Richard Heath Champions South Valley High School Students’ Academic Futures

For donor Richard Heath, gratitude for the school and city that shaped him led him to establish a scholarship for Reedley and Orange Cove high schools. 

As a proud Reedley High alumnus, Richard sought out a way to cultivate a future generation of leaders at both his alma mater and the newer Orange Cove High. “I profoundly appreciate all that Kings Canyon Unified School District did for me,” Richard said. “Reedley High helped me develop leadership capabilities during an important developmental time in my life and greatly contributed to my success later on.” 

As a high school student, Richard struggled academically until he was mentored by his speech teacher. He grew to excel at debate and was even elected student body president. “There are teachers who really have an effect on people’s lives,” Richard said.

Despite barely meeting the academic requirements for admission to Fresno State, Richard would go on to graduate from Fresno State with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in economics. From there, he started his career at the then newly launched Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC), where he eventually became the executive director. In 1972, he founded Richard Heath & Associates, a community engagement firm that developed the first energy efficiency and sustainability programs for disadvantaged populations in California.

Richard hopes that some of the scholarship recipients will eventually become leaders in the community and contribute to their alma maters. “The scholarship program doesn’t try to make big societal changes but rather makes changes in individual lives,” Richard said. “Transformative change happens in a person.” 

Sixty-thousand dollars in annual scholarships will be divided between Reedley and Orange Cove high schools — with $20,000 allocated as discretionary funds. This money will provide additional support for student needs such as dental bills or household items like microwaves to support students completing their post-high school education. 

Richard is hopeful that the scholarships will enable more students to attend community colleges, state colleges or trade schools. He feels that a huge obstacle to local student success is the reality that many students come from families with limited financial means and hopes his scholarship fund can reduce that barrier to academic achievement. “No matter how you cut it, students from limited-income families have a more difficult path than students from high-income households,” Richard said, noting that the discretionary scholarship funds will help with necessary expenses that could otherwise deter students from pursuing an education.

Richard encourages people, with the means to do so, to monetarily give to local organizations. “I credit my success to several other people and good fortune which means — to me — that I should give back to my community,” Richard said. “I have not seen a self-made person. There are hardworking people who deserve what they have but they are not self-made. Many people contributed to their success, so they should pay it forward.” 

To support Reedley and Orange Cove high schools or other Kings Canyon Unified schools, contributions can be made to the Kings Canyon Educational Partnership Foundation here.

If interested in launching a fund, Richard recommends contacting CVCF. “The Foundation is reputable and makes it simple and easy to establish a fund,” he said. 

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