Deep-Rooted Love for Her Hometown Inspired Desa Belyea’s Philanthropy

Desa Belyea’s upbringing inspired her to become a philanthropic funder. Growing up during the Great Depression, she witnessed the immense poverty experienced by others and learned that advocating for vulnerable populations was crucial. She recalled her father sharing that unhoused, starving individuals, commuting via trains, longed for things as simple as baloney sandwiches. “My family had limited means, but these unsheltered men had lost their jobs and homes and were in dire straits. Helping the unfortunate, even slightly, is what my mother believed was imperative,” Belyea said. 

Supporting the Fresno region was a priority for Belyea, since she grew up in the city and both she and her husband, George Belyea, were proud Fresno State alumni. In the late 1980s, she and George became donor advisors with the Central Valley Community Foundation (CVCF), formerly the Fresno Regional Foundation. “It was natural that the greater Fresno area would be our highest priority — ranging from helping young people, seniors, abused women, and needy families, as well as supporting the arts and culture, which are an integral part of a community,” Belyea said. 

Belyea’s passion for seeing the Central Valley thrive was instilled in her through her journalism career. She held her first newspaper job at The Sanger Herald at 16 and wrote for The Collegian and a weekly Fresno State column at The Fresno Bee while attending college. Belyea later became a Fresno Bee women’s editor, features editor, and Sunday editor, prior to being promoted as the first, non-related female senior manager at the McClatchy Company.  

From 2009 to 2014, Belyea served on the CVCF board. Serving as a board member, gave her insight into the community’s needs and provided an opportunity to alleviate those necessities. “The Foundation reinforced the commitment that my husband and I previously made to help our community. We felt then and, even more, now that the organization has the resources and expertise to best serve the region’s general welfare,” she said. 

Belyea is hopeful that volunteering and charitable giving become a central focal point for those with the means to support under-resourced community members. She envisions a more prosperous area thanks to these contributions. “The impact goals that my husband and I established will continue and expand to fulfill essentialities of the Valley and San Francisco, where I now reside,” she said.  

To learn more about becoming a CVCF donor, please contact Senior Philanthropy Officer Caty Perez at Caty@centralvalleycf.org or 559-226-5600.