—Make the Most of Year-End Giving—
A good time for good intentions...and tax savings
Sunset at Shark Fin Cove in Davenport. Photo by Jan Arendtsz.
As the sun begins to set on 2021, we’re reflecting
on the year and all the good that we saw along the way.
Thank you for powering another year of record generosity.

There are many ways your year-end giving can support the Community Foundation and charitable causes important to you while accomplishing tax savings. 
Support the Community You Love By
Giving to the Greatest Needs
Chris Murphy and son Connor raise the flags on Veterans Day at Oakwood Memorial Cemetery.
Our Greatest Needs Fund supports the best solutions to emergent needs and timely opportunities including Veterans Village and a local campaign to help families maximize tax credits to boost their financial security.

“Through the Greatest Needs Fund, the Santa Cruz Warriors
are able to support many local pressing issues and nonprofits leading
the work. We wholeheartedly trust the Community Foundation to
disburse the funds to those who will benefit most and continue to advance the Santa Cruz County community.”
Chris Murphy, President of the Santa Cruz Warriors and Community Foundation Board member
Giving through Donor-Advised Funds:
Easy, Rewarding & Tax-smart
Families in Transition helps keep moms and families safe and housed. Photo credit: FIT
Even prior to COVID-19, thousands of families in Santa Cruz County struggled to maintain secure housing. Now, with pandemic debt, soaring rent prices, and a lack of affordable housing, the problem has grown even worse. 

Eager to contribute to a solution, Jim and Carol Weisenstein made a gift to Families in Transition.

“Giving through our donor-advised fund enabled us
to make a substantive impact on a mom’s life—keeping her
and her children safe and housed. It feels like we are linked to her now, knowing that we were able to help.”

Find out how a flexible donor-advised fund can help organize and simplify your charitable giving.
Honoring a Loved One, Creating a Lasting Impact
For Mary Maselli and her son David, community means people caring about each other, a place where you aren’t a stranger, and where you can pick up the phone and ask for guidance. Simply put, Mary says, “Community means home.” 

When David died suddenly last year, Mary wanted to find a way to sustain the community that so sustained him, and she turned to us for help fulfilling her charitable vision. 

Together we found the right solution and now, every year in perpetuity, earnings from the David M. Pereira Fund will support grants to mental health organizations in Santa Cruz County.
Rise Together Grant Cares for Caregivers
Mahala House Founders from left to right: Sis. Paula L. Powell and her daughters Camira Powell, and Dr. Carmin Powell. 
Thanks to a grant from our Rise Together initiative, Black and Indigenous single mothers in Santa Cruz County have a new resource for support and connection at Mahala House. The “Moms-in-the-Middle” program offers micro-grants to help single caregivers with unavoidable, yet unexpected expenses that can cause intense financial stress.  

Founded by Rise Together member Dr. Carmin Powell, her sister Camira, and their mother Sis. Paula L. Powell, the family wanted to address an overlooked issue while giving back to the community. 

Mahala House received one of 14 Rise Together grants (together totaling $423,000 in 2021) to advance opportunities locally. Learn more about the progress being made. Rise Together is one way the Community Foundation continues to work towards and invest in opportunities for all in Santa Cruz County.   

We’re grateful to the Joe Collins Fund, the Bud & Rebecca Colligan Fund, the Applewood Fund, and Driscoll’s Inc. for joining us as co-sponsors of Santa Cruz Gives, the holiday giving campaign to support 80 local nonprofits, running through Dec. 31. 
Thank you for all you've done this year to take care of this place we call home.
Susan True, CEO
Credit: K. Painchaud, Lookout Santa Cruz
At the Community Foundation, we bring together local nonprofits, caring donors, and community leaders to benefit the people of Santa Cruz County, now and in the future.