Grants will be used to strengthen work that prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) announced that 40 nonprofits received $589,500 in grants through its Community Impact Fund, designed to support and expand the capacity and effectiveness of organizations working to advance racial, gender, and economic equity for residents in the Inland Empire.

In keeping with the Foundation’s focus on grantmaking through an equity lens, grants from the Community Impact Fund will be used to strengthen work that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Unrestricted grants between $5,000 and $20,000 were given for general operating costs and to support efforts that enable an organization to carry out its mission effectively. To be eligible for a grant, each organization had to demonstrate a commitment to practicing and institutionalizing diversity, equity and inclusion in governance, staffing, organization practices, and collaborative relationships.

The 2021/2022 Community Impact Fund grantees are:

• A Coming Of Age Foster Family Agency
• Academy for Grassroots Organizations
• Assistance League of San Bernardino
• Bear Valley Community Healthcare District Foundation
• Bezerk Productions
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire
• Boys & Girls Club Of The Hi-Desert
• Boys & Girls Club of the San Gorgonio Pass
• Breast Cancer Solutions
• Brightest Star Inc.
• Camp of Champions A & M, Inc.
• Caravanserai Project
• Cathedral City Senior Center
• Child Advocates Of San Bernardino County
• Consortium for Early Learning Services
• Cove Communities Senior Association
• Desert Rose Trauma Recovery
• Empower You Edutainment
• Faith in Action of San Gorgonio Pass
• Feed My Flock Ministries
• First Christian Church of Ontario, CA
• First Tee-Coachella Valley
• Fox Riverside Theater Foundation
• Friends of the Desert Mountains
• Garner Holt Foundation
• Giving 365 Inc.
• Gracious Heart Resource Family Agency
• Inland Empire Community Collaborative, Inc.
• Inland Equity Community Land Trust
• Janet Goeske Foundation
• Making Hope Happen Foundation
• Mountain Counseling & Training, Inc.
• Operation New Hope
• Ophelia’s Jump Productions
• People’s Collective for Environmental Justice
• Positive Young People Inc.
• The Arts Area
• The Empowerment Center
• The Hole in the Wall Inc.
• Voices for Children

“So many of our students are first generation college graduates and the majority are BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and people of color], but I saw a disparity in where the money was going,” said John Machado, art history professor at Chaffey College and founder of The Arts Area, a CIF grantee. “What I was seeing was that a lot of these students were giving up on their dream.”

The CIF grant will support arts programs that encourage diverse, equitable and inclusive arts opportunities. This includes Curious Publishing’s BIPOC fund which will cover the costs of printing books for five artists.

Celia Cudiamat, Senior Vice President of Grants and Community Impact, said, “Practicing equity and inclusion requires commitment, diligence, intentionality, and patience over a sustained period of time. This is a joint, on-going journey for IECF as well and we look forward to learning from our grantees over the coming year.”

IECF accepts competitive grant proposals from nonprofit organizations who work to make a difference in the lives of Riverside and San Bernardino County residents throughout the year. Nonprofits interested in applying in 2023 can check the IECF website for guidelines and giving periods.

The 2023 grant schedule and instructions on how to apply will be available in February 2023.

The CIF is funded by generous donations to IECF in support of unrestricted giving. The CIF allows IECF to respond to emerging needs and build the capacity of nonprofits in the IE. Individuals who wish to invest in the Community Impact Fund, or to a community cause or issue that is particularly meaningful to them, can contact IECF to see how their donation might make the biggest impact. For assistance, contact Brie Griset Smith, Senior Vice President of Charitable Giving at 951-241-7777, ext. 111.

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