Central Valley Community Foundation (formerly the Fresno Regional Foundation)

CVCF is committed to these four priority areas:

1. Education and Job Training: Building the 'human capital' of the Central Valley;
2. Jobs: Expanding economic opportunities for low-income residents in the Central Valley;
3. Healthy, Safe Neighborhoods: Revitalizing distressed neighborhoods in the Central Valley; and
4. Quality Environment: Promoting a healthy environment and stewarding natural resources.

In addition, CVCF strives to continue to offer the best local services in philanthropy management as responsible stewards of charitable dollars.

CVCF is working to accomplish our goals through strategic grant making, CVCF-initiated projects, and coalition building, briefly detailed below:

The Fresno DRIVE Initiative is a 10-year Community Investment Plan drafted with input from a 300-person steering committee representing over 150 organizations in the Greater Fresno Region. The composition of the DRIVE coalition is unprecedented, representing a diverse group of civic, community, and business leaders that is committed to reducing the severe racial and economic disparities that exist in Fresno. The DRIVE plan is comprised of 18 investment initiatives that collectively call for nearly $4.2 billion of investment across three areas: economic development, human capital, and neighborhood revitalization. When successfully executed, the investment plan will deliver nearly 50,000 jobs, over 13,000 affordable housing units, 5,500 small business supported, and nearly 70,000 workers trained. More information can be found at www.fresnodrive.org.

Valley to Valley Initiative: An effort to recruit business investment from the San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley to the Central Valley.

PRO Neighborhoods: A 3-year, $5 million initiative funded by JP Morgan Chase, CVCF is the lead agency for a collaborative involving 11 community based organizations and 3 community development financial institutions. Half of the funds go to nonprofit lenders to make loans to small business and housing projects, and the remaining funds provide grant funding to CBOs to train them in small business lending.

Shared Prosperity Partnership: An initiative focusing on growing the local, regional economy, as well as ensuring that low income residents in our communities are prepared for and have access to economic opportunities.

Council of Business Sponsors: An initiative focused on CVCF's job and education priority areas.

College Pipeline Plan: An initiative funded by the College Futures Foundation to convene secondary and post-secondary leaders to develop a Fresno Region plan to increase bachelor degree attainment.

Transformational Opportunities for Youth: A multi-year, strategic re-granting initiative funded by The Hewlett Foundation to address teen pregnancy rates.

Bechtel Foundation Water Initiative: Funded by the Bechtel Foundation, CVCF is one of five community foundations selected to participate in a "water cohort" to re-grant funds for local water-related priorities.

Central Valley Legislators Roundtable: An effort to build collaborative, working relationships with legislators to build the region's civic infrastructure.

Inland California Rising: In partnership with UC Riverside's Center for Social Transformation and the San Bernardino Community Foundation, a series of summits through Inland California in 2019. The summits will convene universities, community foundations, and mayors from Sacramento to Riverside to build a mega-coalition focused on jobs, housing, transportation, and education.

We work with donors and nonprofits to advance effective philanthropy and build stronger communities. Our staff has an in-depth knowledge of the needs in our region and the agencies and organizations that are working to find solutions. In October 2015, we launched the Center for Community — a collaboration hub for donors, nonprofits and the local community. Located in our Fresno office, the Center for Community is a driving force in leveraging the potential and impact of those who will shape the future of the Valley.

CVCF believes we are at a unique point in time in the history of Central Valley. Our region has suffered under chronic economic distress for more than a half century making us a place “worthy” or “needy” of investment (public, private and philanthropic) by every measure, but we have not necessarily been “investment ready.” CVCF is working to transform the Central Valley into a place with the capacity necessary to deploy significant, new investment.