About Us
The CCC Foundation (CCCF) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit public benefit organization, created in 1988, whose goal is to advance the education, training, leadership development, personal growth, and career opportunities of California Conservation Corps (CCC) corpsmembers, while protecting and enhancing California's natural resources.
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Our mission is to enhance the California Conservation Corps mission, programs, and corpsmembers through philanthropy.
Opportunities
Our over-arching guidance is to provide opportunities for CCC corpsmembers. Examples of opportunities the CCC Foundation has provided, in conjunction with our for-profit partners, are specialized training such as Hazwoper training or fire prevention and firefighting preparation and training. The Foundation has also provided Trauma Informed Care training for CCC corpsmembers and staff.
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For the last several years, we have run an initiative called The Wilderness Program that provides women of color, and other marginalized populations (18-24) access to our wilderness areas with an introduction to backpacking, skills for living in the backcountry, and job opportunities in natural resource management and the CCC. Of the approximately 40+ participants who have joined The Wilderness Program, 40% have gone on to jobs in natural resource management and the CCC.
Community Grant Projects
By way of grants, the Foundation has undertaken two projects: stormwater capture in Yvonne B. Burke Sports Complex through the Baldwin Hills Conservancy; under the Urban Greening Program of the CNRA, and the greening of the playground at Grant Elementary School in East Hollywood. These projects will be a benefit to the people of California and specifically to those who live in these three locations by providing green space, reduction of heat island effect, sequestration of carbon, water conservation, and energy use reduction. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, these projects will also provide valuable on-the-job training for corpsmembers and add to their skill set. The CCC Foundation stipulates in its contractors’ agreements that the contractor must agree to work with and train corpsmembers.
Emergency Fund
The CCC Foundation has an Emergency Fund for CCC Staff and corpsmembers. We distribute it to staff and corpsmembers who suffered damage as a result of the Paradise Fire and additional funds to CCC victims of the Big Bend area fires in Santa Cruz.
Professional Training
Thanks to a grant from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), the CCC Foundation established the Energy Lab at the CCC Sacramento Energy Corps Center. This state-of-the-art facility has been delivering specialized training to CCC corpsmembers for several years and will continue to serve as a hub for energy education and workforce development well into the future.
In addition, the CCC Foundation supports professional development for corpsmembers by funding key programs such as the annual Corpsmember Leadership Conference and the statewide CCC High School Graduation.
With support from the Edison Grant, the Foundation also provides critical fire and emergency response training. This includes fire safety instruction, physical fitness programs, first responder certification, and access to specialized equipment—all aimed at preparing corpsmembers for careers in public safety and emergency services.
