News Releases

Fresno Regional Foundation Grants $120,000 for Valley Youth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 14, 2012

Media Contact: Natalie Garcia, Program Officer: 559-226-5600, 559-301-8224 (cell), [email protected]

Fresno Regional Foundation Grants $120,000 

for Valley Youth

Fresno, CA – This week, the Board of Directors of the Fresno Regional Foundation (FRF) approved $120,000 in grants to support youth-serving organizations in the San Joaquin Valley. Recognizing that the success of our youth will determine our future prosperity, the Foundation has placed an emphasis on addressing the social, educational, and health challenges facing youth, as well as empowering youth to improve neighborhood safety, and promoting civic engagement and service learning of young people in the community.

“The Foundation believes we must invest in the next generation to ensure the San Joaquin Valley sees the positive changes we desire in the coming years,” said Dan DeSantis, CEO of the Fresno Regional Foundation. “FRF understands our youth are our future leaders and they need healthy communities of opportunity to reach their full potential.”

The eight organizations and the funded activities are below.

Community Services & Employment Training, Inc.: $25,000 for the Tech Connect program, which raises digital literacy in low-income, rural communities, as well as increased college access through transcript review, college campus visits and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application assistance and tutoring.

California State University, Fresno: $23,200 for the Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) program’s Saturday Academies, which focuses on hands-on science, math, and engineering projects and college readiness activities for 6th-12th graders, most of whom are first generation college-bound.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Fresno County: $20,076 for three gang prevention and academic programs serving 155 youth at the Orange Cove and Reedley clubs.

Spring Valley School - Chawanakee Unified School District: $19,179 for iPads to link a digital middle school to the digital high school and to enable teachers to collect data for daily lesson planning.

Life Skills Training and Educational Programs, Inc. (LifeSTEPS): $10,000 for a California content standards-based after school program for 5-18 year olds living in Fresno public housing.

Community Youth Ministries (CYM): $9,993 for a partnership with Youth Multi-Agency Project (YouthMAP) to start a six-week summer day camp on three campuses in Reedley and Orange Cove to promote safety, social engagement, education, health, and service learning.

Encourage Tomorrow: $9,950 for a mentoring program that pairs 150 high school students mentor 150 grade school students at four Fresno elementary schools to improve academic achievement and attendance, as well as decrease suspensions.

Coalron Lyceum (Coalinga Huron Avenal House at Berkeley): $5,130 for tuition for six students from the Coalinga-Huron-Avenal area to attend UC Berkeley’s summer program offering advanced high school courses.

The Foundation’s grant making work is driven by the needs of San Joaquin Valley residents as well as guidance from philanthropists who contribute to the Foundation. FRF provides a fair and transparent competitive grant application process, financial evaluation of community benefit organizations, site visits and reporting on grant effectiveness.

About the Fresno Regional Foundation

Founded in 1966, FRF’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the San Joaquin Valley through philanthropy. It serves Fresno, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Tulare and Kings counties.

FRF is the trusted link between donors and organizations investing in permanent, high-impact solutions for the San Joaquin Valley. The Foundation holds assets of nearly $55 million and awarded $3.5 million in grants in 2011.

For more information about the Fresno Regional Foundation, please visit www.fresnoregfoundation.org or call 559-226-5600.

Let us know what you think...

* Required

Title Dr Miss Mr Mrs Ms

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

Enter Word Verification in box below *

Feedback / Comments