CCF Creates Haiti Relief Fund Totalling $370,000

LOS ANGELES ―The California Community Foundation (CCF) announced Thursday that it created a Haiti Relief Fund to support relief efforts in the wake of a 7.0 earthquake that has devastated Haiti. To date, we have raised $370,000, including a $250,000 matching gift from the California Community Foundation.

“We extend our deepest sympathy to all those affected by this terrible tragedy,” said Antonia Hernández, president and CEO at the foundation. “In times of disaster, our role as philanthropists is to respond quickly to help people who have lost everything. At CCF, we can facilitate donations and make sure they go to legitimate nonprofit agencies that provide immediate relief effectively and expeditiously.”

CCF is calling on its constituencies to support this effort and some donors have already responded. Donors Linwood Boomer and Tracy Katsky have generously contributed $100,000 from their CCF charitable fund to the American Red Cross. “When we saw the magnitude of destruction in a country that has already suffered so much in recent years with floods, mudslides and hurricanes, we knew we had to help in any way we could,” said Boomer.

CCF is taking donations to the Haiti Relief Fund and will be making grants to accredited nonprofit organizations identified as doing work on the ground for immediate relief including clean water, food, shelter and medical treatment to those in need.

CCF donors and the public have been responsive to past disaster relief efforts, particularly after the Southern California wildfires in 2003, 2007 and 2008.

Cash contributions to the fund can be made by check or a secure online donation. Checks should be made out to the CCF – Haiti Relief Fund and sent to the California Community Foundation, 445 S. Figueroa St., Suite 3400, Los Angeles, CA 90071. Contributions can be made through the foundation’s Web site at myccf.org. Donations are fully tax deductible during the current tax year.

As L.A.’s foundation, the California Community Foundation has been around since 1915 and has about $1 billion in assets. We have more than 1,600 funds whose donors chose us because of our personal service and expertise.