Sixty Years Strong

From the snowcapped Sierra Nevadas to bustling streets where tacos sizzle, pho steams, and fair-day cinnamon rolls melt in your mouth, the Central Valley is a place defined by beauty, abundance and grit. This Valley is shaped by people whose work feeds the nation, immigrants who carry their dreams across borders, teachers who expand minds - health care providers, engineers, artists, day laborers, and more.

Maruko Cyclery in its new postwar location at 1153 F Street, Fresno, CA, 1966. Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Foundation. All rights reserved.

For 60 years, the Central Valley Community Foundation has served our region, because this place — and its people — matter deeply.

To celebrate our 60th Anniversary, we are kicking off a year-long tribute to the region we love. Join us as we tell "60 Stories that Shaped Us," a celebration of the people who selflessly serve others, the changemakers and caretakers who molded this place we call home.

Young ladies at a bus stop in front of the Warnors Theater near Tuolumne and Fulton Streets in Downtown Fresno, March 1964. Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Foundation. All rights reserved.

Our own story begins in the mid-1960s when Fresno resident O.J. Woodward was helping settle a relative’s estate, a large portion of which was left to a local nonprofit. Wanting to ensure the funds were managed appropriately, Woodward accompanied the organization director to court. After all was settled and the money secured, the director invited Woodward to a celebratory lunch - paid for by proceeds from the estate.

Woodward believed that the money should benefit the nonprofit and not pay for his meal.  He declined lunch and decided to turn his energy toward building a community trust that would safeguard philanthropic resources and serve the community for generations to come. He enlisted the help of his friend Lewis S. Eaton, and two area lawyers, Kendall Manock and Newton Russell: The Fresno Regional Foundation was born in 1966.

Over the past 60 years, our story has evolved and grown. Our name changed from the Fresno Regional Foundation to the Central Valley Community Foundation. We moved (several times). Beloved older generations have passed. And new individuals continue to share their energy and ideas. All the while, the Central Valley Community Foundation has stood as a steady presence, weaving together the vision of community members, the determination of nonprofits and the generosity of donors. What began as a modest effort to support local needs has grown into a place of shared vision and a catalyst for regional change, supporting those who have shaped the Central Valley’s story through decades of service.

We invite you to join us in celebrating this special place we call home. There will be art competitions, video contests, events and festivities throughout the year. To learn more, visit us at centralvalleycf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @centralvalleycf.

Photos have been provided courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Foundation. All rights reserved.

Fulton Mall trolley postcard, circa 1965. Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society and the Pop Laval Foundation. All rights reserved.