Sherry Gordy, the daughter of Motown founder, Berry Gordy, created the Sherry Gordy Foundation in 2004 to assist underprivileged youth and young adults. Gordy, the mother of two sons, grew up in Southern California and is a businesswoman in the mortgage and real estate industries.
She turned her energies and life experiences toward the exploration of some of the nation’s best philanthropic programs and institutions, strengthening her dedication to form a foundation that will have a lasting impact on future generations.
The mission of the Sherry Gordy Foundation is to enhance the educational success, employment opportunities and emotional health of children and young adults who face economic, environmental or emotional challenges, through an array of programs that create opportunities to enable wise life choices.
You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for the Sherry Gordy Foundation. Checks should be mailed to:
California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Reading is the way up® Fund was established by City National Bank at the California Community Foundation in 2004 to create a funding resource to purchase books to enhance school and classroom libraries, as well as support creative literacy projects for K-12 teachers in the communities where we work and live.
Research confirms that children learn better when they have access to books, yet today’s public school libraries are out-of-date and understocked.
By ensuring that K-12 schools have the necessary resources to create and maintain their libraries, City National Bank’s Reading is the way up® program helps children discover the joy of reading and experience a lifelong love of books.
Individuals can help kids learn to love reading and improve literacy by making a secure, tax-deductible contribution to this fund.
The Reading is the way up® Fund is a fiscal sponsorship fund of the CCF Community Initiatives Fund, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation operated, supervised and controlled by the California Community Foundation.
You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for the Reading is the way up® Fund. Checks should be mailed to:
California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Los Angeles Times Community Fund has expanded to build vital service programs and initiatives within the Times and the broader community to collectively act on pressing local issues and needs, in partnership with the nonprofit California Community Foundation.
Your tax-deductible donations and sponsorships support literacy programs, as well as local charities, food insecurity efforts, and other initiatives that benefit the greater Los Angeles community.
More about our programs:
Reading by 9
The program develops a bilingual parent reading guide containing book recommendations, local literacy resources and tips for incorporating reading into a child’s daily life. Read More
High School Insider
High School Insider give a voice to the next generation through a user-generated content website where young people from around Southern California can share the stories that matter most to them. Read More
Los Angeles Times in Education
Launched in 1986, the Los Angeles Times in Education program is our longest running education program and provides a real-world approach to learning. Read More
Food Insecurity
The Los Angeles Times Food Bowl event series supports local business and celebrates the diverse culinary scene of Los Angeles. Every year Food Bowl partners with a Los Angeles based charity to provide meals and resources to those most in need.
You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for the Los Angeles Times Community Fund. Checks should be mailed to:
California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Reach Out and Read Los Angeles (ROR) promotes early childhood education by providing advice to parents on reading aloud and giving children (from six months to five years old) a culturally and developmentally appropriate book to take home at each pediatric visit.
In Los Angeles County, there are 119 ROR locations. Annually, more than 166,500 books are given to young children in Los Angeles’ poorest communities. Exposure to books and reading in the first years of life increases the probability of a child’s healthy development and decreases the chance of school failure.
Give a new book to a young child in Los Angeles by donating below or contributing a book from ROR’s wish list.
You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for Reach Out & Read Los Angeles. Checks should be mailed to:
California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Ambassador Raymond L. Telles, Jr., the first Hispanic mayor of a major American city, the first Hispanic U.S. Ambassador, a decorated U.S. Air Force Colonel, and presidential advisor passed away on March 8, 2013 at his daughter’s home in Sherman Oaks, California.
Telles was born September 5, 1915, and was educated at Texas Western College, which is now known as the University of Texas at El Paso. He began his civil service career with the United States Department of Justice, and was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941.
As a result of his distinguished service as the Chief of the Lend-Lease Program for South and Central America for the US Air Force he received the Order of the Southern Cross from Brazil, Columbian wings, the Mexican Legion of Merit, and the Peruvian Flying Cross. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Air Force, attaining the rank of Colonel. He served as a military aide to President Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower and was recalled for the Korean Conflict where he commanded the U.S. Air Force 67th Tactical and Reconnaissance and earned the Bronze Star.
In 1948, he was elected County Clerk and in November 1957, after a hard-fought campaign, he was elected Mayor of El Paso. His collaborative leadership won him an uncontested second term. In 1961, Telles was appointed by President John F. Kennedy as U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, making history as the first person of Hispanic heritage to serve as a U.S. Ambassador.
In 1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Telles Chairman of the U.S.-Mexican Border Commission. Later, President Richard Nixon appointed him, and President Gerald Ford re-appointed him, Commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Ambassador Telles was an advisor and friend to both Democratic and Republican presidents, including President Kennedy, President Johnson, President Nixon and President Ford.
“Our father, who devoted his entire life to public service, will always be remembered for paving the way for generations of Hispanics and their social and political progress,” reflected Cynthia Telles. “He was an extraordinarily dedicated father, who instilled timeless values and set an example of selflessness,” stated Patricia Telles-Irvin.
Raymond L. Telles, Jr. was married for 68 years to the love of his life, Delfina Navarro. He is survived by his two daughters Dr. Cynthia Telles of Sherman Oaks, California and Dr. Patricia Telles-Irvin of Evanston, Illinois, and grandchildren Raymond David Jimenez and Daniel Irvin-Telles.
You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for the Raymond L. Telles Scholarship Foundation. Checks should be mailed to:
California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Mini Lai Scholarship Fund honors the memory of Mini Lai by helping illustration students at the Art Center College of Design (ACCD) achieve their dreams. Mini was a proud alumna of ACCD, majoring in illustration. This fund is made possible by generous donations from her family and friends.
The Mini Lai Scholarship Fund encourages ACCD illustration students to pursue their dreams despite the challenges that life presents. The goal of the fund is to help as many illustration students as possible. The fund hopes to inspire its recipients to one day give back and assist other aspiring illustration students.
About Mini Lai
Before attending Art Center College of Design, Mini attended University of California Irvine (UCI) and majored in biology. While she was at UCI, she was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. Despite her debilitating condition, she graduated from the university after seven challenging years of study.
Ultimately, Mini’s worsening heart condition required that she receive a heart transplant. With this second chance at life, she focused her energy on pursuing her life-long passion for art. She dreamed of attending ACCD and gained entrance through her dedication and hard work.
Because of the strength of her portfolio, Mini received generous scholarships to encourage her studies and assist her financially. The Mini Lai Scholarship Fund exists to give back to Mini’s supporters and continue their spirit of charitable giving.
Mini graduated from ACCD in 2000 and began to build her career. She worked on a broad range of projects, from developing logos and identity systems to creating wedding invitations and birth announcements to painting personal works.
Naturally, Mini’s unique life experience informed her personal work. She explored a wide range of subjects, from life and death to religion and spirituality to culture and tradition. A recurrent theme was the beauty of the human heart.
Eight years after she received her heart transplant, Mini suddenly passed away from a stroke. However, her spirit lives strong in the fond memories of her family and friends. Her passion for art continues through the Mini Lai Scholarship Fund.
To learn more, visit: facebook.com/minilaischolarshipfund
You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for the Mini Lai Scholarship Fund. Checks should be mailed to:
California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Mark Bingham was a strapping 220-pound, 6-foot-5 rugby player who fought off muggers on the street and ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain before taking on terrorists who hijacked United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001.
One of the heroes to emerge from America’s biggest tragedy, Bingham has become a symbol of hope to the nation’s gays — a man whose sexual orientation made no difference when lives were at stake.
Bingham, who lived most of his life in Northern California but moved to New York not long before the terrorist attacks, was also a proven leader.
He coached a gay rugby team, the San Francisco Fog, was president of his fraternity, Chi Psi of the University of California at Berkeley (Cal) and started his own public relations firm, the Bingham Group, with offices in San Francisco and New York.
The Mark Bingham Leadership Fund provides scholarships to students interested in Cal, Chi Psi Fraternity, rugby, and those who possess qualities of teamwork, sociability, leadership and heroism.
Some of this biography was taken from the 10/22/01 AP Wire story, “Gay Hero Emerges From Hijackings.”
Visit the Mark Bingham memorial website to learn more about Bingham and recipients of the Mark Bingham Leadership Scholarship.
You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for the Mark Bingham Leadership Fund. Checks should be mailed to:
California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Grandparents raising orphans has become common place in many sub-Saharan communities. Seeing the extraordinary barriers these orphaned children faced, Mama Sarah Obama decided to roll up her sleeves and do whatever she could for orphans in her community. She started with feeding programs, then adopted several orphans and eventually established the Mama Sarah Obama Foundation.
The Foundation’s mission is to improve the education and welfare of disenfranchised children in order to help them successfully achieve their goals and have a better future. Today, Mama Sarah has developed a vision for her legacy that will build upon her actions, accomplishments and resources to make a lasting impression on the causes she believes in. This vision is being implemented through her work at the Foundation, and includes the construction of an Early Childhood Development Center, Rehabilitation of a Primary and Secondary School, Construction of a Medical Center, and Establishment of the Mama Sarah Scholarship Fund.
For more information, visit www.MSOF.org.
You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for the Mama Sarah Obama Foundation. Checks should be mailed to:
California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Muslim and Jewish Organized Relief (MAJOR) Fund believes that now, more than ever, bridges need to be built not only between the Muslim and Jewish communities in the United States, but among all communities of faith. Under no circumstances should decisions regarding immigration or any rights and privileges granted to citizens of or visitors to the United States be based on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. The MAJOR Fund is committed to its founding principles of creating a meaningful interfaith community and together identifying global humanitarian needs and providing assistance through directed funding.
The MAJOR Fund is a unique alliance and partnership of Jews and Muslims; a close collaborative relationship of people from different faith backgrounds. The founding members of MAJOR came together through their participation in a NewGround Fellowship. NewGround (A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change) works to create a world in which trust and partnership replace the current atmosphere of mutual suspicion among Muslims and Jews by equipping Muslims and Jews in America with the skills, resources, and relationships needed to improve Muslim-Jewish relations and cooperation on issues of shared concern.
The fundamental principles of our faiths, the Five Pillars of Islam and the Five Books of Moses, direct us to repair the world. We are turning our belief in these principles into action by identifying and funding projects throughout the global community. We seek to increase our sense of community and spirituality through personally meaningful work. Our goal is to assist people in need, regardless of their faith, in the critical areas of clean water, education and healthcare.
For more information, visit NewGround.
Project Update
The first project that we have identified to fund is a clean water project for an orphanage in Myanmar called Teikha Rama Nunnery. Teikha Rama Nunnery is in North Dagon with 100 orphan girls and boys and 200 day student boys and girls from the neighboring communities. Our project would provide clean, safe drinking water to the orphanage and school.
“Be a part of meeting the world’s greatest needs with your greatest gifts.” – Reverend Ed Bacon.
You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for the MAJOR Fund. Checks should be mailed to:
California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Les Shaw Junior Memorial Fund supports a deserving college-bound student at View Park Preparatory Academy.
Les Nelson Shaw Junior was a lifelong resident of the Crenshaw neighborhood in Los Angeles who passed away on February 3, 2011 after a four-year battle with cancer. Les was the son of noted civic leaders Ann Shaw and the late Leslie Nelson Shaw Senior.
Les Junior was a retired real estate appraiser who loved helping hundreds of Los Angeles residents during his career in their quest to own a home. Les Junior was an old soul, a truth teller who lived and died with courage and integrity. He was loved by many and will be greatly missed.
You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for the Les Shaw Junior Memorial Fund For Literacy. Checks should be mailed to:
California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012