Ventura County Community Foundation's

Destino: The Hispanic Legacy Fund

Accepting Grant Proposals for 2008

The Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) is accepting grant proposals for programs serving the County's Latino community which focus on the following topics:

- Latino Reading Literacy - Increase the ability to read and write, opening wider education and employment options and developing the fundamental skills for success. This is a component of the Latino Literacy Initiative.

- Latino Financial Literacy - Enhance economic and financial skills among all age groups in the Latino community, creating power and promise for the future. This is a component of the Latino Literacy Initiative.

- Latino Health Workforce - Promote the "growing" of healthcare professionals within the Latino community (Recommendation from the 2006 Destino Report "Culture Collaboration & Capacity: A Call to a Healthier Community"). This focus reflects the ongoing health needs of the Latino community in VenturaCounty.

For details on each grant priority, please go to Funding Cycles on our website at www.vccf.org.

The grants are offered through Destino: The Hispanic Legacy Fund, administered by VCCF. Destino is an endowed grantmaking fund which addresses the economic, educational, physical, emotional, social, artistic and personal growth of Latinos in VenturaCounty. A minimum of $40,000 is available for this year's grantmaking focus, and grants in any amount up to a maximum of $10,000 will be considered. Grant funds in all categories are to be used for programs serving the Latino residents of VenturaCounty.

Deadline for proposals for 2008 grants is no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 11, 2008. Those interested in submitting a proposal are invited to attend an informational meeting on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Community Room at VCCF at 1317 Del Norte Road, Suite 150, in Camarillo. Reservations for the meeting can be made by contacting LaToya Ford at (805) 988-0196, ext. 126, or at lford@vccf.org. For more information and to view the Request for Proposals, please visit the VCCF website at www.vccf.org/fundingcycles.html.

Destino: The Hispanic Legacy Fund was established in 1996 by local residents in partnership with VCCF and is dedicated to meeting the needs and creating philanthropic and leadership opportunities for Latinos in VenturaCounty. Since its founding, Destino has given 92 grants totaling over $648,000, impacting over 39 community organizations and 33,000 Latino youth and adults in VenturaCounty.

The Ventura County Community Foundation is a family of charitable funds whose combined assets now exceed $100 million, with 2006 grants and pledges of $8.5 million. The Foundation's mission is to promote and enable philanthropy to improve our community and to build long-term capital to benefit VenturaCounty. The Foundation has recently been confirmed in compliance with national standards by the Council on Foundations, a reflection of the highest peer review across the nation's 700 community foundations. For more information, visitwww.vccf.org.