Capital Campaign Blog

Campaign Spotlight:
John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation

Honoring a Legacy of Leadership, Compassion and Community Impact

Elizabeth and John Leonard with their children, Matthew and Katherine

We are proud to share that the John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation, a longtime supporter of CRC, was named the 2025 National Philanthropy Day Philanthropist of the Year by the AFP Inland Empire Chapter. This well-deserved recognition honors a family whose generosity, leadership and vision have transformed lives across our region and beyond.

The John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation has been a generous and committed partner of CRC for many years. Their support of CRC and particularly our Food & Nutrition Program has helped ensure that neighbors facing hunger have access to nourishing food and resources. Their investment in CRC’s One Community • One Heart capital campaign will help transform CRC’s campus and transform the lives of our neighbors in need for years to come.

Established in 2011, the John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation was created with a goal to make meaningful, lasting investments in areas that improve the health, well-being and future of individuals and communities. At the awards ceremony, Elizabeth Leonard shared the foundation’s philanthropic focus:

“We consider ourselves fortunate to be champions and promoters:

  • In the research and development of new clinical therapeutic agents being used all around the world;
  • In the success of students and faculty studying mathematics and the sciences at CSU Long Beach and at UC Riverside;
  • In the success of individuals in our community who were affected by domestic violence or homelessness and food insecurity; and,
  • In the lasting positive changes occurring in our community environment and at Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks

Our philanthropic efforts are truly gratifying, and we are honored to be recipients of this philanthropy award.”

John and Elizabeth Leonard
with AFP Philanthropist of the Year Award

Their significant, long-standing support of UC Riverside has helped advance science education and research by expanding opportunities for students, educators and faculty. John Leonard shared that his time at UC Riverside helped shape a lifelong commitment to education, research and service, and that the opportunities enabled by his academic and scientific training helped make their philanthropy possible. His work in pharmaceutical drug development helped secure the approval of three therapeutic antibodies that have improved and saved the lives of others, a legacy that ultimately enabled the family’s philanthropy through their foundation. That same belief in investing in people and strengthening communities is reflected in their support of CRC.

The foundation’s giving reflects a consistent commitment to improving lives through both innovation and compassion. That same commitment is felt at CRC, where their support helps provide food and resources today and strengthens the campus and programs that will serve neighbors for years to come.

We are very grateful to the John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation for their continued partnership and congratulate them on this significant honor. Their leadership embodies the heart of our capital campaign: one community, united by compassion, working together to create a stronger, more hopeful future for all.

If you’d like to learn more about CRC’s capital campaign, how you can support our shared vision for a new campus, and what naming opportunities are available, please visit the campaign website or send a message to OneHeart@crcncc.org.