Each year, Tahoe Community Foundation’s Community Impact Grants allow nonprofit organizations to request the support they need to better serve the region. Tahoe Community Foundation received an unprecedented number of applications this year that described the needs of its neighbors and families across the lake, and the message was clear: the need for after-school childcare and mental health support has never been greater. In kitchens, classrooms, and quiet moments at home, parents and children are searching for reassurance, stability, and hope. These are not isolated issues; they touch every neighborhood, every community, and every shore of Lake Tahoe.

Childcare: A Lifeline for Working Families 

For many families in our mountain community, each day is a balancing act. Parents work hard to provide, often facing long commutes and high living costs, all while worrying about their children’s safety and well-being after school. Through the Community Impact Grant cycle, the Community Foundation saw an unprecedented increase in need for after school childcare across the Tahoe Basin, underscoring how critical these programs are for working families in our region.

 Recognizing this essential need, the Tahoe Community Foundation awarded grants to the Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe and the Boys and Girls Club Lake Tahoe in South Lake to strengthen after-school care programs on both the North and South shores of Lake Tahoe. These grants are especially impactful because they support programs serving Transitional Kindergarten students who often attend only half-day classes. By filling this extended time gap, these programs provide a safe, nurturing environment where our community’s youngest school children can learn, play, and grow while parents work with peace of mind. 

 This commitment reflects a deep belief that every child deserves a place to belong and every parent deserves the reassurance that their community stands with them. These grants are more than dollars—they are a promise to every parent that their community stands beside them, and to every child that they are valued and cared for.

Mental Health: Healing Together

 The need for mental health support touches every family, every neighborhood, and every shore of Lake Tahoe. Many applications submitted to the Community Impact Grants highlighted experiences in our region of an increasing need to find help - parents searching for support for an anxious teen, families seeking grief counseling, and for services in the language they speak at home. The Community Foundation’s grants to Tahoe Family Solutions and South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center are helping break down barriers—expanding bilingual counseling, increasing access to licensed therapists, and making sure no one has to face their struggles alone.

 These grants are lifelines. They offer a child someone to talk to after school, a parent a way to find support without leaving the community they love, and families the hope that healing is possible. When we come together, generosity becomes more than a gift—it becomes the foundation of a thriving, compassionate community.