25 Years - Historical Highlights

The Community Foundation was founded with a vision to secure the future of our community. February 28, 1998, we received the official stamp of approval from the IRS.

Jim Webster, who moved to Reno in 1992, says that he realized that our region needed a community foundation after roaming around California and building relationships for the Reno office of Gabelli Asset Management. He spoke with several professional advisors who told him about community foundations. He had been looking for a way to contribute to Reno and realized establishing a community foundation was it!

In our 25-year history, we have awarded $169 million in grants and scholarships locally, nationally, and around the world. We connect people who care with causes that matter.

We extend our gratitude to the donors, founders, board members, volunteers, staff, professional advisors, and community for their invaluable contributions towards making a positive impact in northern Nevada.

In 1999, $1.5 million was granted out one year after becoming a 501(c)3 organization to 47 local organizations, including KNPB (now PBS Reno), The Nature Conservancy, National Automobile Museum,  Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada Women's Fund, Reno Jazz Orchestra, Step 2, and many more.

In 2006, that number increased to more than $15 million granted into the community.

Now, in our 25th year, we’ve granted $169 million in grants and scholarships to our community and worldwide. We reviewed 680 scholarship applications and awarded 280 scholarships on behalf of local individuals, families, and organizations.

We’ve also expanded our impact beyond awarding grants and scholarships. Last year, we:

• Supported 42% of new residents at the Village on Sage Street to reduce their debt
• Facilitated 11 executive directors through our Nonprofit Academy
• Raised awareness in our community about preventing financial scams
• Supplied countless family caregivers with resources through NevadaCaregivers.org and a caregiver guidebook
• Educated 150 community members about the importance of estate planning

In 2000, the Community Endowment Fund, now known as the Northern Nevada Endowment Fund, was established to build a permanent savings account for our region that grows over time. This fund made the first grant in 2017, allowing us to respond flexibly to unanticipated problems or opportunities.

Similarly to how a tree bears fruit each year, endowment funds grant out the investment income that grows each year from the fund principal into the community.

To date, this fund has granted $404,200 to support high-priority needs, including support for seniors, child abuse prevention, Covid-19 support, mental health support services, and much more.

In 2001, The Reno Chamber Orchestra Endowment Fund was established to provide support for the mission of the Reno Chamber Orchestra in perpetuity. 

The Reno Chamber Orchestra (RCO) was established in 1974 as a collaboration between founding Music Director and Conductor Emeritus Vahe Khochayan and a group of musician colleagues playing in casino showroom orchestras. Audiences have grown substantially over the years, leading the annual events to expand to ten performances of chamber orchestra concerts, multiple smaller chamber events, and since 2004, the nationally-known Nevada Chamber Music Festival (NCMF). The RCO has been named one of the Best of Reno and Best Performing Arts Group, and five RCO musicians have received the prestigious Governor’s Award for Artistic Achievement.

Since 2001, this fund has distributed over $178k back to support the various programs of the Reno Chamber Orchestra. Most recently, the fund supported finding their third-ever music director.

“We wanted to choose a director who would help us to build an artistic identity that truly represents us as a chamber orchestra and what makes us unique. Kelly Kuo was chosen in July of 2021 after a nationwide search, that was interrupted by a pandemic!

We are now in Kelly’s second season as music director, and he has really opened the door to a new era for the RCO! The support we get from the Community Foundation definitely makes that possible.” - Reno Chamber Orchestra Staff

Since 2002, this fund has granted over $1.5 million in scholarships to children of Caesars (formerly Harrah's) employees, attending higher education. The scholarship partnered with Phil and Jennifer Satre this year to match scholarship funding.

In a thank you note from 2016, one recipient, Trenton Sorge, said, "Your scholarship will change my life for the better. You have given a kid with a tough break a second chance, and for that, I have much appreciation."

We reached out to Trenton this year to get an update: "Seven years later, I find myself just as appreciative of the support of the scholarship as I did when I received it. It actively granted me the opportunity to obtain a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's in Business Administration, which helped me grow personally, professionally, and academically. Currently, I'm utilizing my degrees at a Private Equity Merchant Bank in Reno, Nevada, hoping to further my career in the finance industry. I would, yet again, like to express my gratitude towards Phil & Jennifer Satre and the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada for their vital role in turning my goals into a reality." - Trenton Sage, 2023

The Mortensen Nevada Historical Trust Fund was established by Marjorie L. Mortensen in 2003 and provides support for the Nevada Historical Society's research library collection.

Marjorie chose to provide long-term support of educational resources at the Nevada Historical Society by setting up a fund to purchase historically relevant library, manuscript, and photography collections. To date, over $75k has been granted from this fund to benefit the Nevada Historical Society.

“It is great to see how our community connects to people, places, and events that shape Nevada when they visit the Nevada Historical Society.  Often people are surprised by Nevada’s history, like the Grosh brothers being the original discoverers of silver in Virginia City. Thanks to the Mortensen Nevada Historical Trust, we purchased the Grosh brother letters for our collections that are widely recognized as among the top historically significant Gold Rush era documents.” -  Catherine Magee, Director, Nevada Historical Society

In 2004, Margaret E. Oser established an endowment fund in her name to support women of Churchill County with health, education, and social expenses.   

This grant is a partnership with Soroptimist International of Fallon, which runs the Request for Proposal process. 

In the fund’s history, they have granted over $70,000 to 20 different organizations.

"Soroptimist International of Fallon is excited to report the Margaret E. Oser Endowment Fund for Women has provided serious improvement in the lives of women.  Last year we were able to provide funding to multiple non-profit organizations supporting women and girls in Churchill County/Fallon.  These included Domestic Violence Intervention, New Frontier Drug and Alcohol Program for the Room for Ruth post-recovery support home, Pregnancy Care Center, Juvenile Probation, and Students in Transition supporting homeless girls.  Through the distribution of the Margaret E. Oser funds, we attempt to provide financial assistance for their work to give women and girls the support they need to make good choices and to have a hand up in life." - Sue Chambers, Soroptimist International of Fallon

The High School Giving Circle was also established in 2005 and is funded by an anonymous donor each year. 

The program involves Washoe County high school teens learning the grant process, including how to read 990s, working together as a giving circle, and make funding decisions based on community needs. Since its inception, this fund has granted over $222,000 to the community with direction from high schoolers.

Check out these anonymous quotes from some past Giving Circle participants:

“I learned about the impact my decisions have upon people. I never realized I could make a difference, but I have.”

"One of my biggest highlights was having the nonprofits come in person and being able to ask them actual questions. It felt very clear which nonprofits were best suited for a grant from HSGC. To see the real impact in my community was an eye-opening experience."

“It was great working with others to determine what kind of Northern Nevada we want to see.”

“Having the charities thank us at the end really made me feel like I had made an impact on the community. That gave me hope for a better world in the future.”

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The Truckee River Fund (TRF) was established in 2005. It is funded through a donation from the Truckee Meadows Water Authority. This fund has supported 208 projects with $15,772,612 granted out since 2005.

“Truckee River Fund’s support of One Truckee River developed a Truckee River Water Trail Project focused on coordination and fundraising for ongoing facility, river access, and signage improvements for paddlers and pedestrians. One effort under the Project, with key partners Truckee Meadows Water Authority and Washoe County, was the purchase of three Loos that are being installed in the City of Reno, one installed at Brodhead Park in 2020, another just completed at John Champion Park, and a third scheduled for City Plaza in 2024. A unique component of this effort is the connection to human service groups to increase care of the Truckee River east of downtown Reno.  

Truckee River Fund’s support of One Truckee River jump-started a River-Friendly Living program, working together to love the Truckee River!...The Program is focused on adult education to protect our watershed.” - Iris Jehle-Peppard, One Truckee River Executive Director

Part of the River-Friendly Living program includes educating the community on how to protect the Truckee River with a Landscape Design 101 workshop, which had a great turnout and ratings from participants.

Established in 2006, the Frank Bender Charitable Fund supports the Washoe County Library System. Grants are made in memory of Frank Norcross, Frank Bender's grandfather, a federal judge who secured funding in the 1920s to establish the first library in Washoe County. 

“Washoe County Libraries checked out over 2 million books to local patrons, with over 77% of Washoe County residents owning a library card.

Our 2022-2025 strategic plan focuses our resources on providing an excellent book collection, providing welcoming and renovated spaces, helping the workforce, lifelong learners, seniors, supporting K-12 students, and celebrating our diverse community.

We appreciate the support of the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada. We are happy with their support in honor of Frank Bender and Frank Norcross. Frank Norcross was instrumental in establishing the first library in Nevada and set policies and processes that have allowed Nevada libraries to flourish over the past 100 years.” - Jeff Scott, Library Director

The Community Partnership Grant Program was initially funded by Community Foundation fundholders and was inaugurated to strengthen our region's nonprofits in 2007. The grants awarded in 2007 were focused on capacity building through technological improvements and professional development. $240K was distributed to 25 nonprofits in the first year.

This fund was unique because it gifted out everything it raised each year. Gifts were made to this fund by fundholders and community members. 

Eventually, this program evolved into the Northern Nevada Endowment fund, allowing our community to unite together forever. When combined over time with your neighbors’ and friends’ gifts, over time gifts will grow to be a great philanthropic resource to meet pressing community needs. During tough times, the Community Endowment can be used to address unforeseen and critical issues, like COVID-19 relief. Northern Nevada Endowment grants can support area nonprofits’ innovative and valuable services during good times. This fund serves as an unending resource for good for our region, now totaling more than $5.2 million. The fund will continue to grow each year - forever. 

The Northern Nevada Endowment made its first grant in 2017 and has since granted $404K to support high-priority needs, including support for seniors, domestic violence victims, Covid-19 support, mental health support services, and much more. 

The 100% Giving Board award was first distributed in 2008. It started with only 13 organizations with 234 total board members for a total of $649,000.

Since its inception,  this award has stimulated $41.2 million from board members supporting their organizations through their time and financial giving. 

Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful is the only organization to receive this award every year since 2008.

“The KTMB Board prides itself on being 100% giving because it supports the KTMB mission.  It shows how invested the Board is in supporting KTMB's work to clean, beautify and educate our community about living sustainably and reducing waste.” - Aaron Altshuler, KTMB Board Chair

"I have only been the Executive Director of KTMB for the past two years, so most of the honor belongs to those who preceded me; our previous Executive Director, Christi Cakiroglu and past Board Members.  That said, I am proud to continue this KTMB tradition and am continually impressed with the commitment that each of our Board Members has shown with their financial support.  It is a testament to their love of our region and their commitment to the KTMB Mission." - Mark Cameron, Executive Director of Keep Truckee Meadows

Born Kory’ien Taylen, Boomer’s mother Ariane, recalls Boomer at an early age asking advanced questions such as, “If planet Earth is round, how does a car keep from falling off?”

Preschool wasn’t in the budget as she struggled to build a career of her own as a working, single mom in Reno. Yet Ariane was determined to find some way to engage and challenge her smart, active little guy. The Read With Me Scholarship, which paid for full-time preschool, turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. That doctor was Robin Ballantyne, M.D.

Within a few weeks of hearing about Dr. Ballantyne’s program and submitting Boomer’s application, her cell phone rang with exciting news: Boomer was selected for the Read With Me Scholarship, one of just two children for that year.

This year, he is attending Stanford University with a full-ride academic scholarship, a year younger than most of his fellow seniors. Boomer, who is of Sioux descent, hopes to become a doctor for Native Americans and for others who are medically underserved. 

"The Read with Me Scholarship meant the world to my mother and I at the time because it gave me the opportunity to get quality preschool education that my mom could not afford, but I would have never imagined it would have been the launching point for an educational journey that landed me at Stanford. I will forever be grateful for my Read with Me Scholarship." - Boomer Taylen, 2023

The Read with Me scholarship has awarded 45 students this scholarship since 2005.

Duraflex has been the official diving board manufacturer for the Olympic Games since the Rome Olympics in 1960 and is based in Sparks, Nevada. The charitable arm of Duraflex is the Raymond C. Rude Supporting Foundation, established in 2010 as a supporting organization. 

Krysta Palmer from Gardnerville, NV, was a bronze medal Olympian in the women’s 3-meter springboard diving at the 2021 Olympic Games. She received support from the Raymond C. Rude Supporting Foundation to advance her diving and support her training.

“This grant has helped provide economic support for Krysta to focus on diving. At 20 years old she walked onto my team and was working in a casino. With this grant, she was able to quit her job and focus on diving. With this financial support, she achieved becoming an Olympic Bronze medalist and plans to compete again in the 2024 Olympics!” – Jianli You, Head Diving Coach, University of Nevada, Reno and Team USA

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Lena Maria Migala was the recipient of the inaugural Peggy Bowker Memorial Scholarship for Women in Engineering. 

Peggy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1978. She had the distinction of being the first licensed civil engineer in the state of Nevada. This accomplishment matched the drive and determination she demonstrated in all facets of her life. 

This scholarship was established in Peggy’s memory and is designed to carry her legacy of helping women break the “glass ceiling” and open doors for women following.

"The timing here is great as 2023 celebrates my 10-year anniversary since graduating with my BS in Electrical Engineering from UNR. I came from a single-parent, low-income household. Because of generous community programs and scholarships like this one, I was able to become the first college graduate in my family. That has changed the trajectory of my life and I have so much gratitude for that. After graduating, I interviewed with several companies and eventually accepted a role as an Associate Solution’s Engineer at a cloud telecommunications company, where I am still employed as a Principal Consultant, with room for career growth. Women in tech has always been very special to me and I encourage young women to pursue education and careers in tech, knowing how much happiness and success that path has brought me." 

In February, Lena was awarded the Regional Solutions Consultant of the Year for Genesys. 

The Peggy Bowker Memorial Scholarship for Women in Engineering has supported 41 women to pursue advanced STEM education.

The Crone's Coin fund was established by Marjorie Brookman Marlowe in 2011.

Grants from the fund are dedicated to providing assistance to women in Washoe County who are 62 years old or older to remain in their homes for as long as possible. This fund has helped over 20 seniors since 2012 with surgery, home repairs, and medical bills. The impact of Marjorie’s legacy is huge for those individuals who were able to stay in the comfort of their own homes without the stress of medical care or home repairs. 

Dream Tags Charitable Fund was established in 2012 through Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS). It is funded through raffle ticket sales to win six big game tags annually. A total of 48 grants have been distributed since 2012; $3.1 million has been granted, with another $20.3 million leveraged in matching funds. The Dream Tags Fund is an excellent example of how community foundations support public agencies through philanthropic services.

The most recent project to receive funding from this fund was to rehabilitate land destroyed by wildfires between 2018 and 2022, impacting nearly 1,466,950 million acres collectively. This is a joint project between the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, and private landowners.

RenoYouthNetwork.com was created through the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada's You'N-I Initiative. You'N-I was established in 2013 to address youth homelessness and is now led by the Eddy House.

You'N-I started by convening the community to understand youth homelessness and the various gaps in services. The most impactful part of the convening day was hearing from teens experiencing homelessness and their friends who had opinions about what was needed in our community to support themselves, their friends, or their family members.

You'N-I made a positive impact on youth who were homeless, and ultimately, a drop-in center was created, which led to the now 24-hour drop-in facility and created a one-stop shop for access to available resources. 

This January, Davon and Aiden (pictured) celebrated moving into their own place! These two hardworking and kind young men from Eddy House's Community Living Program saved up for their own apartment while working full-time jobs. They secured these jobs with an Eddy House workforce partner, consistently showed up on time, and worked hard. 

Before Davon and Aiden left, they put their handprints on Eddy House's graduate wall, signifying the end of their journey at Eddy House. Our team was so excited for these two to start this new chapter and wishes them continued success.

"Eddy House is the only day center and emergency shelter for any homeless youth age 18-24 in Northern Nevada. In 2021, Eddy House provided 12,420 overnight stays, more than 11,000 meals, and many other essential resources to 374 unique individuals…The need for youth-specific essential services in our community is increasing, but Eddy House is here to achieve the vision of ending youth homelessness in northern Nevada." - Eddy House

The Gene and Betty Kopfhammer Legacy Fund was established in 2014.

Betty Kopfhammer lived a childhood that was full of hardship and adventure, she grew into a person filled with love and compassion. She expressed her gratitude for the hospital that helped her and the nonprofits that help women and children in difficult situations.

Each year, a portion of the fund is distributed with 50% going to support cancer, heart, emergency services, and nursing education at Carson Tahoe Hospital Foundation.

"The Gene and Betty Kopfhammer Fund's impact on Carson Tahoe Health, its patients, and the community is truly indescribable. The fund has supported many crucial areas in our hospital, including our cancer resource center, cardiology, emergency services, and continuing education for our nurses.

Patients who visit our Cancer Resource Center while undergoing treatment receive support that goes beyond the hospital walls. Support like mortgage and rent payments, car repairs, gas cards, assistance with medical bills, free massages and Reiki, grocery cards, and more. This is all possible because of community support and the generous Kopfhammer grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada. 

Just this last year, one of our patients who owned their own trucking company was diagnosed with neck cancer and unable to work. On top of being unable to work, they lost most of their teeth because of this diagnosis. After a quick visit to our Cancer Resource Center, we were able to pay for a full dental surgery and dentures for the patient. This story and many, many others is a heartwarming example of what our Cancer Resource Center provides because of the generosity of this grant." - Angelina Craig, Philanthropy Officer, Carson Tahoe Health

Other annual distributions from this fund support the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, Make a Wish, Friends in Service Helping, and Advocates to End Domestic Violence in Carson City. 

To date, over $520K has been granted out from this fund to support the causes that mattered most to Betty Kopfhammer.

Our first affiliate fund, the Community Foundation of Elko County, was founded in 2015, and to date, they have granted $125k to improve the lives of those in Elko County. So far, 14 unique organizations have received grants. 

“I was a believer in the power of what something like this could do for Elko County from the very beginning.” Katie Neddenriep, Elko Community Foundation board member, “This demonstrates our commitment to encourage money to stay in Elko County, or in this case, bring it back…It’s like a baby. You want that baby to one day become a fully functioning independent adult. Ideally, that will happen in my lifetime,” Katie said. 

This fund is building a long-term resource for Elko thanks to the generosity of Kinross Bald Mountain, Nevada Gold, and Eide Bailly - along with Katie and Kurt Neddenriep and Kevin and Ann Marie Melcher contributing as individuals.

In 2016, our mission to connect people who care with causes that matter was supported by our Corporate Philanthropy Partners (CPP). These CPPs comprise businesses that operate with a strategic framework of corporate social responsibility, striving to enhance the community they serve by engaging with customers, fostering growth opportunities, and promoting the well-being of their employees and their families. 

Together we helped:

• 42% of The Village on Sage Street residents to reduce their debt
• Established a website, NevadaCaregivers.org, and a guidebook to support unpaid family caregivers caring for seniors
• Created 11 PSAs to help prevent financial scams
• Created a guidebook to help family members stay safe after the loss of a loved one
• Much more

“I felt safe being in a gated community and The Village was always clean. I was able to save enough for a car and a house. I became an experienced machine operator and am moving up at work.” - Anonymous Past Village Resident

As of our 25th anniversary, we have 13 partners joining us on our mission: Amada Senior Care, Dickson Realty, Atlantis, Wells Fargo, Duraflex, Estipona Group, PBS Reno, EDAWN, Charles Schwab Bank, Aspen Earthworks, Bank of America, Chase International Real Estate, and Raley’s.

The GIAR Grandmothers First-Generation Scholarship Fund was established in 2017. 

This scholarship is established in memory and honor of Gramie Georgina, Grandma Isabella, Grandmother Ann, and Grannie Ruth, all first-generation women who were never able to attend college. Awards fund undergraduate or graduate college education of first-generation young women of Portuguese, Mexican, Central American, or South American ancestry under the age of 25. The funds will pay for the college or university education at an accredited college or university of the student's choice.

Since its establishment in 2017, 65 scholarships have been awarded, totaling $220,000.

“Being a first-generation Latina comes with its own battles, especially not having any economic support from my family, as I come from a low-income family. Receiving this scholarship has lifted the burdens that I otherwise would’ve faced. I was able to work less hours and give more of my time towards my academics. Now that I’ve graduated with my BS in Mechanical Engineering and work full time as a Project Engineer with Gilbane, not a day goes by that I am grateful for receiving the GIAR Scholarship and other CFNN scholarships.” - Daniela Saldate, 2023

The Community Housing Land Trust (CHLT) LLC was established in April 2018 to provide affordable and workforce housing in northern Nevada. With this model, the home built on the land is sold to an income-qualified family. The Community Foundation retains ownership of the land, allowing the house to stay affordable and below market rates. The idea to start a community land trust in Northern Nevada came from a community conversation on workforce housing in 2017 and research with community foundations' housing initiatives nationwide.

In 2019, Kyle Isacksen and his wife, Katy Chandler, approached the Community Foundation about a vacant lot they bought in their neighborhood. Their idea was to start a community land trust, but they soon discovered the Community Foundation had already begun one the year before. Then-CEO Chris Askin met with Kyle to discuss how they could work together. Over the next year and a half, Kyle constructed a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom house with solar paneling, extra insulation, and efficient cooling and heating. In January 2021, Aria and James (pictured) became first-time homeowners of the new City Cottage home.

In a message to the Community Foundation, Aria wrote: "For the past few years, I have worked for a non-profit addressing affordable housing issues in our community, and I saw how dire the housing situation has gotten. I'm a non-profit worker and James is disabled, and seeing the reality of the housing market first hand, we never thought that buying a home would ever be a reality for us. As we recently began discussing starting our family, we thought about how we could make that work in our tiny apartment. When this opportunity came along, it was a blessing that we never thought we would have. We are so grateful to Kyle, Katy, and the Community Foundation for how they have changed our lives. And I am so excited for our future."

Today, the Community Housing Land Trust has formed one home called the City Cottage and the Village on Sage Street.

In 2018, the Community Foundation was approached by private developers Par Tolles and Allison Gorelick with a rare opportunity to acquire a former man camp in Wyoming to create modular dorm-style housing units at a fraction of their original price to turn into a 216 unit dorm-style community.

Through a unique partnership with the City of Reno (which donated 4 acres of land in downtown Reno), builders, Volunteers of America, and led by the Community Foundation, the Village on Sage Street was built and opened in 2019 at 300 Sage Street, Reno, Nevada. 

Village on Sage Street is bridge housing that is a hand-up, not a handout or a profit maker. While we expect the Village on Sage Street to be bridge housing for most lodgers, there is no time limit on the length of residency.

One lodger lived in the Village for 11 months. By the end of their stay, they had reduced their debt, increased their monthly income by $400, and moved into a house. During their exit interview, they said:

“I felt safe being in a gated community, and the Village was always clean. I was able to save enough for a car and a house. I became an experienced machine operator and am moving up at work.”

The facility is 100% occupied, and over 130 people have moved on to independent housing. During their stay, lodgers typically increase their income, reduce debt and make progress on their goals. The Community Foundation raised $8.7m in partnership with the City of Reno and NV Division of Housing to expand this successful project in 2023.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a fund was established at the Community Foundation with support from the local community. Representatives from Washoe County, the City of Sparks, the City of Reno, and the Chamber of Commerce raised $330k to benefit nearly 60 organizations, health facilities, and small businesses.

The fund was created from the Community Foundation's Community Fund, now the Northern Nevada Endowment, the Community Reserve Fund, and over 150 generous individuals. This fund initially aided frontline healthcare workers and their families struggling with stress, anxiety, and exhaustion.

Subsequent funding rounds focused on supporting nonprofits and other organizations that responded to community needs directly attributed to the pandemic. Additionally, nearly 20 local restaurants were supported through the COVID KINDNESS program, which provided gift cards and meals for frontline healthcare workers and their families. Thanks to the community's collective efforts, this fund significantly supported those affected by the pandemic in Northern Nevada.

Plumas Bank established the Dixie Fire Fund in partnership with The Community Foundation of Northern Nevada in 2021 to provide emergency hardship support and aid for communities impacted by the Dixie Fire. The fund raised more than $250,000, which includes donations from Plumas Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. The Community Foundation also joined the Dixie Fire Funders Roundtable to pool these funds with other funders.

During the last 18 months, the fund awarded grants to Plumas Rural Services, Westwood Family Resource Center, Maidu Summit Consortium, Lost Sierra Food Project, Greenville Rancheria Fire Department, Sierra Institute for Community and Environment, and others. The grants provided for basic needs, including food, shelter, and supplies, support for rebuilding and workforce development, and advancement of commercial, financial, industrial, and civic interests for the communities most devastated by the fire. The Dixie Fire Fund's goal is to help revitalize the area and support its long-term recovery.

“We’re grateful to the Community Foundation for administering the Dixie Fire Fund,” said Stacy Kendall, Plumas Bank vice president of marketing and community engagement. “Everything came together very quickly, and the fund’s advisory council shared a deep commitment to supporting our neighboring California communities who lost so much.”

Over 250 community members came together for the first annual Youth Mental Health Summit. The Youth Mental Health Summit brought together to discuss available resources and what steps the community needed to take to help youth mental health. The event was organized by Connect Washoe County, a collaboration between the Children’s Cabinet, Renown Health, Washoe County School District, and the Nevada Office of Suicide Prevention.

Big things are ahead for philanthropy in our community!

The Community Foundation staff and board are gearing up for their future by going into strategic planning in a few months. We held a visioning session late last year where participants brainstormed and shared ideas on various topics. From nonprofit education to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the team worked together to create a plan and goals to drive the organization's direction for 2023 and beyond. We are so excited for the next 25 years of serving northern Nevada.