Collective Giving
Building a Strong Foundation
Give Back Tahoe 2022
$730,522
Raised
2,343
Donors
70
Local Nonprofits
TTCF 2022 Grantmaking Cycle
95%
Applications Funded
$487,500
Awarded
52
Local Nonprofits
The Power of Collective Giving
Many of us mark the beginning of a new calendar year by setting things in the right direction to achieve personal goals for our health and well-being. Here at TTCF, we often find that this is a good time to take stock of our community’s health and vitality.
The grantmaking cycle that culminates in late November is our annual check-in with our local nonprofits. Since it overlaps with Give Back Tahoe‘s giving season, we also see how donors are responding to our nonprofit partners’ needs.
The information we gather during our grantmaking process, tells us that there are still too many unmet needs. While we celebrate the $500,000 (of which $400,000 was unrestricted funding) granted to most of the nonprofits that applied for grants in 2022, it would have required two or three times that amount to meet the total grant requests.
2022 was a difficult year for many members of our community. It was also a hard time for every organization whose mission is to provide support to our neighbors in need.
Because of the worsening housing crisis, there are staffing shortages throughout the nonprofit sector that are affecting every program area. Many organizations are finding it difficult to retain staff members, who know and love the community they serve, because they can’t afford to live here.
This comes at a time when economic pressures on families in general are at record highs. This means that needs have never been greater. Meanwhile, many sources of funding have gone away. Throughout the worst of the Covid pandemic, we were able to respond immediately through our Emergency Response Fund, as well as with pass-through funds from the CARES act. That extra funding has now dried up, yet we have not seen a decrease in the demand for services.
For example, Sierra Community House, the umbrella for many family resources, has had a more than 400% increase in the need for hunger relief. At the same time, the cost of food and the cost of transportation to distribute it has also increased. As TTCF’s grant cycle recognized significant needs and gaps, we took heart when Sierra Community House was able to raise more than $130,000 through Give Back Tahoe with the help of our community and generous donors.
This is why we are determined to do everything we can to channel the generosity of the Tahoe Truckee community, which was demonstrated abundantly during GBT 2022.
We are so grateful that the Tahoe Truckee community stepped up to make GBT 2022 the most successful in its nine-year history by raising more than $730,000. That money will help 70 worthy organizations do the important work of helping those who need it most.
Phyllis McConn TTCF Community Impact Officer
A full Circle of Giving
Of course, we also have a lot of good stories to share.
Last year, when they gave TTCF a gift of $1 million, Richard and Theresa Crocker earmarked $200,000 for scholarships. They requested that we fund students on career paths that would benefit the community. As a result, we awarded scholarships to students attending graduate school, transitioning from 2 to 4 year schools, enhancing their careers with certification programs, or finding a new tech or vocational pathway.
One of the scholarships was awarded to Yulisa Mendez, who received a previous scholarship in 2016 that helped her become the first member of her family to earn a four-year degree. Thanks to her 2022 scholarship, Yulisa is studying to receive a masters degree and become a bilingual therapist.
This fulfills the Crockers’ request that their gift serve a local need as bilingual therapists are limited in Tahoe Truckee, and the demand for Spanish-language therapy has increased. This is the power of community giving.
Yulisa Mendez, scholarship recipient
The main theme I see in my current work is giving back to the community. They helped me go to college, and helped me at the high school level. I’m able to stay in my community to give back as much as I can, because of the help they’ve given me.
Yulisa Mendez scholarship recipient