Mark Anderson Staff Writer
The United Auburn Indian Community, which owns the popular
Thunder Valley Casino, has created a new foundation to give $1
million annually to nonprofit groups in Placer County.
That immediately ranks the tribe among the largest philanthropic donors
in the area. The fund might also be the largest one targeted at
Placer County, the tribe's ancestral home.
The move mirrors a similar foundation founded four years ago in Yolo
County by the owners of Cache Creek Resort Casino, which also
gives $1 million per year. And the philanthropy underscores the
rising economic clout gained by Greater Sacramento tribes that own
casinos.
The tribe has 145 adults and a total of 256 members of Miwok and Maidu
decent.
The tribe has been getting requests for financial support since it
opened Thunder Valley just north of Roseville last June. The
casino has been wildly successful, earning more than $5 million
per week, and lifting members of the tribe from the borderline poverty
they endured just a few years ago.
"The tribe feels committed to working with nonprofit groups in the
community, in part because of the success of Thunder Valley but
also in part because for many generations they were having a
difficult time just getting by," said Doug Elmets, spokesman for the
tribe.
What they'll support, what they won't:
The tribe's Community Giving Program creates a structured
philanthropic organization to sort through requests for money.
The tribe has targeted regional education, community health, arts and
humanities, environment, community development and social services
as the broad guidelines for what it will consider funding.
The tribe won't fund loans, deficits, retroactive funding,
advertising, promotional sponsorships, religious-based activities, or
political candidates, parties or causes.
"We've had a lot of people seeking donations from the tribe," said Kris
Martin, the executive director of the Community Giving Program.
She'll run the program, and the final decision on donations will be
made by a committee of the tribal council.
The fund does not have any minimum or maximum donations, she
said.
The $1 million contribution annually is significant in Sacramento,
where there aren't too many other charitable funds.
Law firms, banks and community organizations are the largest local
philanthropists. Wells Fargo is perhaps the largest single
contributor, giving away more than $2 million annually in the region,
but it defines the region from Redding to Stockton and including
the Mother Lode and all of the Sacramento Valley.
River City Bank of Sacramento gives about $450,000 to nonprofits in the
region. The United Way California Capitol Region takes in and
disburses about $15 million annually to some 1,900 groups.
Yolo tribe gets asked for $16M per year:
The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians, which operates Cache Creek Resort
Casino in Yolo County, started a philanthropic fund in the fall
of 2000. It has given or pledged $4 million since then. The
Rumsey fund is set up to give about $1 million annually.
It gets requests for $16 million a year, said Daphne Gawthrop,
executive director of the Rumsey Community Fund.
"There are so many cuts in federal, state and county budgets, the need
is tremendous right now," Gawthrop said. The tribe requires
disclosures from the group seeking the money, including at least three
years of financial documents.
The Rumsey foundation won't give money to failing organizations or ones
with high debt. "That's just throwing good money after bad," she
said.
The Rumsey fund gets requests from worthy groups, she said, plus some
half-baked pitches. "You can't just go and give money to everyone,"
Gawthrop said. "We tend to favor groups that have sought diverse
funding, and in some cases we've helped them seek alternative
funding, even if we don't give them money."
Green grows in Thunder Valley:
Thunder Valley Casino had one of the most successful casino debuts in
the country last year. The $215 million casino is open around the
clock and has done tremendous business since it opened. It employs more
than 2,200 people.
It has 1,900 slot machines, 111 table games, a 500-seat bingo room, a
500-seat buffet, two specialty restaurants, a food court and a
massive central bar. The casino is now beginning to present
musicians.
Thunder Valley is managed by Las Vegas-based Stations Casinos
Inc. (NYSE: STN), which has a seven-year contract with the tribe.
It gets 24 percent of the casino's profits.
Thunder Valley generated $17.2 million in management fees for Stations
in the fourth quarter, which means the casino earned $71.7
million. The fourth quarter was down slightly from the previous
quarter, in which the casino earned $75.8 million -- giving Stations
$18.2 million in management fees.
Copyright(c) American City Business Journals Inc. All rights
reserved.
