December, 2011

A Report on Our Grantmaking
Over the past several years, there has been substantial discussion in the philanthropic community about the amount of foundation funding reaching underserved and marginalized populations. Conversations with several of our colleagues led to the release of a report in December 2008 in which we recognized the critical role played by small, community-based nonprofit organizations in addressing the challenges facing minority and other predominantly low-income communities in California.

July, 2011

When The Time Is Right
As many of you know, I've announced my intention to retire at the end of the year. One of the first questions I'm asked about my retirement is, "Why now?" There's a country song I like titled "Timing Is Everything." While it may not be "everything," timing is certainly important when considering a leadership change. The timing of this transition is right for The California Wellness Foundation, for me and for my family.

May, 2011

Honoring Veterans through Philanthropy
Each year in late May, America pauses to honor its veterans. We recognize the sacrifices of those President Lincoln observed “gave the last full measure of devotion” in service to their country as well as those who currently protect and defend our nation.

March, 2011

A Prevention Success Story
In 1992, when The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) began developing a grantmaking program that would address teen pregnancy prevention, more than 70,000 California teens gave birth. It was cause for concern. For decades, California’s teen pregnancy rates had ranked among the highest in the nation.

December, 2010

A Report on Our Grantmaking
Over the past several years, there has been substantial discussion in the philanthropic community about the amount of foundation funding reaching underserved and marginalized populations. Conversations with several of our colleagues led to the release of a statement in June 2008 in which we recognized the critical role played by small, community-based nonprofit organizations in addressing the challenges facing minority and other predominately low-income communities in California.

November, 2010

A Challenging Environment for California Grantmakers
Without a doubt, the environment for California grantmakers remains challenging as 2010 draws to a close, with the sluggish pace of economic recovery weighing heavily on the communities we support. For many foundations, the values of our endowments may have stabilized, but it will likely be several more years – at the earliest – before our grantmaking returns to the levels of 2006 or 2007.

August, 2010

The Health Care Safety Net and Health Reform
The “Great Recession” that has severely impacted the global economy continues to have a solid grip on California. While measurements of economic growth show signs of modest gains in the national economy, this news comes as small comfort to many Californians, where unemployment remains above 12 percent statewide – and as high as 27 percent in rural areas such as Imperial County.

December, 2009

A Report on Our Grantmaking
Over the past two years, there has been substantial discussion in the philanthropic community about the amount of foundation funding reaching underserved and marginalized populations. Conversations with several of our colleagues led to the release of a statement in June 2008 in which we recognized the critical role played by small, community-based nonprofit organizations in addressing the challenges facing minority and other predominately low-income communities in California.

October, 2009

Staying True to Our Mission and Operating Principles Has Resulted in Foundation Diversity
A recent study by a nonprofit advocacy organization indicated that, among large foundations, The California Wellness Foundation has one of the most diverse boards with regard to ethnicity (70 percent) and gender (50 percent). But this wasn’t always the case.

June, 2009

A Strategy for Tough Times: Increasing Core Support To Help Nonprofits Survive
Imagine being the executive director of a community-based nonprofit with a $6.5 million annual budget that operates a health clinic, a food bank, and a jobs program. Before the economy soured, your organization served 400,000 clients annually. At the end of 2008, the number spiked to 475,000, yet your organization experienced reduced donations, grants and government funding, barely reaching $5 million.

May, 2009

A Grantmaking Foundation and a Service Organization
The concept of public service has always been important to me. I was a junior in high school in 1961 when John Kennedy gave his inaugural speech and I completely embraced his challenge: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

December, 2008

Strengthening Nonprofit Minority Leadership and the Capacity of Minority-Led and Other Grassroots Community-Based Organizations
A California-based group known as the Foundation Coalition issued a statement that announced new grantmaking activities to fund minority-led and other small, grassroots nonprofits reaching underserved populations. Included here is a cover letter and the report. The Foundation Coalition disbanded after its work concluded with the release of this report on December 22, 2008.

August, 2008

Setting The Record Straight About Our Grantmaking
You may have heard about the recent agreement announced by 10 California foundations including The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF). The agreement, which includes a list of the participating funders, calls for the development of new grantmaking efforts by either individual foundations or collective efforts by some or all of the 10 foundations to focus on capacity building and leadership development for small, grassroots community-based organizations that primarily serve ethnic minority populations.

April, 2008

Gun Violence; The Endemic Epidemic
The Valentine’s Day shooting at Northern Illinois University outside Chicago that killed five and injured 14 is only the latest mass shooting in a two-week outbreak of gun violence across the nation.

April, 2007

Eradicating the Gang Violence Plague: It Takes a Village
The recent drug-related arrest of a well-respected director of the job development program at Communities In Schools of the San Fernando Valley (CIS SFV) caused many observers to ask whether it’s really worth investing in organizations that hire former gang members to help at-risk youth turn away from gangs, finish high school and find decent jobs

March, 2007

Re: Schwarzenegger Calls for Coordinated Attack on Gangs, March 6
Although the police and criminal courts are an important component of any overall gang violence reduction strategy, their response has largely been reactive rather than preventive, making the associate costs exorbitant.

September, 2006

Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Programs Save Tax Dollars
Over the past decade, the teen birthrate in California dropped by more than 46 percent — the steepest decline of any state in the country. In the East Bay, the trend is also heartening. According to a recent Public Health Institute report, the teen pregnancy rate in Oakland decreased by 50 percent between 1991 and 2004.

October, 2005

Violence Prevention Programs Save Lives
This op-ed appeared Oct. 28, 2005, on the opinion page of La Opinión, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States. The original article was published in Spanish, but has been translated to English for www.tcwf.org.

January, 2004

Stay Course on Gang Prevention Funding
In Sacramento, it's difficult to support expenditures that might reduce crime and prison costs in years to come, when voters are clamoring for action now. However, missing from this picture is the proven effectiveness of public health strategies to eradicate the breeding grounds of crime.