Rymer steps down as co-president of Sonoma Valley Fund
Joshua Rymer has stepped down as co-president of the Sonoma Valley Fund. Since it founding in 2007, Sonoma Valley Fund and its parent Community Foundation Sonoma County have distributed over $3 million in grants to Sonoma Valley nonprofits.
Rymer joined the board six years ago, became President in 2014 and this past year has been co-president with Peg Van Camp.
In 2014, Sonoma Valley Fund got grant-making authority for the second largest gift Community Foundation Sonoma County has ever received, the Todd Fund. “I’m really proud of the incredible grant program that has been created from the Todd Fund,” Rymer said.” It will be a model for grant programs and could have a dramatic impact on nonprofits in the Valley.”
Rymer said he never expected to become the board president.
“I hate to admit it, but I was very naive about nonprofit boards when I started,” he recalled. “Then President, Barbara Young asked me to be her vice president while we were attending a benefit dinner for a nonprofit partner. I had no idea that that would lead to me being president a year later.”
In 2012, while Joshua chaired the Marketing & Communications Committee, SVF launched “Endow Sonoma Valley Month” and held four events. “We had speakers and panel discussions. In one year, we more than tripled the number of known legacy gifts to nonprofits in the Valley (from about 60 to over 200). Since that time, Valley nonprofits have benefited from several very large planned gifts, including three $1M+ gifts in the last year alone.”
“It’s been such a pleasure working with Joshua, said Van Camp, who joined the board last February. “He is incredibly knowledgeable about the people and issues in Sonoma Valley and is exceptionally well-organized which has been very helpful to all of us on the board.”
Rymer, who will continue on the SVF board in an emeritus role, said, the organization feels more solid, stable and directed than ever, and the new leadership is broader and more engaged than ever. That’s the best.”
Rymer was vice president and partner with the Boston Consulting Group before serving as senior vice president for strategy at Charles Schwab & Co. From 2006 to 2011, he was president and CEO of Terradatum, Inc., a Sonoma-based real estate software company.
A member of the Sonoma Health Care District board, Rymer is an independent consultant, developing sustainable business strategies for companies and non-profit organizations.
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$3 million in grants over 9 years = $333,333/year to local non-profits. Not bad at all. But to the extent that the SVF depends on receiving legacy gifts (the donation to the Fund doesn’t happen until the donor dies & her/his estate is settled), it means that $333,333 worth of rich people had to die to make this charity possible (please — its rude to cheer). On one hand, the Sonoma Valley Fund deserves sincere credit for arranging for those charitable gifts. On the other, it’s a little creepy to hope for their success. Unless, of course, they get even a modest bequest from Trump.