Foundation Grants
Community Vital Signs
About Us
Report: Nearly 25% of Marin Households Can'T Afford Decent Living
Foundation: Marin Community Foundation
A family of four in Marin County, Calif., needs to make $146,087 a year to afford a decent standard of living, according to a new report from the United Ways of California.
That's nearly a quarter of the county's average household income of $44,278, the Marin Independent Journal reports.
The United Ways found that 58% of households in the state earning less than the cost of living are spending more than 30% of their income on housing.
"I think $146,000 is a little less than I would have estimated," says Beatriz Chimal, who bought a home in Novato with her husband last year and has a 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter.
"Housing is our biggest expense," says Chimal.
"A lot of our income goes into our mortgage."
The United Ways found that renters in Marin need to earn 3.5 times the minimum wage to afford the average asking rent.
But the state minimum wage is only $15 per hour.
Home health and personal care aides are paid $16.97 per hour.
Child care workers make $18.81 per hour.
"Housing is such a significant basic need that it drives everything else," says Robert Palmer, the director of learning and development for the nonprofit Community Action Marin, which
Read the Entire Article
Selected Foundation News
A customized collection of news from foundations from around the Web.
Jensyn Hallett grew up in rural Arkansas, where men were typically the breadwinners and held sway over financial decisions. "However, witnessing the strength and resilience of women like my mom...more
Idaho's Innovia Foundation is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and it's giving back in a big way. The foundation has awarded $446,000 in grants to 48 nonprofit organizations in North...more
Foundation: Nebraska Community Foundation
The small town of Leigh, Neb., is getting a big boost in its coffers thanks to a group of former residents and their families. Last year, 14 families and individuals (all Leigh High School alumni...more
"We are very grateful for their steady support over the years." So says Laurel Harry, executive director of the Rowan County Literacy Council, which recently received a $5,000 grant from the...more
Foundation: Essex County Community Foundation
You'll soon be able to hop on a bus in Merrimack Valley, Mass., and head to any of the 16 cities and towns in the region for free. That's thanks to a $125,000 grant from the National Endowment...more
A Utah county has officially declared June LGBTQ+ Pride Month. KSL reports on a flag-raising ceremony for Summit County's LGBTQ+ community, which was launched in 2021 in Park City. "My...more
In California's Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, more than 20,000 women have received support from Women's Economic Ventures, a nonprofit dedicated to helping them start, grow, and improve their...more
"I want to share with you not just your foundation's role in our community, but also the incredible difference we can make together,"Bronna Kahle writes on the Lenawee Community Foundation's...more
Walmart's decision to close 51 of its stores in the US has led to a wave of commentary about the future of primary care in America. Here's a look at some of it: "The most recent news that shocked...more
The American Society of Clinical Oncology calls it the "holy grail" of cancer treatment: the use of genetic testing to personalize care. But integrating such testing results into an electronic...more
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
Role Philanthropy Plays in Impact Investing
CEO of the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Nonprofit Finance Fund and impact investment book author, Antony Bugg-Levine, explains the role of how philanthropy serves as a catalyst in impact investments.