Shred Rite, of Oxnard, which donated shredding services to the Scholarship Program to protect applicants’ personal information;Nancy Stehle, of Oxnard, chair of the Ventura County Civic Alliance, with its major initiatives around sustainable development, expanding livable communities and strengthening workforce education;Alex Teague, of Santa Paula, who co-chaired the 80 in 08 campaign which raised over $90,000 in funds for the development of new farmworker housing for the region’s agricultural employees;George Tillquist, of Ventura, a member of the Program and Grants Committee, who devotes significant hours to reviewing compliance and other related issues for possible grants; andPeter Wakeman, of Westlake Village, who serves on the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and Charitable Gift Annuity Committee, and was instrumental in several projects, including establishing the TAC as a grantmaking fund. More than 375 people volunteered at VCCF in 2008 and 2009, participating in advisory committees, board committees, grants and review committees as well as supporting program initiatives like the nursing initiatives, the Civic Alliance and ArtsLIVE in Ventura County. Along with the President’s Award honorees, some of the most dedicated work behind the scenes assists the community foundation’s scholarship program, which awarded $1.35 million to more than 380 students this year. This year, a team of 18 volunteers processed the more than 3,060 applications. Sixteen screened the applications to make sure they complied with the eligibility guidelines set by donors who founded the scholarships. A committee of 40 volunteers rated the 1,371 eligible applications, which resulted in recommendations to the VCCF board for this year’s grantees from the more than 70 scholarship funds at the foundation. “In this time of computerization and depersonalization, our volunteers go the extra mile to make sure every scholarship applicant receives a full and complete review,” Ralston said. “Their service helps give the next generation a step-up in their lives, strengthening our community in so many ways.” The Ventura County Community Foundation is a family of 500 charitable funds with total assets of $96 million, and distributed $5.3 million grants and pledges in 2008. The Foundation’s mission is to promote and enable philanthropy to improve our community for good for ever, building long-term charitable capital to benefit Ventura County. The Foundation has been confirmed in compliance with national standards by the Council on Foundations, a reflection of the highest peer review across the nations 700 community foundations. For more information, visit www.vccf.org.
Volunteer leaders receive inaugural President’s Award
July 29, 2009
Santa Paula News
Ten volunteers who have donated their time and talents to bettering the lives of thousands in Ventura County have been honored with the new Ventura County Community Foundation’s President’s Award.
Ten volunteers who have donated their time and talents to bettering the lives of thousands in Ventura County have been honored with the new Ventura County Community Foundation’s President’s Award. Presented at the community foundation’s biannual volunteer reception on June 23, the honor recognizes community volunteers whose commitment has significantly furthered the success of VCCF’s programs and services. Recipients were chosen for their outstanding service on VCCF committees, or as volunteer faculty members for the Center for Nonprofit Leadership or as past Board members who remain active with VCCF. “Our almost 400 volunteers provide crucial assistance in distributing grants, developing policies and priorities, reading scholarship applications and sharing information and wisdom through the Center for Nonprofit Leadership and the Ventura County Civic Alliance,” said Hugh Ralston, president and CEO of the community foundation. Using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figure of $28 per hour for the value of donated time, VCCF volunteers give the equivalent of more than $100,000 annually when all their hours are tallied, Ralston noted. “We simply could not accomplish all that we do for Ventura County without the contributions of these community leaders,” Ralston told the roughly 75 attending the reception at the Commemorative Air Force WWII Aviation Museum in Camarillo. The winners of the 2009-2010 President’s Award are as follows:Fred Bauermeister, of Moorpark, who serves on the Center for Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Committee;Doug Green, of Santa Paula, a faculty member for the Center for Nonprofit Leadership; Ted Jensen, of Port Hueneme, who volunteers for the VCCF Scholarship Advisory and Selection Committee and coordinates compliance for over 3,000 applications per year;Lois Manning, of Ventura, for her work on the Partners in Nursing Committee and oversight of the Medical Education Fund;Richard Shipley, of Camarillo, a former VCCF Board Member, who also serves on the Administrative & Finance and Investment & Strategic Planning committees as well as the board of Martin V. & Martha K. Smith Foundation;
