Biz Buzz
Below are excerpts from the Jan. 31, 2018 edition of Biz Buzz. Read the full story on the VC Reporter website.
And the award goes to …
The recipients of Camarillo’s 2018 Top 10 Community Awards are Carolyn Alexander for Educator of the Year, Sylvia Fulton for Senior of the Year, Senior Deputy Shawn Holzberger (Ventura County Sheriff’s Office) for Public Servant of the Year, Jann Huling for Woman of the Year, Mallorie Mehrali for Youth of the Year, Christopher Meissner for Man of the Year, Dr. Richard Rush for Stan Daily Lifetime Achievement Award, David Schlangen for Volunteer of the Year, GeoLinks, Skyler Ditchfield for Entrepreneur of the Year, E.J. Harrison and Sons for Philanthropist of the Year, Ventura County Community Foundation for Service Organization of the Year, and Z-Power for Business of the Year. The winners will be honored at the 51st Annual Top 10 Community Awards Banquet and Ceremonyon March 23 at Spanish Hills Country Club in Camarillo.
In the name of charity
… Community Action of Ventura County received a $7,500 grant from Swift Memorial Health Care Foundation. The funds will be used to train staff and volunteers working in the Homeless Transition Center, to purchase a defibrillator and bus passes to enable homeless clients to access adequate and appropriate health services. … The Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Foundation announced 12 grants totaling $485,000. The grants will provide support in the areas of youth development, senior services, basic needs, the arts, veteran services, dental care, mental health, philanthropic services and scholarships. … Ventura County Community Foundation has satisfied all required corrective actions upon California Attorney General’s (AG) investigation. The Foundation has over $1.65 million in unrestricted cash available for operations, which is more than one full year of operating expenses. This is a 122 percent increase over last year. In addition, VCCF has also set aside approximately $230,000 in unrestricted building reserves and maintains an additional $289,000 for capital expenditures in case of any emergency. This equates to over $2 million in unrestricted assets for VCCF. Contributions to VCCF for calendar year 2017 increased by 214 percent over prior year, resulting in $4,601,000 in charitable capital. Grantmaking to the community increased by 32 percent to $4,751,000 for calendar year 2017. The VCCF Nonprofit Center is 100 percent fully leased.
Thomas Fire
… The Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) received $200,000 from Amgen Foundation. The donation is for VCCF’s Disaster Relief Fund, which aids the support of mid- and long-term relief and rebuilding efforts related to the Thomas Fire. Since the start of the Fire, VCCF has contributed more than $1 million to nonprofit organizations engaged in direct relief and support efforts. To donate to VCCF, visit www.vccf.org.