Power of Purpose – April 2026
Kære Ventura County Community Foundation-familie,
Some months leave a mark on you. This was one of them, and my heart is full.
In Santa Paula, eight home-based childcare providers are receiving $521 a month for two years through a guaranteed income pilot made possible by the leadership of Child Development Resources of Ventura County, the Economic Development Collaborative, Poder Popular, and Rhode Futures Foundation. These are women who show up every single day for the youngest children in our community, children whose parents can work because someone they trust is caring for them.
For many of these providers, this modest, unconditional income is the first financial breathing room they have ever had. The first chance to fix a broken refrigerator without going into debt. To say yes to a car repair. To simply exhale.
These are women holding their communities together, often without recognition or resources. And when we finally invest in them, something powerful happens. Every provider in this pilot reported less stress, improved mental health, and a stronger sense of hope for their families. One woman went from having no enrolled children to six, purchased her first car, and is now licensing a larger home. The money multiplied, just as she said it would.
Just days later, our Board Chair Leah Lacayo stood at a ribbon cutting for the new domestic violence shelter at the Family Justice Center in Ventura. She returned with the same recognition: this is exactly where we need to be.
Nationally, one in four women experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. These are not distant statistics. They are our neighbors, our colleagues, and our friends right here in Ventura County.
One of the greatest barriers to leaving an unsafe situation is not knowing where to go, or whether there will be space for everyone you love, including the pets who are often a lifeline of comfort and connection. This new shelter, a community of tiny homes, changes that. Someone can arrive with their children, their animals, and what little they can carry, and know they are safe.
VCCF was proud to help raise more than $400,000 to bring this vision to life, including $10,000 dedicated to ensuring families never have to leave their animals behind. Lives will be changed. People who felt they had no options will find one here.
That same spirit is alive across our community right now, and I hope you will read on.
Through the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund, 43 nonprofits, education partners, and local organizations are already putting critical resources to work for families facing real hardship. This latest round of grantmaking crossed the $1 million mark because of you, alongside a coalition of 32 community partners spanning civic, business, nonprofit, education, and faith-based leaders, all committed to ensuring that every dollar goes directly toward supporting our neighbors.
In this newsletter, you will meet some of the people making that possible. I hope you will take a few minutes to read their stories, find what moves you, and consider where your energy might meet the work.
Thriving communities are not built by any one institution or individual. They are built by neighbors who show up for each other.
The future of our county, and I believe the future of our world, will not be shaped by any single person or organization.
It will be shaped by all of us.
Med stor taknemmelighed,
Vanessa
Vanessa Bechtel, VCCF's præsident og CEO
P.S. There is one more story I want to share. This month, a generous VCCF donor created a matching fund challenge for KAT Charities in Hawaii, where they spent days rescuing animals from extreme flooding. It is a reminder that the generosity of people like you reaches further than you may ever know. If you have been looking for a way to lean in, this is your invitation. Whether through a gift, your time, or simply sharing these stories with someone who needs to hear them, you are part of what makes this community extraordinary. Thank you for everything you do and everything you give.
Coalition Grantmaking Officially Exceeds $1 MILLION to Date!
Thanks to YOU, the Ventura County Neighbors Support Coalition has granted over $1 MILLION to date to local nonprofits and organizations offering support to our community members facing hardship and disruption.
We couldn’t have reached this milestone without the incredible support of our 32 community partners and 44 frontline grantees who make this work possible, and the generosity of every single one of our donors. Every contribution, big and small, has lent a hand to families and individuals in our community to help them feel safe, seen, and supported.
Round 6 Grantees Announced!
The Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund is proud to announce the latest round of grantees to provide direct humanitarian aid to community members, families, and small businesses facing hardship. We are grateful to our frontline nonprofits providing urgent relief for needs such as food, shelter, rent, transportation, and other critical services. This round of grantees brings the total number of local groups receiving support from the fund to 44 nonprofits, education groups, and local organizations.
Donate today at our website, and 100% of your contribution will go directly to helping your neighbors through this time.
805 UndocuFund
ATLAS-Ventura Housing
Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo
Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. in Ventura County
City Impact
HELP of Ojai
Nate's Place, et wellness- og restitutionscenter
People’s Self-Help Housing
Rescue Mission Alliance Ventura County
Safe Passage Youth Foundation
United Parents
ArtLife Foundation Fund
Open Now!
The ArtLife Foundation Fund supports programs and initiatives that advance artistic excellence and nurture creativity within Ventura County. Through this competitive grant opportunity, the fund will support arts organizations and educational institutions whose work:
- Advances artistic excellence
- Supports arts educators or programs that foster the “Creative Mind”
- Promotes the scholarly study of Joe Cardella’s life, artwork, creative philosophy, or ART/LIFE Limited Editions
This grant round focuses on organizational programs, projects, and initiatives. Student scholarship awards supported through the fund are administered separately and are not part of this application. Applications close Friday, May 15 at 5 p.m.
Bert M. og Mildred O. Dahls Fond
Opens Next Week!
Tilskud fra Bert M. and Mildred O. Dahl Fund skal bruges i Ventura County til generelle velgørende formål til gavn for ungdommen i Oak View, Californien. Nonprofit-organisationer skal etablere eller støtte programmer for unge i Oak View. Dette kan omfatte opførelse og vedligeholdelse af faciliteter til sådanne programmer.
VCCF Grantees Spotlight
Last year, thanks to your generosity, VCCF granted out over $15 million to partners doing critical work across various sectors, including the incredible organizations featured in this Grantees Spotlight video. Because of you, meaningful change is happening right here in our community, touching the lives of our neighbors every day.
In this video, we speak with Mary Olson of KCLU, Dan Parziale of Mesa Farm, Nicki Parr from Women’s Economic Ventures, Lisa Safaenili of Westminster Free Clinicog Guillermo Rodriguez of Trust for Public Land to discuss their biggest accomplishments and challenges of 2025, as well as their vision for 2026 and beyond.
Meet Brando Pozzi, Treasurer of the VCCF Board of Directors in New Video Interview!
Meet Brando Pozzi, treasurer of the VCCF Board of Directors, and learn what VCCF means to him, as well as his family’s enduring legacy and contributions in the region. In this candid conversation, Brando speaks about his connection with Ventura County, and the enthusiasm he holds for the initiatives that VCCF and our partner organizations are jointly advancing.
Thank You to Our Scholarship Readers!
We would like to give a massive thank you to our VCCF Scholarship Selection Committee, as they finish reading over 1,300 unique applications for our 2026 Scholarship Season! This year, we are celebrating over 220 volunteer readers and scorers (making up our biggest group yet!) for all their hard work to help lift up the dreams of our community’s students. Learn more about becoming a volunteer reader below! And keep an eye out later this month for student award announcements!
Get to Know Your Local Nonprofits: Ventura Land Trust
In the next episode of our new video series, hear from Melissa Baffa, Executive Director of Ventura Land Trust, as she details the vital work taking place and how these efforts to protect 4,000 acres of land in Ventura County impacts everything and everyone around us.
Den ReFrame Ventura County 2026 Arts Summit beautifully brought its theme — How Arts & Culture Can Protect Us, Connect Us, and Help Us Heal — to life. Attendees spent the day building meaningful connections, engaging with inspiring panelists, and even creating art together. A dynamic discussion on the VibeWell Ventura County Arts & Wellness Grant funded through Ventura County Behavioral Health’s Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) funds and stewarded by VCCF highlighted real, tangible ways art is supporting the health and healing of our communities. The State’s global leadership in arts, culture, media, and innovation, which contribute $288 billion (7.5%) of California’s annual economic impact, was also emphasized and celebrated. From music and dance to sculpture, painting, and beyond, the essential role of arts and culture in fostering healthier, more connected communities is unmistakably clear.
