A Letter From Our President & CEO: An Unprecedented Year of Giving

Posted October 5, 2020

Happy New Year! October marks the beginning of VCCF’s fiscal year, and this evening, my thoughts turn to you and all that we have accomplished this past year together.

First and foremost, we are celebrating an unprecedented year of giving! As of September 30th, over $26,700,000 has been contributed to the Ventura County Community Foundation to support:

The incredible work of hundreds of local nonprofit organizations
Scholarships for hundreds of students
Cash assistance to families struggling due to COVID-19
Financial assistance for families impacted by the Thomas, Hill, and Woolsey wildfires
Outreach for the 2020 Census
Farmworker housing and support for our undocumented neighbors
Cash assistance for local small businesses
And so much more!

We have also welcomed over 10,000 new donors to the VCCF Family – your collective generosity has been inspiring! What we can build together in the future is tremendous!

Additionally, many of you have taken time this past year to work on leaving a legacy to our community that goes on into perpetuity. VCCF has worked on over $98 million in planned giving this year, most of which is dedicated to serving Ventura County through our local nonprofits and scholarships for local students. Thank you!

In the coming weeks, we will publish a report that highlights our collective efforts more, but in the meantime, I hope you will join me in celebrating the power of community and to marvel at the generosity that is Ventura County.

Most importantly, we are grieving the loss of one of Ventura County’s most influential philanthropists, Mary Leavens Schwabauer. Our hearts go out to her son David, Michael, Brianne, and the entire Leavens family. As VCCF’s first female Board Chair, Mary has had a profound impact on our ability to best be of service to Ventura County and we will miss her always.

With gratitude,
Vanessa