Mike Haynes, like his parents before him, was born and raised in Salinas. His father, Stanley, bought Cinderella Carpets in the late 1960s. Mike started working there during the summers in high school and the family business became his lifelong career after graduating from Salinas High in 1980. (Fun fact: As a senior, he was cast in a small part in the locally filmed East of Eden movie remake starring Jayne Seymour).

Mike’s father came from humble beginnings and saw local needs firsthand. In 1999, inspired by a desire to give back to the community that supported their business, he established the Haynes Charitable Foundation. The foundation focused on supporting local causes, especially youth under 12. In 2010, Mike, along with his two siblings and daughter, assumed stewardship of the foundation.

After a close call with a serious illness in 2015, Mike sold the business and retired later that year. Though he and his wife, Gina, together with their dog Cammi, are on the road for more than half the year traveling in their RV, their commitment to local philanthropy remains strong.

After 12 years of making grants through their private foundation, they tired of the many fiduciary responsibilities and legal requirements. Mike spoke to the CFMC at the suggestion of long-time friend (and former CFMC board member) Jim Gattis. The family decided to easily transition their foundation into the Haynes Charitable Foundation Fund, a donor advised fund of the CFMC in 2022, to simplify their giving.