Posts Tagged: Foundation

Foundation created to energize community support for UC ANR mission

Board of Directors to promote philanthropy through advocacy and fundraising in support of agriculture, natural resources and community health

The new University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Foundation has been established to advance UC ANR's essential research and extension mission.

The foundation – to be incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization following approval by UC President Michael Drake in October – will support programs that promote California's agriculture and food systems; natural ecosystems and working landscapes; and healthy and thriving communities.

“The establishment of this foundation could not have come at a better time, as it will inspire the vital resources and energy we need to meet the pressing challenges we pinpointed in our recently released Strategic Vision 2040,” said Glenda Humiston, UC vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

Modeled after similar entities at UC campuses, the UC ANR Foundation will be guided by a volunteer Board of Directors. Representing a variety of regions and communities across California, the directors collectively bring years of experience in the agriculture, natural resources, government, academic and nonprofit sectors.

“By tapping into the board's connections, relationships and knowledge of our work and its impact, UC ANR is well-positioned to undertake significant and truly transformative fundraising initiatives and campaigns,” said Greg Gibbs, executive director of UC ANR Development Services.

The Board currently comprises eight community leaders and three ex officio members:

Don Bransford
Owner and Operator
Bransford Farms

Tom Delfino
Sr. Principal
S.S. Papadopulos & Associates

Bill Frost
UC Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus and former Associate Vice President
UC ANR

Anne Haddix
Co-President, Board of Directors
UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County (Volunteer)

Corinne Martinez, Board Chair
President and Chief Operations Officer
Berryessa Gap Vineyards

Soapy Mulholland
Principal
Sopac & Associates LLC

Sharon Nance
President
NTAPROBLM LLC Inc.

Stephen Reid
Head Gardener of the Rose Garden
The Huntington Library and Botanic Gardens

Ex Officio Members

Greg Gibbs, Board Secretary
Executive Director, Development Services
UC ANR

Glenda Humiston
Vice President
UC ANR

Tu Tran, Board Treasurer
Associate Vice President
UC ANR

“We are grateful to the members of the new board for their leadership, expertise and passion for our mission, and we're thankful to the many donors – past, present and future – who generously support our work to improve lives all across California,” Humiston said.

History of philanthropic support empowered creation of foundation

It has been that outpouring of support – channeled by Gibbs' fundraising team – that enabled the establishment of the UC ANR Foundation. Gibbs was part of a nascent development team created just seven years ago, in 2017, to increase private funding from individuals, foundations, companies and agricultural commodities groups.

Within that time, the Development Services team has raised crucial funds for a wide range of impactful programs and projects. For example, philanthropic support is fueling efforts to cultivate workforce development in agriculture and related fields in Orange County, drive innovations in the “circular bioeconomy” within the San Joaquin Valley, strengthen wildfire resiliency in communities across the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and propel leading-edge research to benefit growers of citrus, grapes and other valuable commodities.

“People are seeing the true impact of UC ANR, and I think this foundation board is a testament to that,” Gibbs said. “It's a validation of all the work that's been done over the last seven years.”

In 2023, a Vice President's Cabinet began laying the groundwork for the foundation by establishing its bylaws and structure. That group comprised several current board members, as well as Andrea Ambrose, UC ANR director of advancement; Adina Merenlender, professor of Cooperative Extension in conservation science; and Kerry Tucker, chief strategic counsel at Nuffer, Smith, Tucker.

Then, presented with UC ANR's track record of robust fundraising and measurable impacts, UC President Drake approved the incorporation of the new nonprofit foundation on Oct. 2. The foundation will begin work with UC ANR leadership and staff in early 2025 to develop short- and long-term fundraising plans.

For the public, there is an immediate opportunity to support UC ANR's work – Giving Tuesday. From midnight to midnight on Tuesday, Dec. 3, visit donate.ucanr.edu to donate and participate in a global online giving event.

“Just as UC ANR programs significantly improve lives in California and across the nation and world, our donors substantively improve those programs,” Gibbs said. “They believe in what we do, and they make our research and extension activities better in every sense – more impactful, more accessible and more sustainable.”

For more information on the UC ANR Foundation and opportunities to contribute, contact Greg Gibbs at glgibbs@ucanr.edu.

New phone numbers for staff in ANR building in Davis

Everyone who moved into the new ANR building located at 2801 Second Street in Davis has a new phone number. Before calling them, please check the ANR directory for their new phone numbers. Email addresses remain unchanged.

The following units have relocated to the new building:

• 4-H Foundation
• 4-H Youth Development Program
• Academic Personnel Unit
• Business Operations Center
• Communication Services and Information Technology
• Contracts and Grants
• Development Services
• Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)
• Facilities Planning and Management
• Risk & Safety Services
• Integrated Pest Management Program
• Master Gardener Program
• Program Planning and Evaluation Unit
• Program Support Unit
• Research and Extension Center Administrative Office
• Staff Personnel Unit
• Western IPM Center
• Youth, Families and Communities Administrative Office

If you haven’t been in the new building, Steve Heindl gives a virtual tour of the transition from roller skating rink to LEED-certified offices at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ht47V3GZEY&feature=youtu.be.

 

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

4-H is about more than agriculture

The 4-H Youth Development program is about sewing, cooking, organic gardening, arts and crafts, scrapbooking, creating PowerPoint presentations and more — all in an effort to build leadership, collaboration and hands-on learning in youth ages 5 to 19 years old, according to an article by Sena Christian on the Granite Bay website. The story centered on the efforts of two 4-H volunteer leaders who rescued a club program "on the verge of extinction."

Obesity Awareness Month
(Solano, Napa) Times Herald, Denise Kirnig, RD, MS

In an article kicking off National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, the Food and Nutrition Network of Solano County asks parents to join the effort to combat childhood obesity. The article notes that UC Cooperative Extension is one of the agencies involved in the Food and Nutrition Network.

State senate approves bills sponsored by State Sen. Anthony Cannella
Merced Sun-Star

The California State Senate approved Senate Bill 707, which adds olives to the list of crops included in the Fruit Tree, Nut Tree, and Grapevine Improvement Advisory Board (IAB) at CDFA and in the Foundation Plant Services program at UC Davis. By including olives, SB 707 provides the industry access to disease-free, virus tested, and true-to-type certification for oil olive trees developed through extensive research.

Leadership, collaboration and hands-on learning are significant parts of the 4-H program.

Calling 4-H members past and present to California State Fair

July 23 and 24 will be 4-H Alumni Weekend at the California State Fair, and as 4-H prepares for its centennial anniversary, organizers in California are assembling portraits of its members.

At the fair, the California 4-H Foundation will be photographing anyone connected to the program in a portable studio. The studio will open at the 4-H booth from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 23 and 24.

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