After 5 Years of Preparation, Parkview Legacy Foundation Launches Grants Program for Local Nonprofits

Parkview Legacy Foundation launched a new grants program Thursday designed to strengthen nonprofits working on housing stability, social mobility, health access and collaborative solutions across greater Riverside — the culmination of five years of community research and relationship-building since the foundation's 2019 creation.

The Impact Grants Program offers nonprofits three funding streams: one-time special needs grants, core operations support and collective impact funding for multi-agency partnerships. The foundation announced Thursday it is now accepting applications.

"It was really a combination of things that we saw and heard over the years about where organizations were struggling, the types of grants that they wanted most, and seeing the types of things that had a lack of funding sources in our region," said Damien O'Farrell, the foundation's president and CEO.

The foundation, created in 2019 from the sale of Parkview Community Hospital to a for-profit operator, spent nine months researching best practices and community needs before developing the grant structure. State law requires proceeds from nonprofit hospital sales to continue benefiting the communities they served.

Three-Pronged Approach

The Special Needs Fund will provide one-time grants for specific projects or equipment. The Core Operations Fund offers flexible funding to strengthen or expand existing programs. The Collective Impact Fund requires collaboration between multiple agencies to tackle systemic challenges.

"Housing stability requires that we address housing crisis. Social mobility requires that we increase the probability that individuals and families from all backgrounds and experiences can increase their financial stability and generational wealth," O'Farrell said, outlining the foundation's priorities.

The foundation has appointed Shari Chun as external affairs and grants program manager to oversee implementation. A team of regional advisors will help guide funding decisions.

"Our goal is to make this process empowering and accessible, not burdensome," Chun said. "We've streamlined the application process and built a responsive infrastructure that puts nonprofits—and their missions—first."

Focus on Equity

Board Chairman Dr. Antonio Mejico Jr., said the foundation's emphasis on equity attracted him to serve. The foundation evaluates grant applications partly on how well they serve historically marginalized populations.

"For Parkview Legacy Foundation, equity is not a value add, or term that is used to seem relevant," he said. "Increasing the equitable probability of well-being for all of our residents, especially those who have been historically marginalized is at the core of our mission and has been since our founding."

The foundation has maintained connections with organizations led by and serving marginalized communities throughout its history, he added.

Regional Impact

While the California Attorney General defined the foundation's service area as specific ZIP codes in and around Riverside, foundation leaders recognize solutions require regional collaboration.

"Parkview Legacy Foundation knows full well that the solutions we are trying to foster are regional and that employing them requires collaboration well beyond our service area," Mejico said.

The foundation maintains partnerships at county, state and national levels. Local pilot projects and innovative approaches developed here could be scaled to other regions, maximizing impact despite limited resources.

Long-Term Commitment

Though the foundation cannot guarantee perpetual funding for specific organizations, O'Farrell emphasized the grants represent a long-term community commitment. The flexible funding structure allows organizations to complement other, more restrictive grants.

"We know that progress is not always fast, and we are committed to work alongside and support our partners in whatever ways we can for the long-haul, even though that might look different from year to year," O'Farrell said.

The foundation will evaluate both organizational health and progress toward objectives in housing stability, social mobility, health accessibility and integrated solutions.

O'Farrell joined the foundation in 2019 after serving five years as CEO of Path of Life Ministries, the county's largest nonprofit homeless shelter and housing provider. During his tenure there, he helped the organization double in size and service area. Previously, O'Farrell served as director of community development at Today's Urban Renewal Network (TURN). An early report the foundation sponsored helped identify community needs that shaped the four focus areas.

"It's both interesting and encouraging to us that when we established our four focus areas, few organizations in the region shared them, but now most philanthropic organizations share similar concerns," Mejico noted.

Application Process

Nonprofit organizations serving the Riverside region can find eligibility requirements, funding priorities and application materials at parkviewlegacy.org.

The foundation promises a streamlined application process designed to minimize administrative burden on applicants while ensuring accountability for community impact.