Foundation Fundraiser a Huge Success
Residents took the slogan of the Rio Verde Community Foundation to
heart, “Give Where You Live,” at the annual fundraiser in November.
Donors exceeded a generous $30,000 match to fund a variety of
Foundation projects in 2026.
Since receiving Foundation Status from the IRS in 2019, RVCF has funded
scholarships to 18 individuals (several for multiple years) and donated
funds to a variety of projects that promote educational, cultural and health
related activities in our community.
Thank You for Your Support
“The Foundation is grateful for the support residents have shown as we
fulfill our mission and grow our efforts to enhance Rio Verde Life,” Vice
President Barbara Baker said recently. “We have a number of grant
requests and cooperative plans for community enhancement to share in the
coming months.”
Within the past year, RVCF Board Members have met with many of the Rio
Verde community organizations to learn how Foundation efforts can
cooperatively support and strengthen ongoing initiatives.
Through these collaborative discussions, the Foundation has identified
opportunities to align its resources with the evolving needs of local groups,
ensuring its project support has the greatest positive impact.
Barbara Baker to Succeed Dave Ness as Foundation President
“Our vision in 2026 continues the activities and this cooperative direction
of Dave Ness,” Barbara said. “We thank Dave for his leadership these past
two years.” Barbara will succeed Dave as the Rio Verde Community
Foundation president in January.
Scholarships for Rio Employees and Employee Children
Scholarships continue to be one focus of the Foundation, with applications
taken each year from Rio Verde employees and the children of Rio Verde
employees.
New scholarship recipients were introduced during the evening fundraiser
and included Jorge Angel, Rio Atkinson, Shelly Esse, Abbigail Hamilton,
and Kramer Hanson. These individuals will be highlighted in the
Roadrunner in the months ahead.
How to Donate
Donations to the RVCF can be made throughout the year by mailing your
donation to: Rio Verde Community Foundation, 18816 E Four Peaks Blvd.,
Rio Verde, AZ 85263.
The Rio Verde Community Foundation is an IRS 501(c)(3) public charitable
foundation.
Questions and For More Information
For more information, please visit the Foundation website:
RioVerdeCommunityFoundation.org.
Note: The Foundation is totally separate from the Rio Verde Community
Association and the Rio Verde Country Club.
5-09-2025 The Rio Verde Community Foundation (RVCF) is ready to celebrate the college graduation of Ben Danko an RVCF scholarship recipient.
Son of Eileen and Ben Danko of the Rio Verde Golf Shop, Ben 22, will graduate this month from Arizona State University with a degree in Finance. “When I completed high school and moved to Arizona my number one concern was not school or grades, but how I could pay for my living expenses and make sure I was not going into debt”, Ben said recently. “Having Rio Verde cover the last of college cost took a lot of pressure off me”.
Over four years. Ben received $14,000 in RVCF scholarships which he supplemented by working a myriad of jobs throughout his college career,
ending with his current position as a server at Fleming’s Steakhouse.
Ben was certainly influenced by his parents in choosing finance as a career.
His mother, Eileen is a CPA, Howard, his father earned a master’s degree
in finance. Currently interviewing in a tight job market, his goal is a
position in banking or wealth management.
“I truly appreciate the financial support I received from Rio Verde,” Ben
said. “The RVCF helped me achieve my goal of graduating debt-free.”
Meet Two of the Foundation’s Scholarship Recipients
Fernando Becerra, head mechanic of the Rio Verde
Country Club (RVCC) Greens and Grounds staff, used
his Foundation scholarship to attend a six-week engine
tuning class offered by the University of Northwestern
Ohio. He attended a two-week in-person portion of the
class and completed the final portion on-line.
Fernando has been employed at the Club since 2017
and has been promoted steadily through positions due
to his good performance on the job. He has been head
mechanic for the last three years and supervises 24 employees. He lives
nearby with his family. Fernando is looking into continuing his education
and certifications.
Antonio Unpingco, also employed by the Club’s
Greens and Grounds staff, used his Foundation
scholarship to cover courses taken as part of a Penn
State University Turf Grass Agronomy Management
Program. He has completed courses covering soils, soil
nutrition, fertilizing applications, and plans to
complete a course in pesticides. He is also working
towards his Arizona pesticides spraying license.
Antonio obtained a BA degree in Sociology from
Western Washington University in 2019. He lives in
south Tempe with roommates. He loves his job outdoors and intends to
pursue more education in Agronomy. Antonio is a golfer.
Rio Verde Community Foundation 