Category: Stories

Supporting Those Who Serve: The First Responders Fund 

Posted on: Jan 26, 2026

When troubles come to Napa County, our first responders show up without hesitation, giving everything they can to protect and support our community. Sometimes those troubles affect a single person or family, as is the case with a medical emergency or roadway accident; sometimes those troubles affect us all, which is true for natural disasters.…

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A Summer in Oxford, England Opens New Doors for Coppola Scholar Saniya Chandy

Posted on: Jan 14, 2026

For as long as she can remember, 16-year-old Saniya Chandy has been drawn to medicine—especially the kind of human-centered care that helped her family through a difficult period. After her parent suffered a chronic injury, she realized, “I want to help families and everyday people who are going through struggles. This is my passion, helping…

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We Were Ready: What Napa Valley Community Foundation Learned From a Near-Miss Food Security Emergency

Posted on: Dec 17, 2025

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…

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Meet Kent Rasmussen and Celia Ramsay

Posted on: Oct 24, 2025

In their 1885 Napa Victorian home, Kent Rasmussen and Celia Ramsay are surrounded by art, much of it collected at local charity auctions and events—including Nimbus Arts’ NIMBASH. A love of art is just one of the passions Kent and Celia have cultivated over their 40 years of marriage and entrepreneurship. Together, they built Rasmussen…

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Leaving a Legacy: Colleen Clark

Posted on: Oct 24, 2025

“I used to say you have a three-dog maximum,” recalls Mark Clark, thinking back on downtown Napa walks with his late sister Colleen. An outgoing lover of animals, Colleen was likely to stop to pet every dog she met along the way to dinner. Colleen passed away in July of 2024, leaving behind a legacy…

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Leaving a Legacy: Meet “Dr. Joe”

Posted on: Oct 24, 2025

Dr. Joseph Carrillo, or “Dr. Joe” to the thousands of children and families he has cared for over the years, has built a career defined by compassion. As a pediatrician in Napa, he has been a trusted guide for generations of young people, and a beloved figure to their parents as well. A proud Mexican…

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A Gift of Home: Richard and Annie Bennett

Posted on: Oct 24, 2025

When longtime Napa residents Richard and Annie Bennett approached NVCF in 2021, they had a unique and interesting gift in mind: a piece of real estate. Their four-unit apartment complex on Cedar Street in Calistoga presented both opportunity and complexity, and we were honored to help the Bennetts put their vision into action. As we…

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Silverado Farming Company

Posted on: Oct 24, 2025

In 2006, Silverado Farming Company partners Pete Richmond, Arnulfo Solorio, and Miguel Luna founded the 1% for the Community Fund at NVCF. Eighteen years later, Silverado remains steadfast in its mission: to support local nonprofits that provide essential services to farmworkers and their families. To date, the Fund has awarded more than $2.2 million in…

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Our 2024-2025 Annual Report: A Letter from our President & Chair

Posted on: Oct 24, 2025

At moments like these, when our national civic life feels so frayed and volatile, it is deeply gratifying to be laser-focused on community. Our community. Napa Valley is an extraordinary place. We have a stockpile of strengths, a multitude of challenges, and a rich history of using the former to fix the latter. Time and…

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