From the Executive Director

Greetings from the Barton Foundation, and welcome to the second issue of Elevations! It’s been a refreshing exercise to resume publishing this magazine, as our schedule was interrupted by the pandemic last spring. I hope you find Elevations both interesting and entertaining, as it is aimed at keeping our many donors and friends informed and up-to-date about the philanthropic mission of the Barton Foundation.

The Barton Foundation, now in its 31st year, is positioned at the intersection of health care and philanthropy. As an agile organization, we quickly adapted to the pandemic, knowing that philanthropy can make a significant community impact by targeting its resources to fill urgent needs.

We launched the COVID-19 Response Fund last March, with the intention of raising funds to purchase needed personal protection equipment (PPE) for frontline health care workers as well as to assist community members battling food insecurity issues. As the crisis evolved, the needs of community members changed and became more urgent. It quickly became apparent that food insecurity, which reflects the stark inequities that weaken the vibrancy of our community, would become a major emphasis of the COVID-19 Response Fund.

Thanks to our deep roots in the community, as well as our network of extremely generous donors, we were able to quicken the pace of progress in addressing this dire issue. As of March 2021, the Barton Foundation granted $325,000 to over 2,000 families and individuals in our community suffering from food insecurity,
and our efforts are ongoing.

I am pleased to report the Barton Foundation ended 2020 on a high note, as we raised a record-setting $126,000 from the Virtual Gala, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the COVID-19 Response Fund! The influx of donations from the Virtual Gala allows us to continue our work in combatting the lingering effects of food insecurity. At the present time, we are awarding over $25,000 in food cards each month to families in our community who are unable to meet basic nutritional needs.

While the pandemic has wreaked havoc throughout the world, it is gratifying to know that thanks to the generosity of our philanthropic partners, the Barton Foundation has become a community catalyst that ignites action!

For more information on how you can personally help advance powerful and rewarding philanthropy in our community, please contact me directly at 530-543-5612.

On behalf of the Barton Foundation, we express deep thanks to our many donors who continue to make a difference in our community.
Thank you!

Chris Kiser
Executive Director, Barton Foundation