Central Valley Community Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $27,064,077 (2023, total expenses per Form 990)
Total Assets: $161,104,627 (2023, per Form 990)
Decision Time: Varies by programme
Grant Range: $20,000 - $100,000 (Teen Pregnancy Prevention programme)
Geographic Focus: Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Tulare, and Kings Counties, California
Established: 1966
Population Served: 2.04 million people

Contact Details

Address: 5260 North Palm Avenue, Suite 122, Fresno, CA 93704

Phone: (559) 226-5600

Fax: (559) 230-2078

Email: info@centralvalleycf.org

Website: www.centralvalleycf.org

Grants Portal: Applications through FLUXX system at www.centralvalleycf.org/nonprofits/grants-overview/

Overview

The Central Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) has been a trusted partner in philanthropy in the Central Valley for over 50 years, established as a trust in 1966. As the only nationally accredited community foundation in California's Central Valley, CVCF serves six counties with $161 million in assets (2023) and reported over $27 million in total expenses in 2023 (per Form 990). The foundation has given 900+ grants in the last decade and raised $200+ million since 2017 for Central Valley initiatives.

CVCF's mission is to "connect capital and communities for a just and thriving Central Valley" with a vision of "The Central Valley: No barriers. Just opportunity. All people." Equity is central to the foundation's operations, symbolised by an equal sign at the centre of their logo. The foundation serves as backbone organisation for major regional initiatives including the Fresno DRIVE (a $4.2 billion, 10-year investment plan) and the F3 (Fresno-Merced Future of Food) coalition, which secured $65.1 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration—the largest award under the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge.

Under the leadership of President & CEO Ashley Swearengin (former Mayor of Fresno, appointed 2017), CVCF maintains rigorous accountability standards through accreditation under National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, involving peer review of over 100 checkpoints for operational excellence.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Grants: $350,000 available across five counties

Pilot Grants: $20,000-$25,000 for one year (new or innovative approaches)
Planning Grants: $20,000-$25,000 for one year (developing comprehensive programmes)
Programme Grants: $50,000-$100,000 for two years (comprehensive, medically accurate TPP programmes)
Geographic coverage: Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Merced, and Kings Counties

Early Childhood Education & College Readiness: ~$205,000

Programmes supporting children ages 0-8
College pipeline and bachelor's degree attainment initiatives

Arts and Culture Grants

Culturally relevant art forms reflecting the Central San Joaquin Valley's diverse population
Arts and culture activities engaging underserved communities
Arts programmes increasing academic success

Scholarships: Close to 240 scholarships awarded annually

Nearly $3 million awarded to students since 2017
For graduating secondary school seniors and college students
Many renewable scholarships available
Geographic coverage: All six Central Valley counties

Competitive Grants: General grantmaking available through online portal

Priority Areas

CVCF focuses on four strategic investment areas:

Education and Job Training

Helping children succeed by 3rd grade
College readiness, access, and attendance
Upskilling and workforce development ($176M through DRIVE)
Pre-conception to age five programmes ($959M through DRIVE)

Economic Development

Future of Food Innovation (F3): $289M
Small businesses (women and people of colour): $123M
Impact economy and wealth creation
Aviation sector development

Neighbourhood Development

Affordable housing ($360M through DRIVE)
Downtown revitalisation ($396M)
Opportunity corridors ($341M)
PRO Neighbourhoods Initiative ($5M from JP Morgan Chase)

Environment and Health

Water-related priorities (Bechtel Foundation Water Initiative)
Public health initiatives
Green space access
Smart growth initiatives

What They Don't Fund

Previously incurred expenses (retrospective funding)
Fundraising by one agency for another
Endowments
Programmes limiting services to single religious sects
Individual grants (except scholarships)
Projects inconsistent with charitable intent or legal requirements

Governance and Leadership

President & CEO: Ashley Swearengin (appointed January 2017, former Mayor of Fresno)

Board Leadership (as of September 2024):

Co-Chairs: Diego Arambula (Vice President for Educational Transformation at Carnegie Foundation, CSU Trustee) and Justin Vartanian
Chair Emeritus: Alan Pierrot
Treasurer: Doug Morgan
Secretary: Vivian Paz
Additional Board Members: 16 directors total

Board Practices:

Minimum five board members required for grantees
Annual ethics review and conflict-of-interest disclosures
Inclusive recruitment for board diversity
Formal self-assessment within past three years

Leadership Quote: When appointed CEO, Ashley Swearengin said: "The Central Valley Community Foundation is an incredibly important organisation in our region. For almost 50 years, the Foundation has been dedicated to improving the lives of the people in this area. It's a natural fit for me and will allow me to continue doing what I love most—working to improve the Central San Joaquin Valley by attracting resources and economic opportunity to the part of California that needs it the most."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

CVCF uses a two-step application process through the FLUXX grants management system:

Step 1: Request FLUXX Account

Contact CVCF to request access to the FLUXX system
Submit information about your organisation's eligibility and tax-exempt status

Step 2: Submit Organisational Profile

Log into FLUXX and complete your Organisational Profile (OPF)
This creates an official record in CVCF's database
Programme officers will provide your OPF number

Step 3: Grant Application

Complete the grant application through the FLUXX system
Save work in progress and continue editing until ready to submit
Start early to avoid technical difficulties near deadlines

Application Portal: Visit www.centralvalleycf.org/nonprofits/grants-overview/ for current grant cycles

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Organisations:

501(c)(3) nonprofit organisations
Community Benefit Organisations
Government or public agencies
Religious organisations (for programmes serving the general public)
Educational institutions
Community groups with 501(c)(3) fiscal agents

Geographic Requirement: Services must be provided in Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Merced, Mariposa, or Kings Counties (partnerships may expand scope)

Financial Health Standards:

Operating budget review required
IRS Form 990 examination
Board-reviewed financial statements (assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses)
External audit required if gross receipts exceed $750,000
Minimum five board members with diverse backgrounds

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by programme. Applicants should consult the grants overview page for specific programme deadlines and notification schedules.

Reapplication Policy

Important: Past grantees will not be eligible for future funding unless all grant reports are current, submitted, and accepted. Final reports must be submitted by the designated deadline (typically one year post-funding) or organisations face disqualification from future funding.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Core Values

CVCF's culture centres on eight principles that should be reflected in applications:

Loving Our Valley — Commitment to the region's people, civic spaces, and environment
Thinking Big — Tackling major challenges with optimism and persistence
Continuous Improvement — Demonstrating a learning approach that listens and adapts
Opportunity and Fairness — Advancing equitable opportunity and correcting systemic inequity
Power Parity — Ensuring all stakeholders build and exercise power
Relationships — Emphasising empathy, collaboration, and courageous communication
Trustworthiness — Following through on commitments
Grace and Humour — Maintaining perspective despite challenging work

Strategic Fit with Regional Initiatives

Successful applicants often align with or complement CVCF's major strategic initiatives:

Fresno DRIVE: Organisations contributing to the 10-year, $4.2 billion investment plan across economic development, human capital, and neighbourhood development

PRO Neighbourhoods: Programmes supporting economically distressed neighbourhoods, particularly in Chinatown, Downtown, and Lowell neighbourhoods, with focus on BIPOC-owned businesses and wealth creation

F3 (Future of Food): Climate-smart food and agriculture systems, ag-tech innovation, sustainable food production, and farm-to-market initiatives

Shared Prosperity Partnership: Economic opportunity for low-income residents

Organisational Readiness

Strong governance: Diverse board of at least five members
Financial accountability: Clean audits, board-reviewed financials
Proven track record: Demonstrated capacity to deliver results
Geographic service: Clear evidence of serving the six-county region
Equity commitment: Programmes that address systemic inequity and serve underserved communities
Collaboration: Partnerships with other organisations to maximise impact
Cultural competency: Programmes reflecting and serving the Central Valley's diverse population

Application Best Practices

Start early: Use FLUXX's save feature to avoid last-minute technical issues
Maintain reporting compliance: Submit all previous grant reports on time
Demonstrate regional impact: Show how your work serves CVCF's six-county service area
Emphasise equity: Articulate how your programme advances equitable opportunity
Show financial health: Present clear, board-reviewed financial statements
Highlight collaboration: Demonstrate partnerships with other organisations
Connect to DRIVE: Link your work to one or more of the 14 DRIVE initiatives when applicable

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Equity is non-negotiable: CVCF places equity at the centre of all operations—applications must demonstrate commitment to advancing equitable opportunity and correcting systemic inequity
Regional focus matters: Serving the six-county Central Valley region (Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Tulare, Kings) is essential
Connect to strategic initiatives: Align proposals with DRIVE, F3, PRO Neighbourhoods, or other major CVCF-led efforts when possible
Financial accountability is critical: Maintain strong governance, timely reporting, and clean financials—past reporting failures disqualify future applications
Collaboration amplifies impact: CVCF values partnerships and collective approaches to regional challenges
National accreditation standards: CVCF maintains rigorous operational excellence—expect thorough review and high accountability standards
Two-step FLUXX process: Request account access early and complete organisational profile before starting application
Multiple funding pathways: Consider competitive grants, specific programmes (TPP, education), scholarships, and alignment with donor-advised funds

References

All sources accessed December 2024.

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