On September 13, 2026, we filled Crestmore Manor with people who have helped build philanthropy in the Inland Empire: donors and fundholders, professional advisors, nonprofit leaders and community partners. Our 85th anniversary brunch was designed to celebrate them, along with the generations of people whose generosity helped build IECF long before any of us arrived. We’ve linked photos below!
Some of our guests have been connected to IECF for decades, while others are newer to our work. As a community of people dedicated to helping their neighbors, they represent the many ways our IECF friends choose to care for this region, from scholarships and charitable funds to estate gifts, partnerships, and direct support for local organizations.
“Eighty-five years of IECF is really a story about people who care deeply about this region and chose to do something about it. That generosity has supported students, nonprofits and communities across the Inland Empire for generations,” said Michelle Decker, president and CEO of IECF.
“As we celebrate this anniversary, we’re also thinking about how to bring more people into philanthropy and keep those resources working here for years to come.”
That’s the meaning behind our anniversary theme, Here for Good. We’re here for the good of the community, and we’re here for the long term.
Charles and Clara Brouse established The Riverside Foundation in 1941 with a belief that people who prosper in a community have a responsibility to contribute to its well-being. Scholarships were among their earliest priorities, and local students continue to benefit from that commitment today.
Since then, IECF has grown alongside the Inland Empire. We now manage more than 470 charitable funds and have distributed more than $267 million in grants and scholarships.
Jesse Melgar, Michelle Decker
The impact of a scholarship
IECF Board Chair Jesse Melgar first knew the Foundation as a scholarship recipient. At 18, he received an IECF scholarship that helped him attend UCLA.
“Someone I may never have met looked at my future and decided it was worth investing in,” Jesse told guests at the brunch.
Years later, Jesse joined our board. Today, he serves as chair and is the founding chair of the CIELO Fund, launched in 2022 to invest in Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
He once benefited from the generosity of someone he never knew. Now he helps guide an organization that gives other Inland Empire students and communities access to that same kind of investment. This is a connection that spans decades, and one that began with a scholarship.
Stories we shared
Terry Bridges views the 85-year timeline
We also shared the voices of students, donors, and partners whose experiences reflect the ways philanthropy works in this region.
- Watch our founder, Charles Brouse, welcome guests to the 85th anniversary celebration.
- Hear from three IECF scholarship recipients about the opportunities their scholarships have made possible.
- Meet Terry Bridges and hear why he chose to donate his home to benefit the community in the years ahead.
- Hear Jessica Kaczmarek of The James Irvine Foundation reflect on collaboration and what can be accomplished when organizations work together across the Inland Empire.
A bigger goal for philanthropy here at home
The anniversary also gives us a chance to name what we want to accomplish in the year ahead. We announced four goals:
- Establish 85 new charitable funds
- Secure $85 million in planned gifts
- Partner with 85 professional advisors
- Raise $8.5 million for IECF Signature Funds
Those numbers are intentionally ambitious. Riverside and San Bernardino counties are home to millions of people, thousands of nonprofits, family businesses, entrepreneurs, and generations of residents who have built their lives here. We want to help more of them put charitable dollars to work in the Inland Empire and keep those resources benefiting local communities over time.
Professional advisors are an important part of that effort. Attorneys, financial planners, and accountants are often the people families turn to when they are planning an estate, selling a business, or thinking about a significant charitable gift. Strong relationships with those advisors can introduce more people to giving options they may not have considered.
We also want more people to see a place for themselves in philanthropy. For one family, that may mean establishing a scholarship or donor-advised fund. For another, it may be including a charitable gift in an estate plan or supporting one of our Signature Funds. The momentum begins with a passion or a dream and the desire to create change through charitable giving.
Growing with the Inland Empire
The Inland Empire of 2026 is vastly different from the region Charles and Clara Brouse knew in 1941. Our population has grown, our communities have changed, and the ways people give have expanded. IECF has grown with them, helping donors put their generosity to work here and helping charitable resources remain in the Inland Empire for generations.
Today, IECF is the oldest and largest community foundation in Inland Southern California. Our recent work includes a $5 million Nonprofit Loan Fund, $850,000 in Community Impact Fund grants to 45 organizations, and 11 Signature Funds serving communities and addressing issues throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
“Here for Good is our promise to this region. We want philanthropy in the Inland Empire to keep growing, reaching more people and supporting the communities we love for generations to come. Our 85th anniversary gives us a chance to recommit to that work and invite more people to be part of it.” Michelle said.
We’re grateful to Randall Lewis, Janell Lewis, and The Lewis Group of Companies for their support as Presenting Sponsors, along with Premier Sponsors Amazon and Wells Fargo, as well as additional support from Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, Edison International, Riverside Construction Company, and IEHP.
Most of all, we’re grateful to the donors, fundholders, advisors, nonprofit leaders, and community partners who have chosen to invest their time, trust, and generosity in the Inland Empire.
View our 85th Anniversary Celebration PhotosWhat does Here for Good mean to you?
We’d like to hear from you. Tell us what Here for Good means to you, what you hope philanthropy can accomplish in the Inland Empire, or how you’d like your own giving to serve this region.
Email us, or give us a call at 951-241-7777. Let’s talk about what’s possible.
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