Elaine Jones philanthropic legacy continues with ‘Safety Net Fund’
The Napa Valley Community Foundation has established a new pooled fund honoring the memory of the late community activist, Elaine Maria Jones. The Elaine Jones Safety Net Fund is designed to make a large, collective impact in Napa County.
Jones passed away in 2024, following a 12-year battle with pancreatic cancer during which she remained committed to helping others, sharing her style, time and expertise from her corporate human resources career.
“She was compassionate and deeply community-minded, with a long history of volunteering with our foundation and other local organizations,” said Caitlin Childs of the NVCF, adding that Jones cared deeply about making sure that everyone in the community of the Napa Valley had what they needed to thrive.
After moving from San Francisco to the Napa Valley where she retired, Jones served on the board of the Calistoga Family Center and was instrumental in its merger with the St. Helena Family Center to form the UpValley Family Centers.
She also served on the board of the St. Helena Hospital Foundation, working for many years as the secretary and chair of the fundraising committee, as well as the grants review committee for Collective Napa Valley, and the marketing and outreach committee of the Napa Valley Community Foundation.
The Napa Valley Community Foundation brought the idea for the Elaine Jones Safety Net Fund to donors early this year as it became clear that local nonprofits were facing serious challenges due to budget cuts and financial shortfalls.
“Our goal was to be a safety net for the safety net, if you will,” Childs said. “We wanted to provide timely support to the organizations that so many of our neighbors rely on every day.”
Elaine Jones’ husband, Rick Jones, said, “The fund is focused on ensuring that the neediest in our community continue to have the resources and support they need in the face of both state and federal cuts in support programs. This is a segment of our community for which Elaine fought fiercely during her work with various non-profits such as the UpValley Family Centers, the St Helena Hospital, Auction Napa Valley as well as the Community Foundation.”
Childs reports that the level of interest was high from the donors with many people drawn to the idea of collective giving and the opportunity to make a larger, more coordinated impact through a pooled fund.
The Elaine Jones Safety Net Fund offers two kinds of grants to qualified nonprofit applicants: grants to support general operating expenses and grants to pay for capacity-building or technical assistance projects.
General support grantsof up to $100,000 are intended as a lifeline for core social service organizations navigating increased client need, reduced state funding and federal funding freezes or cuts. While Napa County has more than 600 nonprofits, only about 50 with annual budgets of more than $1 million focus on social services. A subset of these 50 provide essential “safety net” programs that help the most vulnerable people meet their basic needs such as food, housing, medical care and emergency aid. Most rely on government funding for 25-50% of their budgets, making recent funding cuts and uncertainty especially challenging.
Capacity-building grants of up to $50,000 will serve as a compass to help safety net organizations move strategically and swiftly in the direction of greater efficiency and sustainability. Also known as technical assistance grants, capacity-building grants typically fund outside consultants or systems/software investments, both of which can help nonprofits strengthen their operations and programs.
Moving from the idea for the fund to its launch was a quick process, Childs reported, “We opened grant applications for nonprofits in May and closed them June 20. We received about 18 applications and are currently reviewing them. Final decisions will be made soon by our community programs and grants committee, and we expect grants to be awarded in early August.” The first grantees will be announced at that time.
According to Childs, the fund was launched with a $500,000 investment from the NVCF, as well as generous leadership gifts from the Jones family and from the Napa Valley Vintners, which inspired many other donors to contribute.
Born in Port Chester, New York in 1953, Jones grew up in Colorado and went on to graduate from the University of Colorado with an emphasis in Italian culture and language. Moving to San Francisco, she met and married Michael Sczuka. Together they moved to Calistoga in the 1990s. Scuzka predeceased her in 2003.
A few years later, she met Rick, and they were inseparable for 18 years. Jones was remembered in her obituary as a woman of great beauty and elegance who always wanted to know more about the people she met. She was the ultimate entertainer and host and would spend countless hours ensuring that the décor, floral arrangements and table settings were novel and beautiful. Her creativity combined with philanthropy took the spotlight at numerous benefit galas.
“We’re proud that this fund reflects both the urgency of the moment and the enduring values of people like Elaine who loved to support the nonprofit ecosystem locally,” Childs concluded.
The next round of applicants will be welcomed in early 2026. For more information visit the Napa Valley Community Foundation, which administers the fund.
