Happy Summer, Carlsbad Charitable Foundation (CCF) members and friends!
While we’re not entirely out of the woods yet regarding COVID, what a difference a year has made! And what a fantastic summer we are enjoying here in Carlsbad.
Speaking personally, with the early sunrise mornings (I typically rise at 4:00 a.m.) and the long sunsets at night, these are the days that my gratitude just soars to be able to live and work and raise a family in this wonderful community. We all have a lot going on and I realize at times your ‘minus’ column can outweigh the ‘plus’ column—yet look around us. We truly are all blessed.
So, how are YOU feeling currently? I hope lighter and refreshed and healthy in all ways. And this brings me to the business end of my communication today.
Every July, we begin a new grant cycle. This last year was yet another wonderful, milestone-setting and very impactful year for CCF with $110,000 in grants made in support of COVID-19 pandemic recovery and relief efforts for Carlsbad residents, such as food security, homelessness, education and childcare.
Please remind yourself and read more about the 2020 grant recipients here.
I hope it makes you feel proud to be part of the CCF ‘family’. Your funds and involvement—whether passive donations or activity on Committees and Boards—are centered in such great purpose and our purpose has been vital during such a critical time in our community. We are blessed to be able to do it again and again and again—so long as we have your support, and you actively continue to introduce us to new friends and members as so many of you do. Thank you for all you do for CCF.
Soon you will receive our grant focus survey for next year’s grant cycle. This is when you can share your vote and direction for the grant focus and resulting grant dollars for next year. It is the cornerstone of the grant cycle and what the committee uses to write the request for proposals from within the Carlsbad nonprofit community.
When filling out the survey, you will also be given an opportunity to express your interest in joining the Grants Committee. I highly recommend this if you are able, especially our newest members. The committee meets just once per month, over seven to eight months of the year. You can really get to know Carlsbad and the nonprofits serving the community in ways you never imagined. It is a highly rewarding process. Please consider joining today.
This month, our blog features our newest CCF board member: Mr. Bret Schanzenbach (and one of our past grantees—San Diego Children’s Museum). As you’ll read and enjoy, Bret is just a little bit involved in Carlsbad and we are fortunate and grateful to have him. Thank you, Bret!
If everything continues as planned, we hope to see you at an in-person event sometime before the end of the year. The new grant cycle ball is now ‘rolling’, so, look out, we’re making it happen and I hope you enjoy this reading!
Member Spotlight: Bret Schanzenbach
Bret Schanzenbach is the President and CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. Bret has served in Carlsbad for 2.5 years after having served in a similar capacity at the Vista Chamber for 10 years. Bret is a life-long resident of North County. He and his wife Joleen have raised all their six children here. Bret is passionate about his role at the Carlsbad Chamber because he sees the Chamber as a true community hub, bringing together businesses, local and regional elected leaders, public safety, education and the nonprofit community. Bret’s goal is to make Carlsbad the best place to live, work, play, shop, dine and vacation by impacting all of those sectors. That passion for impact lead him to the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation.
“I am excited to be both a member, and now a Board Member, of the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation due to the incredible impact CCF has annually in our community. I look forward to doing whatever I can to continue and add to the great work CCF is already doing here in Carlsbad to make a difference in peoples’ lives.”
Grantee Spotlight: SDCDM
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum (SDCDM) inspires children to learn about our world through exploration, imagination, and experimentation. With the generous support of the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, SDCDM was able to deliver our award-winning Virtual Recycling Masterpieces Workshops to 529 kindergarteners and teachers in the spring of 2021. The CCF’s generous grant of $11,025 allowed the Museum to supplement the cost of workshops for every kindergarten class in Carlsbad, bringing much-needed educational resources to the teachers and the joy of hands-on learning to their young students.
“Our Virtual Workshops are a testament to our commitment to hands-on, innovative, and accessible early childhood education,” said Krishna Kabra, Executive Director of SDCDM. “Without the generous support of the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, we would not have been able to support our community in this capacity.”
The Museum’s Virtual Workshops also received the 2020 State of California Superintendent’s Award for excellence in museum education, an award made possible by the funding provided.
