April 5, 2024

At the end of January, the Board of Directors of the Mendocino Coast Healthcare Foundation announced that our organization experienced a cash flow deficit, which forced us to temporarily suspend some of the Foundation’s functions and implement cost-cutting measures. Unfortunately, this also required us to make a difficult decision – lay off our hardworking staff. In the aftermath of the announcements, we have promised to keep you, our community, informed on the progress we are making and, on our plans to continue the work that MCHF has done for many years.

A financial analysis showed that while we were and still are experiencing a cash flow deficit, the Foundation remains financially sound due to its asset holdings. We are in the process of selling some of these assets to generate operating cash. We also are expecting to receive payment in the next 6-8 weeks of a USDA grant that was awarded last year in the amount of $199,000.

Since our announcement, two important questions that the community has been asking are:

1. How does this affect the healthcare scholarship program?
2. What will happen with Winesong this year?

First, we remain committed to our very successful scholarship program, and we continue to meet our obligations to students, paying out over $70,000 in scholarships and awards this year already. We are taking this opportunity to review the program and make a few minor restructuring amendments before resuming accepting applications for new scholarships.

Our hallmark fundraising event, Winesong, remains a cherished celebration of our community’s commitment to healthcare on the coast. The Board realizes that last year’s efforts to try something new did not meet expectations from our community, our vendors, nor ourselves. It also contributed to the financial status we found ourselves in at the end of the year. This September, Winesong will be a smaller event. The Board made the decision that this year should be a transition year to get back on track and back to our roots. Next year, we are looking forward to being back at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens for our 40th Anniversary of Winesong. As for this year, we’re excited to announce that Winesong will be held at Little River Inn, affectionately dubbed Winesong South, due to their generous support throughout the years. This will enable us to regroup and focus while simultaneously planning for a larger, traditional Winesong in 2025. Tickets will be available soon and we invite you to take part in this transitional year.

The Board wishes to express our regret for this unfortunate situation. We are immensely grateful for the support and understanding that have been overwhelmingly received from our community. We remain committed to our mission to help meet the healthcare needs of our coastal community now and well into the future.

Sincerely,

Terry Ramos, President

On behalf of the Board of Directors Mendocino Coast Healthcare Foundation

Mendocino Coast Healthcare Foundation (MCHFoundation), located in Fort Bragg, is a non-profit with a mission to support the health and wellness of the Mendocino Coast communities. MCHFoundation provides a path for community investment in the health and wellness of our coastal region.

If you are interested in learning more or would like to support our work by contributing or becoming a volunteer, please visit MCHFoundation.org or contact our team at [email protected] or (707) 961-4688.

Please note MCHFoundation’s new address: 130 N. Main Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437