Ventura County Community Foundation
The Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) is a public charity and community foundation based in Camarillo, California. Incorporated in 1987, VCCF serves as a philanthropic intermediary that brings together the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits across Ventura County. The foundation operates as a grantmaking public charity and maintains donor-advised funds, serving 844,000 Ventura County residents through hundreds of community-specific initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$234.0M
+32.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$9.5M
+23.4% YoY
Grant Count
214
+64.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$44K
-25.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Connecting people, resources, and solutions to create lasting impact in our shared world.
The foundation supports initiatives across a broad range of focus areas, including:
- Arts and Culture
- Animals
- Cancer
- Children and Youth
- Community Development
- Disaster Relief
- Education
- Environmental Protection
- Faith-Based Initiatives
- Health and Well-Being
- Human Services
- Mental Health
- Poverty Alleviation
Grantmaking
Application methods vary by fund, with some programs operating on rolling deadlines, others with fixed deadlines, and some by invitation only.
Grant Range
s:**
Average Grant
amount: $44,000 per grant
Review Cycle
, others with fixed deadlines, and some by invitation only.
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Ventura County, California. Top grant recipient cities include:
- Ventura (56 grants)
- Camarillo (39 grants)
- Oxnard (17 grants)
- Santa Paula (17 grants)
- Thousand Oaks (16 grants)
- Ojai (10 grants)
Some grants extend to Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and other nearby areas.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets: $234,037,815 (fiscal year 2024)
- Total charitable assets under stewardship: $260 million (fiscal year 2024)
- Total revenues: $44,884,228 (fiscal year 2024)
- Total expenses: $16,128,525 (fiscal year 2024)
- Total liabilities: $26.1 million (fiscal year 2023)
Donor Base: The foundation serves over 24,000 donors, staff, and volunteers and operates as fiduciary to more than 800 philanthropic funds.
Recent Growth: In fiscal year 2024, over $39 million was added to donor funds.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $234,037,815 | $176,830,289 | $164,442,334 |
| Revenue | $44,884,228 | $17,600,438 | $29,608,234 |
| Expenses | $16,128,525 | $13,689,404 | $16,351,945 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $3,933,457 | $4,712,438 | $7,318,032 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from Ventura County Community Foundation
ArtLife Foundation Fund Grant
VENTURA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $55,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Barbara Barnard Smith Fund for World Musics Grant
VENTURA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Kimberly J. Engberg Fund for LGBTQ+ Equality
VENTURA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- President & CEO: Vanessa Bechtel
- Chief Operating Officer: Jeffrey Lambert
- Chief Philanthropy Officer: Mike Silacci
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEAN LEONARD | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| SCOTT P HANSEN | IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR | 1 | — |
| VERONICA QUINTANA | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| LEAH LACAYO | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| MERYL CHASE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GEOFF DEAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JACK EDELSTEIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MIKE JANUZIK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LESLIE LEVANS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CESAR MORALES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BRANDO POZZI | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CATHERINE SEPULVEDA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RICHARD YAO | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| VENKAT YEPURI | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| VANESSA BECHTEL | PRESIDENT AND CEO | 40 | $337,119 |
| BONITA GILLES | VICE-PRESIDENT AND CFO | 40 | $261,080 |
| MICHAEL SILACCI | CHIEF PHILANTHROPIC OFFICER | 40 | $209,821 |
| TRACY TAGAWA | CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER | 40 | $192,243 |
| JIM RIVERA | CHIEF PHILANTHROPIC COUNSEL | 20 | $106,456 |
| CLAUDIA RAITI | ASSISTANT CONTROLLER (THRU 12/23) | 40 | $109,783 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced several significant grant initiatives and funding awards:
From Grants to Green Impact - Ventura County Community FoundationNearly 200 nonprofits participated in a Special Dividends Luncheon to divide a share of $1 million in grants
Nearly 200 Non-Profits to Divide a Share of $1-Million in a Special DividendsClean Power Alliance and Calpine Energy Solutions awarded funding to 12 nonprofits driving local clean energy and sustainability efforts
Clean Power Alliance and Calpine Energy Solutions Award Funding ...MB&T awarded $1.2 million to local nonprofits at an annual Community Dividends event
Nearly 200 Non-Profits to Divide a Share of $1-Million in a Special DividendsActive grant programs include the VibeWell Ventura County Arts & Wellness Grant Program, Smith-Hobson Foundation Grant, Limoneira Foundation Fund Grant, and Barbara Barnard Smith Fund for World Musics
From Grants to Green Impact - Ventura County Community FoundationContact Information
Address: 4001 Mission Oaks Boulevard, Suite A, Camarillo, CA 93012
Phone: (805) 988-0196
Email: vccf@vccf.org
Website: https://www.vccf.org
Fax: (805) 484-2700
Grant Inquiries: Mike Silacci, Chief Philanthropy Officer | (805) 330-6673 | msilacci@vccf.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Ventura County Community Foundation on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities