Kunde Endowment Fund, Dedicated Donor, Honored with Shining Star Award
During their lifetimes Richard Kunde and Saralee McClelland Kunde were ardent supporters of 4-H and FFA programs, donating time and resources to advance the farm youth programs they believed were the future of Sonoma County agriculture.
​
The Kundes’ support for farm youth, agriculture and fairs continues today with the Richard Kunde and Saralee McClelland Kunde Endowment Fund, administered by the Community Foundation of Sonoma County. The multi-million-dollar endowment was established by Richard and Saralee to carry on their agricultural philanthropy once they had passed. Saralee died in 2014 and Richard passed in 2018.
​
In appreciation of the tremendous contributions that the Kunde Endowment has made to farm youth, the Youth Ag and Leadership Foundation of Sonoma County is honoring the Richard Kunde and Saralee McClellend Kunde Endowment Fund with its Shining Star Award. The award is given annually to an individual, business or organization that has made significant contributions in advancing the foundation’s work in developing the next generation of community and agricultural leaders.
​
“Since 2021 the Kunde Endowment has granted $53,000 to the Youth Agriculture and Leadership Foundation to benefit 4-H and FFA youth as they pursue leadership opportunities and fulfill citizenship and community service endeavors that are the hallmarks of their organizations,” the foundation’s board of directors said in naming the Kunde Endowment Fund as the recipient of the Shining Star Award.
​
The Kunde Endowment will be honored at the foundation’s annual barbecue fundraiser on Aug. 23 at Richard’s Grove and Saralee’s Vineyard, the Windsor estate created by Richard and Saralee Kunde and now owned by Jackson Family Wines.
​
Accepting the award on behalf of the Kunde Endowment will be Christine Margetts, Jim Pratt and Tim Tesconi who were named trust advisers by Richard and Saralee Kunde.
The legacy left by the Kundes is testament to their dedication to preserving Sonoma County agriculture for the generations to come. For decades, Richard and Saralee McClelland Kunde were a beloved and powerful force in agriculture, education and philanthropy. Like food and wine, Richard and Saralee defined Sonoma County, doing more than anyone else over a half century to elevate agriculture and cultivate farm leaders.
​
The Kundes raised millions of dollars to keep farms and ranches part of the county’s landscape, economy and way-of-life. They founded organizations promoting the value of locally- produced food and helped establish federal regulations protecting the integrity and quality of grapes grown in Sonoma County.
​
“Luther Burbank said Sonoma County is the chosen spot of all the earth and I couldn’t agree more. A place as beautiful and agriculturally diverse as Sonoma County must be preserved forever,” Richard Kunde often said in explaining the advocacy work he and Saralee did on behalf of agriculture.
​
The Kundes worked tirelessly to support 4-H and FFA programs, believing these young people were agriculture’s future. Richard and Saralee loved the Sonoma County Fair and generously supported its mission to showcase agriculture and cultivate the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
​
Their remarkable legacy as agriculture leaders and land stewards was honored when the community came together after Saralee’s death in 2014 to build the $3 million Saralee and Richard’s Barn at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
​
Richard saw the barn’s completion and witnessed its important role as a venue for agriculture education.
​
Following their deaths, the Kundes bequeathed millions of dollars to foundations that support agriculture and farm youth including a $500,000 bequest to the Youth Agriculture and Leadership Foundation. Richard and Saralee’s philanthropy will continue in perpetuity with the endowments they established.