News Releases

Fresno Regional Foundation Grants $203,000 for Youth Serving Organizations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 18, 2014

Media Contacts:

Kelvin Alfaro, Program Officer; 559-226-5600 x105; [email protected]

Rico Guerrero, Donor Relations Coordinator, 559-226-5600 x110; rico@fresnoregfoundation.org

Fresno Regional Foundation Grants $203,000 for Youth Serving Organizations

Fresno, CA – The Fresno Regional Foundation (FRF) will be awarding $203,116 in grants to support 12 Youth organizations serving the San Joaquin Valley.

Grantees will be recognized and receive their awards at a reception at the Gazebo Gardens on Tuesday, June 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Live music, iced beverages, and local cuisine will be available.

The funding for the 2014 Youth grant cycle is made possible by: the Bee Endowment Fund and the Dorothy Mitsuoka Fund for Dinuba, Reedley, and Orosi Children.

This year the Youth grants committee focused on two funding priorities: College Readiness, Access, and Attendance and Helping Children 0-8 succeed by 3^rd grade. The College Readiness, Access, and Attendance funding priority was created through a donor’s wish to see her local youth achieve the dream of a higher education.

Dorothy Mitsuoka was a successful citrus farmer in Central Valley, but always wished she would have gone to college. In a bequest gift to the Fresno Regional Foundation, Dorothy Mitsuoka created an endowed fund to make sure that youth in her region could have more opportunities than she had. To her, a college education was the most valuable thing a child could receive.

“Dorothy Mitsuoka was a very generous woman and her passion was helping others,” said Mark Gillette, long time business partner and Youth Committee Member.  “I truly believe that Dorothy worked as hard as she did to ensure that one day she would be in a position to make a difference and to help local youth, as she has done with her Endowed Fund through the Fresno Regional Foundation.”

Seven organizations are receiving funding for Helping Children 0-8 Succeed by 3^rd grade.

Family Services of Tulare County: $5,000 The Summer Passport Learning Program will give children in Goshen who are entering grades Kindergarten through third the opportunity for high-quality learning and enrichment experiences throughout the summer.

Burrel Union Elementary School District: $5,000 Burrel will host "Summer Reading Program" for PreK through 3rd grade students to prepares students for kindergarten, offer an intervention reading program for our struggling readers, and build a school library.

Boys & Girls Club of the Sequoias: $7,500 Fifty youth in Farmersville will do project-based learning and also participating in service projects throughout the community and even county this summer. This will guard against the effects of summer learning loss.

Grandma’s House: $15,000 Grandma's House Primary After-school Reading Program is for students in grades K-3 who are performing below the standard for their grade level.

West Fresno Health Care Coalition: $16,046 Six-week project to improve school readiness for (30) disadvantaged children ages 0-8 years old and their families residing in Soutwest Fresno, zip code 93706.

California Teaching Fellows Foundation: $24,570 CESA K-3 is a summer enrichment program for students from disadvantaged backgrounds facilitated by CTFF staff members that offers culturally relevant, hands-on, learning opportunities with an emphasis in building students ELA capacities and changing the way that students and their families view going to college.

Jumpstart for Young Children, Inc.: $25,000 Through Jump Start’s year-long program, we train college students from California State University Fresno to implement Jumpstart’s research-based curriculum.

Five Organizations are receiving funding for College Readiness, Access, and Attendance:

Foundation for Fresno County Public Library: $5,000 Print and digital materials will be in English and Spanish focussing on college readiness, financial aid, higher education options and career options to assist families to access higher education for College Prep Centers in Reedley and Orange Cove.        

Central Valley Higher Education Consortium: $25,000 70  junior level high school students from the rural targeted areas will participate in college through a College Knowledge Camp "College Next!Boot Camp" and also effectively train them as College Opportunity Ambassadors.

Community Services Employment Training Inc.: $25,000 TECH Connect engages youth as leaders in low-income rural communities. Participants develop their technology and leadership skills, participate in career exploration and college preparation activities, and complete service learning projects.

Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) Inc.: $25,000 PIQE will provide its Parent Engagement in Education Program and STEM Course to low income parents of at risk high school students within the Foundation's targeted areas. The Nine-Week Program will serve at least 220 parents in four high schools and 700 high need underserved youth.

Reedley College: $25,000 K-16 Bridge addresses the challenges faced by many students who are unprepared to enroll in college or seek a career upon completion of high school. This project will provide an avenue to facilitate some of the much needed skills for career and college readiness by targeting Middle School students.

Fresno Regional Foundation will also be introducing the NextGen Philanthropy group that is supported by FRF. As the community foundation for the Central Valley, FRF is looking for ways to stimulate philanthropy, and we are happy to work with NextGen to cultivate  the next generations of leaders and phialnthropists.

About the Fresno Regional Foundation

Founded in 1966, FRF improves 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 initiatives for the San Joaquin Valley. The Foundation holds assets of over $66 million and awarded $1.5 million in competitive grants in 2013.

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

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