Over $400,000 in Scholarships Awarded to Students Across San Luis Obispo County

Awards made possible by funds held at The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County

9 Students Received The Richard J. Weyhrich Leadership Award

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. — The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County is proud to announce the distribution of over $400,000 in scholarships to 71 high school and college students for the 2023-2024 school year. A host of volunteer community members diligently reviewed applications and selected deserving recipients who exemplify academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to creating positive change within their communities, making the program a true community effort.

Scholarships are generously funded by valued donors to the Foundation, and provide not only financial assistance but also invaluable networking opportunities and mentorship for the students. Earlier this year, nine exceptional students were honored with scholarships through The Richard J. Weyhrich Leadership Award, bringing the total amount of scholarship awards for 2023 to a remarkable $408,000. This marks a significant increase in financial support compared to the previous year, demonstrating the community’s commitment to empowering the educational aspirations of local students.

Among the recipients is Olivia Wright, who expressed her gratitude for the Weyhrich Leadership Award, stating, “I had the chance to share my passions, values, and commitment to creating positive change. It was only during this interview that I truly understood the significance of the Weyhrich Leadership Award. Not only was it a financial opportunity, but it also provided a platform to connect with like-minded individuals and mentors who would shape my journey.”

When asked about what a scholarship means to her, Morro Bay High School Graduate Wafa Bhatti shared: “It means that the changes I want to make in my life and the world around me are that much more feasible. Growing up in a first-generation household, college has always been emphasized as a foundation for success and, more than that, a way to solidify our family’s roots here in America. With this scholarship, I can make good on my parents’ sacrifices while also branching beyond the foundation they’ve laid.” Wafa will be attending UC Irvine in the fall.

For over two decades, The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County’s Scholarship Program has been instrumental in fostering educational access for students from diverse backgrounds and academic pursuits. This year’s scholarships reflect the wide range of interests and career paths pursued by San Luis Obispo County students, encompassing fields such as nursing, agriculture, technology, and beyond.

Heidi McPherson, CEO of The Community Foundation shared, “As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are immensely grateful for the donors who make these scholarships possible, enabling us to reward students from various backgrounds and empower them to pursue higher education. Their support has been instrumental in shaping the lives of countless students throughout our community.”

From left to right: Owen Pearson, incoming Cal Poly freshman received the Towru Kobara Scholarship; Chloe Wells and Gizel Mendoza Ramirez, both received the Dorothy Good Trust for AVID scholarship

The scholarships provided by The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County support various education-related expenses, including tuition, textbooks, room and board fees, and other qualified educational needs. Unlike loans, these scholarships do not require repayment and are not considered taxable income.

Students from all academic disciplines and backgrounds are considered for scholarships, with criteria that ranges from supporting financially disadvantaged students aspiring to attend a 4-year university, first-generation college students whose parents work in vineyards or farms, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and women pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

For further information about scholarship and grant opportunities, please contact Cassandra Kartashov, Director of Grants & Programs, at cassandra@cfsloco.org. The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County remains committed to empowering students and fostering educational excellence in our community.

View the full list of 2023 Scholarship Recipients HERE.

May 16, 2023

Over $120,000 Awarded to Local Nonprofits by funds held at the Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County (CFSLOCO) has announced the latest recipients of the Women’s Legacy Fund and Robert Janssen Youth and Youth Sports Fund grants, awarding a total of over $120,000 to dozens of local nonprofits.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of donors, these grants will empower organizations dedicated to supporting women’s initiatives, youth development, and sports programs to achieve their goals and make a real difference in the lives of those they serve.

Established by the Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County Board of Directors in 2003, the Women’s Legacy Fund is the only endowment in the County that targets the needs of women and girls. Grants from the fund support organizations that assist women and girls to strengthen their physical, emotional, intellectual, and financial well-being. Each year, the Women’s Legacy Fund Advisory Committee identifies a focus for grant-making in the areas of economic independence, basic needs, safety, reproductive health, education, and mental health.

Women’s Legacy Fund: $65,000

Boys & Girls Club of South SLO County	To support access to childcare for single mother low-income families	$11,000
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) of San Luis Obispo County	To provide additional support for volunteers assigned to girls with mental health challenges	$10,000
Lumina Alliance	To support childcare services for sexual assault & intimate partner violence survivors	$20,000
Transitions Mental Health Association	To support the Teen Support Group	$24,000

These awards come just in time to celebrate National Women’s Health Week, and will have a significant impact in supporting access to childcare for single mother low-income families, the health and well-being of teenage girls, and increased access to services.

The Robert Janssen Youth and Youth Sports Fund provides grants to local nonprofit organizations providing youth enrichment programs and/or youth sports programs in the City of SLO and adjacent areas within San Luis Obispo County. The fund seeks to support programs that enrich the lives of local youth and reflect the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets. Robert Janssen was a lifelong resident of SLO County who devoted a considerable amount of time to local youth sports and other community and youth activities.

“Robert Janssen was a special soul who devoted a great deal of his life to a special cause — our youth,” said Heidi McPherson, CEO of The Community Foundation. “We look forward to honoring Bob’s legacy by continuing to support and enrich youth activities across the county.”

The following nonprofits have been awarded grants from the Robert Janssen Youth and Youth Sports Fund:

Robert H. Janssen Youth & Youth Sports Fund: $60,960

Central Coast Aquarium	To support Tidepools on Tour scholarships	$2,500
Central Coast Autism Spectrum Center	To support Camp Expedition supplies and equipment	$3,800
Community Foundation of Estero Bay	To support sports scholarships and equipment for Estero Bay youth	$5,000
Edna 4-H	To support swine projects and general insurance for the club	$2,600
El Camino Homeless Organization	To support ECHO Children’s Programs: Sports Program	$3,000
Five Cities Youth Baseball	To support the Ford and Rocker Fields batting cages	$2,560
Friends of Camp Natoma, Inc	To support Camp Natoma Camperships	$5,000
Jack’s Helping Hand	To support Camp Reach for the Stars	$5,000
Pacific Coast Youth Football League	To support sports scholarships and equipment	$5,000
SLO County YMCA	To supports youth basketball programs	$5,000
SLO Hockey	To support scholarships and equipment	$2,500
South County Youth Coalition	To support sports scholarships	$5,000
Surfing for Hope	To support Pure Stoke Youth Surf Camps	$5,000
The First Tee Central Coast	To support fee wavier expenses in San Luis Obispo County	$5,000
Transitions Mental Health Association	To support the Youth Treatment Program- Equine Therapy	$4,000

More grant opportunities for 2023 will become available through their General Grants Program, slated to commence on June 1st. As part of their ongoing outreach efforts, CFSLOCO will be conducting an informative Grant Session via Zoom on Thursday, June 8th, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Interested parties are kindly invited to click here to register and secure a spot for this session.

To see the detailed award breakdown thus far and to explore future grant opportunities, please visit https://cfsloco.tmdcreative.site/nonprofits-2/grantees/ or contact Cassandra Kartashov.
Email: cassandra@cfsloco.org
Phone: (805) 543-2323

May 9, 2023

Ken and Martha Schwartz Fund boosts planned additions to San Luis Obispo’s art district

A condensed version of this announcement was shared on KEYT, to view the original release, head to keyt.com.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County has earmarked $300,000 in grants to help build out downtown SLO’s Cultural Arts District adjacent to Mission Plaza, focusing the bulk of the money on the construction of a new theater and art museum.

The grants will be made from the Ken and Martha Schwartz Fund, a donor advised fund held by the Community Foundation. The grants are to be used to help build a new venue for SLO Repertory Theatre (SLO REP) and a new building for SLO Museum of Art (SLOMA), officials for the three organizations announced today.

The Schwartz Fund advisors recommended the distribution as an appropriate tribute to Ken and Martha Schwartz, noting that Ken Schwartz, a legendary Cal Poly professor in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design who also served as SLO city mayor 1969-79, spearheaded the creation of Mission Plaza and envisioned a future buildout of a cultural arts district adjacent to the Mission along a portion of Monterey Street. A rendering of the planned SLO Repertory Theatre addition by architect Bryce Engstrom is below.

A rendering of the planned SLO Repertory Theatre addition by architect Bryce Engstrom

The Schwartz Fund advisors – architect Charles Crotser, former SLO City Manager John Dunn and graphic designer Pierre Rademaker – were long-time friends of Ken and Martha Schwartz. Inspired by Ken and Martha’s vision and dedication, they established the fund in 2005 shortly after Martha’s death to honor her activism on behalf of beautifying the city, as well as to honor Ken’s vision for the creation of Mission Plaza and his desire to see the establishment of a thriving cultural arts district. The bulk of the fund comes from a gift from the Schwartz estate given after Ken Schwartz’s death in 2019.

The $300,000 will be distributed as follows:

$100,000 to SLO REP for construction of a new downtown venue for live theater.
$100,000 to SLOMA for construction of a new art museum.
$100,000 has been set aside for future anticipated physical improvements to the Mission Plaza-Cultural Arts District.

The gifts to SLO REP and SLOMA require each organization to use the money solely for construction costs and to “appropriately honor the legacy of Ken and Martha Schwartz.”

The advisors recommended reserving $100,000 for future cultural arts district improvements, noting that once the Cultural Arts District Parking Structure is completed at the corner of Palm and Nipomo, and both SLO REP and SLOMA have completed their projects on Monterey, the arts district “will be created anew, but will not be finished. … and we want the fund to be prepared to address desired changes and amenities.”

Ken Schwartz’s long-held vision of a cultural arts district gained formal traction when the San Luis Obispo City Council adopted the Downtown Design Plan in the early 1990s. It was most recently updated in 2017 as the Downtown Concept Plan.

Key elements of the plan to create a more vibrant cultural arts district include:

Construction of the Cultural Arts District Parking Structure at the corners of Palm-Nipomo.
Construction of a new venue for live theater on Monterey that will be owned by the city and operated by SLO REP.
Construction of a new art museum to replace the current SLOMA, also on city land, with construction financed by private donors.

Construction on the new 163,000-square-foot Cultural Arts District Parking Structure began on May 1st. Vertical construction is scheduled to begin this fall with completion planned by 2025.

The SLO REP venue will be built using private donor financing for the majority of the project. Groundbreaking for the theater is slated for 2025 and expected to be completed in early 2027. SLO REP has raised $11.3 million of an expected $15.3 million project, which includes the downtown venue as well as a separate building for set construction, rehearsals and educational programming.

Design, timing and costs for SLOMA’s new home are yet to be determined.

The Community Foundation CEO Heidi McPherson said, “These grants show the impact philanthropy can have. Ken and Martha’s friends saw a need, established a fund, and the contributions over the years – including the Schwartz family’s own sizable contribution – will create a long-lasting legacy that will benefit the entire region.”

“What a wonderful tribute to Ken and Martha Schwartz. Their devotion to San Luis Obispo was extraordinary,” said current SLO City Mayor Erica A. Stewart. “Ken’s concept of a cultural arts district was truly visionary. He understood that a thriving city has a vibrant downtown with a flourishing arts district.”

SLO REP Managing Artistic Director Kevin Harris said, “We’re very grateful for the contribution. Even more meaningful is having the endorsement of the Schwartz Fund advisors, who are highly respected community leaders. Their belief in our ability to complete this project is inspiring.”

SLOMA Executive Director Leann Standish said, “Ken and Martha’s visionary leadership and generosity is sure to inspire many more contributions. SLOMA’s board of directors and staff are fully committed to realizing Ken and Martha Schwartz’s vision for a thriving cultural arts district, and we are prepared to meet the challenge of this vision in the years to come.”

For more information, including background on the Schwartz Fund and their legacy in San Luis Obispo, please contact Patty Thayer, Development and Capital Campaign Director, SLO Repertory Theatre: patty@slorep.org / (805) 781-3889, ext. 15.