2015 Wild Rivers Annual Report PDF

2015 Wild Rivers Annual Report_Layout 1 5/27/15 9:44 AM

2 WIlD RIVeRS CoMMUnITY foUnDaTIon | InTRoDUCTIon

Dear neighbors,

Wild Rivers Community foundation be-lieves that our collaborative work fosters andcreates a strong, self-reliant and healthy re-gion; now and into the future. With criticalsupport, the foundation’s board and staff willcontinue to do the good work of facilitatingdialogue and charitable giving which willallow our community to come together andaddress our most pressing challenges.

as an affiliate and regional arm of Hum-boldt area foundation, Wild Rivers Commu-nity foundation (WRCf) strives to inspire andengage residents in Del norte and CurryCounty to give locally so that we can developsolutions to community issues together. on behalf of the Wild Rivers Community foun-dation Board of Directors and staff, I would liketo thank you - our community partners, neigh-bors and donors - for another remarkable yearserving Del norte and Curry Counties. Yourcontinued generosity and support allows ourcommunity to prosper in truly remarkableways, such as:

• Supporting local youth and families: fromacting classes to surf lessons to choircamp, every child in Del norte and CurryCounty had something to do this summer!Wild Rivers Community foundation con-nected its partners to youth serving organ-izations in their annual Summer YouthMini-Grants. over $13,000 was awarded to22 different programs serving approxi-

mately 2,400 youth last year. our HolidayPartnership Program touched more than7,900 families this past winter by support-ing organizations who help those less for-tunate during the holidays.

• Serving as the coordinator of the BuildingHealthy Communities initiative to improvethe health of community residents, partic-ularly our youth.

• Support and lift up the energy: WRCf wasable to support the amazing energyaround music in our schools by establish-ing the let the Music Play fund, act 1,Smith River School. The fund was estab-lished to support music and the arts formiddle school students. act 1 helped tosupport the purchasing and refurbishingof instruments for Smith River SchoolBand. The community rallied around thekids and donated over 50 used instru-ments which created a swell of support tobring music back into the schools in Delnorte County and national recognitionthrough the naMM foundation.

• Place Matters: Wild Rivers Communityfoundation took a step forward in cement-ing our long-term commitment to Delnorte and Curry Counties by purchasingour own building. Place does matter. Weare committed to growing and fosteringour dedication to serving the communitieswe love. We now have a resource center,which will support our nonprofits. Theseresources include access to search forgrants and to check out literature.

Wild Rivers Community foundation, alongwith its trusted partner Humboldt area foun-dation, share the vision and optimism that col-lectively we can continue to make ourcommunities a better place for all.

Sincerely,

Kevin D. Hartwick CPaWild Rivers Community foundation

Board Chair

Cover.........................................................1

Introduction ...........................................2

How to Start a fund.............................3

funds ....................................................3-5

Working to Reduce food Insecurity.................................................6

funds ....................................................7-8

Building Healthy Communities .......9

Dean Cantwell Memorial

Scholarship fund ...............................10

funds ...............................................11-12

Gildard & ann Hess............................13

Grant opportunities .........................14

Board & Staff ........................................16

TaBle ofConTenTS

Wild Rivers Community Foundation 2014/2015

Kevin D. Hartwick, Board Chair

Wild Rivers Community Foundation, an affilitate of Humboldt Area Foundation, supports work in Del Norte and Curry Counties to inspire people and communities by facilitating and encouraging

charitable giving, to support the Wild Rivers region, now and forever.

Cover photo by Jon Parmentier


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You can contribute to any of the funds you seelisted in this yearbook.

You may also start your own fund. It takes

3 simple steps:1) Choose the name of your fund2) Make your initial gift3) Select the type of fund you would like to start

HoW To STaRTa fUnD

To start a fund or to learn about planned giving options to support causes you care about nowand into the future, contact Gina Zottola, Program Manager, Donor and Grantmaking Services at Wild Rivers Community foundation at (707) 465-1238 or [email protected]

DonaTe

Organizational Funds Nonprofit organizations build income for the future

Charitable Remainder Trust FundsIrrevocable charitable trusts provide donorswith income during their lifetimes, and subsequently support charitable work

TYPeS of fUnDSCommunity FundsDonors designate their contributions tosupport emerging community needs

Designated FundsDonors name one or more specific organizations they wish to support

Scholarship FundsDonors contribute to post- secondary education for students

Field of Interest FundsDonors designate an area of interest,such as youth, education, arts, health,environment, companion animals, etc.

Donor Advised and Collaborative FundsDonors suggest specific uses of the funds

GRanTaRT CoMMUnITY enVIRonMenTHealTH SCHolaRSHIP YoUTH


All Children Read and Succeed Fund $28,440 The all Children Read and Succeed fund,

established in 2012 by Jim and Gail Griggs,supports early childhood literacy in Del norteCounty. The vision and inspiration is thatevery child in Del norte County will be profi-cient readers. The fund targets tutoring pro-grams to all children who are not at proficientlevels for english language arts in the first,

second and third grades. (2012)

Ed & Barbara Brattain Memorial Fund $48,894ed and Barbara believed that sometimes a

little financial help could assist someone toachieve a life changing goal that would en-rich their life or improve their personal orfamily’s well-being. Thus, this fund is in-tended to benefit those in Curry and Delnorte County who may need that little extraamount to successfully complete a goal, and

is specifically for those who demonstrate that they have worked hardand are committed to obtaining their specific goal, but need thatextra support to successfully accomplish it. (2010)

Brattain Family Student Enrichment Fund $49,033The Brattain family Student en-

richment fund is intended for K-12public school students in Curry andDel norte Counties. The fund ob-jective is to supplement a student’sschool sponsored activities by as-sisting with the payment of feesand costs. The target student is one

with the desire to excel in a school program or activity, but does nothave the financial means to participate. examples of this could befees or uniform costs for a sport activity; travel expenses for a schoolsponsored event that the student is involved with; fees for additionaleducational materials to enrich the student’s knowledge and educa-tion; etc.

Toni Brixey Memorial Scholarship Fund $14,629a life-long resident of Del norte County

and a 30-year old employee of Seaside andSutter Coast Hospitals in nursing and admin-istration, Toni Brixey was passionate aboutmaking a difference in the lives of others. Shehad an uncanny ability to make every situa-tion better and to inspire others to do thesame. When she unexpectedly passed away

in 2010, her family, friends, co-workers and community were able tochannel the love she had engendered in the community by estab-lishing a memorial scholarship fund in her honor. Toni’s memory willlive on forever, supporting the region’s health by awarding scholar-ships for education related to healthcare careers. (2011)

Caldwell & Sund Family Trust $52,635Kevin Caldwell and Donna

Sund-Caldwell moved to Cres-cent City from Southern Califor-nia in 1984. Both familyphysicians, they decided thatDel norte County was a greatplace to live and to raise theirthree children, Marisa, Dylan

and Connor, who have now all successfully moved on to collegeeducation. Kevin and Donna continue to operate their own fam-ily medicine practice, Redwood Medical offices. Throughout theyears, they have been involved in the local community in innu-merable ways, with a focus on providing cultural and academicopportunities, and a nurturing environment for their own chil-dren, as well as all the children of the area. This endowment hasbeen created to ensure financial stability. (2006)

Brookings Harbor Community Helpers Food Bank Fund $10,000The Brookings Harbor Community

Helpers food Bank serves the resi-dents of Curry County from the ore-gon-California border north to PistolRiver. food boxes, available once-a-month for individuals & families, areprovided in a "shopping style" format

that encourages clients to select items that will provide balancedmeals & eliminate potential food waste. also available five days aweek are "daily supplements" to help reduce hunger. The number ofindividuals & families within the community that have to make diffi-cult choices regarding how to allocate their limited funds for food,shelter & other necessities is very high. The efforts of the food Bank'svolunteers, supported by the generous donations by the Brookings-Harbor community, are helping reduce food insecurity.

Dean Cantwell Memorial Scholarship Fund $75,939Dean Cantwell grew up in Iowa and

moved to Crescent City in 1992 to retirefrom a career as a contractor, buildingmajor subdivisions in the Monterey andSanta Cruz area during the housing de-velopment boom. after spending years

working in relatively affluent communities as a laborer, albeit a suc-cessful one, Dean developed a passion for helping young people im-prove themselves through education. Dean began contributing eachyear to Rotary's annual Third Grade Dictionary Program wherebyeach third grader in Del norte County is given their own dictionary,and through Rotary's annual award of scholarship monies to deserv-ing high school students. as the years passed, Dean developed adream to create a four-year scholarship award to one deservingyoung person from Del norte. Tommy and Donna Sparrow have ful-filled Dean's most precious wish come true by honoring Dean'swishes and making this scholarship a reality. (2013)

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Barb & John Cary Family Fund $5,000John and Barbara Cary moved to Curry

County from Southern California in January2000 for work.

They met in their sophomore year of col-lege at northern Illinois University in DeKalb,Illinois. Both were working in food service atthe time. Coming full circle upon their retire-ment, both became active volunteers and

board members at the Brookings Harbor Community Helpers foodBank.

Barb pursued her Master Gardener training, sharing her knowl-edge and love of growing vegetables with food bank clients. John &Barb built raised beds on food bank property to enhance the foodbank fresh offerings and as a demonstration/learning tool. Seeds areavailable each spring for clients to try their hand at growing theirown food.

The Barb & John Cary family fund is established to support chari-table organizations within Curry County with an emphasis on foodinsecurity. (2015)

CASA – Del Norte Endowment Fund $6,767Court appointed Special advocates

(CaSa) of Del norte was established asan independent program in 2002 to be apowerful voice for the abused and neg-lected children of Del norte County.Their mission is to support and assist

children in the juvenile dependency program by providing well-trained volunteers to advocate objectively in the child’s best interest.CaSa advocates provide a consistent and important one-on-one ad-vocacy, which can make a lifetime difference to each child. CaSa ad-vocates work with the child, the family, juvenile court andsupporting agencies to ensure each child is placed in a safe, perma-nent and loving home where they have the opportunity to fulfilltheir potential. In 2005, CaSa of Del norte received an anonymousdonation to open an endowment fund. The purpose of the fund issupport on-going recruitment, screening and operation in the formof daily support to the CaSa volunteer advocates. (2005)

Wayne Roberts & Kevin Hartwick Catch It Fund $3,354The Catch It fund, established by

local rodeo enthusiasts with the visionof enhancing and expanding programsand opportunities within the region foryouth and their families, is intended tosupport and benefit local youth activi-ties and agricultural pursuits directly orindirectly related to the Del norte

County fair. (2006)

Coulson Family Fund $9,260 The Coulson family fund was established in

2013 by Betty and Walter Coulson and theirchildren. Walter got his start in logging andloved the industry. The Coulson family fundsupports charitable work in our region by ad-dressing changing needs as they arise. (2013)

Curry Health Network Equipment Fund $6,644 Curry Health network consists of

their hospital – Curry General Hospitaland a series of clinics in Brookings,

Gold Beach and Port orford, oregon. It also includes their well-equipped new clinic setting at Curry Medical Center in Brookings.This fund has been set up to support the procurement of newequipment for the hospital and its outlying clinics. (2012)

Circle of Change Endowment & Expendable Funds $24,681 Women of the Wild Rivers Region have come

together to form a giving circle with combinedresources in order to support local charitablecauses and enrich the lives of the members ofour community by contributing funds to buildand grow cultural, economic and educationalprograms within the region. The endowment

fund is intended to provide a perpetual annual gift to the region forvarious projects and programs including those providing support towomen, children, seniors, the arts and economic development. Theexpendable fund will support regional programs and projects aschosen by the members of the circle throughout the year. The ex-pendable fund focus will be issues affecting women, children, sen-iors, the arts and economic development. (2008)

Del Norte Area Fund $39,534Del norte area fund was estab-

lished in 1988 with an initial gift pro-vided by the late George and MillieMerriman. It was their hope that afoundation patterned after Humboldtarea foundation could be establishedfor Del norte County. fund income is

designated for projects in the Del norte area. (1988)

Del Norte Area Youth Fund $60,016 This advised endowment fund, a

component fund of the Del nortearea fund, was established withproceeds from the Kid Town Projectin Crescent City. It is intended toprovide support for projects relatedto youth throughout Del norteCounty. (2001)

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6 WIlD RIVeRS CoMMUnITY foUnDaTIon | WoRKInG To ReDUCe fooD InSeCURITY

The walls of the food bank standstrong thanks to the many volunteersthat devote their time each week toserve. However, a large reason why thefood bank is what it is today is because

of one very special servant; Julie Davis. Julie, the previous exec-utive Director of the food bank was often described as “a forceof nature with an absolute passion to serve.” She led the vision.She created the culture. She also recruited devoted volunteersto keep the place running.

Julie served as the head of the food bank from 1984 until sherecently passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.after Julies passing, the community became responsible tocarry out the good work being done at the food bank. The vol-unteers and board members felt an urgent need to not only up-hold the services offered, but to also carry on Julie’s legacy. TheWild Rivers Community foundation was the resource to do so.

In January 2015 the food bank established a fund with the

foundation. The Brookings Harbor Community Helpers foodBank fund will serve as a financial base to ensure the food bankstays.

a great majority of the Curry County population struggles tomeet basic life needs. 65% are classified as low income and over40% claim food is not affordable. over 35% of residents live inpoverty.

on average, 300 boxes full of food leave the food Bank permonth. last year 23,000 people were served.

The food bank has brought people together from very di-verse backgrounds to work as a team. Volunteers continue togive hours of their time each week, young adults are pullingpocket change together and anonymous donors have sentlarge checks through the mail.

The food bank invites anyone interested in contributing to this fundto reduce food insecurtiy in Curry County to contact the Wild RiversCommunity Foundation.

left: Brookings Harbor Community Helpers food Bank. Right: food Bank client (left) and Barbara Cary, food Bank Board Member & Volunteer (right).

WoRKInG To ReDUCe fooD InSeCURITYBrookings Harbor Community Helpers food Bank fund




Del Norte Child Care Council Fund $15,491 The Del norte Child Care Council is a

private nonprofit corporation estab-lished in 1980. Its mission is to provideand support services that promoteand encourage quality care, education,healthy growth and development of

all children and families in the Wild Rivers Community. The agencyprovides childcare, referrals to services, childcare training, schoolage and preschool child care centers, traffic safety and car seattraining, and supervised visitation and other child abuse preven-tion activities. The Council is governed by a volunteer board of di-rectors and audited annually. Contributions to this fund will assistthe Council in expanding and supporting its activities and servicesto the children of the Wild Rivers Community. (2005)

Del Norte County Historical Society Fund $30,546Del norte County Historical Society

was established in 1951 by a group ofcitizens who wanted to record the richhistory of Crescent City and Del norteCounty. In 1965 the Society opened itsmuseum in downtown Crescent Cityand took over operation and mainte-

nance of Battery Point lighthouse for the county through an agree-ment with the U.S. Coast Guard. The board of the Historical Societyset up a fund with Wild Rivers Community foundation in 2006 tobolster support for these and related efforts. The fund providessupport for the museum’s research facility and the ongoing opera-tions of both the museum and the lighthouse. other financial sup-port for the Society’s efforts comes in the form of volunteer labor,memberships, entrance fees and sales of books and other items atboth facilities. (2006)

Del Norte County Public Library Discretionary Fund $6,076The Del norte County Public li-

brary Discretionary fund providesgeneral support to the library toenhance learning and ensure ac-cess to information throughoutthe library’s service area. This fund

was established to enable the Board of Directors for the library, asfund advisors, to explore new ways to advance the library’s mis-sion. (2006)

Del Norte Library Foundation Fund $173,775 The Del norte library foundation fund

was established in 1997 to ensure that theDel norte library will continue to meet theneeds of the community in the future. In-come from this endowment directly sup-ports the library by purchasing neededitems and enhancing library services. (1997)

Del Norte School & Community Garden Fund our school and community gar-

dens beautify our neighborhoods;teach our children how to grow, cook,and enjoy healthy foods; providespace for families to grow their ownfood; and increase the self-sufficiencyof our communities. Gardens providespaces for healthy physical activity

for the whole family. In many communities, gardens have beenshown to increase property values and decrease crime in thesurrounding neighborhood.

Gardens also have financial needs. Tools break, soil needsamending and mulching, water bills need to be paid. new gar-dens need fences, hoses, raised beds, and more. This fund willsupport existing school and community gardens and providestart-up funds for new gardens to enhance the health and well-being of our community. (2015)

Del Norte Senior Center Endowment Fund $26,654The Del norte Senior

Center endowment fundwas established as a meansof supplementing thefunds received by the Del

norte Senior Center from federal and State grants to carry outits programs for Del norte County seniors. The ultimate goal ofthe endowment fund is to ensure the long-term continuationand expansion of the many life enriching and supporting pro-grams for seniors through the Senior Center. The programs in-volve the three essential elements of healthy living for seniors:nutrition, health maintenance and socialization. This plannedgiving program will support the Senior Center in providingthese services for generations to come. (2005)

Maritess Faith Demoret Memorial Fund $26,790originally from Pensacola, florida, Tess moved

to Gasquet, California with her husband RobertSewell in 2009. a deeply spiritual person, shehad a strong connection with the natural worldand a profound impact on the lives of the manypeople who loved her. Tess planned on returningto school to earn her MSW before she passedaway in an auto accident at the age of 31. It was

her dream to help children who are abused and create a kindermore loving world. This fund was established to carry on herdreams and protect the children who cannot protect them-selves. Please help us honor her memory and carry on herdreams by helping this very righteous cause. (2011)

Duncan Family Fund $28,181The Duncan family fund, es-

tablished in 2005 by anne Marieand Gregory Duncan, benefitschildren by supporting programsand projects in the Wild Rivers re-gion. (2005)



Education for Life HMong Scholarship $5,283“It takes a whole community for

a student to achieve education forlife,” shared the Rev. Dr. Paul JosephT. Khamdy Yang. With that vision, inhonor of Dr. Yang, to bridge theHMong-american community andlarger communities, and to supportour Del norte County Unified

School District students' future in higher education, HMong ameri-can national Development Services established the education forlife HMong Scholarship on May 12, 2014. With the magnificent sup-port of many community members, HanDS was founded by threeDel norte High School students: Jeremiah Yang, Jonathan Yang, andDestiny Yang. The education for life HMong Scholarship is to begiven to one recipient of HMong decent and one out of the two re-cipients must be a female. Thank you for your extravagant generos-ity for our children, our future now. education for life. (2015)

G. Russell Field Scholarship Trust Fund $146,588G. Russell “Russ” field, a photographer for the

U.S. navy and a longtime resident of Smith Riverdied on february 10, 1998, leaving his estate toHumboldt area foundation for the creation ofthe G. Russell field Scholarship Trust fund. as amemorial endowment fund, the annual net in-come provides scholarship awards to graduatingseniors of Del norte High school pursuing

courses of study in fields other than theology and chiropracticmedicine. His trustee Joan field confirmed that Russ denied himselfa great deal in order to be able to create this fund to help youngpeople, “our hope for the future.” (1999)

Friends of Brookings – Harbor Aquatic Center $11,588friends of the Brookings-Harbor aquatic

Center is non-profit corporation dedicated tothe development of a sustainable communityaquatic center to enhance access to year-round fitness and recreational programming

that will promote wellness and improve quality of life for every mem-ber of our community regardless of age, fitness level, or physical ca-pabilities. We believe an indoor aquatic center offering activerecreation and fitness programs affords countless avenues to addresscommunity wellness needs including concerns about health (obesityand chronic diseases), the economy (job creation), and society ingeneral (after-school activities and opportunities for the disabledand seniors to remain active despite physical limitations). (2011)

Friends of the Del Norte County Fair Fund $5,185This fund was the long term vision of

community partners and the 41st Districtagricultural association Board. The fund’spurpose is to finance special projectswhich will ultimately enhance the com-munity’s overall use of our fairgrounds

and support current and future projects and activities at the Delnorte County fair. (2006)

Friends of the Family Resource Center $2,000The first family Resource Center

(fRC) in Del norte County was estab-lished in Crescent City to provide awarm, inviting and accessible placewhere families can enjoy a variety ofenriching activities and connect withmany support services from commu-nity resource and referral services to

school readiness programs.Centrally located in a neighborhood near schools and outdoor

play fields, the fRC provides a safe, neutral and supportive environ-ment that offers family fun activities, birthing classes, playgroups,parent support groups, nutrition education, early developmentalscreenings, books, games and resources for check-out, parent andeducator trainings, meeting space for partners, a children’s garden,story times, movement and music, art and science activities, and par-ent education classes.

The fRC is so valuable that first 5 Del norte has committed to pro-vide long-term financing to ensure the site is a permanent resourcefor the community. However, to expand activities and programs toserve more families, and meet current needs for children and youth,the fRC needs new financial community support. (2015

Friends of Langlois Public Library Fund $25,851 The friends of the langlois Public

library opened their fund to supportthe work of the langlois Public li-brary. as an organization, they hopeto grow their funds and use them forfuture library construction. This li-brary plays an important role in the

small community providing langlois a central meeting place formany. (2011)

Friends of the Wonder Bus $2,097The Wonder Bus is a mobile

book and toy lending library. TheWonder Bus travels throughout Delnorte County offering enrichingearly literacy programs atpreschools, apartments, elemen-tary schools and community

events. The Wonder Bus also serves Del norte's outlying, isolatedcommunities. This collaborative effort provides accessible and re-sponsive library and early literacy programs and services, educa-tional resources for parents and skill-building tools to Del nortechildren ages 0-8, including siblings, parents and caregivers. first 5funded the staffing of the Wonder Bus for many years, but the cur-rent demand exceeds the resources needed to expand programswhich help our children prepare for kindergarten and become suc-cessful readers in school. With community support of donations tothis fund, the Wonder Bus will be able to serve more children and toprovide new books and educational programs to Del norte chil-dren. (2014)



BUIlDInG HealTHY CoMMUnITIeS | WIlD RIVeRS CoMMUnITY foUnDaTIon 9

Youth want tolearn, work and be ac-tive in their commu-nity. That is evidentfrom the more than150 youth who partici-pated in a multiple-week leadershipacademy this pastsummer.

The BuildingHealthy Communitiesinitiative brought to-gether a team of youthand adult allies to bet-ter connect groups,programs and organizations to build youth power and leadership. Thatteam has a goal for all youth in Del norte County and the adjacenttribal lands to grow up to be healthy, educated, self-confident, self-re-liant, empowered and participating persons who not only think for themselves, but are community-minded as well, and can realizetheir highest dreams. Youth represent enormous potential for our

community and investing in these young people will have a ripple ef-fect on future generations.

The intentional, collaborative investment in our community’s youthis already realizing dividends. academy participants led a voter regis-

tration drive, registeringmore non-partisan vot-ers than any candidateor party in Del norteCounty. a handful ofyouth traveled to Sacra-mento advocating onissues important tothem, their peers andfamilies. a number ofyoung people re-searched bullying, teenpregnancy and obesityissues. Many youth cap-tured the challengesfacing our communityand raised awareness

about social and health problems by publishing their stories throughRedwood Voice.

and for those youth that are between the ages of 16-24 who are nei-ther enrolled in school nor participating in the workforce, partners arecoming together through the opportunity Youth (oY) initiative tobuild and deepen pathways that achieve better outcomes for thoseyouth. The oY collaborative team has started to identify the gapswhere these young people fall out of the systems, and are directly sup-porting them in school credit recovery, seeking their GeD and attainingjob skills.

BUIlDInG HealTHY CoMMUnITIeS PRoJeCT· Del norte and the tribal lands are one of fourteen California

communities The California endowment chose to invest in for10 years

· The initiative aims to improve health outcomes throughsystems and policy change driven by residents andcollaborative partnerships

The aspen forum for CommunitySolutions (new Project):· The aspen forum for Community Solutions is supporting Del

norte to re-engage 16-24 year olds who are currently discon-nected from education and employment pathways to success

What Success looks like:food In Schools· Supporting the school district to serve healthier meals made

from scratch using food from local farms

School Reform· Community engagement and voice to improve educational

outcomes for all students

Supporting Positive School discipline: PBIS (Positive BehaviorIntervention and Support)· Increase in School attendance

Completion of the Smith River Gym, TCe supported


10 WIlD RIVeRS CoMMUnITY foUnDaTIon | Dean CanTWell MeMoRIal SCHolaRSHIP fUnD

on June 4,2014, Del norteHigh School stu-dent, MargaritaRios sat with herclassmates await-ing the results oftheir scholarshipapplications.These results oftendetermine how,where and even ifone goes to col-lege. To her sur-prise, Margaritawas awarded theDean Cantwell Me-morial Scholarship. “I was speechless when Iheard my name. I never thought that I wouldreceive such an amazing opportunity,” saidRios. “I wanted to cry, but I was just tooshocked.”

The Dean Cantwell Memorial Scholarshipis a one-time, four-year award, which offers$25,000 per year for the first three years of col-lege, with the fourth year of the award beingthe remainder of the fund.

The idea for this award came after Deanretired from a successful career as a contractorand moved to Crescent City in 1992. His pas-sion for helping young people was fosteredby participation in Del norte Sunrise Rotary’sScholarship and Third Grade Dictionary Pro-grams. eventually, Dean decided to create afour-year scholarship award to transform thelife of one extraordinary young person fromDel norte County.

That person isMargarita Rios, whowill study nursing atSonoma State Uni-versity. “My parentsdidn’t graduate fromhigh school, but Iknew that I would goto college,” statedRios. “’You betterkeep your grades up.I better see no C’s onthat report card, andstay away from thoseboys!’ If I had a dollarfor every time I heardthis from my mom, I

would have more than enough money for col-lege tuition.”

establishing a memorial scholarship fundcan be healing during the grieving process.“In the last year, we went from coming toterms with Dean’s death, to working to makethe scholarship happen, to giving Margaritathe award,” said Del norte Sunrise Rotarymember, lise Hamilton. “It is the end of thisprocess for us but the beginning of a new lifefor Margarita.”

Dean Cantwell Memorial Scholarship fund

In MeMoRY of ToMMY SPaRRoW

The Dean Cantwell Memorial Scholarshipfund was established by Dean’s close

friend Tommy Sparrow, who was com-

mitted to honoring Dean’s dream to

create a fundamental change for the

betterment of one student’s life in Cres-

cent City. Tommy chose to partner with

Wild Rivers Community foundation to

establish a fund. Tommy passed away

suddenly earlier this year; and so, it is

with deep sadness and with equal ad-

miration and appreciation that Wild

Rivers foundation honors Tommy's

memory, as well as Dean’s through the

scholarship fund. Tommy Sparrow is re-

membered as someone who was in-

volved fully in our community, an active

member of Sunrise Rotary, and the con-

summate philanthropist.

Tommy Sparrow

Nearing the end of his life, Crescent City resident, Dean Cantwell decided to use his life’s savings to help change someone’s life for the better. Almost a year tothe day after his death, Dean did just that.

Margarita Rios and lise Hamilton


“If I could speak to Dean Cantwell,I would tell him how he has trulychanged my life,” said Margarita.“It’s an amazing thing to helpshape a person’s life.”



Vivian & Leonard Goodwin Endowment Fund $11,461The Rowdy Creek fish Hatch-

ery is a nonprofit ecological proj-ect working to increase andperpetuate the native runs ofSteelhead and Chinook salmon inthe Smith River, which is the lastfree-flowing river in California.The fish Hatchery was built in

1968 entirely with donated funds, labor and materials. The propertywas donated and the hatchery sits at the confluence of Dominieand Rowdy Creek. The Vivian & leonard Goodwin endowment fundwas established to benefit the Rowdy Creek fish Hatchery. Mr.Goodwin, who founded the fund, passed away on august 16, 2006.He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Vivian. (2006)

Green Diamond Resource Company Fund $16,551The Green Diamond Resource

Company fund, established in2005, will consider grant requestsfor fisheries and wildlife habitat

restoration, forestry/habitat education and research. (2005)

Gil & Ann Hess Memorial Fund $3,042,526When Gildard Hess was 19 years old he

moved from Iowa to oakland, California. Gilhad only completed one quarter of collegebefore taking a job as a welder for a sheetmetal manufacturing business. Gil becamethe owner and built the business from afew people to over 150 employees. anotherof Gil Hess' innovative achievements is his

patented design of the baggage carousel, which is still used todayin airports around the world. Married for 55 years, Gil and ann Hessenjoyed great success in life and in business. In 1970, Gil and annretired to Del norte County. Gil felt strongly about supporting stu-dents who may not shine in an academic setting, but share his vi-sionary thinking and entrepreneurial spirit. Therefore, the Gil & annHess Memorial fund is primarily dedicated to supporting innova-tion and entrepreneurship in Del norte students. (2013)

Dr. Janis C. Heuser Feline Fund $12,960 The Dr. Janis C. Heuser feline fund was es-

tablished in 2014, to support the total, lovingcare and keeping of cats and kittens includingmedical care, spay, neuter, a permanent shelterfor abandoned cats and a retirement center.This endowment fund will support the work inGold Beach and Central Curry County, specifi-cally Curry County animal Shelter for providingcomplete and loving care and keeping of catsand kittens. Dr. Janis C. Heuser has been serv-

ing the needs of cats and kittens in Curry County for over 27 years.The endowment fund will continue her work now and in the futureto provide ongoing support for cats and kittens in Curry County.(2014)

Amy Kaufmann Memorial Fund $14,501 amy Kaufmann loved life. She enjoyed

hiking, wilderness camping, snowboarding,mushroom hunting, fishing, rafting theSmith River, traveling, playing softball andshe loved her job working at Dr. PeterTardiff’s veterinary office. amy loved all ani-mals, especially her dog “Green”. amy was

very concerned about the welfare of family pets and the alarmingrate of unwanted and uncontrolled pet population. Part of the prob-lem can be attributed to the limited financial resources of some petowners. The amy Kaufmann Memorial fund was established afteramy’s life was tragically taken on January 25th, 2010 at the age of26. amy was very actively involved in the free spay and neuter clin-ics in Crescent City and the Del norte Humane Society’s K9 olympicsfundraiser. amy’s fund was created to be used in perpetuity for thespaying and neutering of Del norte County cats and dogs. (2010)

Noel & Margaret LaCombe Fund $741,335Mr. and Mrs. laCombe, long-time resi-

dents of Crescent City, established thisfund to provide scholarships to Del norteHigh School graduating seniors. noel andMargaret did not have the opportunity tofurther their education. Mr. laCombepassed away in 1992 and Mrs. laCombe,

in January 1998. (1991)

Let the Music Play Fund The let the Music Play fund was es-

tablished in 2014 to support charitablework in the region with an emphasis onmusic and the arts for middle schoolstudents. Specifically, act 1 of let the

Music Play fund helped to support the purchasing of musical in-struments for the music program at Smith River School. This fundwill continue to serve as a vehicle to support music and the arts forour middle school students throughout Del norte County and ad-jacent Tribal lands. (2014)

Lighthouse Repertory Theatre PerformingArts Center Building Fund $28,740

The lighthouse Repertory TheatrePerforming arts Center Building fundwill provide the theater group thehome it needs and a community artscenter available for public use. SincelRT was founded in 1978, it has per-formed dozens of musicals, dramasand comedies for thousands of people

in a school auditorium. The lighthouse Repertory Theatre is organ-ized to foster and produce the best obtainable and most adaptableplays of the living theatre for the entertainment and benefit of thecommunity. (2005)



Martinelli Family Trust Fund $5,858The Martinelli family Trust was set up

in 2005 by Thomas and Robin Martinelli.It was their intention to have this trustfocus on the needs of children, the eld-erly and the disadvantaged of our com-

munity. Their initial funding of the trust will be used to help thosein need of temporary housing, food, and on occasion, emergencypharmaceutical assistance. Hopefully, future funding will target var-ious projects in the Wild Rivers Community. (2005)

Maureen McHugh Martinelli Spirit of Buona Ventura Memorial Endowment Fund $20,296

Spirit and Charity. These words capture the lifeand essence of Maureen McHugh Martinelli. es-tablished in 2007, the Maureen McHugh Mar-tinelli. established in 2007, the Maureen McHughMartinelli Spirit Buona Ventura Memorial endow-ment fund will support St. Bonaventure School’sannual Maureen McHugh Martinelli Spirit Day

and promote social justice and charity through matching studentsupport of Heifer International. (2007)

No Hungry Kids – Wild Rivers Coast $6,622no hungry kids is the goal of this fund. Set up with

the assistance of community partners, children’s nu-tritional needs will be addressed by providing mealsand improving food security for children, primarilyduring the summer. This is to be accomplished

through the coordination and facilitation of existing resources andcontributions. (2008)

North Jetty Cats Plus Endowment Fund $12,140The north Jetty Cats Plus endowment

fund was established in 2005 to provide forthe total care and keeping of cats and kit-tens in Curry County, oregon includingmedical care, spaying, neutering and shelter.as an endowment fund, the capital will re-main intact and the interest income will pro-

vide on-going support to north Jetty Cats Plus. over the pastthirteen years north Jetty Cats Plus has medically treated,spayed/neutered and adopted into loving homes nearly four thou-sand cats and kittens. This fund was established by Ursula elliot andJanis C. Heuser, DVM to financially guarantee the medical and lov-ing care demonstrated in the past, will continue and expand in thefuture. long-term goals including providing on-going support for afeline retirement center, shelter, boarding facilities, and a cat ceme-tery where cats can be laid to rest with gratitude and love. (2005)

Physician Recruitment Loan Repayment Curry County Fund $51,105In response to physician shortages the Wild Rivers Community

foundation established the Physician Recruitment loan Repay-ment Curry County fund. The fund helps recruit medical doctors byoffering a medical school loan repayment plan, in yearly incre-ments for each year served in Curry County, up to a maximum offour years. applicants must serve in a needed field of medicine inCurry County for at least two years to qualify. (2008)

Physician Recruitment Loan Repayment Del Norte Fund $293,604In response to physician shortages the

Wild Rivers Community foundation estab-lished the Physician Recruitment loan Re-payment Del norte fund. The fund helpsrecruit medical doctors by offering a med-ical school loan repayment plan, in yearlyincrements for each year served in Delnorte County, up to a maximum of four

years. applicants must serve in a needed field of medicine in Delnorte County for at least two years to qualify. (2007)

Physicians of Sutter Coast Hospital Fund $154,231 Income from the Physicians of Sutter

Coast Hospital fund, an advised fund, isavailable for distribution to north Coastnon-profit organizations to serve hu-manitarian, cultural, educational orcharitable purposes. (1995)

R. Baird & Jane Rumiano Family Fund $39,632Baird and Jane Rumiano have lived in

Crescent City for most of their adult lives.They raised their two boys, Joby and Tony, inDel norte. Both attended local school andcompleted their college education at Hum-boldt State University. Del norte and Hum-boldt Counties have been good to theRumianos, who wish to give back to the

community by way of this fund intended to build financial stability,community participation and enrichment by supporting athletics,scholarships, training for volunteers and volunteerism and otherprograms beauty of our area. Baird is owner of Rumiano CheeseCompany and Jane has been a high school tennis coach and in-structor for over 30 years and still continues her love of the game.(2009)

Philip & Beth Schafer Fund $32,281 longtime residents of Del norte County Philip and Beth Schafer

have been avid supporters of the community and have establisheda fund to support the mission of a variety of charitable organiza-tions in Del norte County. These organizations include: Del nortelibrary foundation, Scholarship foundation, Rowdy Creek fishHatchery, Del norte association for Cultural awareness (DnaCa), St.Joseph’s Catholic School, CaSa, Sutter Coast Hospital’s philan-thropic fund and lighthouse Repertory Theatre’s Building fund.(2008)



GIlDaRD anD ann HeSS | WIlD RIVeRS CoMMUnITY foUnDaTIon 13

When Gildard Hess was 19 yearsold, he moved from Iowa to oakland, Cal-ifornia. Gil had only completed one quar-ter of college before taking a job as awelder for Key Systems and IndustrialService Co., a sheet metal manufacturingbusiness. eventually, Gil became theowner of Industrial Service Co. and builtthe business from a few people to morethan 150 employees.

Married for 55 years, Gil and ann Hesscreated great success in life as well asbusiness. among Gil Hess’ innovativeachievements is his patented design ofthe baggage carousel, which is still usedtoday in airports around the world. afterGil retired in 1970, he and ann moved toDel norte County where they built theirdream home at the mouth of the Smith

River. Built from Gil’s own designs, thehouse featured his inventive amenitiessuch as a food processor built into thekitchen countertop and an elevator fortheir later years.

In 1999, the Hess’ discussed plans fortheir estate with Humboldt area founda-tion and made an initial contributionwhich provided the spark that led to thecreation of the Wild Rivers Communityfoundation. Gil and ann were interestedin promoting volunteerism in youth andseniors and supporting educational op-portunities for youth. as a successful en-trepreneur and inventor with limitedformal education, Gil felt strongly aboutsupporting those students who may notshine in an academic setting, but sharehis innovative thinking and entrepre-

neurial spirit. Therefore, the Gil and annHess Memorial fund is primarily dedi-cated to supporting innovation and en-trepreneurship in Del norte students.fund advisor, Kevin Hartwick remarkedthat, “Gil would talk about the fact thatentrepreneurs perform differently as stu-dents and are inspired by differentthings. They fit a different set of rules thataren’t established and are often bored bytraditional teaching methods.”

an example offered by Hartwick is, “Inmetal shop, some students may see a boxas a task but an entrepreneur looks at thebox and thinks of building a racecar. Gilknew that entrepreneurial students existbecause he was one of them. His goalwas to find them, include them in aprocess, fund their work and allow themto be successful. an adjustment to tradi-tional methods of vocational educationwould be to ask students to make some-thing important. If it is important, theywill want to learn how to do the matharound it.”

The next time you take your suitcaseoff the airport baggage carousel, imaginewhat inventions may come from Del nortestudents, supported by Gil and ann Hess’generosity and vision, who were asked tomake something important.

GIlDaRD anD ann HeSS

As a successful entrepreneurand inventor with limited formal education, Gil feltstrongly about supporting those students who may notshine in an academic setting, butshare his innovative thinkingand entrepreneurial spirit




Search & Rescue Endowment Fund $15,066a young child with autism, Colin

Buchanan was lost along the northfork of the Smith River in 2004, whilehiking and fishing with his father.When the Del norte County Sheriff’sSearch and Rescue received the call,they immediately recognized the

severity of the situation for Colin, who is non-verbal and unable tocall out for help. Search and Rescue responded quickly and thechild was picked up by a helicopter 30 minutes before nightfall.Colin Buchanan’s family established this fund to provide on-goingsupport to Search and Rescue for everyone in Del norte County.They are a skilled team of committed community volunteers, pro-viding ground searches, technical rescues, swift water rescues anddive rescues in coordination with the Del norte County Sheriff’s of-fice. as the fund advisors, the Search and Rescue Board of Directorsmakes recommendations for expenditures. (2005)

Smith River Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Restoration Fund $10,270This fund supports habitat

restoration projects and relatedplanning and education within theSmith River watershed. The SmithRiver is legendary for its nativesalmon and steelhead. These fishhave always been a part of the cul-ture and human habitation within

the watershed-beginning with native americans thousands ofyears ago to the local community and tourists visiting the water-shed today. This fund represents the collaboration of three entities:Green Diamond Resource Company, Del norte County’s largest pri-vate landowner; Smith River alliance, a watershed organizationfounded in 1980 that is active in river and fish restoration projects,and Smith River advisory Council, an independent group of repre-sentatives from public and private entities with a shared interest inwatershed habitat restoration projects. (2005)

Eileen A. Tardiff Memorial Fund $15,180eileen Tardiff was a loving wife and

mother of nine children. She was active inher local community before her diagnosisand struggle with dementia that resulted inher death in 2005. Through her illness, herfamily learned of the pressing need in thecommunity for assistance in matters involv-ing senior citizens. They established this

field of interest fund in her memory to help ensure that seniors inour community receive the assistance they need. (2004)

Veterans Monument Fund $14,239Dedicated to honor past, present and

future members of the armed forceswho serve our mighty nation honorablythat we might enjoy our many free-doms, the Veterans Monument fundwas established to build and later main-tain a fitting monument in their honor.

Dustin Weber Memorial Fund Dustin was twenty-five years old, adven-

turous, had a dazzling smile and was lovedby all. He enjoyed hiking with his dad andriding his mountain bike. He was a graduateof Mountain View High School in Bend, ore-gon. Dustin moved to Klamath, California infebruary of 2011 to fix up a house that wasgiven to him by his grandmother on Requa

Hill. on March 11, 2011, Dustin and some friends went down to theMouth of the Klamath to take pictures of the waves from thetsunami. Dustin was hit by a large surge wave while his back wasturned and was swept out to sea. His body was removed in april,four hundred miles north in astoria, oregon. He may be gone butnever forgotten. october 5, 1985 – March 11, 2011. (2012)

Wild Rivers Community Fund $13,920The Wild Rivers Community foundation

promotes and encourages generosity, lead-ership, and inclusion to strengthen our com-munities. It works to keep local capital withinthe Wild Rivers region. This fund was estab-lished to provide opportunities for general

discretionary giving to support the Wild Rivers region. (2005)

Wild Rivers Health Forever Fund $19,648as physicians who have raised their

families in Del norte County, they be-lieve quality, accessible healthcare isessential to the future of the wild riverscoast of northern California and South-ern oregon. The Wild Rivers Health for-ever fund is dedicated to preserving,

improving and expanding healthcare services for the residents andvisitors of the region. fund goals include the addition ofchemotherapy, kidney dialysis, cardiology, primary and specialtycare physicians, nurses, and physician assistants. Simply, the com-mitment is to helping local residents receive quality, affordablehealthcare without having to leave the area. (2013)

SoMe of oUR ManYPaRTneRS & CollaBoRaToRSThanks to our partners and collaborators we are able to collectively have a larger impact in Del Norte and Curry County. Their support makes this great work possible.

• The California endowment• Del norte Healthcare District• Patricia D. and William B. Smulin foundation• Gordon elwood foundation• West family foundation• leighton Maxey foundation• Meyer Memorial Trust• ford family foundation


GRanT oPPoRTUnITIeS | WIlD RIVeRS CoMMUnITY foUnDaTIon 15

SUPPoRTInG THe GooD WoRK! GRanT oPPoRTUnITIeS

Twice a year, Wild Rivers Community foundation collabo-rates with its partners to offer grants to support the goodwork of nonprofit organizations throughout Del norte andCurry Counties.

WRCf Summer Youth Mini Grants are awarded to organiza-tions who are providing fun, safe and healthy activities for ouryouth during the summer months when they are not in school.from acting classes to sports, personal growth and art camps, every child has something to do every summer.

The Holiday Partnership grants support programs and or-ganizations who are providing emergency clothing, food andeven toys to our friends and neighbors less fortunate during theholidays. WRCf is proud to support these organizations that are

helping to ensure everyone in Del norte and Curry County canhave a holiday meal, warmth and even provide a toy for a childwho may not otherwise have one.

In 2014, the Wild Rivers Community foundation reachedover 2,400 youth and 7,800 families by supporting the groupson the ground doing the good work every day of providingthese valuable services in our communities.

Since inception in 2004, WRCf has given out over$1,000,000 in Del norte and Curry County. our partnershipsand collaborations help to leverage dollars and create a largerimpact on the communities we love and serve. Thank you to ourpartners who continue to come together to create positivechange and make these grant rounds possible!


Wild Rivers Community foundation Board

Gina ZottolaProgram Manager

Donor and GrantmakingServices

990 Front St.Crescent City, CA

95531

Del Norte County Phone (707) 465-1238Fax (707) 465-1209

Curry County Phone (541) 412-6277wildriverscf.org

Wild Rivers Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Humboldt Area Foundation.

Michelle CarrilloProgram ManagerBuilding Healthy

Communities

Christine PetersAdministrative Assistant

Back row (left to right): Rory Smith, John Babin, Dr. Kevin Caldwell, Gary BlatnickFront row (left to right): Dale Thomas, Kevin Hartwick, Kara Miller, Becky Wood, Harry Hoogesteger, William FollettNot pictured: Dan Brattain, Norma Fitzgerald, Dr. John Rush, Bev Westbrook, Doris Whalen

Assets Transfer in Our RegionTransfer of wealth from one generation to the next will be higher than at any time in world history from2005-2055. In Curry & Del norte Counties, the estimate wealth transfer amounts will exceed $4 billion.If only 5% of these dollar amounts are contributed to local charitable causes, our region will benefit by

$200 million. Invested wisely, this money could ensure our region thrives forever.

Staff


2015 Wild Rivers Annual Report PDF

Documents

Transcript of 2015 Wild Rivers Annual Report PDF