OUR 2022-23
HIGHLIGHTS
On a mission to strengthen the IE through philanthropy
Nefertiti Long was elected chair of the IECF board of directors. A San Bernardino resident and chief operating officer at Alta Loma Enterprises, based in Rancho Cucamonga, California, Long joined the IECF board in 2017 and has chaired the foundation’s Women’s Giving Fund. Her professional associations include the Alliance of Black Women Accountants, the National Association for Female Executives, and Financial Executives International.
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians gifted $1 million to launch the SMBMI Team Member Dependent Scholarship Fund with IECF. In its first round of grantmaking, the fund awarded 59 scholarships, totaling more than $500,000. “Everyone should have access to higher education,” says SMBMI Vice Chairman Johnny Hernandez. “We hope this lightens the burden of funding those dreams.”
The S.L. Gimbel Foundation added $9.9 million to the S.L. Gimbel Fund, which IECF has stewarded since 2010. The fund honors the memory of Susan H. Gimbel and advances her favorite causes, including arts, education, the environment, and human dignity issues.
IECF held its first Advocacy Day to formally introduce the organization to lawmakers and their staffs in Sacramento. An IECF board and staff delegation met with members of the Inland Empire Caucus and the Office of the Governor. IECF believes that increasing the region’s footprint in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., will facilitate investments needed for the region.
A year after IECF launched the IE Giving Hub, the digital platform is raising awareness of local nonprofits and connecting them with supporters who want to give and/or volunteer. The IE Giving Hub provides information about organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including an overview of their work, leadership, recent tax filings and financials, and volunteer opportunities. An easy-to-use “Donate” mechanism allows the nonprofits to receive donations immediately.
iegivinghub.iegives.org
IECF was part of a contingent of local leaders who greeted Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, when he visited the Inland Empire in April to learn more about the region. The visit was the culmination of two earlier 2023 learning events whereupon IECF hosted numerous Gates Foundation global and national staff members. Starting in 2020, the Gates Foundation has funded and tasked IECF with building its in-house policy and advocacy arm focused on educational equity.
Above from left: Laguna Food Pantry received a $15,000 grant from the S.L. Gimbel Foundation Fund, which is administered by IECF; An IECF delegation met with the Inland Empire Caucus and the Office of the Governor during the organization’s first Advocacy Day; donors can support enrichment programs for Inland Empire children through the IE Giving Hub. Bill Gates met a contingent of community and education leaders on his visit to learn about the Inland Empire.
Top right; © Gates Archive/Christopher Farber
