Animal Welfare Endowment Fund

The Community Foundation created this fund to provide for the care of animals in Shasta and Siskiyou Counties.  As the fund grows, grants will be made to nonprofit organizations who promote animal welfare such as support for: rabies clinics, spay and neuter services, animal rescue, animal rehabilitation and more.

Grantmaking History

2014 - 2017 Grant Awards

Burney Regional Community Fund

The Burney Regional Community Fund was established to address the needs within the communities of the Greater Burney Region, and to build a community of philanthropists in the region now and forever. The fund was established with a gift of $500,000 from Pattern Energy Group LP, the energy company responsible for the Hatchet Ridge Wind Farm. Upon commencement of construction for the Wind Farm, Pattern invested $5 million in the Burney Region which includes the founding gift to this fund. Grants from this fund will be awarded to nonprofit organizations in the region through a competitive process.

Grantmaking History

2018 - 2019 Grant Awards

2017 - 2018 Grant Awards

A grant from the Burney Regional Community Fund allowed the Burney Basin Little League to upgrade the infield making the playing surface smoother and safer for the kids.  In addition, they have renovated the snack bar with new floor, cabinets, paint, electrical and water.  Little League baseball is an integral part of the the Burney community and we are proud to support this organization that serves the youth of the Burney region. 

Community Arts Endowment Fund

The Articipate Campaign that began in 2010 is now the Community Arts Endowment Fund at the Shasta Regional Community Foundation. This Field of Interest fund essentially pools the donations of many to support the arts in our region today and forever. Through the power of endowment, a gift made to the fund today will continue to grow, allowing grants for the presentation and creation of "new artistic work" to be given in support of artists and art projects in perpetuity. Examples range from visual public art, such as murals and sculptures to other graphic art forms, displayed or presented in public areas in Shasta and Siskiyou counties.

Grantmaking History

2014 - 2017 Grant Awards

In celebration of the centennial of the city of Dorris, Conrad Koppenhafer spent approximately 300 hours designing and constructing a saddle adorned with images representing the history of the community and the ranches around which the economy of the community has been built. These images include the historic City Hall, the relatively recent American flag, the train tunnel at which the town was originally sited, eagles, arrowheads, and wildflowers. Conrad researched historic cattle brands which he tooled down the stirrup leather. The saddle is rich in Dorris details and historic saddle making design elements.

Conrad is using the saddle to make presentations to school children in Siskiyou County about the history of hides as currency in California, the history of ranching and the railroad in our area, and the art of leatherwork and saddle making.

A grant of $5,000 from the Community Foundation’s Community Building Arts Initiative, allowed Conrad to develop this gift to the community. He completed the saddle and presented it to the city of Dorris at the 2008, 4th of July Centennial Celebration.

Paul Rideout, also known as Palul, sees art as the product of linking an idea with technique. To illustrate this thought, Paul likes to use his favorite quote by Leonardo di Vinci, “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” This quote also expresses another element of Paul’s work – the spiritual element. Paul sees his ideas as coming from a higher source and the finished product is the synthesis of a practiced hand and an open heart.

The expression of this synthesis can be seen in the Pyramids he created that now sit in The McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay Exploration Park. When Paul applied for a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation to create artwork reflecting local culture, he sought to find a universal form to shape his art. He chose the pyramid shape because it is understood by and has significance in all cultures and throughout time. The pyramids are full of symbols of local culture and the sanctity of nature. Local icons like Mt. Shasta, the Sundial Bridge, the Sacramento River and our region’s great oak trees can be found easily on the pyramids. Other things like the shape of faces and Chinese characters are hidden among the more obvious shapes, colors and textures.

Not only is Paul an incredible artist, but he is a teacher and scientist as well. Beverly, one of his students, remarked that Paul is a “one of a kind teacher who fosters a creative environment to work in” and that he is “a total inspiration.” Beverly started taking classes from Paul three years ago and now she sells her own pottery. “We are all like a family in Paul’s classes. He teaches you the how and the why about ceramics and then lets you go off and do it!” For this reason Paul is a favorite among his students and revered in the local artist community as well.

The Community Foundation was proud to partner with such a respected artist in the production of artwork that will grace our area for years to come. It is a privilege to see a work of art grow from conception to completion. We anticipate that these Pyramids will inspire new artists to create works that speak as expressively as these do.

In a partnership between the Mercy Family Health Center and Redding School of Arts (RSA), 7th and 8th grade students were supported with a grant to create, collaborate and perform a community service project. Three colorful children’s themed murals now provide comfort to the Center’s youngest patients in a welcoming and learning environment.

As a child, Susan Emmerson was inspired by the watercolor paintings masterfully created by her great-grandfather. In college, Susan remembers walking through the halls, peering into art classes, and dreaming about a career in visual arts instead of nursing. She has experienced the best of both worlds, having had her career as an RN and teaching art as a community volunteer in local schools. In 2003, Susan and her husband George founded the Community Arts Endowment Fund to support the future of visual arts in the area. In a letter to Shasta Regional Community Foundation, she wrote, “Our hope is to symbolize, memorialize, document and define, through the voice of visual and public art, a message of and about our community.” For Susan, public art is not just a decoration, it is a statement about what a community values, where it has been and where it is going. As a founding board member for the Community Foundation, she believed that a field of interest endowment fund was an excellent way to make such an impact. While the fund is currently growing, it will soon be used to support public art such as murals, sculpture and other graphic art forms displayed in Shasta County.

Community Disaster Relief Fund

The Community Disaster Relief Fund at Shasta Regional Community Foundation is currently enabled to receive donations supporting mid and long-term recovery for those in the North State impacted by the Carr Fire.

• 100% of your donation (excluding online credit card processing fees) will go to Carr Fire recovery efforts.
• We are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, therefore your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law; check with your professional advisor if you have questions.
• If you prefer to mail a check, send to: Shasta Regional Community Foundation, 1335 Arboretum Drive Suite B, Redding, CA 96003
• If you would like to gift appreciated stock or other options, please contact our staff at 530.244.1219 or email Kerry Caranci, kerry@shastarcf.org.

As Shasta County’s only long-term recovery fund, the Community Foundation and its partners are committed to play the important transitional role required for mid and long-term recovery support. Challenges lay ahead, and the road to recovery is a multi-year process.

View the disbursements, and you will see that there are a wide-range of recovery efforts in place. The local grant review committee is focused on the individuals in our region with projects such as water lines, power poles and septic system installations and preparing for the construction season to get survivors back into homes. We know these types of projects require significant investment and by working closely with the NorCal Community Recovery Team, we will do what we can with your donations to restore neighborhoods that have lost so much.

McConnell Fund

The McConnell Fund at the Shasta Regional Community Foundation was established in 2001. The McConnell Foundation directors chose the Community Foundation as a funding partner because of its connection and widespread involvement in the communities they serve. The McConnell Fund accepts grant requests up to $50,000 from eligible organizations in Shasta, Siskiyou, and Tehama counties and up to $30,000 in Trinity and Modoc counties. This fund is another way The McConnell Foundation furthers its mission of helping building better communities through philanthropy. 

Grantmaking History

With a grant from The McConnell Fund, The State Theatre in Red Bluff has successfully restored the historic blade and marquee.  They celebrated the lighting of both the blade and the marquee on May 31, 2014.  The Community Foundation is honored to help The State Theatre for The Arts to further its mission to develop the theatre as a vibrant community center for innovative cultural arts programming and popular events that foster the cultural enrichment and economic sustainability of historic downtown Red Bluff. 

Tehama County Museum "cements" a $40,000 grant from The McConnell Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation.  With the grant the Tehama County Museum is re-pointing the exterior bricks of the third oldest building in continuous use in Tehama County.

"We are excited to see the progress being made through this project," Hutchings said. "The Tehama County Museum put together a well thought out, integrated three part project with a multi-sourced funding plan to bring new life to an important piece of Tehama County history, and we are pleased to be able to support this effort through The McConnell Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation."



"The board room of the museum was electrically charged as board President Chris Bauer announced that the museum's project to re-point the bricks was funded,"said Vice President Darrell Mullins. "That building was built in 1859-60 as a school house and Masonic Lodge, and is very important to the education component of our mission in the community. One might say that this is a very concrete expression of support for the museum, and we are very grateful to the Shasta Regional Community Foundation and The McConnell Fund."

Members, patrons and friends of the Yreka Preservation Corporation in Yreka are grateful for a dry and safe patio gazebo venue available again in their community. Built in 1972 as a community feature in the City of Yreka Historic District, it had fallen to disrepair and was no longer building code compliant, eliminating the opportunity for safe use during community events. 

In 1988 when Shasta County faced major budget cuts, Fall River Valley was left without a library. A group of committed citizens took it upon themselves to call every name in the phone book to ask for donations of books, time and money. This effort worked and the Fall River Library emerged again. Over the years the library was housed in various locations that were both small and remote. Yet that changed in 2005 when a generous citizen donated a large building situated ideally on Highway 299. This building was a blessing but it was also in desperate need of repair. People from age 4 to 94 volunteered labor and businesses donated building supplies. The Community Foundation was proud to partner with the remodel of the new library through a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation’s McConnell Fund.

Today the library is busier than ever with patronage jumping from around eight people a day to over thirty! A recent addition of an outdoor reading garden and a beautiful mural painted by Patricia Carlson and provided through grants from the Community Foundation enhance the library even more. The mural weaves its way arounding the outside of the library with the words "Libraries are for reading, gardens are for growing, grow and learn with us!"

The Community Foundation has awarded over $46,000 in grants to the library find it a privilege to join with the library to bring the joy of reading and art to East Shasta County.

A grant from The McConnell Fund at the Community Foundation made it possible for Metteer Elementary to build a new playground for their students.  Students and teachers alike were grateful for the new equipment and playground that provides a great place to exercise, develop motor skills and most of all - have fun! 

Redding Rancheria Community Fund

The Redding Rancheria is a federally recognized Tribe whose members are of the Pit River, Yana and Wintu decent. The Rancheria operates the Tribal administration offices, the Redding Rancheria Headstart & Child Care, the Redding Rancheria Tribal Health Center, Churn Creek Healthcare, Trinity Healthcare, Win-River Mini-Mart, Win-River Resort & Casino, and the Hilton Garden Inn. This fund was established to give to worthy causes in the surrounding communities.

Grantmaking History

Since 2001 over 14,000 students from Shasta, Tehama and Trinity Counties have experienced the joy of a live concert through the work of the Shasta Community Concert Association Youth Outreach program. Through this program many students, who would not normally have the opportunity to attend a concert, are treated to a 45 minute performance. The students then get to ask questions and sometimes get autographs from their favorite performer. In 2008, SCCA received a $5,000 grant from the Redding Rancheria Community Fund to help promote the youth outreach program by paying for artist fees, the distribution of flyers and by providing $100 grants to schools that would not be able to afford the field trip otherwise.

In November 2008, over 720 students were treated to a concert by Pianafiddle where Adam DeGraff on fiddle and Lynn Wright on piano played an eclectic mix of bluegrass, jazz, classical, celtic and blues for the young audience. After the show a crowd of youth from elementary school to high school gathered around for personalized autographs and loads of questions.

A camera that literally can see through smoke can save lives, property and identify hazardous materials. The Burney Fire Protection District has added this amazing piece of equipment to their inventory thanks to a generous grant from the Redding Rancheria Community Fund in 2016. Imagine the time and property savings if while fighting a house fire you could pinpoint a hot spot in a wall without having to tear a whole wall down looking for a source of the fire. In a traffic accident, the thermal camera could identify whether a seat in the car was warm from being occupied so that rescue workers could search nearby for a person that may have been ejected from the vehicle. Thanks to this grant, emergency response in the event of fire, a rescue situation, hazardous materials incident and other emergencies is much improved in the Burney region.

The Women's Fund

Mobilizing the Power of Women Through Philanthropy

The Women's Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation began in February 2008 with a founding cabinet of 10 women, representing diverse backgrounds, ages, and perspectives, all from the greater Redding region. The Women's Fund is part of a global movement dedicated to collective philanthropy.

Connecting Women Who Give to Needs that Matter

Join us by donating to the Women's Fund. We're working together to build a permanent resource for positive change.

For more information, please visit womensfundredding.com.

Grantmaking History

The Women's Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation started in 2008 as a group of 10 women concerned with the persistent challenges facing women and families in the Redding area. Brought together by Anne Peterson and Susan Seamans, under the umbrella and leadership of Community Foundation CEO, Kathy Anderson, the women brought their unique histories and community interests together to find ways to strengthen the lives of local women.

The Women’s Fund is part of a movement that includes funds, giving circles and foundations dedicated to improving conditions for women and girls worldwide. They are united by the belief that by supporting programs that address the needs of women, they also benefit families and communities.

Dedicated to the concept of collective philanthropy, the Women’s Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation pools annual contributions for grant-making and endowment building.

The first grant cycle of the Women’s Fund of the SRCF began in June 2010, benefiting a local agency whose expertise and mission fit a priority area that members will choose. The broad focus areas considered for this year’s cycle include: gaining skills for economic self-sufficiency; developing healthy lifestyles; and breaking cycles of poverty.

The fund is sparking interest among many in the community intrigued by a focus on solutions for women. Alarmed by the poverty endemic to many women and families in our region, members of the Women’s Fund understand the direct consequences to our community. Within two months of beginning its first membership drive in December 2009, the fund had already met half its membership goal for the year, raising over $50,000.

In October 2009, the Women’s Fund initiated a series of community forums on local issues, which is part of the Fund’s commitment to community education. The popular brown bag forums, held at the Redding Library, feature local and state experts addressing issues effecting women and families, including poverty, employment, and raising girls’ aspirations. The forums are rebroadcast on Channel 11, and the presentations can be found on the Fund’s web page.

The Women’s Fund’s slogan is, “connecting women who give to needs that matter.” Join the Women’s Fund in improving the lives of women and families in the greater Redding area. Donations of all amounts are accepted, but donors of $200 or more receive membership status for the year. Through December 2010, donors of $1,000 or more receive Founder status for a lifetime. For more information read about The Women’s Fund at www.womensfundredding.com or contact us at (530)244-1219.