Since its launch in 2022, the CIELO Fund’s total investment through research, grantmaking, narrative change initiatives and scholarship programs sits at $1.4 million. That accounts for nearly 100 grant awards to organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

“As families across Riverside and San Bernardino continue to face rising costs for essentials like housing, food, childcare, eldercare and education, the CIELO Fund’s grantmaking this year is intentionally focused on supporting organizations that are directly addressing these pressing community needs,” said Jesse Melgar, founder and chair of the CIELO Fund and board chair of IECF.

“Our commitment remains unchanged,” he said. “It’s to build a future where equity and opportunity are not the exception, but the expectation for everyone who calls our region home.”

In an effort to better understand the challenges facing the region, including its Latino residents, the CIELO Fund has commissioned several reports from leading California universities. Last year, the fund partnered with the UC Berkeley Possibility Lab and Institute of Governmental Studies to run a poll on the community’s ability to access essentials.

The results were illuminating, showing that nearly 80% of Latino voters report difficulty finding affordable housing, while some 70% expressed difficulty finding healthy, affordable food. Meanwhile, 65% and 63% reported difficulty finding affordable eldercare and child care, respectively.

Finding good jobs figured prominently, coming in at 61%.

Overall, the findings guided the Leadership and Grantmaking Committees grant decisions this year.

Michelle Decker, IECF president and CEO, said the organization is incredibly proud of the impact the CIELO Fund has achieved in such a short time.

“Through thoughtful grantmaking and deep partnerships, the fund is helping to uplift and empower Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations across our region,” she said. “We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to support our communities that need us most.”

The 2025 grantmaking included unique media partnerships to elevate positive regional narratives through original and effective programming, including continued support to KVCR’s IE Latino Voices segment, which it helped co-design and launch in 2023. It also supports an innovative partnership with the Los Angeles Times’ Latino vertical, DeLos, to support special coverage of the Inland Empire.

Additionally, this year, the CIELO Fund is partnering with the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute to commission a data profile on the Latino community’s experiences with vital conditions, which will be released later during Latino Heritage Month.

About Families Inc., The Garcia Center for the Arts, Imperial Valley Equity & Justice Coalition, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, My Baby My Way Foundation, San Bernardino Community Service Inc., TODEC Legal Center, Undocumented Student Services Center, CSUSB, Veterans Success Center and We Are One United were among the 40 grantees awarded.

Also noteworthy: For the first time ever, the committee will support two organizations in neighboring Imperial County as part of a rapid response fund to organizations doing frontline work.

After launching in 2022 as a Signature Fund celebrating the IECF’s 80th anniversary, the CIELO Fund has remained steadfast in its mission is to “uplift and invest in organizations, initiatives and ideas that are led by — and serve — Latinos in the Inland Empire.”

The CIELO Fund Leadership and Grantmaking Committee comprises a dedicated group of community leaders from the Inland Empire, including Liliana Andriani, Angel Jewelers; Tomás D. Morales, CSU San Bernardino; Diana Z. Rodriguez, San Bernardino Community College District; Sergio Bohon, Wells Fargo Advisors; Silvia Paz, Alianza Coachella Valley; Elizabeth Romero, UC Riverside; Neftali Galarza, Office of the Riverside County Superintendent of Schools; Marco Robles, Latino Leader; Helen Iris Torres, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality; Luz Gallegos, TODEC Legal Center; Angel Rodriguez, San Bernardino Community College District; and Marisa Valdez Yeager, CSU San Bernardino.

Learn more about the CIELO Fund at iegives.org/funds/cielofund.

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A county investment to the Inland Empire Community Foundation established the program that offers “flexible, affordable loans” to local nonprofits, officials said. The loans seek to address the financial stress organizations often experience when traditional funding is difficult to acquire.

Established by a one-time allocation from the county, the IECF will manage the revolving loan fund that will start with $2.5 million for loan capitalization and $500,000 for startup and administrative costs during the initial two years, according to the county. After the first phase, interest earnings and loan repayments will replenish the fund to sustain it as a lasting resource for local agencies.

“The revolving loan fund represents an exciting opportunity to empower local nonprofits and significantly enhance their ability to serve our communities,” Dawn Rowe, San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman and 3rd District Supervisor, said in a statement. “Because these funds revolve back into the program, we can continually reinvest in even more organizations, magnifying the long-term positive impacts across our county.”

According to the county, nonprofits often face difficulty getting timely funding because of delays in reimbursement from state or federal grants. As a result organizations often have to postpone facility upgrades, equipment purchases or the hiring of critical personnel.

The revolving loan fund provides a financial buffer that can enable nonprofits to quickly qualify for larger state and federal grants by providing the upfront capital needed for matching-fund obligations or to do “necessary capacity-building projects,” according to the county statement. As a new perpetual resource, organizations’ loan repayments to the loan fund create new lending opportunities that sets the stage for continuous growth and resilience in the nonprofit sector.

“By directly investing in our nonprofit community, we’re ensuring critical services reach residents when and where they’re most needed,” Board of Supervisors Vice Chair and 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. said in a statement. “These loans will allow organizations to expand and improve services, creating stronger communities throughout San Bernardino County.”

Loans will be awarded based on an applying organization’s operational strength, financial stability and repayment capacity, officials said. Priority goes to nonprofits that significantly improve the delivery of services and address pressing local challenges, particularly in underserved and low-income communities. The funding priority is for services to the county’s most underserved “vulnerable populations,” such as seniors, children 5 years old and younger, foster children and youth, people experiencing homelessness and residents of low-income communities.

“We are delighted and grateful that the county has approved this investment for our nonprofits,” Inland Empire Community Foundation CEO and President Michelle Decker said in a statement. “A revolving loan fund for working capital to help nonprofits grow is an innovative idea and new for the Inland Empire, so the board has done something special and we look forward to partnering with county to help build nonprofit capacity to meet more needs of county residents.”

The county will also provide technical assistance to loan fund applicants and loan borrowers, officials said.

The IECF intends to actively market the loan fund in an effort to attract further private investment to make the fund more robust, according to the county.

Information on loan terms, how to apply and other loan details were not immediately available.

The IECF was founded in 1941 and is the oldest philanthropic organization serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

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