K., Author at IECF

A Teacher’s Legacy, a Student’s Future: Meet the First Chuck Brinker Scholar

K. — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:12:10 +0000

Charles “Chuck” Brinker spent more than two decades teaching mathematics at Ramona High School in Riverside. He stayed late to tutor students who needed extra help and had high expectations and held his students to them. Long after his retirement, his daughters still encounter former students who recognize the name and express their gratitude for the education they received from Chuck.

When Chuck passed away from Parkinson’s disease in April 2020, his family wanted to honor his legacy in a lasting way. In 2024, his wife, Pat, established the Charles “Chuck” Brinker Scholarship Fund at IECF, using a qualified charitable distribution from her IRA. The fund is designed to award up to $10,000 annually to graduating Ramona High School or Riverside Unified School District students pursuing a degree in math or a math-related field.

“College was important in our house,” said Karen, one of Chuck’s daughters. “It wasn’t if you went to college, it was when you went to college. And knowing that was how my dad felt, it’s a huge factor in this scholarship because he wanted other kids to have that option as well.“

The Brinker family made their first award in 2025. The inaugural recipient is Gavin McGowan, a Ramona graduate now studying Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley.

Gavin is exactly the kind of student the Brinker family had in mind: driven, community-rooted, and ready to make the most of his education. And there is one more connection that simply could not be scripted. Chuck was not only a math teacher; he was also a skilled carpenter who built furniture, bookcases, and a playhouse for his own family. Gavin, too, is a woodworker and is using those talents to benefit his community.

In his thank-you letter to the Brinker family, Gavin wrote:

To the family of Mr. Chuck Brinker,

From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you for this scholarship and the opportunities that it opens up for me. I am proud to be at UC Berkeley, representing Ramona and the entire Inland Empire. I am so proud of where I’m from and the people from my area who do great work like this. I know that Chuck was an amazing math teacher at Ramona, and I am excited to tackle the math in Civil Engineering at Berkeley and show these kids that Ramona math prepared me well. I also know that Chuck was quite the woodworker, as am I. I am currently the construction quality control officer for a woodworking competition team at Cal, Timber Strong, where we just finished building a playhouse for an elementary school in Oakland. Getting this scholarship took the burden of working off my shoulders for this year, and for that, I am eternally grateful to be able to take advantage of all these opportunities. This is all to say that I am so proud and grateful to have received this scholarship, and from such great people. I will not let you or our city down!

IECF is proud to administer the Chuck Brinker Scholarship Fund and honored to watch its first award go to a student who carries forward so much of what Chuck valued: a love of math, a talent for building things, and deep roots in the community he called home.

We are also saddened to share that Pat Brinker passed away on March 27, 2026. Pat was the driving force behind this scholarship, and her generosity will continue to open doors for Inland Empire students for years to come. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Brinker family and celebrate the enduring impact of everything she set in motion. The family welcomes donations in memory of Pat to the scholarship fund.

Students can apply for the Chuck Brinker Scholarship and other IECF scholarships through our Common Application Portal. If you are interested in establishing a scholarship fund of your own, contact the IECF Charitable Giving team at 951.241.7777 or giving@iegives.org.

Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

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Phil Savage IV: Championing IECF for its Time-tested Stewardship

K. — Thu, 23 May 2024 20:38:42 +0000

Phil Savage IV has been named IECF’s Professional Advisor Champion for 2023! Phil joins 39 other Professional Advisors who have received this distinction for their expertise in supporting the region through partnerships with the Foundation. To be named a Professional Advisor Champion, an advisor must establish an endowment or a fund in their own name or in the name of their family or loved one(s), or refer a client who then establishes a fund at IECF.

Phil has a unique understanding of philanthropy, from both inside and out

He hails from four generations of family members who have led by example in their dedication to lifelong community involvement and local philanthropy. Phil’s great-grandfather was instrumental in founding St. Bernardine Hospital, San Bernardino’s first nonprofit hospital, his grandfather and uncle helped start the San Bernardino Medical Group, and Phil grew up in a home where his parents were — and still are — supporters of IECF and devoted to the betterment of the region.

Phil and his wife Theresa, who is an attorney at the Court of Appeals for the State of California, met in Sacramento where they were externing for the California State Legislature after graduating from college. They came back to Southern California for law school, then established careers and raised a family in Riverside. “My family is incredibly important to me,” Phil says. “The work I do and my commitment to the community is for their benefit, both today and in the future.”

As a Professional Advisor, Phil considers it a blessing to have been mentored by some of the best in the business, including the late Chris Carpenter, who hired Phil right out of law school to do estate planning work for Best Best & Krieger. He then went on to work with his dad, Phil Savage III, for a decade at the law firm of Gresham and Savage. Today, Phil is a director in the San Bernardino office of Fennemore, where his practice focuses on business succession, estate planning and trust administration.

IECF serves as an important link between Phil, his clients, and their goals

“What I enjoy about estate planning is that I get to work one-on-one with clients and their families,” Phil says. “It’s satisfying to help my clients solve problems and find solutions so they can best take care of the people they love.”

Phil’s introduction to IECF came through Chris Carpenter in the 1990s during a meeting with IECF staff to discuss a client’s potential gift. That introduction has led to a long relationship with the Foundation, where Phil has often referred clients to aid them in accomplishing charitable giving, tax and personal goals. We’re very grateful that Phil has also demonstrated his confidence in IECF through his service as a valued board member and past board president. Phil has been a long-time participant in the Professional Advisors Council as well.

Phil sees IECF as an important intermediary between donors and the nonprofits they want to support. Early in his career, he gained firsthand knowledge of how charitable organizations work through his board-level involvement in the Riverside Library Foundation and UCR Botanic Gardens. At the time, IECF (then known as The Community Foundation) offered a program funded by the Irvine Foundation to help small nonprofits establish an endowment. Through training provided by the Foundation, Phil learned how to develop an endowment program that would raise $75K, which the Irvine Foundation then matched with $25K. His understanding of nonprofits now helps him guide his clients who may be unfamiliar with the good work local organizations are doing in our region.

Phil values IECF’s regional approach

“One thing that stands out for me is the regional focus of the Foundation,” Phil tells us. “I believe that the Inland Empire is much stronger if we team together, rather than focusing on work as individual cities. IECF does a very good job of fostering that regional approach.”

He continues, “The IE is a wonderful place. To the extent that we allow ourselves to be splintered and separated, and not to think of ourselves as a cohesive region, we’re at risk of being pulled apart and absorbed by the coastal areas. IECF focuses on our strength as an inland region.” He’s proud to note that while his daughter sees some of her friends moving away and establishing careers in other cities, she wants to build a career locally and give something back to the IE.

History and longevity inspire confidence

When referring clients, Phil shares the history and longevity of the Foundation. “Smaller, individual nonprofits and organizations are sometimes subject to a change in direction or may even close their doors, whereas IECF has over eight decades of history and experience to ensure that donations will be stewarded to reach their intended purposes. It helps my clients have confidence that their monies will go where they want them to go and be managed well. IECF can also help donors find local nonprofits that they may not have been aware of, deepening the impact of their donation to support causes close to their hearts.”

Phil tells the story of a client who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and wanted to establish a fund in honor of her late husband. “She needed a solution to make a gift in a complicated time of her life. We were able to work with the Foundation in a quick and easy process. It went very well, without my client having to second guess or feel like something was compromised.” Phil also notes that other clients may take years to finalize their giving details. “I’m very confident in recommending the Foundation as their lasting partner to ensure each gift will be used as it was intended.”

The IECF team offers our congratulations to Phil on being named 2023 Professional Advisors Champion, with gratitude for his commitment to creating a more equitable, just and vibrant region! For more information about joining our efforts, contact our Charitable Giving Team at giving@iegives.org

A version of this story originally appeared in our 2022/2023 Annual Report.

Stay up-to-date on the good work IECF is doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our monthly eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters.

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Teresa Rhyne is IECF’s Professional Advisors Champion for 2021-22!

K. — Wed, 22 May 2024 20:44:32 +0000

Teresa Rhyne, an estate planning attorney in Riverside, is IECF’s Professional Advisors Champion for 2021/2022! She joins 38 other Professional Advisors who have received this distinction over the past four decades. It’s our way of honoring and celebrating their expertise, partnership and contributions to the success of the Foundation and the region.

As generous donors consider organizations they’d like to support, IECF is privileged to have gained the confidence of an esteemed group of experts, including estate planning attorneys, CPAs, financial advisors, bank and trust officers, wealth managers and professional fiduciaries. These Professional Advisors play a critical role in the Foundation’s success as they counsel their clients on financial, legal, and tax considerations, including charitable giving.

A Professional Advisor Champion has either established a fund in their own name or in their family’s name or referred a client who then establishes a fund at IECF. Teresa has referred many clients to IECF over the years, and she’s served as a board member, too.

“I first became acquainted with IECF when I was a partner in a local law firm. We handled legal matters for the Foundation, so I learned a lot about their role in the community,” Teresa says.

At the 2025 IEEPS meeting, Brie Griset Smith, CSPG, (L) presented Teresa (R) a framed collage of her story in our annual report.

“Now, as an estate planning attorney, I talk to most of my clients about charitable giving because I think it’s an important part of the overall picture.”

During these conversations, Teresa’s clients often want to know how they can trust a nonprofit to remain focused on its mission over time. “I tell them, ‘You can’t know that after you’re gone, but there is an organization that can,’” Rhyne says, referring to IECF. “If a client is interested in a cause, rather than picking one nonprofit that may not be the same organization 20 years from now, they can set up a fund through the Foundation,” Rhyne says. “The Foundation can manage the fund and work with the donor and family members if they wish to be involved.”

One of Teresa’s clients created a trust for a Donor Advised Fund, which his five children now oversee. “His interests were animals and a particular disease that affected one of his family members, so every year the children get together to select organizations that support those causes,” she recalls. “I think they’ll be inclined toward charitable giving themselves, having participated in honoring their dad’s memory this way.”

Teresa feels confident when she refers a client to IECF. “What stands out about IECF is that it’s very professionally run and has a stellar board, staff and volunteers. As a former IECF board member, I know the level of commitment and the impressive amount of detail and work that goes on behind the scenes. The Foundation has been around for 80 years, so that says a lot.”

We congratulate Teresa on being named our 2021/2022 Professional Advisors Champion, with many thanks for helping us create a more equitable, just and vibrant region for everyone we serve!

Teresa is featured in our annual report. Read more here.

Stay up-to-date on the good work IECF is doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our monthly eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters.

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COVID-19: IE Funders Alliance Rapid Response Fund Grants Announced

K. — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 17:53:41 +0000

Last month, the first and second waves of funding from the IE Funders Alliance (FA) Rapid Response Fund distributed over $650,000 in grants to 35 nonprofits who are providing critical services such as childcare, food assistance and shelter during the pandemic. Grants, ranging from $10,000 to $25,000, will support core operations and capacity building for community based organizations doing this mission-critical work.

The Rapid Response Fund was created by the Inland Empire Funders Alliance and is housed at Inland Empire Community Foundation. The fund’s focus will remain on supporting the strength of IE organizations that are on the frontlines responding to the pandemic in their communities.

To date, the Foundation has granted to the following organizations:

1^st Round – Academy GO, Alianza Coachella Valley, Catholic Charities, Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Inland Congregations United for Change, Inland Empire Community Collaborative, Inland Empowerment, ReachOut, and United Way of Inland Valley/Inland Empire United Way for 211 services

2^nd Round – Barstow Senior Nutrition, Boys & Girls Club of Fontana, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside, BVCHD Foundation’s Mom & Dad project, Child Advocates of San Bernardino County, Chino Neighborhood House, Coachella Valley Parents, Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, Divine Connections, HOPE, DOVES of Big Bear Valley, Inc., Foothill Family Shelter, Greater Hope Foundation, High Desert Second Chance, Hope through Housing Foundation, House of Ruth Inc., Martha’s Village and Kitchen, Michelle’s Place Cancer Resource Center, Operation Safe House, Inc., Rewritten, Safe Alternatives for Everyone, Sterling Solutions, Supreme Touch Outreach, Victor Valley Community Services Councils, Voices for Children, Youth & Family Club of Pomona Valley and Youth Action Project (YAP).

As funding partners, we are proud to be among a group of philanthropic institutions that care about the Inland Empire. To date, The California Endowment, Weingart Foundation, Valenzuela Foundation, First 5 San Bernardino, First 5 Riverside, Blue Shield Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, and Wells Fargo Foundation have made contributions to or committed to the IE FA Rapid Response Fund. We invite other foundations and funding partners to join together in this effort. For more information, contact Celia Cudiamat, SVP of Grants and Community Impact at ccudiamat@iegives.org.

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A NEW NAME. A FRESH LOOK.

K. — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 11:21:26 +0000

For the first time in 19 years, The Community Foundation will go by a different name. Our new name – drumroll! – is the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF)! We’re still doing the same great work serving the Inland Empire, but now with a new name, logo, tagline and website!

In December, our family of donors and supporters gathered at our holiday reception for the “big reveal.” It was a special evening for the Foundation and comes after nearly a year and a half of vital input from donors, advisors, board members, staff and community stakeholders.

As an organization focused on growing philanthropy and collaboration in the IE, now is the time to reintroduce ourselves to donors who may not know us, to regional funders who want to invest in our area and to partners in the community that want help our region thrive and be more resilient. Our rebranding efforts, we believe, are helping us accomplish this.

When we began the process of rebranding the organization, it became clear that our name and visual identity needed to better reflect the region we serve and appeal to donors unaware of our existence. One of the main challenges we wanted to address was our name; people would often always ask, “where is your foundation?” Our new name communicates a powerful message that we are the IE. We know the IE brand has value and provides a sense a place that is embraced by our donors, nonprofits and businesses alike. And we discovered in the process that young people are reclaiming the name Inland Empire, which we think bodes well for our shared future in the IE.

Along with a new name it was time for a new look. Our vibrantly-colored logo reflects a contemporary mark that unifies the region as a forward-thinking and diverse community. Furthermore, we wanted to convey the Foundation as accessible, approachable and friendly by displaying “ie” in lowercase; and with “CF” in uppercase this demonstrates our organization as solid, established and here for the long term. The logo is also reinforced by our new tagline, “where giving grows,” which symbolizes the power of giving over time.

Although we have a new name and brand identity, we are the same Foundation and a trusted steward of the region’s charitable resources. More than ever, we are committed to our donors who care passionately about benefiting our community forever.

In addition to grantmaking, the Foundation will continue to serve as a leader on important social and community issues through our work on Census 2020, Listos California, Inland Economic Growth and Opportunity (IEGO), Youth Grantmakers, Graduate Success and the Women’s Giving Fund.

We are building a community foundation for the Inland Empire with more intention than ever, and tackling critical issues through philanthropy. We are grateful for the generosity of our donors and look forward to all that we can do together to make our region great.

Frequently Asked Questions

Brand One Sheet

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A FRESH LOOK. appeared first on IECF.

Support COVID-19 Relief Efforts in the IE

K. — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 14:07:49 +0000

In response to the alarming spread of COVID-19, and what this could mean for our two-county region, Inland Empire Community Foundation is accepting donations to assist local nonprofit organizations working to respond to this public health crisis.

IECF believes the role of philanthropy today is making sure the safety net we have in our communities stays strong – that the most vulnerable and isolated among us can receive assistance. As hard as illness and disasters can be, imagine it without the money, housing, health care, and food many of us take for granted.

Please consider a gift to ensure that our most vulnerable residents will receive the resources and support they need at this challenging time.

To support local efforts in our region, Inland Empire Community Foundation is accepting online donations to:
Support the IE COVID-19 Resilience Fund

Grants will be made to organizations in each county assisting those impacted by job loss or facing homelessness because of COVID-19.

Between May and July, $704,000 in grants have been made to the following organizations:

Angel View

Anthesis

Elder Love USA, Inc

Child Care Resource Center

Southern California Hospice Foundation

Galilee Center

Hidden Harvest

Futurenomic Resources DBA Coachella Valley Arts Institute

Janet Goeske Foundation

Lesly’s CPR (Compassion, Power & Relief)

Nehemiah Charitable Fund

Olive Crest

Passion to Love and Care Ministry

Pueblo Unido CDC

Santa Rosa Plateau Nature Education Foundation

Community Health Action Network

Regional Access Project Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit Advancement

RCCD Foundation

St. Mary Medical Center Foundation

The Empowerment Center

The Grove Church

Together We Rise

Variety-the Children’s Charity of the Desert

Vocational Improvement Program, Inc

Assistance League of Victor Valley

Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs

Children’s Fund, Inc

Girls on the Run Riverside County

Habitat for Humanity San Bernardino

Rivers and Lands Conservancy

Symba Center

Thessalonika Family Services

Women of Worship & Warfare International

Chaffey College Foundation

Coachella Valley Housing Coalition

Get in Motion Entrepreneurs

Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC)

John F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation

Building Resilient Communities

Palm Springs Cultural Center

Power Speaks Louder

Purple Hearts

San Bernardino Valley College Foundation

Society of Extraordinary Women, Inc.

Victor Valley Rescue Mission

Akoma Unity Center

Girls Scouts of San Gorgonio

S.C.R.A.P. Gallery

San Antonio Regional Hospital

West End YMCA

Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties

San Antonio Regional Hospital Foundation

Path of Life

Autism Society Inland Empire

Donors may also send checks made payable to Inland Empire Community Foundation with “Coronavirus” written in the memo line or make transfers from their donor-advised funds.

Send to:
Inland Empire Community Foundation
3700 Sixth St., Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92501

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