Free Essay Dedicated to California Community Foundation

California Community Foundation is a non-profit organization that is committed to transforming lives through civic engagement and effective philanthropy. It is based in Los Angeles, California and begun operating in 1915 (Sacks, 2014). The foundation offers grants and other forms of financial support to local non-profits, with the aim of strengthening communities and helping vulnerable populations. In this case, it can fulfil its mission and objectives through charitable fund management, fundraising, grantmaking, and convening with donors and foundation partners, who are among its main sources of revenue.

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Donors

CFC relies heavily on donors, granters, and other sources of revenue to fund its activities and mission of strengthening communities in Los Angeles. In this case, the foundation helps donors realize their philanthropic goals by making their contribution experiences more meaningful (Sacks, 2014). The donors are often classified into different groups based on their objectives. For instance, the Artisan-based South Asian network (SAN's) is a foundation donor at California Community Foundation. Its key agenda is to change the common misperceptions about Middle Eastern, Arab, and South Asian communities. In this regard, the SAN's foundation promotes civic engagement and facilitates the building of nonprofit organizations that serve residents in Los Angeles through donations (Sacks, 2014). On the other hand, Chris Chandler, the founder of Wilderness Youth Leadership Diversity, is a corporate donor that uses the great outdoors as a setting for leadership programs to bring together underserved U.S veterans and the youth through mutually beneficial mentoring relationships. That is to say, Chris Chandler gives funds and donations to CFS to promote leadership and mentoring programs for the underserved youth and military veterans.

CFC's Focus

CFC is focused on addressing six main issues affecting residents and communities in L.A County including affordable housing, healthcare, education, civic engagement, arts, and human development. As a result, it has partnered with different groups and organization to fund programs and initiatives related to these issues (Griffin & Prakash, 2014). It also works with donors and residents to transform their generosity to impact the community and realize a healthier, stronger, and more prosperous future for all Angelinos. In this case, its commitment to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and faithful stewardship of donor contributions has made the organization be entrusted with more than $1.5 billion in assets and 1,600 funds. Additionally, it has given over $2 billion in grants and received more than $2.2 billion from donor contributions since 2000, which has helped the organization mitigate the problems affecting Angelinos.

California Community Foundation CSR activities

The California Community Foundation is involved in many corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. In this case, the organization champions issues that affect communities and poor residents living in Los Angeles and its environs. For instance, since 2000 CFC has granted over $30 million to support small businesses, low-income entrepreneurs, and nonprofits as they create jobs, wealth, and revitalize their communities (Griffin & Prakash, 2014). Similarly, CFS is committed to providing affordable and permanent housing to those in need. In this regard, research has shown that it awarded over $1.7million grants to 21 non-profit housing providers in 2011, thus making it possible for around 41,000 people to access affordable homes (Griffin & Prakash, 2014). Furthermore, the foundation has awarded almost $50 million to children's health insurance programs, substance use prevention, advocacy, and community clinics since 2000, thus enhancing the health and well-being of families in Los Angeles.

References

Griffin, J. J., & Prakash, A. (2014). Corporate responsibility: Initiatives and mechanisms. Business & Society, 53(4), 465-482.

https://www.calfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-ANNUAL-REPORT.pdfSacks, E. (2014). The growing importance of community foundations.