Do you give close to home? You aren’t alone.
Some donors give locally to build and grow something that they can connect to over time. Others are driven by community needs that they can identify in their own backyard. Still others are passionate about a cause, organization, or leader which drives them to donate and volunteer nearby.
Understanding the need to have a robust and engaged way for donors to participate in local philanthropy, Community Foundation Sonoma County supports two “area based” Affiliates, the Healdsburg Area Fund (HAF) and Sonoma Valley Fund (SVF). Both funds serve as grantmakers within their own geographic area, address the needs of their independent communities and stimulate discussion to highlight local nonprofit’s work.
The Healdsburg Area Fund and Sonoma Valley Fund recently finished their grants cycle and are in the process of notifying grantees.
As in previous years, the Healdsburg Area Fund is awarding grants up to $10,000 in the areas of Education and Health and Human Services and up to $5,000 for grants in the Arts and Environment.
In addition, HAF is building the “Leave Your Mark” legacy endowment to ensure that nonprofits in the Healdsburg/Geyserville Area are funded in perpetuity.
The Sonoma Valley Fund has launched a new and innovative capacity-building program for a cohort of nonprofits working in the Sonoma Valley. The goal of the program is to provide funding and technical assistance to organizations interested in committing time, energy, and innovative thinking, to assess and plan for increased organizational effectiveness. Designed to support a select group of grantees through an in-depth assessment and planning process, this learning cohort will benefit from the guidance of two outstanding consultants from the firm Informing Change.
“The beauty of this initiative is that it is a local program designed to allow organizations to step back and look deeply within,” said Grants Committee Chair, Barbara Hughes. “Organizations are provided the opportunity to assess their needs and work to ensure they are healthy, strong, and vibrant. Most importantly, together they will learn the key elements of sustainability so that they may continue to provide their services well into the future.”
Affiliates are a group of like-minded philanthropic advocates to better serve their unique communities. Learn more about the Healdsburg Area Fund and Sonoma Valley Fund.
