The Ventura County Community Foundation’s Fund for Farmworker Housing is accepting proposals from local organizations to help alleviate the local farmworker housing crisis, the organization reported in a media release.
The majority of the $135,000 available will go to projects that directly result in new farmworker housing units. Projects that address other priorities will be reviewed and may be awarded lesser amounts. Proposals will be reviewed by a grants committee of local leaders with experience in housing, farmworker issues and the mission of the fund, which was established in 2004.
The grant committee will prioritize projects in the following order: those initiating or enabling the development of farmworker housing; those developing community leadership and awareness to promote farmworker housing; those supporting innovative solutions to attract capital and other resources; and those preserving farmworker housing by rehabilitation of substandard units.
“Now, more than ever, affordable housing is an important resource for those farmworkers who contribute so much to our local economy,” said Mary L. Schwabauer, a member of the Fund for Farmworker Housing grants committee. “Recoverable funding from previous projects has come back to the fund, allowing us to re-grant the funds for new farmworker housing projects. We are delighted to continue this work, made possible with the original grant from Washington Mutual (now JP Morgan Chase Bank) and other donors,” said Schwabauer, who also serves on the VCCF board of directors.
For details on proposal requirements, visit http://vccf.org/grants/index.shtml and click on the Ventura County Fund for Farmworker Housing link to download the request for proposal document.
Submit completed proposals to Ventura County Community Foundation, Attn: Farmworker Housing Fund, 1317 Del Norte Road, Suite 150, Camarillo, CA 93010.
The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. March 29. Faxed, e-mailed, late and/or incomplete proposals will not be considered. Grants are expected to be distributed in May.
For more information, contact Special Projects Officer Rick Pearson at 805.988.0196, ext.121, or rpearson@vccf.org
VCCF’s Ventura County Fund for Farmworker Housing supports efforts to preserve, enhance and increase the supply of decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing for agricultural workers in the county. Since the fund’s establishment in 2004, VCCF has distributed a total of $330,500 in grant funds to local nonprofit organizations.
VCCF is a family of charitable funds with combined assets of $106 million. Its mission is to promote and enable philanthropy to improve our community for good forever, which it does through grants, scholarships and leadership training programs through the Center for Nonprofit Leadership. VCCF has been certified in compliance with national standards by the Council on Foundations, the highest form of peer review in the United States. For more information, visit http://vccf.org or contact VCCF at 805.988.0196.