The GeneroCity Institute at Mayacamas Ranch

A Center for Conscious Giving and Receiving

The Bay Area is one of the most unique communities in the world, a place of natural wonders and the home of some of the greatest business and civic leaders in entrepreneurship, social change and venture philanthropy. Mayacamas Ranch provides the opportunity for families, foundations and advisors to these groups to inspire each other, and to find a higher purpose for themselves and their communities.

GeneroCity Institute is creating both physical and virtual platforms in partnership with Mayacamas Ranch. The GeneroCity platform will be made available to foundations, families, corporations and social profit groups who are looking for more effective ways to deploy their time, ideas and financial resources.

Our recent grants have been in the areas of urban youth wellness, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and fundraising videos for non-profits in partnership with GeneroCity Media, the conscious media arm of GeneroCity Institute.

In 2007 GeneroCity Institute provided Mayacamas Ranch Retreat Scholarships and fundraising assistance to the following groups:

Dr. Jim Gordon and The Center for Mind Body Medicine

GeneroCity Institute has helped the Center for Mind-Body Medicine raise over $3 million dollars to fund its Healing the Wounds of War program and is now releasing a fundraising video via GeneroCity Media called: Healing Trauma and Restoring Hope.

Founded on the principle of teaching and empowering people to help themselves, Healing the Wounds of War has helped thousands of medical and mental health professionals, teachers and community leaders to deal successfully with the stress and trauma of war—in themselves and in the populations they serve. In Bosnia, Kosovo, Gaza and Israel—and here in America after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina—the Center's global outreach is helping heal entire communities.

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$50,000 grant to Jeff Feinman and St. Johns Educational Center in partnership with Western Athletic Clubs and the Mayacamas Ranch North American Open

Established in 1972, St. John's Educational Thresholds Center (SJETC) is a non-sectarian, non-profit youth development organization.

Young people are strong, intelligent, curious and talented rather than problems that need fixing; and young people are actively engaged in a process of growth and development. Young people come to SJETC from throughout the Mission District and San Francisco to find opportunities to help them grow and succeed. We invite young people to embrace their leadership, and realize their destinies.

St. John's Educational Thresholds Center (SJETC) recognizes the gifts and talents of young people in the Mission and works with them, their families, and the community-at-large to make this neighborhood and others better places in which to live and grow.

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$5,000 group retreat to YouthGive at Mayacamas Ranch

YouthGive helps to grow the next generation of givers and global citizens, believing that everyone can be a philanthropist. YouthGive is giving by the many, for all ages, with local and global impact.

Help us create a new story for youth and families, one that empowers us all as caretakers of our communities and the world.

YouthGive Values & Beliefs

• We believe that engaging children and youth in philanthropy is critical to instilling lifelong habits of generosity and civic engagement.
• Young people are often not recognized or asked to participate in community and civic life, yet are a vital resource in society.
• Philanthropy can bring families together, build character and transmit values across generations.
• Philanthropy is not about how much you have to give. It's about how much you care and choose to give of yourself.
• Philanthropy is a personal act of caring and a public exercise of citizenship.
• 0. Giving connects one to community, and is a means to change the world.

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$50,000 scholarship and writing retreats for Alli Star and Van Jones of Ella Baker Center in Oakland and for 2007 Art in Action Summer Camp at Mayacamas Ranch

A letter from the youth of Art In Action and their leadership team:

Dear Friends at Mayacamas,

We want to let you all know what an absolutely transformative and magical time Art in Action spent at Mayacamas. It was one of the most powerful weeks of any of our lives. The youth with whom we work were totally uplifted by the experience of working nonstop for five days building a socially conscious arts performance to call for an end to violence. The 45 minute performance we created at your site was shown in San Francisco to a sold out audience who loved the show.

Your generosity has provided an opportunity for youth empowerment that has inspired us all. We truly cannot thank you enough for the privilege of offering our summer camp for low income young artists at your beautiful ranch. The dance/yoga studio, the music room, the art space, the organic food, the pool, and the incredible food were all absolutely PERFECT! And most of all, your staff were living angels all week. This was a gift that will have huge ripple effects for good in the world, and we want you to know how big this is for us and our communities.

We hope and pray we will be able to be at the Ranch again in 2008.

From Art in Action Director Alli Star

Van Jones and I had an extraordinary time at the ranch. What a wonderful gift you have given us. We were able to write uninterrupted by the business and noise of our daily lives. Thus, we both made great progress on our respective book projects. Mayacamus is a remarkable place for us city dwellers. Its serenity and beauty are soothing to the spirit. Not to mention, the great breakfasts, and the wonders of your new organic beds! The staff were warm, kind and helpful to a fault. This was a real treat for us, and we hope our good works in the world will be a kind of offering that may honor your incredible generosity and vision. We cannot thank you enough.

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