[May 13, 2014]

First Foundation $1 Million Nonprofit Initiative Forges Ahead

First Foundation recently announced the 20 local nonprofits in its 7 operating regions that are the recipients of the company's 2014 "Supporting Our Communities" initiative.

First Foundation's "Supporting Our Communities" program, conducted under its Foundation Services Group, is designed to enhance the organizational strength and capacity of local charities. In December 2013, the company invited nonprofit organizations in its operating regions to apply for the initiative.

"We received more applications this year than ever before from so many worthy organizations that it made our judging committee's job very difficult," said Doug Freeman, senior managing director. "We focused on choosing organizations for which we believed our team could have the greatest positive impact on their governance, communications and sustainability."

The Company received 142 applications and selected 20 charities, each of which will receive a combination of cash grants and in-kind consulting services. Over the 2 years of this program, the combined value of this initiative is $1 million.

The 17 recipients announced today follow:

El Centro Office

• Imperial Valley Food Pantry, El Centro ("Strengthening Food Bank's Donor Base")

Irvine Office

• Families Forward, Irvine ("Increasing Capacity to Drive Mission")
• Human Options, Inc., Irvine ("ajor Gift Program Development Project")
• Royal Family Kids, Inc., Santa Ana ("Leadership Transition Project")
• THINK Together, Santa Ana ("Board Development and Communication Planning")

• Communities in Schools of Los Angeles, Los Angeles ("CISLA New Donor Cultivation")
• The Farah Fawcett Foundation, Beverly Hills ("Long-Term Goal Strategy and Growth")
• Grossman Burn Foundation, Calabasas ("Donor Retention and Engagement")
• Los Angeles Mission, Los Angeles ("Development Capacity Building Grant")
• Women in Film, Los Angeles ("Scholarships")

Palm Desert Office

• Angel View, Inc., Desert Hot Springs ("Board Development and Retreat Project")
• Idyllwild Arts Foundation, Idyllwild ("Enhancing Engagement: Volunteer Leadership and Donors")
• United Way of the Desert, Palm Desert ("Planned Giving Development")

Pasadena Office

• Candler Field Museum, Williamson ("Youth Mentoring Program")
• Mothers' Club Family Learning Center, Pasadena ("Donor Stewardship and Planned Giving Project")

San Diego Office

• The Angels Foster Family Agency, San Diego ("Growing Board and Staff Effectiveness")
• Mission Edge, San Diego ("Business Model Project")

In February, the company announced its three Las Vegas-area recipients: Grant a Gift Autism Foundation ("Board Development Capacity Building Project"), The Last Vegas Philharmonic ("Engagement and Development Project") and the Nevada Blind Children's Foundation ("Capital Campaign for Construction of Building").

"We are proud of the progress we have made in partnership with last year's Supporting our Communities recipients, and look forward to forging ahead with the 2014 recipients. Our mission is to collaborate with these remarkable organizations to make a significant difference in the communities we all serve," Mr. Freeman concluded.

About First Foundation

First Foundation, a financial institution since 1990, provides integrated investment management, wealth planning, consulting, trust, banking and insurance services. The company is headquartered in Irvine with offices in Irvine, Newport Beach, Pasadena, West Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Desert, Imperial Valley in California, and Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, please visit our website at www.ff-inc.com.

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