Packard sees hope for San Benito through Community
Foundation
The Community Foundation for San Benito County recently gained a
powerful ally, and the results are already changing lives in the
community.
Packard sees hope for San Benito through Community Foundation
The Community Foundation for San Benito County recently gained a powerful ally, and the results are already changing lives in the community.
William Hewlett and David Packard began tinkering in a garage in Palo Alto in 1938, introducing its first product – an ocillator for Walt Disney – the same year. The company grew steadily into a global presence.
In 1964, cofounder Packard and his wife, Lucille, established the foundation that bears their names.
In 2008, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation awarded some $300 million in grants. For the first time ever, some of that money went into San Benito County, channeled through the Community Foundation.
“We’ve been working with the Packard Foundation for over a year,” said Gary Byrne, executive director of the Community Foundation. “We had to convince them, in a nice way, to expand their reach into San Benito County. The counties they historically support are the four counties around them.”
The Packard Foundation is based in the Santa Clara County community of Los Altos.
After a visit from a consultant, meetings with the Community Foundation board began, and San Benito County’s most pressing community needs began to emerge.
“We don’t have the volume of charitable giving that some larger communities would have,” Byrne said.
While Byrne describes the Packard Foundation’s foray into San Benito County as “just the beginning,” it’s a significant beginning.
Packard provided $250,000 to the Community Foundation for disbursement to non-profits, no strings attached.
“That means that over the next year, the Community Foundation will award $350,000 to $400,000, a huge increase,” Byrne said.
But Packard’s involvement covers two other areas.
The first is education, a kind of non-profit 101 course for local agencies, what Byrne described as a “one-on-one boot camp.” The second is funding to increase the capacity of the Community Foundation for local development.
“We have got to get everyone thinking along the lines of sustainability,” Byrne said.
While he described many organizations as “transitional” toward sustainability, others already control sufficient funds that annual fundraising is not necessary.
“We’re thinking of major endowments,” Byrne said.
Training will also involve board and member development, collaboration over grants and expanding the Community Foundation’s granting committee to some 35 local leaders.
“We want to say, ‘bring us an initiative where you will see sustainability in five years,'” Byrne said.
Packard’s support of the Community Foundation allows for hiring a part-time director of development, a second part-time position, and a planned move to a larger downtown space. Already, the Community Foundation’s Web site has been completely reworked. Among other features, it now contains a complete list of local non-profit organizations. Non-profits without Web sites can turn to the foundation to have a page created.
The most powerful benefit to the Packard Foundation’s interest is only beginning to be felt.
Packard’s attention is drawing the stares of other grants organizations.
“The Health Trust in San Jose has wanted to be funding San Benito County for several years, and they haven’t,” Byrne said, indicating that he’s already entered into conversations with that organization.
Philanthropy Day
In November, the Community Foundation for San Benito County honored more than 60 local volunteers as part of the National Philanthropy Day observance.
Those honored for 2008, and the organizations they represent were: Advocacy, Inc., Patsy Pence; American Cancer Society, Carol Tortorelli; Aromas-San Juan Unified School District, Sylvia Rios Metcalf; Baler Education Foundation, Ray Rodriguez; Cal-SOAP, Tricia Cooper; CASA of San Benito County, Pattie Saso; Chamberlain’s Children’s Center, Mari Davis;
Community Assistance Network, Andi Anderson; Community Foundation for San Benito County, Mary McCullough; Community Pantry of San Benito County, Rick Padron; Compassion Pregnancy Services, Leta Pereira; CSDC, Hanna Hassler; Culinary and Hospitality Foundation, Paul Rovella; E-Cubed Foundation, Marie Hoffman; Easter Seals, Cynthia Stewart; Emmaus House, Joan Gardner; Fishes and Loaves, Mary Schneider; Friends of the San Benito County Library, Vallie Bishop; Girl Scouts, Sherri Zook;
Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation, Ray and Peggy Pierce; Hazel Hawkins Hospital, Beth Ivey; Hollister Airmen’s Association, John and Diane Jennings; Hollister Downtown Association, Barbara Scott; Hollister Elks Lodge, Tim Berdin; Hollister Exchange Club, Gene and Diane Francis; Hollister Rotary Club, Ruth Humber; Hollister School District, Margie Barrios; Hollister Sister City Association, Bruce and Sandra Green;
Hollister Youth Alliance, Andeli Lopez; Homeless Task Force, Andi Anderson; Hope for a Cure, Jeannine Porteur DiVincenzo; Janet Graham Memorial Fund, Catherine Farnham; Kinship Center, Gabilan Chapter; Leadership San Benito County, Sonya Lee; Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Carole Churchill; Nan Pipestem Wildlife Center, Meredith Pipestem; Oriana Chorale, Kozean Wright; Pinnacles Partnership, Tim Regan, Edie Nelson and David Cole; Pinnacle Quilters, Lorene Yates; San Benito County Farm Bureau, Jamii and Stan Pura; San Benito County Library, Ruth Erickson; San Benito County Healthy Mothers and Babies, Catherine Farnham;
San Benito Stage Company, Janet Kelly; San Benito County Chamber of Commerce, Frankie Arballo; San Benito County Fire Safe Council, Michael Chiodini; San Benito County Historical Society, Delbert Doty; San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce, Donna Holmes; San Juan Bautista Library Auxiliary, Mary Genesy; Southside School Parent Club, Holly Lompa; St. Francis Retreat Center, John Ucovich; St. Vincent De Paul Society, John Perricone; and YMCA of San Benito County, Bob and Crystel Bianchi.
