Charities

Here is a compilation of volunteer, support groups and charitable organizations in and around greater Ventura County.  Contact us with any additions. For service based local area non-profits in the area, visit THIS LINK.

Charitable/Volunteer Organizations

• ACTION VC

  Non-profit that provides low-income seniors, under-resourced families and persons with disabilities access to volunteers.

• Adelante Comunidad Conejo

  Advocate for Conejo Valley Latino families and provides food rescue efforts to the local community.

• Alcoholics' Anonymous - Ventura County
  Sobriety support group. Call day or night at 805.389.1444 for support.

• ALS Association - Golden West Chapter
  Based in Agoura Hills.

• Alzheimer's Association Central Coast Chapter
  Education, support and care for SLO, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties

• American Cancer Society - Ventura Office
  Founded in 1913; now with over 3400 locations

• American Diabetes Association - Local Office
  Founded in 1940

• American Heart Association - Ventura Division
  Goal to fight heart disease and stroke

• American Red Cross of Central California
  Established in 1917 to provide compassionate care to those in need in the areas off disaster relief, lifesaving blood, supporting America's military families, health and safety services and international services.

• Arc Ventura County
  Dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1954.

• Arts Council of Conejo Valley
  Has supported and promoted the arts in the Conejo Valley since 1969

• Assistance League of Conejo Valley
  Philanthropic community service organization

• Autism Society Ventura County
  ASVC is the local Ventura County chapter of the Autism Society.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County
  Improving the lives of children through mentoring in Ventura County since 1970

• Bikers Against Child Abuse Ventura County Chapter

  Non-profit that provides support to abused children.

• Braille Institute
  Local office is in Santa Barbara

• Brain Injury Center of Ventura County
  Nonprofit organization serving needs of the VC adult brain injury community

• BumbleBee Foundation
  Thousand Oaks based non-profit that helps Southern California families by empowering volunteers, fundraising and assisting pediatric cancer families.

• Buyamba Uganda
  Westlake Village based non-profit that sponsors the care and education of orphans in Uganda.

• California Wildlife Center
  Assists injured wildlife and promotes protection of wildlife through education

• Cancer Fit, Inc.
  Conejo Valley non-profit providing free exercise and wellness programs for child and adult cancer survivors

• Cancer Hope Foundation
  Provides support to enhance lives of cancer sufferers. Based out of Camarillo.

• Canine Adoption and Rescue League
  Non-profit dog rescue organization in operation since 1996

• Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara
  Founded in 1991, the Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara's mission is to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community.

• Caregivers - Volunteers Assisting the Elderly
  Nonprofit providing free assistance and transportation to the elderly since 1984

• Casa Pacifica
  Headquartered on a 24 acre campus in Camarillo, Casa Pacifica serves abused and neglected children and adolescents, and those with severe emotional, social, behavioral and mental health challenges in the Central Coast area.

• Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy
  Grassroots advocacy for residents of Ventura/Santa Barbara counties

• Channel Islands Gulls
  Established in 1976, this Ventura County non-profit raises funds for other local non-profits.

• Childhood Matters

  Thousand Oaks based nonprofit that supports and nurtures childhood mental health.

• Christian Solidarity International
  Westlake Village based Christian human rights organization.

• Community Action of Ventura County, Inc.
  Organization that helps low-income families and homeless persons improve their economic well-being.

• Coalition for Family Harmony

  Oxnard-based nonprofit provides service to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

• Conejo Community Outreach

  Volunteer-driven nonprofit serving families and residents in need of assistance in the Conejo Valley annd immediate surrounding areas.

• Community Conscience
  Thousand Oaks non-profit provides free office space to local human services agencies.

• Conejo Free Clinic
  Provides legal and medical services to those in need - since 1976.

• Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation
  Non-profit organization dedicated to studying and shaping the future in the Conejo/Las Virgenes region

• Conejo Health

  Non-profit that provides free overdose training and equipment to the community.

• Conejo Open Space Foundation
  Nonprofit that promotes and maintains Conejo Valley open space and trails

• Conejo Schools Foundation
  Community organization supporting our local schools

• Conejo Valley Art Museum
  Non-profit organization originally incorporated in 1978 that supports local arts

• CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Ventura County
  Non profit that trains community volunteers to become sworn-in officers of the court who provide a consistent, caring adult in a foster child's life.

• Easter Seals Southern California
  Helps individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families.

• Fit 4 The Cause
  Non-profit that produces diverse group exercise events to empower, educate, and raise funds for health related causes, qualified individuals, and special populations.

• Food Forward
  Harvests local excess produce at local farms and residences and distributes to dozens of local agencies.

• Foodshare, Inc.
  Established in 1983 to provide food and support to the hungry of Ventura County.

• Free Clinic of Simi Valley
  Provides free medical care, counseling, dental and legal assistance to individuals and families, regardless of their ability to pay since 1971.

• Friends of the Island Fox
  Somis based nonprofit created to help save the endangered Island Fox that lives on 6 of the 8 Channel Islands.

• Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library
  Nonprofit group that helps support our local libraries

• Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast
  Local Girl Scouts organization seeks volunteers as well as donations.

• GOCARE, Inc.
  Ventura County based non-profit that educates and mentors Nicaraguans out of poverty.

• Gold Coast Veterans Foundation

  Provides free programs and services to veterans and their families in Ventura County.

• The Greater Contribution
  501(c)3 local nonprofit that raises money to fund microloans that enable women in poverty to start businesses

• Grossman Burn Foundation
  Assists needy families around the world in the areas of health care, safety and education.

• Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County
  Builds affordable housing for those in need in Ventura County.

• Harbor House Thousand Oaks

  Helps those in need in the Conejo Valley by providing case management services, daily meal services, gas and electric assistance, and more.

• Havasi Wilderness Foundation
  Agoura based non-profit that aims to increase environmental education and awareness. The foundation provides grants for schools and other groups to visit state parks and other natural history destinations.

• Healthcare for Homeless Animals
  Funding medical care for homeless pets; based in Agoura.

• Health Care Foundation for Ventura County
  Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation organized to conduct charitable activities that supports Ventura County Health Care Agency, including Ventura County Medical Center and Santa Paula Hospital.

• Herman Bennett Foundation
  Private, nonprofit, Camarillo-based foundation promoting responsible animal care

• HFS Adoption & Foster Care
  Adoption and foster care agency; local office in Thousand Oaks

• HOME (Housing Opportunities Made Easier)
  Through education and advocacy, HOME promotes a diversity of housing options and affordability for all.

• Hospice of the Conejo
  Volunteer hospice and grief support center that was founded in 1977.

• Housing Trust Fund Ventura County
  Provides low-interest rate financing for projects that create new affordable housing, both multi-family and single-family.

• Humane Society of Ventura County
  Promotes humane care and treatment of animals

• Equestrian Therapy Co-Op
  Simi Valley non-profit that teaches horseback riding to the disabled

• Ignite Collective

  Provides tailored services to adults with disabilities in LA & Ventura Counties. Also supports Kindling Studios in Camarillo, an art studio catering to artists with disabilities.

• Interface Children Family Services
  Working with troubled youth and battered women since 1973

• James Storehouse
  James Storehouse is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that serves kids in foster care, partnering with local child welfare agencies. James Storehouse fulfills emergency requests to expedite safe placement of babies and children and to assist aged-out youth as they transition.

• Joni and Friends International Disability Center
  Agoura Hills based ministry that supports those that are disabled

• The KEN Project
  Calabasas nonprofit serving kids with exceptional needs and their families

• Kids and Families Together
  Counseling, education, & support resource center for families that are raising a relative’s child, as well as foster & adoptive families.

• Laubach Literacy of Ventura County
  Volunteer literacy services in the county since 1970

• L.I.F.E Animal Rescue
  Agoura based animal rescue non-profit since 1992

• Lifeline4Paws

  Provides non-routine medical treatment for sick or injured dogs that other qualified 501(c)(3) organizations rescue and, later, place in permanent adoptive homes.

• Local Love Project

  Provides assistance to Ventura County residents impacted by disaster.

• LSS Community Care Center
  Lutheran Social Services has provided support to those in need in Ventura County for over 30 years

• Make-a-Wish Foundation Tri-Counties
  Founded in 1980 to grant wishes to children with severe illnesses

• MANNA Conejo Valley Food Bank
  Established in 1971; provides food on short-term basis to those in need

• Many Mansions
  Many Mansions-provides well-managed, service-enriched, affordable housing to low-income residents of Ventura County and its surrounding communities. 

• Merito Foundation
  Ventura based ocean conservation and education charity.

• Military Animal Project
  Helps heal the emotional wounds of military veterans by pairing them with a shelter animal specially selected to match his or her personality.

• Mission Without Borders
  Camarillo-based support organization for orphans, seniors and the poor

• Multiple Sclerosis Society - Channel Islands Chapter
  Society founded in 1946

• Musicians on a Mission California
  Thousand Oaks based nonprofit music organization dedicated to enriching the Conejo Valley and the surrounding areas by providing mentorship, musical instruments, and other music-related resources to our community's youth.

• My Stuff Bags Foundation
  Westlake Village charity provides comfort and hope to neglected and abused children.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness Ventura County
  Founded in 1981, NAMI Ventura County is an affiliate of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

• Narcotics Anonymous
  The County Line Area of Narcotics Anonymous has meetings in Agoura Hills, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Westlake Village.

• National Charity League Conejo Valley Chapter
  Mother-daughter non-profit organization serving local charities. Operates the Fibber McGee’s Closet Thrift Shop located in Thousand Oaks at Moorpark Road and Avenida de los Arboles.

• Ojai Raptor Center
  Dedicated to rehabilitating and releasing birds of prey in Ventura County

• Ojai Valley Land Conservancy
  Private citizens working to preserve open space in the Ojai Valley.

• Our Community House of Hope
  Non-profit end-of-life home in Ojai that serves those in their last days and weeks of life at no charge.

• Oxnard Historic Farm Park Foundation
  Nonprofit dedicated preserving the two oldest structures on the Oxnard plain and creating a 19th century farm site.

• PACER National Bullying Prevention Center
  Non-profit national bullying prevention organization has a local office in Thousand Oaks.

• Paso Pacifico
  Ventura based non-profit w/mission of restoring/conserving Central America's Pacific slope

• Pause4Kids
  Local advocacy group for children with special needs

• Pituitary Network Association

  Promotes public awareness of pituitary disorders, support to patients and their families and assists the medical community. Based in Thousand Oaks. (805) 499-9973

• Pleasant Valley Education Foundation
  Provides resource sand programs to support K-8 arts/technology education in Camarillo

• Rancho St. Francis
  Horse rescue and rehabilitation in Hidden Valley

• Rancho Simi Trail Blazers
  Volunteer group of outdoors enthusiasts; meets in Simi Valley

• Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation
  Non-profit that provides financial and emotional support to families of children who have cancer living in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties.

• RaisingHOPE, Inc.
  Non-profit that brings awareness, advocacy and funding to foster children in Ventura County. Hosts annual HOPE4Kids Festival & Run event.

• Reins of H.O.P.E.

  Non-profit that provides mental health therapy using horses for Veterans, active duty military and their families, first responders and at-risk youth.

• Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship
  Horseback riding program for disabled adults/children

• San Buenaventura Conservancy
  Dedicated towards preserving and protecting Ventura historical architecture

• Santa Monica Mountains Fund
  Official friends group and nonprofit partner of the National Park Service for the mountains. We fundraise for the parks to allow them to do great things like protect mountain lions, bring kids to the park, and repair trails.

• Save Open-Space & Agricultural Resources (SOAR)
  Non-profit organization focused on limiting urban sprawl

• School on Wheels
  Ventura based non-profit founded in 1993 that provides educational services to homeless children.

• Senior Concerns - Conejo Valley
  Nonprofit serving older adults in the area since 1975

• Social Justice Fund for Ventura County
  Non-profit that creates systemic change that leads to equitable access to opportunities and resources through education, convening and grant making.

• Special Olympics - Ventura County Region
  Supports over 750 local Ventura County athletes

• Squirrelmender Wildlife Rehabilitation
  Thousand Oaks non-profit rescues, rehabilitates and releases local, native wildlife and helps educate the public on how to live with our wild neighbors. For questions regarding injured or orphaned wildlife please call 805-498-8653.

• Support for the Kids
  Nonprofit created in 2000 to provide educational enrichment and comprehensive services to underprivileged and foster kids and their families in Ventura County.

• Surfrider Foundation - Ventura Chapter
  Nonprofit organization supporting the ocean/beaches

• Surya-Chandra Foundation

  Agoura Hills based non-profit with a mission is to stop violence against women, and empower underprivileged women to rise above poverty and inequality through encouragement, basic education, and vocational skills.

• The Custody Project
  Please donate $1 to $25 to raise money for mothers in need for emergency assistance for their kids. 501(c)3 non-profit charity..

• Thousand Oaks Police Charitable Foundation
  Promotes public welfare, safety and volunteer programs

• Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation

  Provides agricultural education about the vital role agriculture plays in the community.

• Turning Point Foundation
  Turning Point has provided shelter, housing, rehabilitation and support to people disabled by mental illness for over 25 years. It is the only non-profit in Ventura County that addresses the critical community support needs of mentally ill adu

• United Cancer Advocacy Action Network (UCAAN)
  UCAAN is a local 501c3 organization that focuses on the survivors of cancer & their families, by providing the resources cancer patients/survivors need upon diagnosis.

• United Way of Ventura County
  Serving Ventura County over 60 years

• Valley Cats

  Finds furever homes for cats of all ages. Adoption center in Westlake Village.

• Ventura County Area Agency on Aging
  Provides network of education, advocacy, other services to the elderly

• Ventura County Arts Council
  Nonprofit arts group founded in 1996. Supports local artists, hires teaching artists, produces community public arts projects and children’s art programs.

• Ventura County Community Foundation
  Established in 1987, VCCF invests the charitable capital that drives the philanthropic engines of Ventura County.

• Ventura County Fairgrounds Foundation
  Nonprofit dedicated to preserving the Ventura County Fairgrounds' position as one of the most beloved and unique public facilities in all of Ventura County.

• Ventura County Gilbert & Sullivan Repertoire Company
  VCGSRC is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation founded in 2006 for cultural and educational purposes, producing Gilbert & Sullivan operettas and other musical entertainments, primarily at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks

• Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation
  Nonprofit with mission of enhancing the availability and quality of health care services in Ventura County

• Wildlife Care of Southern California

  Simi Valley based non-profit that rescues, rehabilitates and releases injured and orphaned native wildlife, as well as educate the public on how to co exist with wildlife.

• YMCA Organizations in Ventura County
  Local Ventura County area YMCAs are non-profit organization that always seek donations and volunteers.