Our Community’s Philanthropists
When donating through the Foundation, community philanthropists express their generosity in a variety of ways. The Foundation’s experienced staff works personally with each of the following donors to develop a giving plan that achieves their charitable and financial goals.
Donor Advised Funds
Grants made from these funds are based on direction from the donor and support broad charitable needs.
- Serrano – Tafoya Fund
- Misono Family Fund
- McCarthy-Hawley Family Fund
- McCarthy Family Fund
- Hay Family Foundation Fund
- Charity Giving Card Fund
- California Resources Corporation Fund
- Brian and Cherilee Ezell Fund
- Bekarev Family Fund
- Robert C. and Doreen Boylan Abrams Fund
- Aera Energy Fund
- Aera Energy Fund for Conservation and the Environment
- AFG Project Fund
- Peter Anthony Catholic Education Fund
- The Donald E. and Audrey W. Barnes Charitable Fund
- Donald and Earlene Barnes Charitable Fund
- Kristen Barnes Charitable Fund
- Batey Charitable Fund
- Ben and Bryan Batey Charitable Fund
- J & C Bowman Fund
- The Boydstun Family Charitable Fund
- S & L Boyle Family Fund
- Charity Giving Card Fund
- Curtis & Peggy Darling Fund
- Curtis & Peggy Darling Fund #2 (D636)
- Richard & Lorraine Davies Charitable Fund
- Dev Charitable Fund
- Rayburn and Joan Dezember Charitable Fund
- Gee Durn Fund
- Claude & Shirley Fiddler Charitable Fund
- Fisherman’s Fellowship Charitable Fund
- The Gordon Charitable Fund
- Ed and Sue Green Family Charitable Fund
- Fred and Virginia Hamisch Charitable Fund
- George & Karen Johnson Family Fund
- The Kern 178 Corridor Fund
- Duane and Corey Keathley Charitable Fund
- Lampe Fund
- Justin and Carrie Leland Charitable Fund
- Linda Lopez Charitable Fund
- Matthews Family Trust Fund
- Garrett and Elizabeth Ming Charitable Fund
- The David and Jan Nicholas Charitable Fund
- Nickel Family Fund
- Nnanedu Odeluga Memorial Fund
- Palitz Family Charitable Fund
- Parks-Anderson Charitable Fund
- Phillips Family Fund
- Peter Anthony Catholic Education Fund
- Prolific Talents Fund
- Sanders Family Fund
- Sheldon Family Charitable Fund
- Gayland P. & Joy A. Smith Family Fund
- Charlotte and Max Steinert Family Fund
- The Marvin Steinert Family Charitable Fund
- Rod Stiefvater Foundation Fund
- Sandys S. Tang & Mora Tang Fund
- C. Jeff & L. Elaine Thomson Commemorative Fund
- Trang Family Charitable Fund
- Beman Vernon Family Fund of Kern
- Eugene J. Voiland Charitable Fund
- The Blanche & Irma Weill Foundation Fund
- Tim and Katie Werdel Giving Fund
- Stan and Nancy Wilson Benevolence Fund
- Michael and Jennifer Young Family Charitable Fund
Field of Interest Funds
These funds are used to support specific areas such as education, healthcare, social services, the arts, or other special interests and geographic regions.
- Arthritis Association of Kern County Fund
- Auction Angels
- B3K Prosperity Fund
- Baby Exposition 2025
- Bakersfield Youth Jobs Program Fund
- Bertha M. Rankin Fund
- Better Bakersfield and Boundless Kern Fund (B3K)
- Borel Fire Relief Fund
- Community Disaster Relief Fund
- Community Empowerment Organization
- Community Nest Fund
- Connected Community Network Fund
- Day of Remembrance Fund
- Gayland and Joy Smith Educational Fund
- Shirley Farnsworth Fund
- Juvenile Court Special Needs Fund for Foster Children
- Kern Alliance of Nonprofits
- Kern County 1929 Charitable Foundation
- Kern County Black Infant and Maternal Health Initiative
- Kern County COVID-19 Relief Fund
- Kern Oil Documentary Fund
- Kern Preparedness and Resiliency Fund
- Kern River Valley Community Fund (Endowed)
- Kern Veterans Memorial Fund
- Nuwä Abigip Moskinaak – Kawaiisu Voices Rising
- Tom Pryor PTSD Awareness Fund
- Scoliosis Strong Fund
- West High School Alumni Association Endowment Fund
- West High School Alumni Association Operational Fund
- Women’s and Girls’ Non-Endowed Fund
- Returning to Our Roots, Kawaiisu Community Group
- TalentBase – Project: Veterans CareerBridge
- The Umbrellas Mural Project Fund
- Veterans Renewable Empowerment and Training Initiative
Designated Funds
These funds support one or more specific charitable organizations.
- Jean Baughman Legacy Fund
- Phyllis J. Bivins Memorial Fund
- Dolores & Victor Cerro St. Francis Scholarship Fund
- Community Endowment Fund
- Coe, Gorman, Diggles Foundation
- The Fox Theater Foundation Endowment Fund
- Noel E. Daniells Permanent Endowment Fund
- Merle Haggard Musical Scholarship Fund
- Handouts Don’t Help Fund
- Kayli Memorial Fund
- KernArts Forever!
- KernArts Now!
- KernHealth Forever!
- Kern County Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund
- Kern Health Now!
- Kern River Preserve Stewardship Endowment Fund
- KRVHF Stewardship Endowment Fund
- North Kern Christian School Endowment Fund
- The Marjorie Rump Charitable Endowment Fund
- Shafter Historical Society Museum Curator Fund
- The Jack and Mary Lou Thomson Endowment Fund
- Edward M. and Constance W. Tilbury Endowment Fund
- Upper Kern Fisheries Enhancement Fund
- Margaret Urner Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra Endowment Fund
- Margaret Urner Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra Fund
- Helen Hawk Windes Charitable Fund
- Bryce & Florence York Fund
- The Judith B. Chase Family Fund
Agency Funds
The Foundation manages these funds on behalf of local nonprofit organizations.
- Bakersfield ARC Foundation Endowment Fund
- Bakersfield High School Endowment Fund
- Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science Fund
- California Living Museum (CALM) Al Robbins Endowment Fund
- Community Care Network Fund
- Foothill Foundation Endowment Fund
- Heart Never Forgets Endowment Fund
- JLB Community Center Fund
- Kern Audubon Society Fund
- Kern River Valley Educational and Cultural Foundation Fund
- Kern Veterans Memorial Fund
- Scott Kirschenmann Family Foundation
- Leaders in Life Endowment Fund
- LinkEd Fund
- Links for Life Legacy Endowment Fund
- Shafter Historical – Ohanneson Fund
- Spotlight Theater Reserve Fund
- SSRS Stewardship Endowment Fund
- The Bakersfield Aquatics Center Fund
- The Cat People Endowment Fund
- The Golden Empire Gleaners Endowment Fund
- The Green Hotel Restoration Fund
- Westminster Presbyterian Church Foundation Endowment Fund
- Westminster Presbyterian Church Foundation – Global Gifts End
Scholarship Funds
These funds support Kern’s future with resources to help students achieve their academic goals.
- Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Kappa Eta Lambda Chapter Scholarship Fund
- David Anderson Athletic Scholarship Fund
- Dr. Joseph E. Anderson Scholarship Fund
- Arvin Union Congregational Church Scholarship Fund
- Arvin Women’s Club – Ellen Kovacevich Scholarship Fund
- The Arvin Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
- Jack Beaton Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Derek Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund
- California Children’s Services (CCS) Transition Scholarship Fund
- Caratan Family Scholarship Fund
- Larry Carr Memorial Scholarship Fund
- East Bakersfield Class of 1957 – Ron Robison Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Karin Enebo Memorial Violin Scholarship Fund
- Sean E. Farley Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Manuel Gonzales Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Ron Graffius Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Honor Run Scholarship Fund
- Kern Futures Scholarship Fund
- Kern Futures Scholarships Now Fund
- Kern Futures Scholarships Together Fund
- Kern High School District Counselors Scholarship Fund
- The Mayor of Bakersfield Scholarship Fund
- David Moore Agricultural Scholarship Fund
- Nickel Family Scholarship for Agricultural Education Fund
- Dr. Richard P. Pierucci Scholarship Fund
- Oscar and Libbie Rudnick Scholarship Fund
- Bailey Schweitzer Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Eunice Sears Scholarship for Music Fund
- Sheriff’s Employees’ Benefit Association Scholarship Fund
- The George and Helen Stewart Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Trinity Foundation Fund
- Ellis and Cora Andrews Family Scholarship Fund
- Bob & Etta Otto Scholarship Fund
Unrestricted Funds
The Foundation’s unrestricted funds are used to support broad charitable needs of the community.
- Give Big Kern Fund
- Kern Community Foundation Operating Fund
List Updated February 2020