For the fifth consecutive year, the Chamberlin Education Foundation will distribute Community Giving Initiative grants — some up to $15,000 — to West Contra Costa nonprofits that support local youth.
The foundation’s 2021 Community Giving Initiative will provide funds totaling $204,000 to 30 local organizations to support the vital work they do to engage and inspire young people across West County.
“This grant is foundational to GOT GOALS!’ ability to serve the community in larger ways,” said Golddie Williams, Executive Director of GOT GOALS!, which this year received its first-ever CGI grant.
“This will assist us in putting on the Parent Passport Program that we are planning with Richmond Police Activities League this January,” Williams said.
Other recipients, including East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, Richmond Promise, The Latina Center, Urban Tilth, and dozens of others have received CGI grants every year since 2018.
“These organizations extend student learning, creativity, and confidence in ways that build upon the foundation they receive at home and in the classroom” said Dr. Stefanie Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamberlin Education Foundation.
“West County students benefit greatly by connecting with local organizations that offer experiences that may not be available or accessible otherwise,” she said.
“We know, and the research shows, that a rich set of learning experiences and wrap-around support are critical to young people’s overall success, in school and beyond,” Phillips added.
Collectively, the organizations receiving 2021 CGI grants will engage over 30,000 West Contra Costa youth this year, according to data reported in grant applications.
“At Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa, we say ‘Great Futures Start Here,'” said Catherine Stites, a Development Communications Associate at the club.
“This grant helps us keep our doors open and ready to serve the kids in our community,” Stites said.
Anna Smith, Executive Director of The Quinan Street Project, described the CGI grant as “crucial to our survival.”
“Our corner of the Bay Area can go egregiously unrecognized and underfunded, but when we are able to support each other, we can make beautiful things happen and change lives for the better,” Smith shared.
The Chamberlin Education Foundation focuses the majority of its grant making and program support on efforts to improve academic success and education equity for K-12 public school students. Annual CGI grants add support for community-based organizations that fill in critical gaps for local youth.
Since 2017, the foundation’s CGI grants have channeled over $850,000 to local organizations that provide direct service to West Contra Costa youth.*
2021 Community Giving Initiative Grantees
Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa
Bright Futures Growth and Development Center
Early Childhood Mental Health Program
East Bay Center for the Performing Arts
Fred Finch Youth & Family Services
Generations Vision for the Future
Junior Achievement of Northern California
Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy
The Black Parents Resource Center
*Community Giving Initiative grants from 2017-2020 were provided by the Chamberlin Family Foundation.
About the Chamberlin Education Foundation
The Chamberlin Education Foundation supports initiatives that advance education equity and academic excellence in West Contra Costa public schools. CEF’s grants and programs support effective education leadership, high-quality curriculum and instruction, restorative student interventions, and help create and sustain a student-centered public education ecosystem.
Click here for more about our team, our vision, and our foundation’s guiding principles.
