Central Valley Community Foundation

Central Valley Community Foundation We do whatever it takes to create a just and thriving Central Valley. Our Vision is the Central Valley: No barriers. Just opportunity. All people.

Call for Artists: We have great news to share! The submission deadline was extended to Friday, June 12. In honor of the ...
06/01/2026

Call for Artists: We have great news to share! The submission deadline was extended to Friday, June 12. In honor of the Central Valley Community Foundation's 60th anniversary, we have partnered with the Madera County Arts Council to commission artwork that depicts impactful historical moments from the Central Valley and its people over the past 60 years. All artwork submissions must be visual mediums. Winners will each be awarded $1,500 plus the cost of materials.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to showcase your artwork! To apply, visit the link below. For more information, call the Madera County Arts Council at 559-661-7005.

https://client.smarterentry.com/madera

: Despite the hardships of Pearl Harbor and World War II, Japanese Americans contributed greatly to Central Valley life...
05/30/2026

: Despite the hardships of Pearl Harbor and World War II, Japanese Americans contributed greatly to Central Valley life, becoming agricultural innovators and transforming the raisin industry with Kay Hiyama’s “dried-on-vine” raisin method.

Pictured above, the original Fresno Buddhist Church was completed in 1901. The building was replaced by the current building after a fire destroyed the first building in 1918. The photo was taken May 18, 1902, just after completion of the roof.

Many local Japanese farmers, pictured above, were proud growers for the Sun-Maid Raisin Company. Landowners were required to have been born on American soil, so Issei (first-generation) often had to wait for their children to become adults before they could purchase property.

📸 Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society. All rights reserved.

To learn more about Japanese American contributions to the Central Valley, click the link below.

https://www.centralvalleycf.org/post/beautiful-spirit-how-japanese-issei-nisei-and-beyond-continue-to-shape-our-valley

05/30/2026

The Sequoia Riverlands Trust is protecting the lands and waters that shape the Central Valley. Through conservation, education, and partnership, they're ensuring this place and its future continues to thrive for generations to come. "The land connects us all. We don't just live on the land; we belong on it."

Learn more about local land conservation efforts and the Sequoia Riverlands Trust nature preserves: Homer Ranch, Dry Creek, Kaweah Oaks, Herbert Wetland Prairie, Lewis Hill and Blue Oak Ranch at the link below.

sequoiariverlands.org

: Pictured below is an aerial view of the Kings River winding alongside productive Central Valley farmland, a landscape...
05/28/2026

: Pictured below is an aerial view of the Kings River winding alongside productive Central Valley farmland, a landscape made possible by the kind of voluntary conservation partnerships that keep working lands in agriculture for generations to come.

This is what conservation and agriculture look like together. 🌾🌊 Conservation easements allow landowners to keep farming, ranching and stewarding their property while ensuring these landscapes stay protected long after they're gone.

The Central Valley feeds the world. Protecting the land that makes that possible is one of the most important things we can do. 🌿

Volunteers, pictured below, pause for a moment atop a morning's worth of work at Kaweah Oaks Preserve, one of Sequoia Riverlands Trust monthly stewardship days open to community members of all ages and abilities. The land shows up for this Valley every single day, and these volunteers returned the favor. 🙌

To get involved, visit: srt.social/volunteer and learn more about Sequoia Riverlands Trust at the link below.

https://bit.ly/4f8H2Vc

: The Central Valley Pacific Islander Alliance (CVPIA), pictured below, started during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, CV...
05/22/2026

: The Central Valley Pacific Islander Alliance (CVPIA), pictured below, started during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, CVPIA serves, advocates for and uplifts Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders throughout the Central Valley. They strive to create safe spaces for all NHPI identities, foster cultural connections, amplify NHPI voices and support resource navigation — all in solidarity with other marginalized communities. Today, CVPIA serves over 1,500 community members across 11 Central Valley counties, including Sacramento, San Joaquin, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Mariposa and Kern. Ethnic groups served by CVPIA include Samoan, Tongan, Native Hawaiian, Palauan, Fijian, Chuukese, Chamorro and Marshallese.

In April, CVPIA hosted a meeting of their elders group, “Guiding Hands," pictured below. This is a community-driven initiative for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders aged 55 and over living in the Central Valley.

To learn more about CVPIA, click the links below to read the full story and view their website.

https://bit.ly/4tV3Jjx

https://www.cvpia.org/

: The Central Valley Community Foundation is proud of our President Ashley Swearengin for being awarded an honorary doc...
05/20/2026

: The Central Valley Community Foundation is proud of our President Ashley Swearengin for being awarded an honorary doctorate, the Doctor of Humane Letters by California State University, Fresno. Ashley is a proud Fresno State alumna, holding both bachelor's and master's degrees from the university. She has dedicated her career to serving the Central Valley and creating lasting, transformative change for the region both as the President of CVCF and as Fresno's former mayor.

"To receive this recognition for community impact from the institution that changed my life more than 30 years ago is beyond anything I could have imagined. Being at the graduation ceremony on Friday and watching every graduate cross the stage – seeing their faces, their decorated hats, the special designations on their sashes like 'First Generation' and 'Parent' – hearing the loud cheers in the Save Mart Center and knowing how proud these graduates made their families – it was truly a lifetime moment," Ashley said.

To learn more about this honor, click the link below.

https://today.fresnostate.edu/fresno-state-confers-three-honorary-doctorates-this-commencement-season/

: On Saturday, May 23, from 5 to 9 p.m., Merced will host its first arts festival to celebrate art and its ability to t...
05/15/2026

: On Saturday, May 23, from 5 to 9 p.m., Merced will host its first arts festival to celebrate art and its ability to transform a community. Over six days, Merced AF (Arts Festival) will bring five large-scale murals and ten beautification installations to the downtown core. Artists will paint in public view throughout the week.

Pictured below, "Greetings from Merced" is a mural installed in the reception area at the El Capitan Hotel in downtown Merced.

The Womyn's mural, pictured below, was painted in collaboration with Faith in the Valley and local artists from Merced and the Central Valley and is located at Sam’s Cafe in Merced. The mural showcases three women of color, each representing a different community within Merced, including Hmong, African American, and Latino/Indigenous communities.

To learn more about Merced AF, click the link below.

https://bit.ly/4dJGbsO

As they compiled research for the Central Valley Health Care Landscape Study, stakeholders discovered an alarming trend:...
05/11/2026

As they compiled research for the Central Valley Health Care Landscape Study, stakeholders discovered an alarming trend: many local hospitals are in the midst of a financial crisis. Low Medi‑Cal reimbursement rates, rising labor and regulatory costs, and years of underfunding are pushing facilities to the brink. In 2023, nearly half of the region’s acute‑care hospitals reported negative operating margins. Compared to other hospitals in the state of California, Central Valley hospitals earn 28% less per discharge and 19% less per Medi‑Cal discharge, putting essential services at risk for millions of residents.

To learn more about the state of the local health care system, click the link below.

https://www.centralvalleycf.org/health-equity

: Every May, people flock to the Central Valley town of Kingsburg for the annual Swedish festival. The ultimate Scandin...
05/08/2026

: Every May, people flock to the Central Valley town of Kingsburg for the annual Swedish festival. The ultimate Scandinavian immersion, traditionally held the third weekend in May, invites all to experience and taste the rich culture of Sweden in Kingsburg. This year's event will take place on Thursday, May 14 - Saturday, May 16, and will feature entertainment, food, and fun. It all begins on Thursday night with the pea soup and Swedish pancake supper. On Friday night, participants can enjoy a Swedish Smorgasbord and a Heritage Program. On Saturday, there is a festival with a parade, vendors, and heritage activities. Additionally, attendees can visit shops and restaurants on Draper Street in downtown Kingsburg and see the Swedish Cultural Village, where you can discover food and craft booths and enjoy the entertainment.

Kingsburg's historic water tower was built in 1911 and modified in 1985 to resemble a giant coffee pot after a resident visited Stanton, Iowa, and saw its similarly modified water tower. The tower is 122 feet tall and visible from Highway 99. The 60,000-gallon vessel could fill 1.28 million coffee cups and is lit at night.

For event details, visit the Kingsburg District Chamber of Commerce and click the link below to learn more about Kingsburg's Scandinavian roots.

https://bit.ly/42VUUdV

We closed out April with a Friends of the Foundation dinner, where we shared an overview of the Central Valley Community...
05/06/2026

We closed out April with a Friends of the Foundation dinner, where we shared an overview of the Central Valley Community Foundation's Health Equity Initiative and the Health Care Landscape Study. Friends heard directly from local health leaders — including Fresno County Director of Public Health Joe Prado, Vice Dean of UCSF Fresno José M. Barral Sánchez, and BLACK Wellness and Prosperity Center CEO Shantay Davies-Balch — in a panel conversation facilitated by Senior Health Equity Fellow Elize Bradley, DrPH, JD.

Their message was unmistakable: our region’s health care system faces significant challenges, and transformative, community‑driven change is essential to building a more equitable future.

To learn more about becoming a Friend of the Foundation and supporting local health equity efforts, click the link below.

https://www.centralvalleycf.org/friends

Address

1260 Fulton Street, Suite 200
Fresno, CA
93721

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Website

http://linktr.ee/centralvalleycf

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