Philanthropists Richard and Theresa Crocker Donate $1 Million to the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation

TTCF’s impact investment agenda, trust-based philanthropy and nimble capital enable swift deployment of gift to support critical initiatives

TAHOE TRUCKEE, CA— Richard and Theresa Crocker, the donor advisors of the Crocker Philanthropic fund, have donated $1 million to the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF), which serves the region by identifying and strategically addressing complex, inter-related issues that affect the community.

Thanks to its impact investment agenda, trust-based philanthropy, and nimble capital, TTCF swiftly deployed the gift to fund critical initiatives where it was most needed, including forest health, workforce development, housing, scholarships, families and community programing.

“We are extremely grateful to the Crockers for this generous gift to help TTCF fund its impact agenda, which aims to create a thriving, resilient community where families are stable and happy, housing is affordable, forests are strong and healthy, and the economy is vibrant, diverse and sustainable,” said TTCF CEO Stacy Caldwell. “The Crockers, who have spent over two decades as part-time homeowners in Tahoe Truckee, used this gift to express their affection for and commitment to the community.

“Our effective deployment of resources makes it possible for communities like Tahoe Truckee to tackle complex, inter-related issues that affect part-time and full-time residents, the forest, infrastructure, sustainability, and economics,” said Caldwell, who notes that TTCF has applied lessons learned from community partnerships and grantmaking during COVID to create a sense of urgency and use trust-based philanthropy to quickly deploy dollars where they are most needed.

“We have long enjoyed the Lake Tahoe area, especially Truckee, which has given us so much joy. We felt it was only right to give back,” said Richard and Theresa Crocker, whose primary residence is in Santa Cruz, CA. “It seems a modest gesture compared to all that this area has provided for us. We hope all those that have received the same pleasures from this community are inspired to give back in any way they can.”

The gift will support some of TTCF’s most critical initiatives: programs that focus on mental health, social services, and disaster preparedness for very low-income residents; scholarships to aid in workforce development; housing solutions; and community programming. In addition, it will help fund TTCF’s new Forest Futures Campaign, a comprehensive approach that can be replicated by other communities to align community climate action with transformational finance for forest health and infrastructure, and diversification of local economies.

Forest Futures is the culmination of more than four years of work with 97 multi-disciplinary experts to form a strategy and action plan that addresses a variety of interrelated forestry issues. These include forest management; community education; incentives to protect the wildland urban interface (WUI); improving the local economy by funding infrastructure, jobs, and new market solutions; and transforming existing resources into long-term benefits by providing loans and investments and establishing a long-term community funding source for nimble and flexible financial capital.

For information on how to support TTCF and Forest Futures, go to https://bit.ly/3tRLMqd

About The Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation:

The mission of the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) is to connect people and opportunities, generating resources to build a more caring, creative, and effective community. TTCF was established in 1998 thanks to the vision of William Hewlett who loved and worked to protect the Sierra Nevada’s. In a little more than 20 years, TTCF has served the Tahoe Truckee region by identifying emerging needs and working collaboratively with regional stakeholders, donors and nonprofits to address them strategically. TTCF holds $34 million in assets and has distributed more than $30 million, in partnership with its donors, in local grants and scholarships.

About Forest Futures:

Forest Futures is a three-year, $30M campaign to protect our communities from the devastation of forest fires by aligning local organizations around fire mitigation and investing in forest infrastructure and innovation. Through trust-based philanthropy and an integrated approach, we’re investing in forest-health to keep communities safe, diversify the local economy and accelerate innovative uses for forest waste. By safeguarding the Tahoe Truckee region, we protect a vital watershed and create generational impact for all who love this special place. Our model is a comprehensive approach for community action that can be adapted anywhere to mitigate the effects of climate change, turning climate threats into regional opportunities.