I have been in the Foundation field for more than 25 years, and I experienced the huge difference that a place-based Foundation can make in a community. A foundation provides hope and resources to make things happen. My experience started in San Diego and eventually led me to Oregon to work with The Ford Family Foundation. Through these experiences, I was always hopeful that some day I would return to the Imperial Valley, where I was born and raised, and lead a Foundation that would make a difference in my hometown.

The Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation now has a $7.5 million endowment, and my dream has come true. At the Foundation, we work side by side with families, friends, classmates, residents and community groups to create the change they want to see. Many community groups had never written a grant or applied for one. Some were informal groups and did not qualify for grants because they were not registered nonprofits. Now we serve as fiscal agents for some community groups and have assisted some of these groups to become nonprofits.

National philanthropic support in rural America is only 7%. The Imperial Valley has some incredible longstanding nonprofits and institutions that continue to need financial support. With our new endowment, we will be able to serve Imperial County in perpetuity, continue to grow the size of the endowment, and focus on our vision in making the Imperial Valley a Better Place to Live for All.

— Roque Barros, Executive Director, Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation