A message to the community from our

President and CEO

Give Big Kern returns on May 2! Give Big Kern is a one-day fundraising event that has raised millions of dollars from thousands of donors for hundreds of local non-profits. The Foundation is proud to host this event, and thanks to our very generous Give Big Kern sponsors, there is no cost to the nonprofits. Together, we make a positive impact on our community and support the organizations that make Kern County a better place to live.

In addition to Give Big Kern, we also celebrated the ribbon cutting of the Edible Schoolyard Kern County, made possible by our friends at Bank of America and the Grimm Family Education Foundation. It was a beautiful day, a rare break from March’s atmospheric rivers. This project will provide fresh, healthy food to students and promote sustainable agriculture education in our community.

We also hosted the Central Valley Legislators’ Roundtable where we engaged in meaningful conversations about important topics like oil production and the Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program (BYJP). Thank you to Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh and Taft Mayor Dave Noerr for participating. We were joined by staff from all our Kern state and federal offices, including Speaker McCarthy’s and Governor Newsom’s staff. I’m particularly proud of BYJP’s Program Manager Michelle Dambaev-Tieu and City Hall Fellow Apryl Tovar’s panel about BYJP’s successes.

I hope to see you all at our Give Big Kern events this month.

Aaron Falk

LATEST NEWS

GIVE BIG KERN is May 2, 2023!

Join us at the first-ever Give Big at the Park! This is a Give Big Kern Nonprofit Meet and Greet event where local community members can meet the diverse group of local nonprofit organizations. We have over 50 nonprofits registered. The entire community is invited! There will be awesome raffle prizes, food vendors, and music. Spread the word! See you at the park on April 22, 2023, at 8:00 AM.

Kern Connected Community Network

We currently have 141 network partners, 2,241 users on the platform, and 303 different programs on the Kern Connected Community Network. These organizations range from behavioral health clinics, school districts, and community-based organizations. The users are the individuals who are sending and accepting referrals.

KCCN recently hosted its second KCCN Unite Us Partner Spotlight of the year. The purpose of the Partner Spotlight is to highlight the network's active partners in addition to learning about their programs and services. It is an opportunity to learn from fellow colleagues and have fun playing trivia. This Partner Spotlight highlighted First 5 Kern - Help Me Grow and United Way. The next spotlight is scheduled for May 25 at 11 AM. If you are interested in learning more about KCCN or would like to be a Partner Spotlight, please contact Teems Tulfo at Fatima@kernfoundation.org.

For more information on KCCN (Click Here). If you would like to get connected to community resources (Click Here).

Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program

Kern Community Foundation recently hosted the Central Valley Legislators' Roundtable covering local energy production and the Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program. Thank you to Aera for providing the space. Our community foundation partners from the Central Valley Community Foundation, Stanislaus Community Foundation, and San Joaquin Community Foundation were in attendance.

The event was attended by elected officials including Mayor Karen Goh and Taft Mayor David Noerr as well as Lorelei Oviatt from the Kern County Planning & Natural Resources Department and Suzanne Noble from the Western States Petroleum Association. Representatives from Governor Newsom, Speaker McCarthy, Senator Hurtado, Senator Grove, Representative Valadao, and Assemblyman Fong also attended the roundtable.

Apryl Tovar, City Hall Fellow, participated in a discussion facilitated by Mayor Goh with BYJP Program Manager Michelle Dambaev-Tieu, and Administrative Analyst Juan Heredia. Apryl was a Kern Futures Renewable Scholarship recipient from Kern Community Foundation. She shared her experience in the Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program, the projects she has been able to work on with the City Manager’s Office, and the impact BYJP has had on her career.

The Nonprofit Internship Program is a 15-week, paid internship where youth will work part-time with local nonprofits. The Nonprofit Referral Form allows nonprofits to recommend candidates for the program, and applicants will receive interview dates so BYJP can begin worksite placements.

For more information on BYJP (Click Here).

Featured Fellow

" Being a part of BYJP has changed my life tremendously. When I first started working in the Recreation and Parks Department, I felt as though I was not qualified or experienced enough to be in that field. I underestimated myself, but BYJP helped enhance my skills with their workshops and supportive staff. I most enjoy the program coordinators' commitment to success... This program is such a unique experience because it provides so many learning opportunities and future job skills. It is thrilling to learn about new policies and projects going on in the city and not only hear about them but also be part of the changes and improvements happening. The skills I have learned along the way will continue to stay with me in my future endeavors. Within my time on this program, I’ve been able to make great connections and future job opportunities. If you are considering joining this program, I strongly encourage you to take the risk and invest in not only yourself but also your future."

-Giselle Ponce

Giselle is a fellow in the City of Bakersfield's Recreation and Parks Department. She is originally from the LA area. She chose to come to CSUB and pursue a degree in pre-healthcare. She has mentioned one of her favorite things about the department she was placed in is getting to work with kids at the MLK Center.

Nonprofit Internship Application

Nonprofit Referral Form

Kern County Edible Schoolyard

In March, the Edible Schoolyard Kern County recently celebrated its new greenhouse at the Edible Schoolyard on Buena Vista Road. The new greenhouse will enhance and expand hands-on education for students. The greenhouse tripled in capacity and provides year-round indoor seedling germination.

During the ribbon cutting, R.J. Valentino, president of the Grimm Family Education Foundation, and President and CEO Aaron Falk spoke about the importance of partnering to fight food insecurity. Edible Schoolyard Kern County Executive Director Dylan Wilson and Karen Zuber from Bank of America spoke about the impact and opportunities the new greenhouse will provide for the community and youth.

Thank you to Edible Schoolyard Kern County and Bank of America for allowing us to partner on this essential project. If you want to know more about Edible Schoolyard Kern County, please visit esykerncounty.org.

DID YOU KNOW?

GRANT OPPORTUNITY

Applications for the 2023 Waterman Foundation Rotary Club of Bakersfield Capital Grant Program are now available! The Waterman Foundation was established by the Bakersfield Downtown Rotary Club in 1984 to provide scholarships to local students and grants for capital projects supporting local nonprofit organizations. For more information, please visit our website (Click Here).

The deadline to apply is

May 1, 2023.

APPLY NOW

JOB OPPORTUNITY

The Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program (BYJP) is now hiring. BYJP is a workforce development program that Kern Community Foundation (KCF) administers on behalf of The City of Bakersfield. The program focuses on creating a pipeline to careers in public service through paid internships at local nonprofits and City departments. BYJP is seeking to hire a Program Specialist and Human Resources Associate. To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to jobs@kernfoundation.org. Please include the position title in the subject line. For more information, please visit kernfoundation.org/byjp .

Program Specialist full job description (Click Here).

Human Resources Associate full job description (Click Here).

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

Give Big Kern

Every year on the first Tuesday in May, the Kern Community Foundation hosts Give Big Kern to help local nonprofit organizations raise money and volunteer hours. This year, Give Big Kern lands on May 2, 2023. Donors can donate to their favorite local nonprofit as early as April 3, 2023.

In 2022, Give Big Kern raised a record-breaking $885,235 with 2,398 individual donors for 132 local nonprofits. Give Big Kern allows the people of Kern County to support organizations that improve our region, raising dollars and volunteer hours for local nonprofits through online crowdfunding, matching gifts, and pledges. The collaborative effort helps Kern’s community-based organizations raise unrestricted resources at no cost while growing their visibility, capacity, and sustainability.

The community can get involved and support a cause by:

Giving through www.givebigkern.org
Pledging volunteer hours through www.givebigkern.org
Liking and sharing Give Big Kern social media content to get the word out using the hashtag #givebigkern

Give Big Kern Events (Click Here).

Give Big Kern 2022 Report to the Community (Click Here).

Thank you to our Give Big Kern Sponsors!

Platinum Sponsor:

Patricia C. Brown Foundation, 23ABC

Gold Sponsor:

Klein DeNatale Goldner, BitWise Impact, Walmart

Silver Sponsor:

Jay Hershey, DeWalt Corporation

Bronze Sponsor:

Chain Cohn Clark, Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce

Matching Sponsor:

Mission Bank

In-Kind Sponsors:

DJ Noe G, Padre Hotel, Temblor Brewing Company, El Popular, Gr8 Heritage

Raffle Basket Sponsors:

Dewars, Eagle Mountain Casino, Raising Canes, Dewalt Corporation, Chef Lino's Catering, In-N-Out

These sponsorships make Give Big Kern 100% free for nonprofits!

Give Big Kern Nonprofit Updates

El Popular has offered to highlight participating Give Big Kern nonprofits. If you are interested in publishing your organization's story, please contact Teems at Fatima@kernfoundation.org
If you have not picked up your marketing materials, please visit us at 5701 Truxtun Avenue, Suite 110, Bakersfield, CA. (Truxtun & Mohawk)
Early donations are now open! Make sure to share on social media and tag @givebigkern.
Give Big Kern coloring pages now available. To print (Click Here).

New Registered Nonprofits