grant making

The Eisner Foundation announced on Tuesday that it has awarded nearly $1 million to support efforts to bring youth and the elderly together in Los Angeles. Grants were made to a total of eight organizations, including $350,000 to two organizations that work with children in the foster care system.

Atlantic Philanthropies’ work in the area of school discipline reform is a particularly striking example of how limited-life philanthropy can play a key role in social movements for children and youth.

On Sunday evenings in Winnetka, Illinois, the McKenna family gathers with McKenna Foundation Junior Board members to engage in a process that seldom involves youth: grant making. The Junior Board, comprised of 19 young adults ages 13 to 18, discusses the pros and cons of different potential grantees, based on agreed-upon criteria.

Philanthropy veteran Judy Belk will become The California Wellness Foundation’s next CEO on April 7, the Woodland Hills-based grant maker announced on its website. Belk will succeed Diana Bontá, who stepped down in June after just 18 months on the job.

The California Wellness Foundation’s latest Annual Report features “Pivoting Quickly,” a cover story about how the Foundation and its grantees respond effectively and quickly to emerging issues. The story highlights examples of grantees that are polling California voters to track responses to the changing health care environment; researching strategies to prevent youth homelessness, with youth at the table; and spreading the word about Covered California and the expansion of Medi-Cal among underserved communities.

Christy Pichel has announced that she will retire after ten years as president of the San Francisco-based Stuart Foundation. “While my commitment to the goals, values and direction of the Stuart Foundation is as strong as ever, I have made the personal decision to retire from the position of president,” Pichel said in a letter posted late last week on the foundation’s website.

The National Juvenile Justice Evaluation Center has produced three toolkits for juvenile justice practitioners, service providers and grant makers: Logic Model Toolkit This toolkit discusses the basics of logic models, including the purpose and development of a logic model, what elements should and should not be included, and common pitfalls.