Chino Cienega Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Chino Cienega Foundation supports a wide variety of causes including the environment, sustainable development, and education programs.
IP TAKE: This is not one of the more accessible funders, which is not unusual for an organization without formal employees. If grant seekers want to receive Chino Cienaga’s grantmaking attention, they should highlight how their work aligns with the foundation’s mission and how it differs from that of Cienega’s current grantees.
PROFILE: Based in Palm Springs, California, the Chino Cienega Foundation was established in 2003 by Frances and Prescott Stevens and Sallie and Culver Nichols. This small funder seeks to make grants toward its “commitment to education and the arts, together with an enduring appreciation of the inter-relatedness of local community to the international community and to the global environment.” The foundation supports projects and organizations working in climate change and environmental sustainability, conflict avoidance and reconciliation, and sustainable development.
Grants for Global Development, Security and Human Rights
Chino Cienega supports a range of international organizations that address development and the aftermath of war. For instance, the foundation has awarded grants to the Aspen Institute to support the launch of its “Addressing the Legacy of Agent Orange: Declaration and Plan of Action.” The foundation has also supported the Fund for Reconciliation and Development for multiple years in order to support its reconciliation, education, and activities regarding Agent Orange, unexploded ordinances, poverty, and sustainable development in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Grants for Environmental Conservation, Climate Change and Clean Energy
While this funder does not have a dedicated grantmaking program for environmental causes, it does list climate change and environmental sustainability in its list of funding priorities. Previous grantees include A Rocha USA, Ashoka, Southeast Asia Development Program Inc, EarthRights International, and East-West Management Institute.
Grants for K-12 and Higher Education
Chino Cienega does not have a specific education grantmaking program, but it does emphasize its commitment to education in its mission statement. Most of its support in this area goes to grants for higher education and to international organizations working to secure equal opportunity in education. Past grantees include Culture, Health, Education and Environmental Resources for Vietnam Foundation. Other education grantees include University of Washington Foundation and George Washington University.
Important Grant Details:
Most CCF grants range from $10,000 to $50,000; the foundation appears to award grants to many of the same organizations each year. To learn more about the types of organizations CCF has supported in the past, browse its grantmaking page.
Chino Cienega has a very limited public profile and does not have paid staff. Instead, it has a “highly engaged” team of directors and advisers. CCF does not accept unsolicited requests for funding or letters of inquiry.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
