The McConnell Foundation

Kudos to all who contributed to the #downtown Redding streetscapes project, newly opened today. Check out the archived livestream on Viva Downtown’s Facebook page to watch the proceedings.

Photo Credit: Robert Estrada

The McConnell Foundation’s Ross Ranch Carbon Sequestration Demonstration Site is part of a network of California Department of Food and Agriculture Healthy Soils Demonstration projects intended to demonstrate implementation and evaluate effectiveness of regenerative agricultural management practices on rangelands. Point Blue Conservation Science has been monitoring and analyzing results of compost application and perennial grass seeding from Ross Ranch and several other demonstration projects in the north state. Check out this video to hear from three Point Blue Partner Biologists as they discuss the initial soil health and forage production results from the demonstration sites. https://youtu.be/JZR7QjVmFok

#Downtown Redding construction update: daybreak image from this morning at the Block 7 project site in #downtown Redding, designed by architects Modus Studio and DMarc Studio. This image shows what will eventually be a multi-story parking structure. Photo credit: Modern Building Company, Chico which is the contractor on the project. Project partners include K2 Land & Investments, The City of Redding & more.

Photo Credit: Rachel Hatch

Community Foundation Announces Open Grant Opportunities and Learning Workshop The Community Foundation of the North State is pleased to announce that the application period is now open for project funding opportunities for local nonprofits and public agencies. Project funding requests are available from the ACEs Resilience and Hope Fund of Shasta County, the Burney Regional Community Fund, The McConnell Fund, and the Redding Rancheria Community Fund. Potential applicants can ...get program updates and pro-tips to help their organizations submit the strongest possible applications during an online workshop offered on Wednesday, January 20th at 3 p.m. Workshop registration, application instructions and fast-approaching deadlines are all posted on the Community Foundation’s website at www.cfnorthstate.org/grants . The ACEs Resilience and Hope Fund of Shasta County seeks to fund nonprofit programs that mitigate or prevent the generational cycle of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Shasta County. This opportunity, made possible by a partnership with Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency and First 5 Shasta, promotes preventative and innovative strategies to improve health by addressing one or more of the 10 identified ACEs. Submit grant requests online by 5:00 p.m. on February 17, 2021. The Burney Regional Community Fund supports needs within the communities of the greater Burney area; Burney, Cassel, Fall River Mills, Hat Creek, McArthur, and Old Station in accordance with boundaries set by the Fall River Joint Unified School District. Submit grant requests online by 5:00 p.m. on March 3, 2021. Grants from The McConnell Fund may be awarded to organizations in Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity counties for projects in the areas of arts and culture, children, youth and education, community vitality, environment, health care, recreation, and social services. Grants primarily fund the purchase of equipment or building-related projects; small and large projects in each county may be supported. Submit grant requests online by 5:00 p.m. on March 17, 2021. The Redding Rancheria Community Fund will be accepting applications for grant requests from Shasta and Trinity County nonprofit organizations and public entities. The Redding Rancheria established the fund to give to and support worthy causes in the surrounding communities and encourages proposals that serve Native Americans, youth, and/or rural populations. Submit grant requests for the spring cycle online by 5:00 p.m. on March 31, 2021. Funding guidelines for each program are detailed at www.cfnorthstate.org/grants. For more information, contact Megan Conn, Program Officer, (530) 244-1219 or email [email protected] .

Photo Credit: Jennifer Allen

We at The McConnell Foundation are sickened by the seditious acts of self-proclaimed patriots who stormed the U.S. Capitol building yesterday and interrupted the proceedings of Congress. These individuals were incited by a President who continues to espouse debunked conspiracy theories of a stolen election, despite universal rejection of such claims by judges in more than 50 lawsuits, and despite the fact that leaders of both political parties have acknowledged the absence of... widespread election fraud and have called for the orderly transition of power. We abhor the behavior of all those be it political actors, media pundits or private citizens who have espoused or amplified the conspiracy theories or in any way encouraged the behaviors that led to yesterday’s despicable assault on our Nation’s Capitol. We stand committed to reinforcing the democratic institutions so desperately needed to address the monumental challenges we face: an escalating pandemic that has claimed the lives of 1 in 900 Americans to date, an economic fallout that threatens to decimate Main Street America, and the need to address a history of racial and social injustice in this country. The former District Attorney for Shasta County and the current Attorney General for the Eastern District of California, McGregor Scott, may have said it best: Let us come together in support of a peaceful transfer of power as provided for under our Constitution and mutually pledge to work together to strengthen our Republic so that we may pass our inheritance securely to those who come after us.

Local education leader to join McConnell board Eva Valdivia Jimenez will become a McConnell Foundation director during its annual meeting in February. She is assistant superintendent/vice president of Economic and Workforce Development and the executive director of the Shasta College Foundation. As an administrator for the past decade, her focus has been on leveraging her private-industry management experience to forge new community business partnerships. Eva is active in her... community belonging to Redding Rotary and the Redding Chamber of Commerce, as well as serving on Dignity Health’s North State Advisory Board and the Community Corrections Partnership Board. In her professional capacity, she is president of the California Community College Association for Occupational Education; she is founder of the STEP-UP Program; and is a key player in the creation of SHIELD, a partnership of public service agencies. Eva is a welcome addition to the McConnell board at this time with regard to the Foundation’s priorities. Education is the focus of three Foundation programs. Community Vitality is the core of our work in downtown Redding’s revitalization. The Foundation recognizes a healthy community depends upon strong public, private and nonprofit sectors, said Lee Salter, board chair. Eva has experience and passion in all of these disciplines. We are confident Eva will immediately bring value, and a fresh perspective, to our work. Our five member board and staff work closely together and Eva’s reputation for working strategically and collaboratively precedes her, added President & CEO John Mancasola. Jimenez immigrated from Mexico to Dunsmuir, California, at the age of six. She attended College of the Siskiyous (COS) in Weed, then transferred to Sacramento State University where she earned her MBA. She moved to Redding in 2001 to be near her parents, who live in Redding. Jimenez is married to Kris Koeberer, and is the proud mother of two daughters and three stepchildren. She describes her most accomplished success as beating breast cancer in 2018.

What is the future of transportation? Share your ideas with the Shasta Regional Transportation Agency before December 24th to help shape the future of our region!