Hello everyone, and welcome to a wet and cool spring!
April was packed with great things happening in the IE, and you’ll find lots to be proud of in our newsletter, including our recent CIELO grantmaking, a new environmental stewardship fund, and the date for the IECF Policy and Philanthropy Summit – August 6! You’ll also meet Pat Brinker in this newsletter, a donor whose story reflects what devoted, determined people can do for a community.
For me, it is also a time to celebrate my colleague, Celia Cudiamat, whose work at the Foundation as its Chief Impact Officer has left a deep mark on me, the Foundation, and our region. Celia’s lens on the world is one of justice and fairness. She has championed the small nonprofit, always seeing the value in people who wake up every day to do something important for their community. She has been a stalwart friend to many nonprofit leaders, especially our leaders of color.
This isn’t abstract – Celia sees and invests in the myriad ways lives are changed because of the care and hard work of many unsung heroes. In her role, she shaped the giving and priorities of IECF, even when regulations and requirements of grants made that challenging. Because of how she sees the world, she championed the equity lens we now use at IECF and guided and supported me, as the leader of this amazing organization, to hew to the values of inclusion and equity.
We could not be happier to continue her giving through a named fund. Help me thank Celia, and may we continue to follow her approach – trust, fairness, and kindness – to build a foundation that serves all of the Inland Empire.
Read the full newsletter, and, as always, reach out to me with your thoughts, comments, and ideas. I love to hear them!