CARMEL YOUTH CENTER Year Founded: 1949 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 6 paid, 20 volunteers Budget: $409,097 (831) 624-3285 carmelyouth.org BIG IDEA: The Carmel Youth Center is investing in its teen community for this year’s Big Idea. With the Teen Engagement and Empowerment Program, the CYC seeks to build a new Teen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab, where local experts will connect teens with workforce readiness, business development and community engagement opportunities. Guest speakers and other programming will contribute to CYC’s goal of nurturing creative, collaborative future leaders. A renovated lounge is the final goal in CYC’s teen transformation. “CYC has been a wonderful part of our families’ ‘village’ to help our family during school breaks. Having a safe, nourishing and positive place to send our girls has helped grow their confidence immensely. We are so grateful.” -Laura Herrarte CENTRAL COAST YMCA Year Founded: 1989 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 310 paid, 326 volunteers Budget: $4,914,449 (831) 757-4633 centralcoastymca.org BIG IDEA: Tighter budgets mean fewer sources of fun and entertainment, but not if Central Coast YMCA’s Big Idea has anything to say about it. The YMCA seeks donations to support its scholarship fund and reduce program fees for youth ages 2-anda-half to 12. These scholarships mean cost is never a reason why a kid misses out on learning to swim, shooting hoops, making friends or exploring a new hobby. Last year, the YMCA distributed $141,872 toward this Big Idea. “Thanks to the YMCA’s scholarship program, I can afford lessons that wouldn’t be possible anywhere else. When my daughter visited the pool last year through summer camp, she was afraid of the water and only felt safe with a life jacket. Now, she’s a confident Level 4 swimmer and can’t wait for her next class!” -B. Guerrero CHARTWELL SCHOOL Year Founded: 1983 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 58 paid, 215 volunteers Budget: $11,742,803 (831) 394-3468 chartwell.org BIG IDEA: What if you sat in a classroom, for many years, that was not built for how your mind works? Chartwell School operates by its Big Idea philosophy that every child deserves to learn their own way. As a nonprofit school and a lab school for the UCSF Dyslexia Center, Chartwell School seeks funds for its resource-intensive work that remains in increasing demand since the pandemic. Last year, 62 percent of families received financial aid, totaling $2.1 million. “When our sons arrived in fifth grade, they were reading and writing at a kindergarten level. As parents, that is a heavy thing to sit with. What happened over the next two years is something we will never stop being grateful for. Both boys are now reading and writing at or close to grade level. But that’s only part of it—they walk into a room differently now. Chartwell didn’t just teach them to read better, it taught them that being dyslexic doesn’t mean being less. Without the scholarship extended to our family, this simply would not have been possible for us. Thank you for believing that every child deserves access to this kind of education.” -Lower School parent 90 Monterey County GIVES! 2026 mcgives.com EDUCATION & YOUTH DONATE ONLINE MCGIVES.COM “Having consistent access to groceries has made it easier to focus on school.” -Anonymous, Hartnell College Foundation FOUNDATION FOR MONTEREY COUNTY FREE LIBRARIES Year Founded: 1989 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 1 paid, 3 volunteers Budget: $349,425 (831) 424-3564 fmcfl.org BIG IDEA: This Big Idea spans 3,300 square miles and will help open three libraries. The Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries is preparing for a big year, as new libraries in East Garrison and Bradley near their grand opening, and the Pajaro library reopens after a three-year closure caused by the 2023 floods. Gifts through Monterey County Gives! also enrich the library experience with summer reading club books, technology and literacy programs. “Monterey County Free Libraries played a significant role in both my academic and personal growth. Through studying and volunteering at the library, I gained valuable skills—including patience, communication, adaptability and leadership—that cannot be learned in a classroom alone.” -Rosalinda Sanchez Luna, 18 SPOTLIGHT
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