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Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Disaster
How You Can Help
Last Friday, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck Japan 230 miles north of Tokyo resulting in a devastating tsunami. Charities are beginning to mount emergency responses and donations are needed to help provide relief to those in need. If you would like to give to the relief efforts in Japan, Charity Navigator has published a list of 3 and 4 star charities responding to the crisis.
Council on Foundations, United States International Grantmaking has compiled timely, crisis- specific resources and summarizes the philanthropic response to the disaster. To help you make the most of your charitable donation, the Council on Foundations offers the following:
8 Principles of Good Disaster Grantmaking
1. First, do no harm.
2. Stop, look and listen before taking action.
3. Don't act in isolation.
4. Think beyond the immediate crisis to the long-term.
5. Bear in mind the expertise of local organizations.
6. Find out how prospective grantees operate.
7. Be accountable to those you are trying to help.
8. Communicate your work widely, and use it as an educational tool.
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FYI...
The Angel's Depot provides FREE food for senior citizens, who live on $950 or less per month. "Senior Food-for-a-Week" Emergency Meal Boxes contain 21 nutritious, nonperishable meals, which provides food security until the senior's next Social Security check arrives.
www.theangelsdepot.org
ARTS-A Reason To Survive believes that the visual, literary, and performing arts can transform lives of kids. The therapeutic powers of all art forms are used as a vehicle to create positive, long lasting change in children and youth facing major life challenges - giving them not only a reason to survive - but to also thrive. www.artsurvive.org
Ocean Discovery Institute engages, educates, and inspires youth from urban and diverse backgrounds through science-based exploration of the ocean and nature, preparing them to be tomorrow's scientific and environmental leaders. www.oceandiscoveryinstitute.org
 American Red Cross San Diego Using the latest in computer and tele-communications technology, the Red Cross allows military members stationed all over the world to send messages to loved ones back home during an emergency or other important events. These communications are delivered around-the-clock, seven days a week, 365 days a year. www.sdarc.org
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A Letter from the Chairman
 | | Chuck Yash |
Celebrating 30 Years of Philanthropy
Prior to 1981, there was a small group of charitably minded locals who would step forward when there was a need in the community. They called themselves Rancho Santa Fe Charities, Inc. and they would collectively write a check to help a local Golf Club employee, for example, who needed help for car repairs. Eventually they realized that they should be better organized and Barry Fitzpatrick, a local attorney, assisted them in forming the Rancho Santa Community Foundation.
For the last thirty years, the community philanthropy that began with Rancho Santa Fe Charities has continued and matured. Today, the Foundation manages assets of approximately $30 million and has made grants totaling nearly $37 million to nonprofits in the region, the nation and around the world.
Please join us on October 20, 2011 at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe to honor and celebrate the work of the foundation, those who have served on its Boards of Directors and the donors who have made all of this possible.
Paul Thomas, a founding member of the Foundation, will serve as the Honorary Chairman of the event. He will be joined by several other founding members that day and an Honorary Committee comprised of all of the Past Chairmen of the Board.
This is a community event, but reservations will be required. Please watch for the Save the Date which will appear in the next issue of Direct Connect ... we hope to see you in October!
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Paying it Forward
Free The Children empowers children in North America to improve the lives of fellow children overseas. Local initiatives bring leadership and inspiration to tens of thousands of youth in the US and Canada. Their international projects, led by the adopt a village program, have brought over 650 schools and school rooms as well as water projects to communities around the world. Craig Kielberger, founder of Free the Children (FTC), came to Rancho Santa Fe in 2006 to talk to several local groups about the work FTC is doing around the world.
One year later, our county faced wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced nearly a half a million people. Students of a small school in Versailles, Kentucky had collected gently used children's clothing and non-perishable food items for children in our area who were in need. Their Principal contacted the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation, one of many organizations providing help to fire victims. Many migrant families in Valley Center had been displaced and the Paradise Community Center gratefully accepted the shipment from Versailles Montessori School.
The story does not end there ... the Director of the Paradise Community Center was grateful to the Versailles children, and wanted to re-pay their generosity.
When an earthquake devastated Haiti in January 2010, the Paradise Community Center saw their opportunity to "pay it forward". They held bake sales, rummage sales and "the kids were selling pencils to each other to raise money". Together they collected $566. And due to the generosity of a RSF Foundation donor, the gift was matched and $1132 was sent to a school in Haiti run by Free the Children .
From the kindness and generosity of the children in Versailles to the spirit of the children at the Paradise Community Center, to children in Haiti...paying it forward in the purest sense.
www.freethechildren.com |
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Confirmed in compliancewith
National Standards for U.S.
Community Foundations |
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