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learn about our grants and scholarships.
The Community Foundation of the Verdugos’ primary activities can be described as two flows of money: one coming in and one going out.
In its work to cultivate donor support, the inward flow of money begins with the Foundation identifying the interests of donors and subsequently working with them to create funds that benefit causes matching their interests. Donors are able to set up Donor-Advised Funds from which they can “advise” the Foundation on where they wish their money to go. This subsequent outward flow to the community is then recognized as grants and scholarships.
- A grant is issued to nonprofit organizations from Donor-Advised Funds, or from the Foundation’s own unrestricted fund, to develop or support programs or projects that help improve the quality of life for those in our community. A grant might go toward helping an arts organization with computers so that they can increase the number of registrants taking classes or a grant might enable a healthcare organization to purchase equipment that will help them to serve more people using the latest technology. Perhaps a grant to a local school will help fund a tutoring program. Grants are issued to nonprofit organizations to assist with their service to the community.
- A scholarship is awarded in the name of an individual (a student) but is issued to the individual’s school. The school then ensures that the scholarship monies are used toward direct educational needs such as tuition or books, which are part of the student’s goal in obtaining education. Scholarships are awarded from Donor-Advised Scholarship Funds as well as scholarship funds managed by the Foundation directly. A scholarship must be awarded from a fund specifically set up as a scholarship fund, identifying it as one from which scholarships are intended as the purpose. Scholarships cannot be issued from a fund that is intended to give out grants.
The Community Foundation of the Verdugos’ grants and scholarships should not be confused with education grants and loans usually given out by government agencies (such as a Pell Grant by the Federal Government or funding to do research). Such funding opportunities need to be accessed through their specific government portals and are not available through the Community Foundation of the Verdugos. Generally, neither government grants nor foundation grants are available to individuals for personal needs such as paying bills, buying a personal car, clearing credit card debt, etc.
For more information about setting up a fund, grants, or scholarships, please contact us at (818) 241-8040 or email info@cfverdugos.org.