Honorees, Founders & History
2024 Honoree
Roberta Jenkins
Educator & Philanthropist
(image left to right: Gary DeLong, Beverly O'Neill, and Marcelle Epley)
2018 Honoree
Beverly O'Neill
(image left to right: Gary DeLong, Jean Bixby Smith, Jane Netherton, and Marcelle Epley)
2017 Honoree
Jean Bixby Smith
(image left to right: Marcelle Epley, Skip Keesal, Beth Keesal, and Jane Netherton)
2016 Honoree
Samuel "Skip" Keesal
State of the Foundation Honorees
Each year, beginning in 2016, the Long Beach Community Foundation acknowledges an LBCF partner for his/her years of support in initiating positive change for Long Beach through charitable giving, stewardship, and strategic grantmaking.
Past honorees include:
- 2025 – Lilly Weinberg, accepting on behalf of The Knight Foundation
- 2024 – Roberta Jenkins
- 2023 – Jane Netherton
- 2022 – Rich Archbold
- 2021 – Jim Worsham (View virtual event)
- 2020 – John Shadden and Tom Shadden (View virtual event)
- 2019 – Josephine Molina and John Molina
- 2018 – Beverly O’Neill
- 2017 – Jean Bixby Smith
- 2016 – Samuel “Skip” Keesal
Visionary Founders
When Long Beach Community Foundation obtained its independent 501(c)(3) status in April 2006, it was necessary to raise the required funds to support operating costs until its assets grew to the appropriate level needed to be self-supporting. Contributors to the Founders Fund recognized the importance of establishing a community foundation exclusively to serve the people of Long Beach. Collectively they contributed $1.2 million in cash and commitments to support operations for about five years, allowing the Foundation’s focus to be on the development of assets rather than fundraising for operations.
Founders
Founders
Anonymous*
The Ackerman Family
John Apostle & Helen Apostle Foundation
George and Alice Atkinson Foundation
William and Virginal Barnes
Bixby Land Company
California Community Foundation
Charter Communications*
Blake and Vicki Christian
Gary and Dawna DeLong
George and Gloria Deukmejian
Farmers & Merchants Bank
Bob and Nancy Foster
Gazette Newspapers*
Frances S. Grover
John W. Hancock Family Foundation
International City Bank
Sara Wenkle Kaplan
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Keesal, Young & Logan*
Kevin and Ana Maria McGuan
Henry J. and Jane Meyer
Miller Foundation
Daniel and Pamela Munzer
Frank and Margie Newell
Kevin and Jennifer Peterson
Press-Telegram*
Will J. Reid Foundation
Daniel and Frani Ridder
Peter and Cathy Ridder
Shadden Family Foundation
Jean Bixby Smith
James Sullos Family
Don and Marlene Temple
Mick Ukleja
Mike and Arline Walter
Windes, Inc.
James and Patricia Worsham
*including in-kind contributions
Founding Associates
Larry and Patricia Allison
Bank of America Charitable Foundation
Estate Planning & Trust Council of Long Beach
Steve and Nini Horn
Bob and Loretta Luskin
Michael J. Osborne
Sound Energy Solutions
Henry Taboada
THUMS Long Beach Company
W. Henry Walker
LBCF History
The first community foundation was founded in Cleveland in 1914 and today there are over 850 community foundations across the United States. Community foundations established in the U.S. serve the particular needs of their region. As a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt charitable organization, community foundations support in a variety of ways, such as convening, grant-making, legacy giving, advocacy, and capacity building. As an unbiased, nonpolitical entity, they’ve been trusted stewards of philanthropic giving for over 100 years.
The Long Beach Community Foundation was founded in 1996 as the Greater Long Beach Foundation in collaboration with the Estate Planning & Trust Council of Long Beach, local community leaders, and the California Community Foundation. Activities were overseen by the all-volunteer Advisory Board until 2003 when a President & CEO was hired and a small office was opened to bring services closer to the community. Early in 2006, the organization obtained nonprofit 501(c)(3) status as an independent public charitable organization to focus on the Long Beach community.
Since 1996, LBCF’s mission has been to initiate positive change for Long Beach through charitable giving, stewardship and strategic grant-making. Their dedicated staff and Board of Directors act as a catalyst for positive change through their support of nonprofit and academic programs, as well as convening community to be part of solutions that make Long Beach even better.