History of Accomplishments
Preserving Our Cultural Heritage
Shortly after incorporation, the foundation funded a comprehensive Master Plan with its initial partners The John & James Knight Foundation, The Spring Street Foundation and The Bixby Land Company. The idea for such a plan was proposed in a Self-Study report funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The plan provides a detailed guide for innovative ways of interpreting the 19th Century site for our 21st Century visitors. Most importantly, the plan recommends the restoration and reconstruction projects that will play an integral role in preserving the site for future generations.
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The Rancho Los Cerritos Master Plan won national acclaim as a “Save America’s Treasures” project in 1999; a distinguished “2001 Design Award” from the California Preservation Foundation in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation; and, in 2003 a “Merit Award” presented by Long Beach Heritage.
Following completion of the plan, the City of Long Beach received $1,600,000 in public funds on behalf of the Rancho through the 1996 Los Angeles Park Bond Act, FEMA and Proposition 12. With these grants, safety issues were addressed. Construction was completed in the areas of seismic retrofitting, disabled visitor access, and roof and woodwork restoration. The Long Beach Navy Memorial Heritage Association added to the excitement by funding the restoration of the 1930s orchard designed for the Bixby family by Ralph Cornell, a well-known landscape architect of the time.
Work continues on Master Plan recommendations. The Rudolph & Daphne Munzer Foundation has generously funded architectural designs for entryway improvements and these plans should be available by 2004; and the LeBurta Atherton Foundation has made an initial gift for the proposed Visitor Center. Additionally, design work for the arroyo restoration, perimeter landscaping and California native garden has been funded by a generous grant from the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy.
Interpretive Programming
Museum, school and family relationships are effective partnerships in educating children. Teachers, students, caregivers and parents look to historians for bringing our cultural heritage alive, in an exciting and educational format.
The City of Long Beach provides for staff salaries and basic operational costs, yet it is only with support from our philanthropic partners that we are able to fund the many special initiatives that make local history fun and stimulating.
The J. Paul Getty Trust has provided a summer intern through the foundation since 1999. The intern assists in researching collections and planning family events. The Earl & Lorraine Miller Foundation funded the production of a popular video now used in our Speakers Bureau program. This video served as an important classroom outreach tool while the Rancho was closed for construction projects in 2001-2002. Public Corporation for the Arts has also generously underwritten family and children’s programs.
Our Mission
Mission Statement: The Rancho Los Cerritos Foundation supports the mission of Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site and was established as a 501c3 organization in 1996 (Tax ID: 33-0618231). The foundation generates revenue from private, corporate and public sources for planning, interpretive programming, marketing, restoration, preservation and new construction at the Rancho. These efforts preserve our cultural heritage, enhance educational opportunities, expand access and enrich the visitor experience.
Vision Statement: The vision for Rancho Los Cerritos is to inspire curiosity and respect for the past, to enrich understanding of the present, to develop excitement for the future, and to connect people with community, history and culture.
Recognition of Your Donation to Rancho Los Cerritos Foundation
Donations of all sizes are welcome and greatly appreciated.
You will get a letter of appreciation thanking you for your gift. Your name is immediately added to our mailing list and you are recognized by name and category in the semi-annual publication, “Voices”.
Planned Giving – Adobe Heritage Society
If you have been inspired by the role Rancho Los Cerritos plays in your life – or the lives of countless children and visitors to this valuable community asset – we ask that you consider including the Rancho in your estate planned giving decisions.
Whether your objective in making a planned gift is to maximize your retirement income while receiving a tax savings – or to provide a gift in a bequest or other planned giving vehicle – Rancho Los Cerritos needs your support. In response to your generosity, we will recognize your gift in perpetuity, or within your lifetime, as a member of the Adobe Heritage Society.
NOTE: Rancho Los Cerritos Foundation recommends that you always consult your tax advisor, accountant and/or legal advisor when establishing a planned gift.
Board of Directors
- Chairman: William Lorbeer
- Vice Chairman: Craig Carter
- Secretary: Mary Hancock Hinds
- Chief Financial Officer: John Fielder
- Immediate Past Chair: Kevin Kayse
- Ronald R. Arias
- Barbara Bixby Blackwell
- Kenneth Dami
- Richard Dempsey
- Dennis Eschen
- Alan Fox
- David George
- Vicki Holden
- Patrick Murphy
- Margie Newell
- Vicki Pard
- Lee Shoag
- Craig R. Smith, Ph.D.
- Jean Bixby Smith
- Susan Anderson Wise
Special Thanks Website Underwriting:
- TOSHIBA
- Employees Community Fund of Boeing California
- Bess J. Hodges Foundation
- Will J. Reid Foundation