In an unprecedented success story, three Richmond projects were selected today in Round Two for funding for a total of over $5 million by the California Culture and Historical Endowment (CCHE), a state agency that funds projects through a competitive grant process to tell the stories of California as a unified society and of the many groups of people that together comprise historic and modern California (http://www.library.ca.gov/CCHE/index.cfm)

Richmond scored three for three in applications that included the rehabilitation of the Maritime Child Care Center to create the Maritime History Center for Working Families in conjunction with Rosie the Riveter WW II Home Front National Historical Park and other local partners ($2 million), the East Bay Center for Performing Arts for rehabilitation of the Winters Building ($1 million) and the Richmond Plunge rehabilitation ($2 million).

CCHE is currently working with a funding source of voter-approved bonds from the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2002, more commonly known as Proposition 40 with approximately $122 million available to government entities and non-profit organizations through a competitive grant application process.

These projects were selected at the top of over 75 applicants (http://www.library.ca.gov/CCHE/PDF/20060427meeting/Division_top25.pdf).

The PowerPoint presented to the CCHE Commission members yesterday in the final 5-minute presentation is attached as a PDF file.