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Fresno Reginoal Foundation Awards $601,000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 14, 2009 

Fresno Regional Foundation Awards $601,000
26 grants serve social, education, economic, environmental and health

Fresno, CA – The Board of Directors at the Fresno Regional Foundation has approved 26 grants totaling $601,043 in support of the Foundation’s mission to improve the quality of life in the Central San Joaquin Valley through philanthropy.
(For a list of approved grants, click here).

Of the $601,000, $210,043 will support 5 projects working to improve the flow of the San Joaquin River; $109,000 will support 6 air quality related projects; $200,000 will support 5 programs that are addressing the challenges of teen pregnancy prevention; and $82,000 will support 10 human services related programs.

San Joaquin River
Through a generous gift from Ted Martin, a long time San Joaquin Valley resident who had a passion for the San Joaquin River, the Fresno Regional Foundation was able to award projects and programs working to improve the flow of the River and to enhance the fish population (particularly Salmon) without the use of Eminent Domain. Grants approved as part of this goal include a $50,000 grant to the San Joaquin River Partnership for its San Joaquin River Restoration Plus project. This grant will support the Partnership’s work to advance full implementation of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program including flows sufficient to support self-sustaining salmon populations, and additional opportunities the restoration program provides.

Air Quality
Fresno Regional Foundation’s air quality goals aimed to fund programs in Fresno, Madera, Kings, Tulare, Merced, Mariposa, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Kern Counties that raise awareness by promoting academic and community-based educational efforts; and programs that improve public health in low-income communities and communities of color that suffer disproportionately from environmental pollution. Grants approved as part of this goal include a $20,000 grant to Californians for Pesticide Reform in support of its San Joaquin Valley Pesticide Protection project. This grant project will work specifically in Kern, Madera, and Tulare Counties to create and enforce protection or buffer zones between dangerous pesticide use and sensitive sites, such as schools, labor camps, and residences. The goal is to reduce pesticide exposure among those most directly affected, such as farm workers and fence line communities.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention
The focus of the Foundation’s teen pregnancy prevention grants was to fund programs serving Fresno, Tulare, Madera and Mariposa Counties that reduce teen pregnancy either by providing reproductive health education and services or through other youth development initiatives aimed at reducing teen pregnancy. Grants approved as part of this focus include a $100,000 grant to the Madera County Public Health Department in support of its Sex Education for Today’s Youth project. A partnership between schools, community residents and family providers, this grant will reduce teen pregnancy rates in Madera County hot spots through education and outreach services, such as comprehensive reproductive health education, informational presentations, youth leadership development, and access to clinical services.

Human Services
Fresno Regional Foundation’s human services grants aimed to fund existing organizations with new or ongoing program activities that serve social, education, economic, environmental and health arenas. Grants approved as part of this goal include a $10,000 grant to the Fresno Mayor’s Gang Prevention Initiative (MGPI) for its Tattoo Removal program. This grant will provide participants who been active in the MGPI to earn the tattoo removal incentive through community service opportunities.

The 2009 competitive grantmaking program was made possible through the generous support of the Board’s Fund for the Common Good, the Central Valley Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation and other local donors and private foundations.

About the Fresno Regional Foundation:
The Fresno Regional Foundation is a nonprofit community foundation whose purpose is to improve the quality of life in the Central San Joaquin Valley through philanthropy. It is the channel through which individuals, families, businesses, private foundations, and nonprofit organizations give in order to benefit the community. The Foundation’s grantmaking has three focus areas: Arts & Culture, Youth, and Human Services. Since 1966, the Foundation has been enriching the artistic, cultural and natural beauty of the region, addressing social issues, and through the continued support of local community-benefit organizations, improving conditions for the community it serves. With over $45 million in assets, the Foundation made grants of $4.1 million in 2008 that serve the Central San Joaquin Valley.

The Fresno Regional Foundation is an affiliate of the National Council on Foundations and a member of the League of California Community Foundations. For more information about the Fresno Regional Foundation, please visit www.fresnoregfoundation.org or call 559-226-5600. 

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