This past year was our 29th year of operation, and like a young adult on the cusp of a milestone birthday, we’ve taken this opportunity to reflect on our history while looking optimistically towards the future.
In doing so, three themes have emerged related to giving, planning, and growth.
Giving is hyperlocal. Grants from the Foundation topped $11 million this year, with a remarkable 87 percent of all distributions going to support programs right here in Napa County. Hundreds of donors and fundholders stepped up to make all of this possible, their collective generosity propelling community-wide prosperity, resilience, and wellbeing.
Planning is paramount. We’ve started the important work of updating the Foundation’s strategic plan to meet our vision of a thriving, inclusive, and equitable Napa Valley.
Fans of our current areas of focus, fear not! We will continue to do the work described herein while launching new initiatives under some of these areas next year.
Growth is compounding. Our total assets have nearly doubled in the last five years, and half of the grants we’ve made in our history have been distributed in this timeframe.
Importantly, staff headcount has grown by just 11 percent in this period, a testament to economies of scale and careful stewardship of the monies entrusted to us by the community.