Marianne Haver Hill is a champion of philanthropic giving and volunteering in the Valley. From leading MEND, one of the largest and well-respected poverty relief agencies in Los Angeles County, to spearheading the implementation of the LA Economic Development Corporation’s Countywide Strategic Plan for Economic Development, she brings passion and broad experience to her new role with the Community Foundation of the Valleys.
What drew you to the Community Foundation of the Valleys and why are you passionate about this work?
There are some amazing nonprofits in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys! These organizations are providing so many essential and important services that make the quality of life here so much better –services for the unhoused, after school programs, local arts programs and cultural centers, animal rescue, health and mental health care, and so much more. And yet – most of our local nonprofits are underfunded. Sadly, UCLA studies have shown that, despite the highest transfer of wealth of any area in Los Angeles County, charitable giving here is the lowest. I recently read of a DTLA nonprofit that raised over $2 million at its gala. Many excellent SFV/SCV organizations struggle to raise ten percent of that that amount from their annual events.
I am passionate about implementing the exciting 2022-2027 strategic plan that our CFV board adopted. I look forward to ensuring that our Community Foundation is creating new opportunities to encourage charitable generosity in our Valleys, and that our CFV representatives are active in local issues of greatest regional concern.
What would you like to say to potential donors about CFV?
The Community Foundation of the Valleys is here to help you be as impactful as possible in your charitable giving. By setting up a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) with CFV, you can support your future contributions to favorite causes in SFV/SCV and beyond, while receiving a significant tax break up front. We also manage and support family foundations, corporate giving funds, and nonprofit endowments or rainy-day funds.
CFV works in partnership with the California Community Foundation, one of the largest foundations in the U.S. The CCF invests and manages all of our Community Foundation of the Valleys funds, and handles all the “back office” work on behalf of CFV.
Describe your most rewarding experience at CFV
Two things come to mind. When the pandemic first started, our Community Foundation conducted a COVID Crisis Campaign to raise funds. We subsequently gave grants to 20 smaller nonprofits in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys to support them in their extra efforts to those who had been negatively impacted by the economic downturn.
The second highlight was our CFV event “Homelessness and Housing: A Multi-Sector Conference Addressing Solutions and Innovations”, held in December, 2021, in partnership with the Valley Economic Alliance. The many positive recommendations and ideas from our conference speakers sparked much of the thought that went into our CFV plans going forward.
We are a small foundation with big plans to grow and become an important contributor to the San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys. While we are not able to give out grants to nonprofits now, or to host another big event, our goal is to inspire a culture of greater generosity in our region that will result in future grantmaking and convenings!