SANTA ROSA, Calif. (July 7, 2021) – Today, the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation announces a distribution of $1 million in Community Grants to 87 Sonoma County nonprofits that have been greatly impacted during the pandemic.
“We are honored to contribute to the incredible organizations that make Sonoma County an amazing place to live,” says Sonoma County Vintners Foundation President, Clay Mauritson. “The pandemic has been a challenge for all, but especially for those in our nonprofit community. This year’s approach was to prioritize and focus the grant distribution to address the challenges and pressing needs they face.”
Through the tremendous support and generosity of the Sonoma County wine community, donors, and sponsor partners, proceeds from the annual Sonoma County Wine Auction are distributed through Community Grants to Sonoma County nonprofit organizations each year. This year’s grants were funded from the 2020 Sonoma County Wine Auction.
The Sonoma County Vintners Foundation partners with the Community Foundation Sonoma County, who provides insights to aid in distributing the annual funding. In the past five years grants have been distributed to 339 organizations dedicated to education & literacy, health & human services, the environment and arts & culture.
This year’s insights concluded that the pandemic greatly impacted education and literacy in Sonoma County. Recent data indicates 70% of youth are feeling anxious about the future. With this in mind, the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation prioritized nonprofit organizations that are working to bridge the digital divide and those that support youth mental health with an emphasis on serving LGBTQ, BIPOC and low-income youth.
Basic human needs were also exacerbated during the pandemic, especially for vulnerable populations. As a result, grants for health & human services focus on immediate and direct critical safety net services such as access to food, shelter, housing, transportation and medical expenses.
Arts & culture nonprofits were critically impacted by the pandemic, and the funding for the 2021 grants extends support to nonprofits that provide culturally diverse programming and audiences.
In addition to the pandemic, Sonoma County has also endured multiple environmental challenges in recent years and this year’s Community Grants continue to address the impacts of fires, floods and related challenges.
The 2021 Sonoma County Wine Auction will be a live event and will take place September 18 at La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard. Named one of the nation’s top charitable wine auctions, proceeds have supported more nonprofits than any other fundraising event in Sonoma County. For more information and to attend, visit: SonomaCountyWineAuction.com.
To make a donation, contributions may be made payable and mailed to: Sonoma County Vintners Foundation, 400 Aviation Boulevard, Suite 500, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 or donate online at https://donorbox.org/sonoma-county-vintners-foundation.
To learn more about the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation click here or to view the full list of community grant beneficiaries click here.
About Sonoma County Vintners Foundation
The Sonoma County Vintners Foundation provides support to our local community through philanthropy and charitable giving. Our fundraising efforts have a direct impact in the areas of literacy, education, health and human services, the environment and arts and culture. Our signature fundraising event, Sonoma County Wine Auction has been recognized as one of Wine Spectator’s Top Charity Wine Auctions in the United States. Learn more at SonomaWine.com/Foundation.
About Sonoma County Wine Auction
The Sonoma County Wine Auction brings the region’s most renowned winemakers and growers together with distinguished collectors and generous bidders for an opportunity to acquire some of Sonoma County’s top wines and bid on incredible travel experiences. The proceeds raised benefit local Sonoma County charitable organizations. Since its inception, the Sonoma County Wine Auction has raised over $37 million to help fund charitable organizations focusing on education, health and human services, the environment and arts and culture, and has supported more nonprofits than any other fundraising event in Sonoma County. Learn more at sonomacountywineauction.com.
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