Cal4Wheel Conservation & Education Foundation

Purpose:

The charter of the Foundation is to acquire resources from public and private sources to develop programs supporting resource conservation, public education, four-wheel drive vehicle driving safety, and related areas.

CHARITABLE Non-profit:

The Foundation is registered in California and IRS certified as a 501(c)(3) charity non-profit corporation. A copy of IRS Letter of Determination is available upon request.

Board of Trustees:

The Board of Trustees governs the Foundation. It is made up of the president and the three vice presidents of the California Four Wheel Drive Association, plus two Trustees-at-large, one to five trustees representing businesses, agencies or individuals who provide financial or in-kind contributions to the Foundation.

What we do:

The Foundation seeks grants to fund conservation and education projects related to four-wheel drive recreation throughout California. Such projects include resource conservation, public education, four-wheel drive vehicle driving safety, and related areas. We provide grants to Cal4Wheel member clubs and individuals to assist the goals of the Foundation.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees consists of between six and eleven members.

Board of Trustee President - Allen Schrage
Board of Trustee VP - Steve Gardiner
President - Jack Chapman
North District VP - Glenn Reynolds
Central District VP - Mike McGarity
South District VP - Josh Epstein
Foundation Recording Secretary - Cheryl May
Foundation Treasurer - Steve Egbert

One to five trustees representing firms, agencies or individuals:

Jesse May
Don Spuhler
Ryan Choate
Bryan Weldrick

Donations

The Foundation depends on your donations to operate its programs. All donations to the Foundation (a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit corporation) may be tax deductible. Consult your tax advisor/account for deductible status. An IRS Letter of Determination is available upon request.

Donate

Valley 4xs 4 Children Run
Thru the Valley Toy Drive

The Cal4Wheel Foundation seeks donations to purchase as many toys as possible by the first Saturday in December. This is the day of the run. There are several Central California valley clubs that converge upon Valley Children's Hospital from all four corners of the valley, stretching all the way to the coast. This has truly become the largest toy drive in the valley. This would not be possible without the generous donations from individuals like you. Having you participate in a sponsorship of our event allows us to increase our ability to donate as many toys as we can to the hospital. We hope you will consider donating this year.

Donate

Funds are available for club conservation projects

Note: Applications must be returned at least 30 days prior to project date for approval process and funding. Not all grant application are guaranteed to be funded due to number of applications, time and total amount of funding available.

Grants

The Cal4Wheel non-profit foundation now has money for association clubs and members who perform conservation and education projects.

We want you to know that if your club or group has a much needed work day project to do that will benefit the OHV community, we can give you a grant to help make it happen.

Typical improvement projects funded are related to our four-wheeling areas on public or private lands. Typically, they are some form of land improvements or area clean-ups. The money can be used for anything related to the project from tools to food for your hard working volunteers.

Trail Busters use grant for work project

Alan Spires, Trail Busters Treasurer

Trail Busters Four Wheel Drive Club of Kings County would like to thank the foundation for their grant of $250. This grant was utilized to provide food, water, gas and chain oil for our trail work that was conducted in the Blue Canyon area of the Sierra National Forest. We fed over 25 members of Trail Busters, Ditch Bank Off roaders, 4X4Him and Fresno 4WDC. In all over 300 trees were removed, 40 water bars were built or maintained, Bretz campground bathrooms were power washed and painted, the campground was cleaned and weed whacked. Without the generous support of the foundation and fellow four-wheelers this work could not have been completed.

Children Grants

Grant money is available for Cal4Wheel clubs or individual members to apply for. These grants are specifically towards an individual child or specific group of children. Grants of up to $250 are available. Funding is intended to help children from birth to 17 years of age. Clubs with matching funds are encouraged and this should be mentioned in the grant application. The foundation seeks to offer support to children in need or to help in their individual cause to promote resource conservation, education, safety or related areas.

CONTACT

Mike McGarity, Foundation President
For more information: mmgarity@cal4wheel.com

Download Application

Grants up to $250 are available for children in need

Scholarship Fund

The C4WDA Conservation and Education Foundation awards three scholarships annually. These awards are given in honor of Bud Hammers, a charter member of the Tulare County 4X4 Club, one of the original clubs that started Cal4Wheel. Bud served as President pro-tem until Steve Morris was elected as first President. He also served as treasurer for C4WDA and served on the Legislative Committee in 1960 and 1961. He was very supportive and dedicated to our cause.

Scholarships are awarded to help sponsor private post-secondary education for selected C4WDA members or their children. The scholarship program is funded by donations from C4WDA members and the recipients of the awards are selected by the Life Members of C4WDA. The program is fully funded by donations only, so the amount awarded each year varies.

Requirements for Application:

Must be a C4WDA member or immediate family (children of members).
Minimum GPA of 2.5.
20 hours of documented public service work from any or a combination of:
1. C4WDA event as a committee volunteer.
2. A C4WDA club conservation run doing trail cleanup or repair.
3. Political activism in support of OHV issues.
One page essay on stated topic.
Copies of transcripts from the most recent semester.

Application for scholarship must be received in the C4WDA office no later than December 31. Application may be downloaded below, or obtained from the office by calling 800-4x4-FUNN. Mail, fax or email may be used to send the application.

Note: The 20 hours of public service work can be met with the production of a short video or photo slide show to be published on the C4WDA YouTube Channel.

Appropriate video or photo slide shows must contain images of a four wheel drive activity such as trail ride, trail cleanup, event participation, or other trail conservation project with members in participation.
Desired images of vehicles should have a visible C4WDA or club decal and identify the area where taken.
Audio/soundtrack is not required.
Videos and photo slide shows should convey a message of family activity enjoying the outdoors.