Our History

The first Community Chest, "Community Fund", was founded in 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio by the Federation for Charity and Philanthropy. The number of Community Chest organizations increased from 39 to 353 between 1919 and 1929, and surpassed 1,000 by 1948. In Calistoga, what started out as a “war chest” in the 1940s had become a funding source for many nonprofit agencies in the Calistoga area. At that time, most Community Chests established during World War II began to disband and most turned their funds to the United Way. Our local Community Chest made the decision to form its own nonprofit and control where the money contributed by our community was spent.

Along with providing funding to local organizations, the Chest has the ability to act immediately and lend financial support to individuals facing a crisis such as fire, accident or extreme personal hardship. Victims are often referred by local clergy, the police department, the family center, and others. Without a wait, unrestricted monies can be disbursed to help victims rebuild their lives.

The Community Chest does not hold fundraising events. Following the lead of the United Way, an annual campaign letter is mailed to all residents of Calistoga asking for a contribution. The goal for the past several years has been $50,000; with fluctuations in the economy that isn’t always met but the board strives to distribute the funds as fairly as possible.

The Community Chest is run very simply: the board of directors meets two or three times a year with the focus on setting the budget for giving, getting the campaign letter in the mail, and finally approving monies for distribution. The Board of Directors are volunteers, therefore our overhead and expenses are minimal and over 90% of the money donated goes to charities.

Calistoga Community Chest is headquartered in Calistoga, CA, and is a 501(c)(3) organization. EIN: 23-7130626. Donations are tax-deductible. The IRS NTEE classification code is T70Z, Fund Raising Organizations That Cross Categories within the Philanthropy, Voluntarism and Grantmaking Foundations category. The IRS ruling year for tax exemption was 1973.