By Greg Archer | Contributing Columnist
Nonprofits can be intricately structured. Behind the scenes, leaders must creatively move around in-house pieces to achieve specific goals. Often funding is at the top of the list of concerns.
Children’s Fund is no stranger to that ongoing challenge.
Like many Inland Empire nonprofits, the San Bernardino organization has had to be inventive when it comes to funding, which is why applying for the Field of Interest Fund grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation may have looked so appealing.
There are four Field of Interest Fund grants: The Seraphim Fund, which Children’s Fund applied for, assists women and children; the Fred and Eva V. Stebler Fund provides for the treatment and care of indigent children in Riverside, emphasizing children with special needs. Additionally, The James Bernard and Mildred Jordan Tucker Fund set its sights on assisting wheelchair users. The Irene S. Rockwell Fund assists residents of the city of Perris.
President and CEO of Children’s Fund Cesar Navarrete sees the grant as an opportunity to fill in gaps from traditional government funding, which can come with restrictions.
“The grant really helps us meet all the needs of the family,” Navarrete said. “Anything from clothing to bedding to hygiene products. Part of our program is to help families who are at risk of being homeless or who are already homeless.”
Participants explore food resources, employment and housing opportunities at the Children’s Fund’s 2023 Family Fair. Attendees also received household items, educational supplies, infant care items and clothing. (Courtesy of the Children’s Fund)
Children’s Fund serves the communities’ most vulnerable children. Navarrete said the organization is designed to fund and equip agencies and nonprofits that assist children experiencing various degrees of poverty, abuse, and neglect. Ultimately, it can leverage donations and assist in providing essential services and resources.
“We’re able to provide services by helping those individuals get a hotel or help them with their rent or our first month and more,” Navarrete said. “Government funding helps, but then there’s those additional items that we don’t consider that a family may need.”
In addition to assisting children facing poverty and youth experiencing homelessness, the organization also helps children in the foster care system, children and families under case management, and vulnerable youth attending college.
Transitional-aged youth, ages 18-24, are also served, as well as youth involved in the justice system.
Navarrete, who has been with the organization for two years, said being part of Children’s Fund “really hits home.”
“I didn’t realize it growing up, but I myself am a product of nonprofits,” he said. “So, when you’re a child, you don’t think about service that you receive. You just remember going to a community center to see their food box. I remember getting my first pair of glasses. Not knowing what a nonprofit was back then, looking back, as a child, it was a group of ladies that paid for and helped us get the eye vision check.”
He also recalls going to several women’s homes and picking up clothes to start the school year.
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“There was a lot of assistance from our family school programs,” he said. “For me, coming from struggle and a family who immigrated to this country, and knowing that there’s a lot of invisible kids out there, I want to help.”
“We try to do everything we can here to help prevent people getting lost in the system,” he said. “Personally, I just feel the need to want to give back and give other children an opportunity to grow and thrive.”
Learn more about Children’s Fund at childrensfund.org.
The Inland Empire Community Foundation works to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy. Visit iegives.org.
