More 2016 non-cycle grants

 

Now that the Foundation’s Fall cycle has come to a close (check out our website to see who won those awards), we wanted to highlight some of our non-cycle grants, given out throughout the year. Below, are these grantees, the amounts awarded to them, and the projects funded.

• $10,000 to United Way of Kern County, to help fund their Early Childhood Literacy/Development Partnership project.

• $10,000 to Licks for Love,  for their Positive Behavior, Intervention and Support (PBIS) school program.

• $5,000 to Kern Athletic Fencing Foundation, to help fund the Smart Fencing for Downtown Bakersfield program.

• $5,000 to California State Old-Time Fiddlers Association, District 3 to help sponsor the 40th Annual “Fiddlin’ Down the Tracks” Fiddle Contest.

• $4,000 to Pet Match Maker California, for a wash station to groom their rescue animals, and its hookup.

• $3,355 to Have a Heart Humane Society, for the purchase of an IMARC Pet Tag Machine.

• $3,000 to Hoffmann Hospice, for their Heart Art Camp, which will help 40 children, ages 7 to 17, work through their grief of losing a loved one.

• $705 to Advancing Parenting for their partnership with Golden Empire Transit, which will allow them to place bumper stickers of parenting tips on the back of 50 GET buses and shuttles.

• $250 to the Girl Scouts of Central California South, for their Kindness Academy program.

2016 Non-cycle Foundation Grant Awards…so far!

 

Besides our two regularly-scheduled cycles, in the Spring and the Fall, the Foundation also funds what we call non-cycle grants throughout the year. These grants usually focus on animal welfare, literacy, education, and environmental & historical preservation.

(To see our latest Spring cycle grant awards, click here to view our website’s homepage.)

The following is a list of the non-cycle grants awarded so far in 2016, presented in the order in which they were granted:

• $18,000 to the Kern Literacy Council, to help fund the Family Literacy project.

• $8,235 to California Native Plant Society, to fund the publication of the Society’s guidebook to Kern County Flora, which will document the abundant flora of our region, and be a resource for students, scientists and nature lovers alike.

• $10,000 to Have a Heart Humane Society to fund a clinic in Eastern Kern County. The clinic offered spay/neuter services, as well as vaccination, pain injection, and microchip implementation for cats and dogs owned by people residing in Eastern Kern County, as well as for feral cats also residing in that area.

• $7,500 to Whiskers Paws Hooves & Claws, for general funding of their rescue operation.

• $8,010 to Bit-O-Heaven Ranch, for the dental component of their 2016 Well Horse Health Program, an annual medical check-up of their rescued horses.

• $16,800 to M.A.R.E Riding Center, to help with the purchase of a horse trailer for transporting horses and riders to various equestrian events.

• $3,975 to Bakersfield Parent Nursery for the Growing Little Minds through Science and Literacy project, which will involve both gardening and literacy, including sending each family home with a portable garden box, as well as stocking up their Wendy Wayne Little Free Library with new books.

• $4,000 for four (4) Kern Agricultural Foundation scholarships to local high school students planning on studying in ag-related fields.

• $9,845 to Wounded Heroes Fund for their Service Dog Training program, matching veterans in need with therapy dogs.

• $3,000 to H.A.L.T. (Help Animals Live Tomorrow), to purchase a storage container to hold donated goods for their thrift store, Rags to Rescue.

• $6,000 to the Society for Disabled Children to help fund their STAR (Student and Reading) Program, an immersion-style program for children, K-6^th grade, with learning and behavioral disabilities.

• $20,000 to Critters Without Litters for their Catapalooza! program, which will sterilize Kern County companion cats, at a cost of only $20, per pet.

2015: Busy year for Foundation

 

$879,725  — that’s how much the Foundation has donated to local Kern County nonprofits this year. We covered some of this on our FB page and our website’s home page, but I thought I would use this space to discuss a little bit more about all that the Foundation has been up to throughout 2015.

Information about our Spring & Fall funding cycles — including the amounts specific organizations were awarded and what that money funded — can be found on our website. Along with our two cycles, the Foundation also hands out what we call non-cycle grant awards. These usually involve literacy, animal welfare, or environmental or historical preservation. Some of these awards were discussed earlier in this blog, here and here.

The following are some more non-cycle grant awards we handed out in 2015:

•$1,500  to the KCSOS Ed. Services Foundation, for the Baker Book Education Project.
•$5,000 to First Book Bakersfield, to purchase new books for Bakersfield students.
•$5,950 to Hoffmann Hospice, for their Project Journey Home project.
•$6,000  to the Kawaiisu Language and Cultural Center, for their Go Native! program.
•$10,000  to Lightwave Education, to help fund their summer educational program.
•$12,000 to DonorsChoose.org, to help fund Pre-K to 2nd grade literacy projects in Kern County schools.
•$15,000 to Ready to Start, for their 2015 summer Ready to Start program.
•$15,000 to the United Way of Kern County, to help fund the Early Childhood Literacy Partnership project.
•$16,453 to Pet Match Maker California, for the material and instillation of a large Dry Creek Mini Barn, part of their overall shelter project.
•$27,350 in matching funds to the Bakersfield Museum of Art, for a new
wall at 19^th and R Streets.
•$44,000 to the Kern County Museum Foundation, to help fund the Bakersfield Californian Foundation Archive Building.

The Foundation looks forward to another exciting year in 2016. Happy Holidays everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

Foundation’s Fall Cycle Winners

On Friday, November 13, the Foundation announced the winners of our $100,000, $50,000 and $25,000 grant awards. Inspired by all the worthwhile projects, the Foundation actually handed out several grant awards in two of the three categories,  as well as offering one organization a matching grant.

•Community Action Partnership of Kern won the $100,000 grant award for their Food Bank Solar Energy Improvement Project, which will install solar panels on their Food Bank. The Foundation was impressed by the in-kind support CAPK received from both the City of Bakersfield and the County of Kern for this project, as well as the projected savings these solar panels will provide  — $44,000, annually, allowing them to reinvest the savings into distributing an additional 308,000 pounds of food per year.

•One $50,000 award went to Bakersfield SPCA for their WAGGIN’ TAIL CORRAL — “Saving Lives One Paw at a Time” project, which involves transforming 1,800 square feet of open space outside their lobby doors into a pet playground for small dogs, allowing the dogs exercise, and providing a space for potential adopters and dogs to interact. In addition, the playground area will be utilized to introduce potential adopters’ current dogs to the ones they are looking to adopt. Also, the more park-like setting will provide a nicer atmosphere, for dogs and adopters alike, without the “shelter” feel. This more natural shelter setting is a first for Bakersfield.

•Children First Campaign was the recipient of the second $50,000 grant award, to help fund the construction of the East Bakersfield Family Zone Pocket Park, a neighborhood green space. The Foundation’s Board was inspired by the grassroots efforts of this project, as well as the organization’s focus on giving the community a say in how to best improve their neighborhood. Children First Campaign was also offered an additional $50,000, if they could match that amount by May 13, 2016.

•One of the three $25,000 grant award winners was the Independent Living Center of Kern County, to aid in the purchase a wheelchair-accessible van. The Board was impressed by the many benefits this van will provide the organization, including providing transportation for their Reuse Repair program, which provides pre-owned wheelchairs at no cost; aiding their Job Placement Program; and helping to relocate their clients from institutional living to home care, and setting up and transporting necessary items for this transition. This will be one hard-working van!

•Lamont Women’s Club, Inc., was our second $25,000 grant winner. This grant will help to relocate and refurbish the old Lamont town sign, which is in need of a little TLC. The Foundation was inspired by the community support for this project, and for all the in-kind offers, including labor and volunteer hours, that this project generated.

•Last but not least, Youth 2 Leaders Education Foundation was awarded $25,000 for their Technology for College Readiness and Success program. This program  will be a resource center for students and their families to work on and navigate the tricky world of college, financial aid, and scholarship applications. The Foundation Board was impressed by the organization’s many outreach programs, its partnership with the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, and its focus on fighting the growing “technology gap” that many disadvantaged students are experiencing.

The Foundation would like to thank all the applicants who applied for our two-part Fall Cycle. Kern County is lucky to have so many dedicated organizations working on its behalf.

Foundation’s Fifteen Finalists

We recently announced the 15 Kern County nonprofits invited to move on in our two-part Fall Cycle, along with the projects they are hoping to get funded. Below, is a little bit more about those particular projects.

$100,000 Grant Award Finalists

–Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County for their Nutrition Program — Storage Room to Commercial Kitchen Renovation project, which will transform their 997 square foot storage room at the Armstrong Youth Center into a functioning kitchen, allowing them to bring back their Teaching Kitchen program.

–Children First Campaign: the construction of the East Bakersfield Family Zone Pocket Park, a neighborhood green space, located at Brown and Monterey streets.

–Community Action Partnership of Kern: CAPK Food Bank Solar Energy Improvement Project will install solar panels on CAPK’s Food Bank, saving them money on electricity bills, and allowing them to distribute even more food.

–Kern County Library Foundation: the creation of an interactive Creative Lab, a MakerSpace type of area, located at the Beale Library branch.

–Kern Medical Center Foundation: for their Blindness & Vision Loss Prevention program, which will involve purchasing technology to diagnose and treat diabetic retinopathy and macular edema.

–Saint Vincent de Paul: The Thrift Store Roof Replacement Project will replace the 61-year-old roof of their thrift store, located at 300 Baker Street, with a more energy-efficient one, including new insulation, ridge vents and 16 new skylights.

–Tehachapi Community Theatre Association: for the BeeKay Theater Expansion Project, which will expand the theater by adding a green room, dressing room, costume, make-up and props areas, and better restroom facilities.

$50,000 Grant Award Finalists

–Bakersfield SPCA: the WAGGIN’ TAIL CORRAL — “Saving Lives One Paw at a Time” project involves transforming the 1,800 square feet of open space outside of their lobby doors into a pet playground (the WAGGIN’ TAIL CORRAL), for small dogs, allowing the dogs exercise, and providing a space for potential adopters and the dogs to interact.

–Independent Living Center of Kern County: the purchase of a Wheelchair Accessible Van, which will help their clients with transportation issues, as well as providing transport for their Reuse Repair and Job Placement programs.

–Kern Partnership for Children and Families: the funding of a new surface for their Children’s Visitation Center Playground, providing a safe environment for children to play and interact with their family members.

–New Advances for People with Disabilities: the Access to Fine Arts and Dreams project involves the purchase of an audio/video/lighting system with full production capabilities, to create an ADA accessible design stage theater.

$25,000 Grant Award Finalists

–CASA of Kern County: their Technology Improvement project involves the purchase of a new integrated phone system, replacing their 22-year old current system — which their vendor has had to buy parts for at yard sales! 

–Equine Rescue Outakuntrol: for an Animal Mobile Disaster Evacuation Unit, a self-contained horse trailer that will act as an animal mobile evacuation emergency unit.

–Lamont Women’s Club, Inc.: The Old Lamont Sign — Restoring Pride and a Future project will relocate and refurbish the old Lamont town sign.

–Youth 2 Leaders Education Foundation: Technology for College Readiness and Success will be a resource center for students and their families to work on college, financial aid, and scholarship applications, and will include the purchase of 24 laptops and a high speed internet connection.

Who will “win” $25,000, $50,000 or $100,000 this year?

As the first part of the Foundation’s Fall grant cycle has kicked off, I thought it might be a good idea to review last year’s “winners.” In Fall, 2014, we held a competitive two-part grant cycle, awarding two grant awards — one $100,000 and one $50,000. (This year, in addition to the $100,000 and $50,000 grant awards, we have added a $25,000 one.)

The $100,000 grant award went to the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, to fund their Shelter Rehabilitation project. Because of the number of engaging projects “competing” in the $50,000 category, the Foundation Board decided that one $50,000 award just wasn’t enough, so three local nonprofits were granted $50,000: Art, Science & Technology Educational Corporation of Tehachapi, for their Joint STEAM Center and 4-H Facility; Bakersfield ARC, for their Innovative Education Program for the Developmentally Disabled; and Mercy Foundation-Bakersfield dba Friends of Mercy Foundation, for their Community Wellness Center Kitchen Classroom.

But we didn’t stop there — the Board also offered matching grants to both the Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation ($50,000), for help purchasing SimMan3, a robotic teaching tool, and to the Tejon Ranch Conservancy ($25,000), to go toward the purchase of an off-road vehicle. (The beautiful photo above is of the Ranch.) Both organizations raised their matching funds way before the six-month due date.

Can’t wait to see who we fund — and how they will improve our community — this year!

Scholarships, Community Gardens and Animal Care

                                                

Besides our spring and fall funding cycles, the Foundation is always interested in funding projects that center around education, literacy, the environment, historical preservation or animal welfare. The following are some of  the Kern County nonprofits that have been awarded what we call “non-cycle grants.” (To see the grant recipients of our spring downtown-focused cycle, check out the list on our website.)

• College Dream Fund: $3,200 for scholarships.

• Have a Heart Humane Society:  $3,500 to aid in the creation of a new website.

• Kern Agricultural Foundation: $4,000 for scholarships for students interested in pursuing a career in an ag-related field.

• Kern Athletic Fencing Foundation: $7,500 for their Smart Fencing for Downtown Bakersfield project.

• Salvation Army: $11,520 for an after-school STEM program.

• Keep Bakersfield Beautiful: $14,500 for their two community gardens, one on Eye Street, and one on Jonah Street.

• Bit-O-Heaven Ranch: $23,000 for their Horse Wellness Program.

• Tejon Ranch Conservancy: $25,000 in matching funds, to purchase a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

• Wings of Rescue: $28,000 for their Saving Bakersfield Shelter Pets project, which involves rescuing unwanted dogs from local shelters and flying them to other areas that want them and where they will be adopted.

Foundation’s Funding Activities

Along with gearing up for the Spring Grant Cycle (focused on downtown Bakersfield), the Foundation has been busy funding other interesting projects from Kern County nonprofits.

Here’s what we’ve been up to so far this year:

• $1,800 to the Sterling Head Start School’s garden, via the Afford Foundation.

• $3,500 for scholarships to students studying Communications at CSUB.

• $8,000 to the Kern County Museum for the “adoption” of the Havilah Courier building, part of their Pioneer Village exhibit.

• $50,000 to the Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation, to help in their purchase of a SimMan3G, a medical training tool. This was a matching grant. The funds were dependent on the Hospital raising their own $50,000 — which they did in record time!

Looking forward to the spring and more worthwhile projects focused on improving downtown Bakersfield.

This Spring, it’s all about Downtown

For our 2015 Spring Grant Cycle, the Foundation will be focused on improving downtown Bakersfield. This includes projects involving litter removal, public art, community gardens, historical preservation — and anything else a Kern County 501(c)3 nonprofit can dream up to better downtown!

Here are the relevant dates:
•Monday, February 23: Grant Cycle begins
•Friday, April 3: Grant Application Due
•Friday, May 1: Foundation Board meets and awards grant funding.

In addition, the Foundation is always interested in funding projects that involve animal welfare, literacy, education, or cultural or environmental improvement. However, you MUST contact us before applying, so that we can make sure your project fits the Foundation’s mission. Please email tcowenhoven@bakersfield.com or call (661) 395-7290 before you begin an application.

Get ready for the Spring — Cycle, that is

The Foundation has closed its doors for the remainder of 2014. When we open again for business, we will be gearing up for our Spring Grant Cycle, which will be focused on the beautification of downtown Bakersfield. Beautification encompasses any improvement to the city’s downtown area, from litter removal to historical preservation to creating public art to growing community gardens.

If you are a Kern County 501(c)3 nonprofit and have any sort of project committed to improving downtown Bakersfield,please keep the Foundation in mind this spring.

Here are some general dates for the Spring Cycle:

• Expect an official announcement in late February or early March.

• Applications will be due in April.

• Foundation Board will meet in May to deliberate and award grants.

Thanks to all the wonderful nonprofits who have done so much for the Kern County area in 2014. Looking forward to an even more exciting 2015!