In the Santa Ynez and Los Alamos valleys, generosity has a home.

The Santa Ynez Valley Foundation — founded in 1991 by philanthropist Stuart C. Gildred — is a driving force for charitable giving, investing more than $7 million into local programs that strengthen health and human services, education, the arts and youth development.

This year, Allan Hancock College is honoring the Foundation as part of the 2025 Hancock Honors, celebrating the organization for its decades of transformative impact.

From the start, the Foundation recognized that education is key to opportunity. For over 20 years, it has supported Hancock scholarships for local students and was an early backer of the Hancock Promise, awarding a grant of $30,000 to help launch the program that now provides two years of free tu

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