During 2007, Sonoma Valley Fund’s first year of operation, we were pleased to be able to award grants totaling more than $23,000 to local Sonoma Valley organizations. These grants supported a wide diversity of work, including promoting and enhancing community-wide events such as a Geographic Information Systems Day, the Watershed Walk and a Dia de los Muertos celebration, trainings to improve client services and mentoring skills and build capacity for effective strategic planning and board development, and underwriting gang prevention forums.

Our competitive grants program was designed specifically to complement the competitive grants offered by Community Foundation Sonoma County, and to give local groups an additional source for funds. We offered grants in two areas – Branch out Grants for programs or events that help build community and Strong Roots Grants for projects that strengthen a nonprofit’s capabilities.

Through the continued support of donors and the growth of our endowment over time, the Sonoma Valley Fund is committed to providing a permanent source of funds to benefit our entire community.

Harriet Derwingson, Chair, Grants Committee

Sonoma Valley Fund

We are very excited to celebrate the first successful year with the founding board members and advisors of the Sonoma Valley Fund, the newest affiliate of Community Foundation Sonoma County.

Led by Board President Whitney Evans, the personal enthusiasm and generosity of this group has already inspired friends and neighbors to join them in a concerted effort to provide for Sonoma Valley’s future well-being. The goal to build an endowment fund, led with their own commitments,

to ensure a legacy of support for nonprofit organizations in Sonoma Valley, is most commendable. At the same time, the Sonoma Valley Fund has  been quick to respond to immediate local needs with a $23,000 grant making program and by supporting the community forums on gang prevention efforts.

Please know that the Community Foundation staff is always ready to assist donors in the Sonoma Valley with achieving their planned giving goals as well as establishing donor-advised funds. I offer my congratulations to this dynamic group on its impressive accomplishments in fundraising, awareness building and grantmaking as illustrated in its first Annual Report.

Kay M. Marquet, President/CEO

Community Foundation Sonoma County