{"id":14491,"date":"2021-12-22T11:33:48","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T19:33:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/?p=14491"},"modified":"2025-03-03T04:40:11","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T12:40:11","slug":"power-of-purpose-newsletter-december-22-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/power-of-purpose-newsletter-december-22-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Power of Purpose Newsletter - Dezember, 22, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dear Ventura County Community Foundation Family,<\/p>\n

Two minutes ago, I received official notification from FiduciaryPath that 100 percent\u00a0of our newest team members and incoming Board members have passed their\u00a0Foundation Endowment Fiduciary Essentials (FEFE) designation<\/strong>\u00a0examination.\u00a0We take great pride in being the first and only foundation in the country where 100 percent\u00a0of both our board and staff teams have achieved this certification (four years in a row), and it matters so much to us because of how seriously we take our responsibility of stewarding public trust.<\/p>\n

That core value of trust was what inspired our founders 34 years ago to work in partnership to build the Ventura County Community Foundation. As we share the uplifting news of\u00a0Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Foundation\u2019s\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014\u00a0a support organization of VCCF \u2014 very generous grant to\u00a0California State University Channel Islands<\/strong>, my heart is filled with gratitude to the visionaries, like Bud and Martha Smith and their entire family, who dedicated so much of their time and energy into building a robust culture of philanthropy in Ventura County.<\/p>\n

Likewise, because of you and in that same spirit of generosity, since December 1\u00a0just over $731,500 has been granted through our doors.\u00a0One of these grants was to\u00a0City Center<\/strong><\/a>, a local nonprofit organization where its staff, case managers, therapists, and mentors are dedicated to helping homeless, often single parent families, transition from homelessness to independence. Another grant went to Namba<\/strong><\/a>, an organization committed to lifting up the healing powers of creative performance and cultural arts education in Ventura County.\u00a0Some of you made grants to organizations promoting world peace, like\u00a0International Peace Group<\/strong><\/a>, and others to helping those most in need during this time, through grants to\u00a0Conejo Valley Senior Concerns<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Habitat for Humanity<\/strong><\/a>, and\u00a0Help of Ojai<\/strong><\/a>, as examples.<\/p>\n

As Amanda Gorman wisely shared, \u201cThere is always light, if only we\u2019re brave enough to see it. If only we\u2019re brave enough to be it.\u201d<\/p>\n

You each light the way for a stronger Ventura County and we are so grateful!<\/p>\n

My very best to you this holiday season,
\nYours in service,
\nVanessa<\/p>\n

Vanessa Bechtel, President & CEO<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Foundation Becomes CSUCI\u2019s Single Largest Donor<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Following more than 20 years of strong philanthropic partnership,\u00a0the Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Foundation has generously donated $10.5 million to the Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics\u00a0at California State University,\u00a0Channel Islands<\/strong>.\u00a0The transformational gift brings the total contributed to CSUCI to more than $19 million since the family\u2019s first donation in 1999, making them the University\u2019s largest donor.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur community owes so much to Martin V. and Martha K. Smith, and the entire Smith family, spanning multiple generations.\u00a0The Ventura County Community Foundation\u00a0was founded by a small group of dedicated philanthropists, including Bud Smith \u2013 we wouldn\u2019t exist to serve the community without him and his entire family!<\/strong> Witnessing their continued generosity has been a highlight of my career and we are honored to continue to support their great work and vision for Ventura County,\u201d said Vanessa Bechtel, President & CEO of VCCF.<\/p>\n

Vaccine Outreach and Education Update<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Thanks to the generosity of the County of Ventura and the continued dedication and commitment of\u00a0Ventura County\u2019s Complete Reach Committee<\/strong>, over the last six months,\u00a036 different local organizations<\/strong>\u00a0have rallied together to support Vaccine Outreach and Education in our community. The result of these combined efforts has been\u00a0914,152 individuals reached, 195,839 households and families reached, and 14,415 individuals<\/strong>\u00a0assisted with vaccination.<\/p>\n

Because of very meaningful financial support from the County of Ventura and other generous donors,\u00a0VCCF awarded $775,070<\/strong>\u00a0for projects such as food distribution and disseminating vaccine information to 40,000 individuals monthly. Local nonprofits developed creative programs to reach families, such as\u00a0Child Development Resource’s “Sandy Sanitizer”<\/a>\u00a0children’s YouTube series, or the\u00a0Oxnard Performing Arts Center’s art posters<\/a>\u00a0using cultural and local motifs. One message that resonated in the community was the\u00a0corrido<\/em>\u00a0titled \u201cNo es pa siempre\u201d (“[This] isn\u2019t going to continue forever\u201d) which encouraged vaccination and provided a message of hope for the future.<\/p>\n

This outreach has also focused on special populations, such as youth, the LGBTQ+ community, unhoused individuals, farmworkers and warehouse workers, low-income and uninsured individuals, immigrants and refugees, undocumented individuals, senior citizens, and people with disabilities.\u00a0Materials and activities were available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Mixteco, Purepecha, Zapoteco, and Triqui.<\/p>\n

VCCF Grant Opportunities<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Kimberly J. Engberg Fund for LGBTQ+ Equality<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Kimberly J. Engberg Fund for LGBTQ+ Equality focuses on\u00a0organizations embracing LGBTQ identities and serving these communities<\/strong>\u00a0in the Counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.\u00a0Applications must be submitted through the VCCF Fund Portal by Friday, January 21, 2022 by 5 pm\u00a0PST.\u00a0<\/strong>Questions about the grant program should be directed to Jeffrey Lambert, Chief Operating Officer at\u00a0jlambert@vccf.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Apply Now<\/p>\n

Ventura County Community Foundation’s Animal Welfare Fund<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Ventura County Community Foundation’s Animal Welfare Fund\u00a0<\/strong>was created to\u00a0ensure the improvement of\u00a0quality of life for all animals in Ventura County<\/strong>.\u00a0The fund’s focus is broad, including animals\u00a0wild and domestic, large and small, on land and in sea. The deadline to apply is\u00a0Friday, January 14 at 5 PM PST<\/strong>.Apply Here<\/p>\n

VCCF Scholarship Application<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"The\u00a02022 VCCF Scholarship Application is now open!<\/strong>\u00a0We have over 85 scholarship opportunities for students to apply and are able to award over\u00a01.3 million dollars in scholarships<\/strong>\u00a0to students in Ventura County! The\u00a0final deadline for application submission is<\/strong>\u00a0January 21, 2022<\/strong>. If you have any questions about the VCCF scholarship program, please visit our webpage or email Malena McKaba at\u00a0mmckaba@vccf.org<\/a>.Apply Now<\/p>\n

Catherine Sepulveda and Gustavo Zarate Join VCCF Board of Directors<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Ventura County Community Foundation\u00a0officially welcomes\u00a0two new members to the Board of Directors, Catherine Sepulveda and Gustavo Zarate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cCatherine and Gustavo embody VCCF\u2019s core values and are passionately committed to our mission of connecting people, resources, and solutions to create lasting impact in our shared world,\u201d said VCCF Board Chair, Sean Leonard.<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Central Coast Regional Equity Study<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Fund for Santa Barbara has launched its\u00a0Central Coast Regional Equity Study<\/strong>\u00a0in partnership with the UCSB Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy, and the USC Equity Research Institute. This study, sponsored in part by VCCF, and the Regional Equity initiative are “just the starting point for future dialogues and actions in the aim of healing existing divides\u00a0Towards a Just and Equitable Central Coast.”<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>A\u00a0recording of the launch event<\/a>\u00a0is available\u00a0for viewing, and the study can be read by clicking the button below.<\/p>\n

The goal of this research project is to deepen our understanding of regional disparities, facilitate a region-wide conversation, and support the planning and implementation of initiatives focused on advancing social, health, environmental, and economic equity. Covering Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, the study is designed to yield a periodically updated equity database, of use for teaching, research, policy, and action.Read More<\/p>\n

The Mark & Jacob Iskander Foundation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Mark & Jacob Iskander Foundation is excited to show you all the work that donors’ prayers and donations have made possible. Below, you\u2019ll find photos from the orphanage’s newly renovated pool, bedrooms, bathrooms, classroom, and more! If you\u2019d like to see some before photos, please check out their\u00a0update on the orphanage from earlier this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While this marks an exciting step for The Mark & Jacob Orphanage, they humbly request continued prayers and support for this project. Once the kitchen is completed and new appliances are installed, they look forward to welcoming children to their new home and watching Mark and Jacob\u2019s love spread to so many young lives.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Power of Community<\/h2>\n

Good News from YOUR Ventura County Community<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Two Local Nonprofits Supporting Children this Holiday Season<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation<\/strong>\u2019s\u00a0Senior\u00a0Development Director, Brittany Avila Wazny, discusses TBCF\u2019s mission, future and how they\u00a0provide support to families battling pediatric cancer in the tri-counties over the holidays\u00a0<\/strong>with Neil Kreisel\u00a0on CSUCI\u2019s About Education podcast.Listen Now<\/p>\n

Dancing with Our Future Stars<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dancing with Our Future Stars\u00a0<\/strong>has been spreading Christmas cheer to children across Ventura County with their dance programs this holiday season. DWOFS provides children with\u00a0a healthy outlet for self-expression and cultivates essential skills through the practice of dance, as well as\u00a0promoting positive social interactions and cultivating self-confidence through exercise and music. These classes are provided totally free of charge to local schools thanks to donor support.<\/p>\n

Click the button below to watch their jolly routine for “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” or\u00a0visit their website to see more videos<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Ventura County Community Foundation Family, Two minutes ago, I received official notification from FiduciaryPath that 100 percent\u00a0of our newest team members and incoming Board members have passed their\u00a0Foundation Endowment…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14502,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletters"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14491\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}