$500K from Catalyst Funds, Community Foundation lift 13 Sonoma Valley nonprofits

Thirteen Sonoma Valley nonprofits will share in a half-million dollars of new funding for vital capital improvement projects.

On Friday, the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund and Community Foundation Sonoma County announced the organizations that will benefit from their $500,000 grant pool. This initiative aims to support local nonprofits, many of which operate on tight budgets, by enabling them to make essential safety, technological and maintenance upgrades.

Funding for the capital grants program is made possible by a one-time launch gift from Community Foundation Sonoma County. The organizations who received grants for this cycle will use the funding for the following projects:

• Art Escape will upgrade its facility, adding storage and fencing, repairing outside stairs, and improving lighting.
• Becoming Independent will purchase a wheelchair-accessible minivan to provide personalized services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley will enhance security at their Maxwell Clubhouse with controlled entry systems for all doors.
• Community Child Care Council (4Cs) will convert a part-day preschool classroom into a full-day, full-year toddler program by upgrading the kitchen and adding laundry facilities and toddler-sized furniture.
• Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH) will replace roofs on the Food Pantry and Clothing Room buildings, including the removal and reinstallation of solar panels.
• Hanna Center will furnish its new community-facing Mental Health Hub, purchasing furniture for offices, waiting rooms and shared spaces.
• Homeless Action Sonoma (HAS) will acquire and install communal furnishings and appliances to make the communal area at HAS' Home and Safe Village fully functional.
• R.I.S.K. Sonoma will upgrade its technology, including re-building its website to offer an accessible and bilingual point of entry for clients and purchasing a laptop for presentations and meetings.
• Sonoma Immigrant Services Inc. will purchase office equipment and furniture to enhance its accessible legal services.
• Sonoma Overnight Support (SOS) will purchase a hybrid vehicle for food and supply transport and purchase appliances for their new kitchen location.
• Sonoma Valley Community Health Center will improve patient care through a new electronic healthcare record system, allowing them to better partner with other Sonoma County providers using the popular Epic system. They will also purchase new computers in anticipation of the program’s launch.
• Jack London Park Partners plans to purchase a truck and watering trailer to augment food production at their historic orchard at Jack London State Historic Park.
• Vintage House will replace their 25-year-old commercial dishwasher and sink and make necessary plumbing and electrical upgrades to continue providing meal services to seniors in Sonoma Valley.

“This critical funding comes thanks to the generosity of Roland and Hazel Todd, who left a legacy bequest to Community Foundation in the hopes that we would continue to support capital projects like these in the Sonoma Valley for years to come. We’re grateful to partner with the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund, whose dedicated volunteers did the groundwork to identify these projects and recommend these grants,” Elly Grogan, interim vice president for community impact at the Fund, said in a press release.

The Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund and Community Foundation Sonoma County aim to create a lasting impact on the community. These grants are meant to enhance the capabilities of nonprofit organizations to better serve the needs of the Sonoma Valley.

You can reach Staff Writer Rebecca Wolff at rebecca.wolff@sonomanews.com. On Twitter @bexwolff.