July 2022 Letter from ECF Board Chair Ken Lounsbery

Greetings All,

Everyone had a wonderful time at the Forgotten Barrel at the Escondido Community Foundation (ECF) Ballot Presentation on July 6. We were able to learn more about our potential 2022 grantees, while enjoying a delicious meal!

Thanks to each of our members for help in selecting the nonprofit organizations to be funded this year.

Our 2022 grant focus addresses workforce development. We are seeking to move individuals into positions that will enhance their quality of life.

We are looking forward to gathering at our annual Grants Celebration to celebrate these grantees on September 22, 2022. Please Save the Date! Our team is making the final arrangements for an in-person celebration!

Along with the 2022 grantees, you are also supporting three new Escondido Murals and assisting with the EHS Class of 56 Escondido Scholarships.. Additionally, the Special Projects committee is working on additional projects to beautify our community.

We are incredibly proud that the City of Escondido partnered with the ECF to administer the City of Escondido $1.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds for grants to nonprofits in or supporting Escondido.

The application deadline is August 11. If you work with, donate to or know of nonprofits here in our community – please help us and reach out to them to make certain that they apply for these funds!

Contact Regional Affiliates Director Trudy Armstrong trudy@sdfoundation.org for additional information.

See you on September 22.

Ken Lounsbery
ECF Board Chair

Grantee Spotlight: Coastal Roots Farm

Coastal Roots Farm is a nonprofit community farm and education center that practices organic, sustainable farming, delivers unique farm-based educational programs and fosters inclusive spaces for people of all backgrounds to come together to connect, learn and celebrate in ways that can catalyze a healthier, more vibrant community.

Coastal Roots Farm is incredibly grateful for the $17,500 grant from ECF in support of its Environmental STEM Education Program.

This generous gift enabled the Farm to successfully launch and implement a pilot partnership with the Escondido Union School District (EUSD) to deliver Environmental STEM Education curriculum for every 1,600 4th grade student from the EUSD’s 18 elementary schools over the 2020-21 academic year.

As a result of this successful pilot, the Farm will be continuing this program as a multiyear partnership with the District.

ECF funding allowed the Farm to develop initial curriculum, spend time pivoting for virtual learning, expand the Farm’s team of full-time educators and purchase the materials to provide every 4^th grader with individualized activity packs for hands-on learning at home.

Having the opportunity to grow their own seed at home was noted as one of the best parts of the pilot project, and the Farm will continue to incorporate this into its curriculum into the future.

Further, the Farm was able to procure additional funding for the program. This support would not have been possible without ECF’s initial generous grant.

The Farm is seeing continued interest and significant commitment from funders in supporting this program, especially as the Farm shifts back to on-site programming. It will continue to raise funds for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 program to ensure program sustainability for the coming years and beyond.

“Thank you again for this generous grant which truly enabled the Farm to liftoff the first of many future years of collaborative programming that will serve the students of Escondido,” said Javier Guerrero, President and CEO of Coastal Roots Farm.

Member Spotlight: Sally Costello

Sally Costello is an ECF founding member, board of directors member and past grants committee chair. She joined ECF while raising her four sons, when she realized she needed to understand and embrace the culturally and educationally diverse organizations that build her thriving community.

Sally has a degree in chemical engineering from University of California, Berkeley and worked in manufacturing, engineering, safety and environmental permitting for 25 years prior to joining the nonprofit sector. She has traveled worldwide to start and optimize manufacturing plants and negotiated agreements with government agencies and international trade organizations, all in pursuit of reducing waste from manufacturing processes.

She recently retired from the County of San Diego, where she managed intake, staff and emergency operations at both regional animal shelters. She has a broad range of experience in animal welfare, demonstrating strong operational skills with an emphasis on productivity improvement and championing change within an organization, and has been an engaged volunteer and board member of local organizations that help our community thrive.