2024 Local Heroes Celebrates $2.5 Million in Pasadena Community Foundation Grant Awards

The greater Pasadena community joined Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) for an uplifting celebration on Thursday, November 14 — the 25th annual Local Heroes Luncheon, a celebration of PCF’s $2.5 million in grant awards to 100 local nonprofits this year. In attendance at the University Club were more than 200 nonprofit leaders, community partners, civic and education officials, and PCF’s generous donors.

View the Local Heroes Event Program.

The event showcases the impact of local nonprofits and the way in which PCF’s funding strengthens each of their capacities and missions. PCF’s wide-ranging annual grant programs focus on areas such as affordable housing, food security, the arts, educational equity, youth and families, animal welfare, and the environment. At the podium, Greta Mandell, a PCF Board Member, noted that PCF board and staff have attended over 160 nonprofit site visits and events this year to learn directly from the experts about issues affecting the Pasadena area.

View the list of PCF’s 2024 nonprofit grantee organizations.

Attendees look forward to this convivial event to catch up with colleagues and to learn about the myriad ways that nonprofit organizations are making a significant difference in our community. One enthused that the event was “memorable, inspiring, and soul-satisfying.” Shelley Mitchell, a board member with Altadena Meals on Wheels, enthused that “it was absolutely awesome to be in the presence of, and network with, so many persons associated with organizations that support entities like ours.”

Spotlight Grantees

Representatives from three nonprofit organizations were invited to serve as “Spotlight Grantees.” Each shared remarks from the stage about how PCF funding has helped their missions in the past year.

Nancy Evans Doede from the Nancy Evans Dance Theatre shared how PCF’s funding has shaped its upcoming 2025-26 season and helped the dance company continue their role as storytellers as they emerged from the pandemic.

Shelley Mitchell from Altadena Meals on Wheels explained that PCF’s funding was instrumental in allowing the organization to refocus its services after the pandemic and reach new volunteers and clients.

Thomas Lee represented First Place for Youth, which partnered with PCF and several other organizations to create housing for six transition age foster youth. He was accompanied by Sky Celine Page, a resident in the new housing. Click below to watch the Spotlight Video about this project:

One last Local Heroes FOR JENNIFER DEVOLL

PCF’s President & CEO Jennifer DeVoll received a heartfelt, standing ovation as she closed the event, her last Local Heroes before retiring in June of 2025. She remembered that her first Local Heroes took place five days after she started her role with PCF in 2002 and that it was “beautiful chaos” as board members ran through the room waving checks at nonprofit recipients. “A lot has changed since then,” she noted, “but one thing that has not changed is the people in this room – nonprofit leaders, civic leaders, generous donors – all of you, our Local Heroes!”