2020 grant recipients

Our Site Visit Committee continues to check-in with each grantee throughout the grant cycle for progress updates. Our 2020 funding cycle ended May 31. Site Visit reports for all 2020 Grantees are linked below.

inspiration Grants

Inspiration Grants do not have a specific focus, thereby inspiring nonprofits to identify and address our community’s most pressing needs.

"Generate Hot Meals 365”
Upper Room Dining Hall
Amount awarded: $29,100

Program Description (from application): 18,000 residents of El Dorado County live below the poverty level. 20% are children under 16, and 21% are seniors living on a fixed income. The Mountain Democrat recently reported that our county's homeless population has grown to over 600. Many of our homeless are victims of behavioral health illnesses, including addictions, that go untreated and leave them believing there's no hope for a better life. Imagine a single mother with nothing to feed her hungry children until her next check arrives. Or, a veteran with PTSD caught in a downward spiral of self-destruction that leaves him without a home. What about the woman with schizophrenia that can't afford her medication and is unable to function normally without it? Or, a young adult who is financially stable but craves social interaction. These are the people we serve. With the help of 193 active volunteers, the Upper Room serves an average of 150 meals each day. For many, Upper Room is shelter from the elements for a few hours. For most, it is the only hot meal or source of nutrition they will have that day. For all, it is a place for fellowship and safe refuge. The Upper Room is more than just a meal. Partnering with other organizations, we also provide wound care, medical advice, legal aid, laundry services, referrals for recovery programs, and other resources key for healthy living. Recently, we have had several power outages lasting multiple days, that forced us to close our kitchen and discard spoiled food. We know that planned outages will continue for years to come. The funds from this grant will be used to purchase and install a generator; allowing us to preserve donated perishables and keep our doors open.

”Vaping, Drugs, Alcohol and Violence Prevention and Intervention Program - the Connections Project”
El Dorado Union High School District
Amount awarded: $30,000

Program Description (from application): In collaboration with community partners, the Connections Project will enhance El Dorado and Union Mine High Schools by: Reducing the vaping epidemic, drug, and alcohol use, eliminating school violence, increasing safety, attendance, mental health, academic success. There are two interrelated programs to this inspirational, and trauma-informed project:
1. The Brief Intervention Program nurtures suspended students, supported by an in-house instructor and trained counselor. Instead of staying home, students attend school and work on academics and then, through interactive games/activities, students learn vaping/drug effects on the developing body and brain. Additionally, we explore adverse childhood experiences/trauma, often causing low self-esteem, to help kids understand why they’re using, boost mental health and more. The program is tailored to meet each student’s individual social emotional needs. For example, “Mary,” caught vaping weed, received a three-day suspension. We checked her grades; Mary had four F’s. She was feeling overwhelmed and depressed. Her home life was difficult – a mother who worked a lot, four other kids living in a small house, three of which Mary took care of when home. We helped Mary prioritize her missing assignments. Mary learned the killer chemicals contained in vape juice, marketing tricks, and effects on her brain. We helped Mary build her self-esteem, taught her to set boundaries by communicating assertively, and worked with the family to get needed resources.
2. Friendly Faces: So No One Eats Alone is a student led program providing proactive solutions to leading teenage safety concerns: bullying, isolation and suicide. At lunch, trained peers will socialize and eat with lonely students. The program will ignite change in peer behavior by: encouraging ALL students to reveal challenges they are facing, training students to become more resilient, and supporting them with access to local resources that will CONNECT them to help their families, schools, and communities.

Acorn Grants

Acorn Grants (3 total awarded in 2020): for any new western slope nonprofit or a nonprofit that has never received a grant from the Women’s Fund.

"Broccoli, Bugs and Butterflies: Restoring the Pinewood Garden"
Pinewood Elementary at Pollock Pines Elementary School District
Amount awarded: $8,000

Program Description (from application): Our Pinewood School community is ready to learn, work and connect through “Broccoli, Bugs and Butterflies,” a school garden restoration project. At Pinewood Elementary School 53% of our 346 students, TK-4th grade, participate in the free or reduced lunch program. This translates to more than 183 students needing assistance with accessing adequate food and high quality nutrition. The basic needs of our community are great. We want to support our children and their families in making healthy food choices, and engage them in a school project in which food is grown and shared with the community. Pinewood Elementary School in Pollock Pines is requesting $8,000.00 to restore our school garden. In previous years the garden was a wonderful resource for teaching students about good nutrition and science. Unfortunately, all 27 raised beds are rotting into the soil, some being held up only by the paint left on the boards! Our volunteer expertise is significant but we need help with purchasing materials.We have volunteers already clearing out the weeds and overgrowth, and retired educators ready to assist teachers with garden and science lessons. Our students are eager to get their hands dirty and learn about Broccoli, Bugs, Butterflies!

"Ranked, The Musical"
Studio 81 at Arts & Culture El Dorado
Amount awarded: $6,000

Program Description (from application): EDHS Drama and Studio 81 seek this grant to bring ​Ranked, the Musical​, to the El Dorado community. This timely and relatable play, written by an EDHS graduate, addresses the competitive nature of high school and themes surrounding scholastic competition, honesty, individuality, and desperation as students struggle with the realization that “pain is temporary and grades are forever”. Additionally,​Ranked ​gives high school drama students an opportunity to delve into sophisticated, age-appropriate roles which are reflective of their current academic environment. We are seeking funding to create a collaborative artistic summer program that would include all five schools in our district. Our performance of ​Ranked ​in the now-defunct Carl Borelli Amphitheater will call attention to the repairs necessary to revitalize this performance space while creating an opportunity to provide future summer artistic programs. People of all ages confront their worth, future, and fears; we hope that the Women’s Fund will help us bring a positive and inspirational message through granting this fund.

"Cornerstone of Life”
New Beginnings Gold Country
Amount awarded: $8,000

Program Description (from application): We are in the process of setting up a training program for the at risk youth as well as the clients that we service in the El Dorado County. We currently have an automotive building that is basically equipped to start training in the field of Automotive Repair. Cornerstone Automotive is part of our educational programs. One of our clients, Robert Shell was reunited with his daughter after being in prison for over 36 years. Robert was a Vietnam veteran-4 tours, Robert had a daughter, and he let a sense of protecting his daughter, put him in prison. Robert was released to New Beginnings and our Founder Randy Haskins, located Robert's daughter. All Robert wanted to do was hold his daughter for as long as he could, without anyone telling him to stop. Robert was reunified with his daughter and it was the best day of his life. Robert came into our program, which is cost free. Robert has utilized our educational programs. We provide an opportunity and windows of hope at New Beginnings, when compassion, hard work and a change of heart come together, anything is possible. All of us here at New Beginnings, believe change is possible.

Impact Grants

Impact Grants (3 total awarded in 2020): for nonprofit organizations offering direct impacts on the western slope of El Dorado County. This includes but is not limited to human services, such as those pertaining to mental or physical health, education, youth development, or services to children, families or seniors, arts, community beautification, animal welfare, or community development.

"Develop Defensible Space Buffer Around Veterans', Seniors', and Low-income Families Homes”
El Dorado Fire Safe Council
Amount awarded: $8,000

Program Description (from application): The El Dorado County Fire Safe Council (EDCFSC) in partnership with Friends of Seniors is working to develop defensible space for veterans (families - widow/widowers), low income seniors (who are both financially and physically unable to do this type of work themselves), and low-income families on the County’s western slope. Defensible space development reduces fire risk to residences (CAL FIRE Public Resource Code 4291 and/or County Ordinance No. 5101 requirement), protects neighboring properties, and improves work environment for emergency personnel called to the property. In addition, it reduces anxiety and stress for veterans, seniors and low-income families in a way that improves their overall wellbeing.

From the ​Western El Dorado County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (​ 2017), factors hindering people’s ability to develop and regularly maintain defensible space were overwhelmingly time and cost, with many respondents mentioning age and physical condition as other factors.

In the past five years EDCFSC has contracted with licensed and insured land and tree service contractors to conduct defensible space development. This assistance has focused on developing defensible space up to 100 feet surrounding the homes of veterans, seniors, and low-income families. This successful process will be continued to service qualified families.

“Free in-home fall prevention equipment installed for low income senior and disabled residents”
SAFE-D of El Dorado County
Amount awarded: $8,000

Program Description (from application): SAFE-D of El Dorado County Inc. provides the volunteers and materials to install for free, in-home fall prevention equipment for low income ($26,000/year take home, or less) seniors (60 or over) or disabled county residents with mobility limitations, especially those at risk of falling. These accommodations increase accessibility, independence and help clients to safely age in their own homes.

Typical safety accommodation installations can include:

• Grab bars in the shower or bathtub

• Safety rails at the toilet

• Raised toilet seat with handles

• Handrails / minor step modifications at one/two steps

• Shower seat and non-slip bath mat Smoke / Carbon Monoxide Detector

• Night Lights Bed rail

• Check for proper lighting, rug trip hazards, clutter, etc. 

El Dorado County Veteran Aid Fund
Military Family Support Group (MFSG)
Amount awarded: $8,000

Program Description (from application): Military Family Support Group (MFSG) and their El Dorado Veteran Resources (EDVR) office honors and empowers El Dorado County Veterans and Military Families during critical times of need. MFSG and EDVR serve as a resource and referral office, the co-point of entry for Veterans seeking assistance in the county. We assist in expenses and aid that are otherwise not funded by Veterans Affairs and other local Military/Veteran-focused nonprofits. Some specific examples have included giving out turkeys for Thanksgiving, providing transportation to bi-weekly dialysis appointments, funding automotive repairs that would allow a Veteran to continue working, providing fully stocked backpacks with school supplies for children of Veterans, and paying a Veteran’s electricity bill when faced with a loss of wages due to the PG&E outages. Most of what we do has such a big impact because the community cares about Veterans and we would love to continue that success, which in turn is setting a high standard for how we treat Veterans who have served our country.