CATHERINE L. AND ROBERT O. McMAHAN FOUNDATION DIVIDES $8M ASSETS BETWEEN THE BIG SUR LAND TRUST AND CHARTWELL SCHOOL

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Catherine Bowie

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Catherine L. Robert O. McMahan Foundation Divides $8M Assets Between the Big Sur Land Trust and Chartwell School

Monterey County-Based Foundation Gives Each Organization a $4 Million Matchign Grant 

             SEASIDE, Calif. –In a press conference held today on the former Fort Ord, directors of the Catherine L. and Robert O. McMahan Foundation announced they will divide the Foundation’s total assets between two non-profit organizations, The Big Sur Land Trust and Chartwell School. The Catherine L. and Robert O. McMahan Foundation, which has been in operation for 50 years, is currently among the largest private foundations in Monterey County, with approximately $8 million in assets. Today’s announcement of two $4 million matching grants will essentially disburse the foundation’s total capital funds. Since 1980, the Catherine L. and Robert O. McMahan Foundation has given more than $5 million in grants to over 200 non-profit organizations primarily in Monterey County. The foundation will consider its final round of grant applications in the fall of this year.

            The impact of the $4 million matching grants, which challenge other donors to meet the McMahan’s gifts dollar for dollar, will be significant for both The Big Sur Land Trust and Chartwell School. The donations constitute the largest single cash contribution that either organization has ever received. Chartwell School, which has recently embarked upon a $15 million campaign to build a new campus on the 29-acre former Fort Ord Officer’s Club property, will be able to launch phase one of its construction plans with the receipt of the McMahan Foundation grant. The Big Sur Land Trust, now in its 26^th year, will be able to create a revolving fund for land acquisition and an endowment for stewardship. Today’s press conference was held on the future site of Chartwell School.

            “The Big Sur Land Trust and Chartwell School both represent what has always been the underlying mission of the Catherine L. and Robert O. McMahan Foundation, to secure a better future for coming generations,” stated Michael McMahan, one of the foundation’s three directors.  “We believe these grants will provide important benefits to our community for many years to come.”

            The Big Sur Land Trust, a Carmel-based non-profit organization, has protected several thousand acres of scenic and wildlife areas including Palo Corona Ranch, the Point Lobos Ranch, Mitteldorf Preserve, Glen Deven Ranch, Joshua Creek Canyon Ecological Reserve and Gamboa Ranch. Since it was founded in 1978, The Big Sur Land Trust has protected more than 30,000 acres along the Big Sur Coast, Monterey Bay shoreline, and other locations throughout Monterey County. The Big Sur Land Trust has a current membership of over 2,000 supporters and volunteers. This mission of The Big Sur Land Trust falls within the Catherine L. and Robert O. McMahan Foundation’s stated interest in conservation and preservation issues. The foundation has been a long-time supporter of The Big Sur Land Trust.

Nicki McMahan, another of the foundation’s directors, is among the original founders of Chartwell School, an accredited private institution that specializes in research-based education for children with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia. Language-based learning differences affect 14% of the student population in the United States according to conservative estimates. With 95 students enrolled, Chartwell has reached maximum capacity at its current location in Seaside, leased to the school by the Salvation Army. Its new campus, designed according to green construction standards, will accommodate up to 160 students, allowing the school to expand its ability to serve the region. The only school of its kind between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, Chartwell enrolls students from the Monterey Peninsula, Salinas Valley, and Santa Cruz County. The school also offers outreach programs, workshops, teacher training, and summer school.

            More information on The Big Sur Land Trust and Chartwell School may be obtained by visiting: www.bigsurlandtrust.org and www.chartwell.org.

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