S.E. Williams | Contributor
Riverside, CA – The nonprofit Community Foundation, which serves both Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, has a new name, logo, and website, www.iegives.org.
Just as the Foundation prepared to launch its new look, however, the nation was struck by COVID-19.
“COVID-19 struck, and suddenly people found themselves out of work and struggling to feed and protect their families,” said the Foundation’s President & CEO Michelle Decker. “We informed our donors and supporters of our change around the holidays, but we hadn’t done much promotion externally because the website wasn’t ready.”
Responding to the Pandemic, Decker explained how the organization worked fast to complete its transition because they know how critical online platforms are for raising much needed dollars to help families living in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, including the Coachella Valley.
The Community Foundation is now the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF).
The organization’s new identity reflects its ongoing work to strengthen communities in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties alongside its community of generous donors.
According to Decker, IECF manages charitable assets of nearly $113 million from more than 394 funds.
Community foundations, like IECF, are built for responding to crisis situations Decker explained, because they know where the help is needed and how to get it there. As such, the Foundation established the IECF COVID-19 Resilience Fund to respond to COVID-19.
To date, the IECF COVID-19 Resilience Fund has raised $350,000 from local donations and major corporate partners to address the negative impacts of COVID-19 on our region’s nonprofits and vulnerable populations. Donations can be made online here: www.iegives.org/covid-19.
IECF is also managing the IE Funders Alliance Rapid Response Fund created in collaboration with the IE Funders Alliance of Riverside & San Bernardino Counties. To date it has secured $825,000 from local and regional funding partners, and most recently distributed $482,500 to 36 local nonprofit organizations working on the frontlines of the pandemic. A list of grantees is available here.
For more information and/or to make an online donation, visit Inland Empire Community Foundation’s website at www.iegives.org.