It is an honor to present to you our 2022 grant RECIPIENTS…
In 2022, WFED anticipates awarding a total of $119,000. Funding is broken down into the following categories:
Inspiration Grants
$60,000 total will be awarded. Applicants may apply for up to $30,000. Two grants will be awarded in this category.Impact Grants
$30,000 total will be awarded. Applicants may apply for up to $10,000. Three grants will be awarded in this category.Acorn Grants
$29,000 total will be awarded. Applicants may apply for up to $10,000. Three grants will be awarded in this category.
2022 Inspiration Grants
Total to be awarded $60,000
Inspiration Grants do not have a specific focus, thereby inspiring nonprofits to identify and address our community’s most pressing needs. Applicants can apply for up to $30,000.
Snowline Hospice
snowlinehospice.org
Program: In-Home Palliative Care for Advanced Dementia Patients
Amount Awarded: $30,000
Our pilot program's goal is to focus on the unique needs of advanced dementia patients and their families living in rural El Dorado County. By providing specialized in-home care, dementia patients who are experiencing gradual destruction of memory, reasoning, judgment, and speech are ensured a higher quality of life while remaining in their home. With this grant, we will share the materials and current program outcomes with agencies who were closed due to COVID and revisit providers with the goal of re-educating them about the benefits of palliative care for patients and caregivers who suffer from the burden of dementia. Dementia patients who die with hospice at home are more likely to have families with greater satisfaction with their end-of-life care. To regenerate the home-based palliative program, it will provide care that recognizes the unique needs of patients and caregivers living with dementia.
This personalized program will support the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of dementia patients and their families. A hospice interdisciplinary team consisting of a physician, nurse, spiritual counselor, social worker, home health aide, volunteer, and bereavement coordinator will significantly improve the patient care experience and clinical outcomes for patients with dementia and their families.
Only Kindness, Inc.
onlykindness.net Program: Only Kindness Homelessness Prevention
Amount Awarded: $30,000
We are weary of homelessness. No matter how much funding, how many good services, it never seems to improve. We can wrap our minds around the idea that it is a systemic problem. We can conceive of the trauma basis for homelessness. Why else are so many of the homeless Veterans or domestic violence victims or folks from the foster care system? And we can understand the young family struggling to earn enough to stay housed in a market that prices housing out of their reach. But why have we not seen improvement? What more can we do?
The data shows us a welcome truth: in El Dorado County, we are getting better. Homeless service providers, once quite siloed, are working closer than ever before. County Health and Human Services has stepped in to help address homelessness in a powerful way. For the first time ever, we have Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) in our community. Medical service providers are engaged in not discharging patients into homelessness. For the first time ever, we have projects actively supporting the medically fragile.
So why do we see more homeless encampments? Why does the danger of fire seem ever more imminent? Why can't we see the improvement?
Because our community has two remaining gaps: robust and well-funded homelessness prevention projects and emergency, temporary shelter. Both these gaps are recognized and the homeless service community is working collaboratively to address them. Hopes are high that by the end of 2022 a working temporary shelter will be in place.
In the meantime, we ask the Women's Fund to once more, step in and fill the gap. Help a new mom care for and keep her baby with her as she faces a housing crisis. Help a Veteran keep his family safely housed.
2022 Impact Grants
Impact Grants (3 total awarded in 2022): 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.
Images of Hope El Dorado
imagesofhopeeldorado.org Project: Images of Hope Impact Grant
Amount Requested: $10,000
The journey through cancer treatment can be isolating, traumatic and financially difficult.
Images of Hope provides a safe space for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers to heal through art and movement classes. The therapeutic activities, offered in group settings or Zoom, allow participants to interact with others in a fun, creative, and supportive environment. They offer a sense of community and provide the opportunity to take a break from stress caused by cancer.
Classes are offered to anyone impacted by cancer on the Western Slope of El Dorado County. Our services are provided free of charge so participants can focus on healing without additional financial strain.
Activities include: Art, Knitting, Guided Meditation, Yoga, Mindful Movement, Pilates, Equine Therapy. We also provide live music in the infusion center at the Marshall Cancer Center
Our goal is to expand public awareness of our classes, increase participation, and continue to provide services for free. Additional funding will allow us to increase the number of classes, improve marketing/public outreach, pay professional instructors, and provide class supplies.
American River Conservancy
ARConservancy.org
Program: Cosumnes River Water Quality Monitoring Program
Amount Requested: $10,000
The Cosumnes River Water Quality Monitoring Program is a volunteer participatory science program that surveys and records the health of the Cosumnes River watershed. Since 2015, this important volunteer program has worked with many community partners to provide meaningful scientific data. The program records field measurements, documents habitat conditions and observes species throughout the Cosumnes River Watershed. These measurements include water temperature, conductivity, ph and dissolved oxygen. As the last free flowing western Sierra River, the Cosumnes River provides water to all the communities along its reach. This river is an integral part of local Native culture, supports a variety of endangered and at risk species (including Chinook salmon) and sustains the largest remaining Central Valley riparian forest. But like many Sierra watersheds, the Cosumnes River has its challenges. The stressors of climate change, population growth, overstocked forests, erosion, invasive species, land use changes, and groundwater overdraft are accelerating. These challenges can be met with a comprehensive, collaborative approach that takes advantage of all the technology and management resources available, begining with the ecological knowledge gathered in this program. This grant would help support the coordination and delivery of this essential volunteer program.
UC Regents, UC ANR Master Gardeners of El Dorado County
mgeldorado.ucanr.edu
Project: Sherwood Demonstration Garden Education Pergola Shade Cover
Amount Requested: $10,000
The thrust of our educational program is to offer home gardeners scientific information in a comfortable environment and in an understandable format. The Education Pergola is the centerpiece of the Sherwood Demonstration Garden, located off Green Valley Road, behind Folsom Lake College-El Dorado Center. The Education Pergola is a fantastic place for students to experience hands-on learning. Since the Garden’s opening in 2015, one of our major goals was to complete a covered outdoor educational center. With the dedication and labor from our volunteers, the pergola became a reality in 2021. One item that we have not been able to finance through our annual Plant Sale, is the 29’ x 39’ commercial grade bronze fabric shade cover. With the addition of the shade cover, this structure will become the cornerstone of our public education program. Teaching classes in a shaded area, will afford a better learning experience with deeper engagement in the activity for a greater variety of learners from the public. In addition, the shade cover will provide better viewing of the audio and visual presentations by reducing sun glare. The Pergola will comfortably accommodate 80 participants in each free public education class.
2022 Acorn Grants
Acorn Grants (3 total awarded in 2022): for any new western slope nonprofit or a nonprofit that has never received a grant from the Women’s Fund.
AspireKids
aspirekidssac.org
Project: ASPIRE Outfitters - Clothing for Kids
Amount Requested: $9,000
For the purposes of this grant request we are asking for funds for our ASPIRE Outfitters program. The foundation of the ASPIRE Outfitters programs came after many discussions with social workers, foster parents, and teens living in foster care and teen shelters where we learned that there is a great need for new and gently used clothing as well as duffel bags which often become cherished items. Foster parents receive a clothing allowance that does not cover the actual cost of clothes and shoes, especially for teens, and often isn’t received for several months after the child is placed in care. Families, teens and children in the middle of housing transition are often additionally challenged with lack of clothing, coats and shoes. Through our program, a social worker, school administrator or other agency employee/volunteer, requests clothing through an online form. ASPIREKids will gather clothing items from our storage, usually 4-5 outfits, socks, underwear and shoes if possible, then make arrangements for delivery of the clothing requested in a new duffel bag for the child/teen to keep. Teens are also provided a $50 gift card so that they can shop for personal items of their choice.
Pioneer Union School District
pioneerusd.org
Project: Comprehensive Student Wellness
Amount Requested: $10,000
Pioneer Union School District (PUSD) serves 290 Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade students in southern El Dorado County, half of whom live in poverty. Last August PUSD lost one of three schools, Walt Tyler Elementary, to the Caldor fire. Over 20% of our students from PUSD lost homes. Our students and families are resilient, although we see increased behavioral issues, poor attendance rates, low academic performance, and poor morale. We aim to provide a comprehensive, creative, and multi-faceted approach to meet these needs.
We hope to create both private and communal spaces at each campus to promote mindfulness, have a safe place for self-regulation, and provide social and emotional support. We will provide innovative supports to increase mindfulness, academic achievement, and positive community connection through the following:
Wellness rooms - quiet and calming spaces for regulation and support
Sensory hallways - a creative and playful way for kids to build connections in the brain that are responsible for senses, which enable kids to ground themselves
Collaborative and inclusive murals – campus murals that the students participate in creating
Access to a special program at no cost to our students, SOS Outreach, an outdoor program to build resiliency, connection, and leadership skills
Stanford Youth Solutions
dba Stanford Sierra Youth & Families
ssyaf.org
Project: Art and Play Therapy for Traumatized Children
Amount Requested: $10,000
Stanford Youth Solutions (dba Stanford Sierra Youth & Families) requests a $10,000 grant from the Women’s Fund El Dorado to provide art and play therapy to local El Dorado County children who require specialized counseling for traumatic life experiences and mental health concerns.
Stanford Sierra is a well-established youth and families services provider with a relatively new office in El Dorado County. We currently provide essential mental health and family support services to 100 youth and families in El Dorado County. Still, there are others who remain unserved.
We want to provide each child who needs it the opportunity to recover and heal from trauma, but we do not have the funds to complete this project. Though our agency budget is substantial, nearly all those revenues are restricted by county contracts for service. None of our revenues are available for this project.
We do, however, have two rooms in our El Dorado County office that could be used for art and play therapy. With a $10,000 grant from Women’s Fund El Dorado, we could purchase the materials, supplies, and training needed to make this effective therapy available to the El Dorado County children who will benefit from it.
