Engine For Good

We work side-by-side with local donors and nonprofits to tackle the most important challenges our Valley faces.

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Napa Valley Community Foundation Engine For Good Logo, an illustrated image of a face with a heart representing a brain

Every day, we gather generous hearts and bright minds to solve the problems that lie beneath the surface of this beautiful place we call home.

Recent News & Stories

Audience members listen attentively at NVCFs Common Ground civic learning event, while Dr. Valerie Lacarte speaks at a podium. A red banner reads Napa Valley Community Foundation Common Ground: A Civic Learning Series.

Rooted in the Valley: A Recap of Our Common Ground Event

On Thursday, May 7, more than 100 Napa Valley residents gathered at the Yountville Community Center for our latest Common Ground civic learning event — and for the unveiling of Rooted in the Valley: Immigrants in Napa County’s Communities and Economy, a comprehensive new report from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), funded by NVCF.

The event marked a milestone fourteen years in the making. In May 2012, in the very same room, we released MPI’s first-ever study of Napa County’s immigrant population — also funded by NVCF. That earlier report illuminated a community with an economy and demography that had shifted dramatically towards more immigrants living and working in the County than before, but where little local conversation existed about what those shifts might mean for our collective future and increasing political tensions, at a national level, over immigration and citizenship. As our President & CEO Terence Mulligan put it during his opening remarks, our intent back then was “to pick up the hot potato of immigration with the oven mitts of objective, third-party data.”

Learn more and Read the Report
Doctor Joseph Carrillo examines a young girl’ while her brother sits beside her on a wooden bench in a medical clinic hallway. Medical equipment is visible in the background.

Our 2024-2025 Annual Report

This year, we’ve organized our annual report around three essential roles the Foundation plays to make Napa Valley stronger, more successful and more cohesive.

We are a partner to donors who choose to conduct their philanthropy through the Foundation, helping them achieve greater impact. We serve as a steward and protector for local people who’ve passed away and want to pay it forward, ensuring their charitable wishes are carried out with fidelity. We are a platform through which the collective generosity of thousands is channeled against the Valley’s most pressing issues, amplifying the strength of local donors.

Thank you for your partnership, generosity, and trust. We hope you find inspiration in the stories that follow.

Read our Annual Report
A graphic with text about Napa Valley Community Foundation’s lessons from a near-miss food security emergency, featuring groceries like bread, fruits, and vegetables on a red background.

We Were Ready: What We Learned From a Near-Miss Food Security Emergency

In late October, almost 11,000 Napa County residents braced for the possibility of losing their November CalFresh benefits during the federal government shutdown. Children, seniors, and working families who rely on these food subsidies faced real fear and uncertainty.

At Napa Valley Community Foundation, we hoped for the best but prepared for the worst—as we always do when anticipating emerging community needs. What happened next showed the best of Napa: when a crisis looms, our community mobilizes together with speed, compassion, and proficiency.

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What is a Community Foundation?

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