Verizon has awarded a $50,000 grant to Ventura County Community Foundation to support the foundation's new technology strategies, including an online community platform.

The grant will be used to increase capacity and quality of available technological resources for hundreds of donors, foundations and nonprofits throughout Ventura County as well as to upgrade the foundation's website, www.vccf.org.

The technology platform will be interactive and guide users to Web-based networks that link causes, donors and research.

It also will include:

•More information on foundation funds and program initiatives, including the annual scholarship program for local students.

•More ways for donors to learn about and give to foundation programs and community needs online.

•More efficient communication tools to share the impact of philanthropic work throughout Ventura County.

•More ways to link donors, patrons and nonprofits to the work the foundation is doing to benefit Latinos, nurses, the arts and other projects.

•More tools to help nonprofits enhance technological literacy, raise capital and train its future leaders.

The Ventura County Community Foundation is a family of 500 charitable funds with total assets of $96 million. It distributed $6.1 million in grants and pledges in 2008.