2012 Arts and Culture Grant - Goals to Fund

The Fresno Regional Foundation serves a dynamic and multi-cultural population. We seek to improve the quality of life for all people in the Central San Joaquin Valley. It is important that the Community Benefit Organizations (CBOs) we support are aware of and sensitive to the diversity of the Central Valley. Therefore the Fresno Regional Foundation will fund programs that:

• Integrate culturally relevant arts and cultural activities in order to benefit the educational needs of our community
• Invest in and support the rich, diverse changing culture in the Central San Joaquin Valley
• Increase awareness, participation and understanding in all arts and culture activities
• Invest in organizational strategies that help sustain CBOs and encourage these organizations to remain vital and relevant to our communities.

Grant Amounts and Duration

Of the $120,000 available, $70,000 is earmarked for those organizations whose offices are located within the City of Fresno. One grant of $50,000 will be awarded to a collaborative project. Remaining grant amounts may range from $5,000 to $25,000. Funding will be awarded for a one-year period.

Cultural Data Project ( CDP )

It is optional to complete a Cultural Data Profile for your organization. This process is conducted online at the California Cultural Data Project (California CDP). If you have already begun using the California CDP, you need to ensure that you have completed a Cultural Data Profile for each of your two most recently completed fiscal years.

2011 Human Services Grant - Goals to Fund

The Fresno Regional Foundation human services grant will fund capacity-building strategies that focus on board governance, leadership development, or fiscal management.

Grant Amounts and Duration

The Fresno Regional Foundation will be granting approximately $370,000 in the Human Services Grant Cycle. Of this amount $250,000 has been earmarked specifically for Teen Pregnancy Prevention. For additional information, please see the TPP Addendum on page.

Additionally, in this Human Services Grant Cycle, FRF will fund programs that focus on capacity building strategies in Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Merced, Kings and Mariposa counties. Fresno Regional Foundation will be granting approximately $120,000 specifically for Human Services. Grant ranges will be from $1,000 to $15,000.

Special Considerations

For more details on Teen Pregnancy Prevention visit this link: Teen Pregnancy Addendum

2011 Environment Grant - Goals to Fund

The Fresno Regional Foundation environment grant fund:

• Strategies that attract investments and attention to environmental issues in the San Joaquin Valley, and
• Support existing and emerging work that addresses and reduces environmental cumulative health impacts

Selection Criteria

These characteristics will cause a proposal to receive a higher ranking:

• Support for research and educational outreach on environmental cumulative health impacts such as pollution from vehicles, pesticides and point source pollution
• Collaborative and educational efforts that address and reduce cumulative impacts
• Efforts to support a funders' tour to attract attention to environmental issues facing Central Valley residents and communities
• Programs that trigger matching dollars or additional resources to the region

Grant Amounts and Duration

The Fresno Regional Foundation (FRF) will be granting approximately $215,000 in its environment grant cycle. FRF will be granting approximately $35,000 specifically for the goals to fund stated above. Grant ranges will be from $5,000 to $30,000 and grant duration will be one-year. Organizations serving Fresno, Madera, Merced, Kings, Tulare and/or Mariposa are eligible for environment grants.

Additionally, $80,000 has been earmarked specifically for air quality and $100,000 has also been earmarked specifically for the restoration of the San Joaquin and Kings rivers. Please see Special Considerations below.

Special Considerations

Air Quality

The foundation will be granting $80,000 in the area of air quality. Air quality grants will range from $5,000 to $20,000 and will be awarded for a one-year period, although implementation of a program or project may be extended from one-year to 18 months. Organizations serving Fresno, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus, Kern, Kings, Tulare and/or Mariposa are eligible for air quality grants.

Air Quality Goals to Fund

• Promote academic and community-based efforts that engage people in measurable and long-term solutions in air quality
• Improve public health by reducing air pollution, with priority given to low-income communities and communities of color that suffer disproportionately from air pollution

Air Quality Selection Criteria

These characteristics will cause a proposal to receive a higher ranking:

• Quantifiable results that demonstrate behavior change, impact of the project, and number of people served
• Collaboration with other organizations who are doing related work
• Cultural sensitivity
• Grassroots engagement
• Engage business and industry communities in partnering to improve air quality
• Engage affected constituencies in the decision making process
• Programs that trigger matching dollars or additional resources to the region

River Restoration

The foundation will be granting $100,000 for projects and programs working to improve the flow of the San Joaquin and Kings rivers and to enhance the fish population (particularly salmon). River restoration grants will range from $10,000 to $50,000 and will be awarded for a one-year period, although implementation of a program or project may be extended from one-year to 18 months.

River Restoration Goals to Fund

• Support the acquisition of land to be restored and planning for restoration
• Fund activities that directly result in habitat improvement and riparian restoration for the Valley portions of the San Joaquin and Kings rivers
• Support efforts to restore native fish ( particularly salmon) populations, increase water flows and restore river banks of the San Joaquin and Kings rivers

River Restoration Selection Criteria

These characteristics will cause a proposal to receive a higher ranking:

• Quantifiable results that demonstrate measurable improvements in habitat
• Collaboration with other organizations who are doing related work
• Activities that educate the public on the environmental benefits of river restoration
• Cultural sensitivity
• Programs that trigger matching dollars or additional resources to the region

2012 High Impact Grant - Goals to Fund

Please check back in the 3rd quarter of 2012 for Goals to Fund.

Purpose of The Fund

The Fund for the San Joaquin Valley is being created to serve as a permanent endowed asset to meet the most pressing changing needs of the San Joaquin Valley over time. The Fund is being created with seed funding of $3,000,000 from the James Irvine Foundation, with the expectation that the Fresno Regional Foundation will match it with additional assets to ultimately grow the fund to a total of $20 million. The Fund for the San Joaquin Valley will be highly strategic, allocating its grant dollars in such a way to have lasting, visible impact on the most critical needs facing the San Joaquin Valley.

Timeline for The Fund

The Advisory Committee will identify a critical issue(s) for initial grantmaking from The Fund, to occur by the end of calendar year 2012. Furthermore, The Fund is intended to grow to $20 million and will make grants annually on changing issues of greatest importance to the San Joaquin Valley.

The Advisory Committee began meeting in January 2012 to begin the issue identification process. This process is expected to conclude in July 2012, with the issue area and goals to fund developed in the third quarter. Proposals will be reviewed and grants awarded in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Grants

$600,000 will be awarded in year one, and $700,000 in years two and three. Grant duration and grant range will be determined by the Advisory Committee.

Role of the High Impact Advisory Committee

The Fresno Regional Foundation has created The Fund’s Advisory Committee to assist with two critical activities pivotal to The Fund’s success. The first activity is to assist the Fresno Regional Foundation in identifying the initial focus area for grants from The Fund in 2012. This focus will be an issue of critical importance to the San Joaquin Valley, and where grants can have a visible and lasting impact. Once the focus is identified, the Advisory Committee will participate in the allocation of grants from The Fund in its initial round in late 2012. The second activity is the Advisory Committee advising the Fresno Regional Foundation as it approaches the next stage for The Fund: the raising of $20 million in endowed gifts to solidify The Fund as a permanent asset for the Valley.

High Impact Advisory Committee