At NVCF, we believe that all young people have the potential to become confident and contributing adults. However, while gifts and talents are evenly distributed, access and opportunities are not.
To address these inequities, we make grant distributions every year under a program area called Invest in Youth, which supports nonprofit and school-based projects that offer essential resources and opportunities to children and young adults who need them the most. This year, we are thrilled to announce grants totaling just over $200,000 to 17 local nonprofit organizations and schools dedicated to helping the Valley’s youth succeed and grow.
These grants are made possible through NVCF’s Gordon F. & Marion J. Davies Endowment Fund and our In School & Out of School (ISOS) Fund. The Davies Endowment Fund honors the memory of Gordon and Marion Davies by investing in programs that promote education and youth development. Our ISOS Fund bridges in-school and out-of-school learning, ensuring comprehensive support for students.
Since inception, we’ve distributed more than $2.8 million to create pathways to success for young people in the Valley. Our 2024 Invest in Youth grants, totaling just over $200,000, include:
- 10,000 Degrees, to support their Community College Access and Success program, which provides mentorship and financial aid navigation to ensure community college students can achieve their academic goals.
- Ag4Youth Napa, to expand youth participation in the Ag4Youth program which offers agricultural education and hands-on farming experiences to engage youth in sustainable practices and career exploration.
- Aim High, to support the summer program, which provides academic preparation and enrichment activities for low-income middle-school students, helping to combat summer learning loss.
- American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation, to support their Watershed Explorers Program, which offers hands-on environmental education and career exploration to students.
- Calistoga Joint Unified School District, to strengthen the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program which helps narrow the achievement gap and prepares students to be four-year college-ready and gain admission to college.
- Community Resources for Children, to support the Learn and Grow Initiative which strengthens children’s readiness for kindergarten, and enhances cognitive, social, and emotional development for children ages 2-5.
- Connolly Ranch Education Center, to support the Summer High School Leadership and Environmental Stewardship Internship program, fostering the next generation of environmental leaders through hands-on project-based work.
- Napa County Children and Families Commission, to support the Florecer (Blooom) Program, which mentors high school students to diversify and increase the early childhood workforce in Napa County.
- Napa County Office of Education, for the Welding and Culinary CTE program at Camille Creek Community School, providing at-risk students with hands-on project-based team experiences to strengthen core skills and prepare them for the workforce.
- Napa Valley Education Foundation, to support the Career Connection program, giving students insight into career paths through speaker series and field trips to career sites.
- Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, to support the Fields of Opportunity program—a summer mentorship program helping students explore career options in the wine and vineyard industry through an eight-week paid mentorship experience.
- Napa Valley Unified School District to strengthen the AVID program, including teacher training, registration fees, college tours, and parent engagement activities
- On The Move’s Neighborhood Initiative, to support Youth Leadership Academies, which mobilize low-income youth to build their capacity as leaders while setting a course for successful adulthood.
- ParentsCAN, to expand the YouthCAN Next Steps program, helping high school seniors with mild to moderate disabilities prepare for the workforce or continue their education.
- St Helena Preschool for All, to provide 3- and 4-year-olds in St. Helena and Angwin with the opportunity to attend preschool programs and become kindergarten-ready.
- Summer Search, to prepare low-income high school students to be college-ready and matriculate to college, and to help students already in college to stay the course and attain a bachelor’s degree.
- UpValley Family Centers, to support Niños Activos (Active Kids) — an early childhood program with the goal to increase kindergarten readiness and early literacy among young kids who are from low-income and immigrant families.
In addition to these new grants, we continue to see the impact of our past investments. For example, last year:
- Early Childhood Education: 87 children ages 2-5 participated in Early School Readiness programs at Community Resources for Children and UpValley Family Centers, enhancing their cognitive and social skills.
- Summer Enrichment: To address summer brain drain, 163 middle-school students participated in Aim High’s 2023 five-week summer program at the Napa High campus.
- Vocational Training: At Camille Creek Community School, 21 high-school students participated in the Welding & Construction training program, gaining valuable trade skills.
- College Academic Success: 1,400 high-school students attended college success workshops, and 176 Napa Valley College students received individualized support through the 10,000 Degrees College Access Fellow program.
We are immensely proud of the accomplishments of our grantees and the young people they serve. By supporting these essential programs, we are building a brighter, more equitable future for all.