The California Legacy Fund began because of the vision of John and Donna Smith. John and Donna spent their entire ministry lives serving various churches across the state of California. Their final years in ministry lead them to shepherd a church in Chula Vista, California. After several years of attempting to revive the small congregation, the church leadership realized that it could best impact the kingdom of God by becoming a “Legacy Church.” The church decided to sell the property and donate a portion of the proceeds toward starting a church planting endowment that would multiply new churches for years to come. This endowment became the initial funding for the California Legacy Fund.