLACK EQUITY FUND RANGING FROM $15,000 TO $80,000. THESE GRANTS ARE FOR CAPACITY-BUILDING SUPPORT TO BLACK-LED ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO END SYSTEMIC RACISM AS WELL AS BUILDING ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL POWER FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY. THE INAUGURAL IE BLACK EQUITY FUND GRANTEES ARE: CURLS, COILS, CROWNS; YOUTH ACTION PROJECT; MAGDALENA'S DAUGHTERS; IE REBOUND; YOUTH MENTORING ACTION NETWORK; THE B.L.A.C.K. COLLECTIVE; IE BLACK WORKER CENTER; COMMUNITY NOW; THE EMPOWERMENT CENTER; NEHEMIAH CHARITABLE FUND; CEEM - COOPERATIVE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT MOVEMENT OF THE INLAND EMPIRE; DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY; STARTING OVER, INC.; CLAY COUNSELING; SIGMA BETA XI; AND VICTOR VALLEY FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER. INLAND ECONOMIC GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY INITIATIVE (IEGO)IN 2021, IECF CONTINUED HOSTING AND LEADING THE INLAND ECONOMIC GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY INITIATIVE, A BROOKINGS-LED PLANNING PROCESS THAT HAS TURNED INTO A FULL BLOWN REGIONAL NETWORK WORKING TO CREATE MORE HIGH QUALITY JOBS IN THE REGION. IN 2021, IECF HIRED IEGO'S FIRST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EXPANDED ITS NETWORK FROM 55 ORGANIZATIONS TO 70, AND BUILT A NEW MEDIA PRESENCE. IN AUTUMN 2022, IECF LED THE WRITING AND SUBMISSION OF A U.S. EDA BUILD BACK BETTER APPLICATION FOCUSED ON GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND LOGISTICS, WITH PROJECTS THAT INCLUDED THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABLE LOGISTICS AND UC RIVERSIDE OASIS PROJECT; THE BLACK AND BROWN COLLECTIVE; NEXT GENERATION WORKFORCE; ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MICROENTERPRISE. WHILE NOT AWARDED, THE PROCESS SET UP IEGO FOR OTHER APPLICATIONS INCLUDING THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY ECONOMIC RESILIENCE FUND. NEW FUNDING FROM THE KRESGE FOUNDATION IS HELPING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGE IN IEGO TO UNDERSTAND AND DEVELOP THEIR ROLE IN WORKFORCE. JUST SAN BERNARDINOTHE JUST SB COLLABORATIVE (JUST SB), IS A GROUP OF NINE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON DIFFERENT ISSUES IN SAN BERNARDINO FOR YEARS THAT HAS COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS AND STRATEGIZE ABOUT THE APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR SAN BERNARDINO. THIS RESULTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S PLAN FOR AN INCLUSIVE ECONOMY, LOCAL, GRASSROOTS-BASED SOLUTIONS FOCUSED ON JOB CREATION ACTIVITIES THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE AND COMMUNITY-OWNED AND THAT CREATE INNOVATIVE MODELS AND STRATEGIES FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SAN BERNARDINO. THE $2MILLION GRANT ENDED MARCH 31, 2022 AND THE PEOPLE'S PLAN WAS DISSEMINATED VIA A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION ON APRIL 30, 2022. MOVING FORWARD, THE IRVINE FOUNDATION AWARDED A $9.2 MILLION GRANT OVER 3 YEARS TO THE JUST SB COLLABORATIVE TO IMPLEMENT THE PEOPLE'S PLAN!YOUTH GRANTMAKERSTHE YOUTH GRANTMAKERS (YG) PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO EMPOWER YOUTH TO ADDRESS ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THEM BY PARTICIPATING IN GRANTMAKING. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, YOUNG PEOPLE BECOME ACTIVE AGENTS OF CHANGE, PREPARING THEM FOR RESPONSIVE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND PRACTICAL HANDS-ON SERVICE. MADE UP OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE TWO-COUNTY REGION, THERE ARE THREE YOUTH GRANTMAKERS GROUPS: RIVERSIDE, COACHELLA VALLEY, SAN BERNARDINO. A YG PROGRAM IN IDYLLWILD IS COMPOSED OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.DURING THE 2020-21 AND 21-22 ACADEMIC YEAR, YOUTH GRANTMAKERS ACROSS THE TWO-COUNTY REGION MET VIRTUALLY TO STRENGTHENED THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS AS THEY PARTICIPATED IN PHILANTHROPY, GIVING AWAY OVER $33,300 TO NONPROFITS THAT ARE WORKING ON ISSUES OF CONCERN TO STUDENTS IN INLAND EMPIRE HIGH SCHOOLS. STUDENTS LEARNED TO REVIEW A GRANT APPLICATION, RESPECTFULLY DEBATE THE MOST CRITICAL NEEDS WHILE LEARNING TO LISTEN TO OTHERS' PERSPECTIVES, AND PRIORITIZE THE MANY WORTHWHILE REQUESTS.

ARPPA AND POLICY & ENGAGEMENTRIVERSIDE COUNTY NONPROFIT ROUNDTABLE ONE RESULT FROM IECF'S MANAGEMENT OF CARES ACT FUNDS AND COVID RESPONSE, WAS THE CREATION OF THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY NONPROFIT TABLE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 25 NONPROFITS AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY'S OFFICE OF HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS, AND WORKFORCE. THIS NEW TABLE IS A MODEL FOR OTHER REGIONS AND RECEIVED AN ALLOCATION OF $16 MILLION IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING FOR THE NONPROFIT SECTOR. OFFICE OF POLICY AND ENGAGEMENTIN 2021, IECF FURTHERED ITS OFFICE OF POLICY AND ENGAGEMENT (OPE) THROUGH ITS FIRST POLICY SUMMIT, WITH OVER 300 ATTENDEES VIRTUALLY EXPLORING ISSUES, HEARING FROM ELECTED LEADERS, AND ENGAGING YOUTH IN A CLOSING PANEL. IECF'S BOARD-LED POLICY COMMITTEE WAS ACTIVE IN DEVELOPING THE SUMMIT, AND REQUESTED THAT IT BECOME AN ANNUAL EVENT. AFTER THE 2021 SUMMIT, STAFF HOSTED WORKSHOPS FOR REGIONAL NONPROFITS ON THE STATE BUDGETING AND LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND, WITH NALEO, ON VOTER REGISTRATION AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.