2011 Ellman grants awarded
The Sonoma Valley Fund recently awarded this year’s George and Phyllis Ellman grants, totaling $37,000, to six Sonoma Valley non-profit organizations in support of projects fostering environmental awareness and specific environmental improvements.
A seventh grant to the Sonoma Classical Music Society supports classical music performances in Sonoma Valley, of particular interest to Phyllis and George, longtime Glen Ellen residents who both passed away in 2009.
The 2011 Ellman/Sonoma Valley Fund grants will enable a go-ahead on two projects supporting environmental restoration and improved public access. They are trail improvements and creation of new seasonal wetlands at Bouverie Preserve in Glen Ellen, and improvements to two new scenic overlooks along the Loop Trail at Sonoma Land Trust’s Glen Oaks Ranch.
The Ellman’s generosity will also support the Sonoma Community Center to create a new Center for Sustainable Living. This project will encourage conservation, organic farming and farm-to-table cooking, and the construction of an outdoor learning center.
In the area of environmental education and awareness, Ellman/Sonoma Valley Fund grants will permit Landpaths to continue to engage third grade students at Flowery Elementary School in its “In Our Own Backyard” program of field-based environmental activities and grassland restoration projects; Quarryhill Botanical Gardens to reach out to Sonoma Valley youth of all backgrounds with its outdoor curriculum designed to increase understanding and appreciation for the natural world; and the Sonoma Valley Ecology Center to continue its K-12 Watershed Education Program which provides hands-on, bilingual science and outdoor experiences to some 1,100 students annually.
Sonoma Valley Fund (SVF) was established in December 2006, as an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Sonoma County. Its mission is to strengthen our community through philanthropy and legacy giving. SVF is a resource for donors who wish to make charitable gifts, especially as part of their estate planning, to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Sonoma Valley. Donors may make gifts through a variety of programs to benefit specific causes or rely on SVF’s Board who are long-term active residents of Sonoma Valley. For more information visit www.sonomavalleyfund.org.
