RICHMOND, CA — The Chamberlin Education Foundation (CEF) recently announced the recipients of its 2025 Community Giving Initiative (CGI), marking a strategic evolution in its annual grantmaking program.
This year, the initiative awarded $350,000 to 31 local nonprofits, with a renewed focus on organizations that demonstrate deep, authentic connections to the West Contra Costa community.
The 2025 cohort results from a deliberate shift in criteria to prioritize local impact. Grants are now focused on smaller, homegrown nonprofits that primarily serve West Contra Costa youth. This approach allows for more substantial investments in organizations that engage families and address critical needs for low-income, Black, and Latinx youth locally in the West Contra Costa region.
While CEF’s primary mission remains to advance academic success and equity with a focus on TK-5 math and literacy instruction, the CGI program plays a vital role by funding the essential community ecosystem that supports holistic youth development, from after-school arts and mentorship to summer enrichment opportunities.
Since its inception in 2017, the Community Giving Initiative has now contributed more than $1.85 million to organizations providing direct services to the youth of West Contra Costa.
