February 27, 2023 What Can We Learn from That Surprise $100 Million Gift to the San Diego Foundation? February 27, 2023/ Mike Scutari Leaders at the community foundation recently faced a rare, but very welcome, conundrum: What do you do when a donor you never met gives you an unrestricted $100 million gift?Read More
February 18, 2022 How a Philanthropic Family Is Putting Power in the Hands of a Historically Underserved Community February 18, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Focused on southeastern San Diego, the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation is moving resources—and governance—from its founding family to the community it supports. Its leaders call it a way to decolonize wealth.Read More
August 17, 2021 Where the NBCUniversal Foundation Is Focusing Its Local Giving in the U.S. August 17, 2021/ Alyssa Ochs This media giant’s corporate funding arm awards millions of dollars to various regions to address community challenges. We take a closer look.Read More
June 28, 2021 Despite Pandemic-Era Uncertainty, Many Southern California Fundraisers Optimistic June 28, 2021/ Lauren Kay We check in with fundraisers working in Southern California to see how cash is flowing in the region after a brutal year. Morale is high for many, although some are concerned about whether positive funding trends will last.Read More
October 16, 2020 Amid Crisis, Collaborative Impact Investing Offers a Path to Systemic Change October 16, 2020/ Catherine Banat and Debbie McKeon, Guest Contributors The compounding crises of our time demand new ways to fund solutions. In this guest opinion piece, participants in a new California partnership make the case for expansion of place-based impact investing collaboratives.Read More
November 05, 2019 For the San Diego Foundation, Climate Change is a Local Issue November 05, 2019/ Tate Williams San Diego’s vulnerabilities to climate change include drought, wildfire and coastal flooding. The region’s community foundation—like a growing number of local funders elsewhere—has been working to address the climate challenge.Read More
October 14, 2019 Three Things SoCal Grantseekers Should Know About the Girard Foundation October 14, 2019/ Alyssa Ochs The Girard Foundation is a San Diego County funder whose sole mission is to improve local education, including preparation for college. Here are three things to know about this La Jolla, California, grantmaker. Read More
July 27, 2019 Four Things to Know About the Ethel Frends Foundation in Southern California July 27, 2019/ Alyssa Ochs The Ethel Frends Foundation is a surprisingly accessible foundation for animal-related organizations in Southern California. Here’s what local grantseekers should know before approaching this funder.Read More
June 22, 2019 David C. Copley Foundation 101: What San Diego Grantseekers Need to Know June 22, 2019/ Alyssa Ochs The David C. Copley Foundation has undergone some significant changes in recent years and rebuilt its assets to emerge as a major player on the San Diego funding scene. Here’s what SoCal nonprofits should know about this foundation.Read More
May 25, 2019 The Radys: How a Powerful Donor Couple Has Been Giving in San Diego May 25, 2019/ Alyssa Ochs Since their retirement, Ernest and Evelyn Rady’s philanthropy has been picking up, making them key donors to know in the San Diego area. Where has funding been going? And why lies ahead for the Radys’ giving? Read More
April 23, 2019 In San Diego, a Corporate Funder Galvanizes a New Effort to Fight Human Trafficking April 23, 2019/ Julia Travers Students in San Diego schools are at risk of encountering or experiencing human trafficking. A new private-public collaborative seeks to help teachers and children take on this devastating issue.Read More
October 01, 2018 Feeding the Youngest Minds: Another Major Donor Steps Up for Early Education October 01, 2018/ Julia Travers More donors have been drawn to early education as mounting evidence shows the importance of intervening in the first five years of children’s lives. The latest convert: a deep-pocketed San Diego businessman named Guy Clum.Read More
September 24, 2018 This Local Funder Is Fighting Human Trafficking in San Diego County September 24, 2018/ Alyssa Ochs The San Diego Women’s Foundation announced this summer that it would be making new grant funds available for work to prevent and intervene in human trafficking situations. It’s among the handful of funders focused in this area. Read More
September 17, 2018 A Regional Philanthropy Summit Dives Into Giving With a Gender Equity Lens September 17, 2018/ Julia Travers It isn’t just national foundations that are wrestling with issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. Local funders are also engaging more deeply here. A case in point: a recent convening by San Diego Grantmakers.Read More
May 12, 2018 Local Artists and Seniors: Some Recent Moves by the San Diego Foundation May 12, 2018/ Alyssa Ochs We check in on the San Diego Foundation, which is continuing its support of the city’s arts and culture sector. It’s also committed to fostering age-friendly communities. Read More
April 21, 2018 Small But Mighty: A Women’s Giving Circle Makes its Mark in San Diego April 21, 2018/ Alyssa Ochs The secret sauce of giving circles are members who are strongly invested on a personal level in the limited number of grantees chosen each year. A case in point is a SoCal outfit called Hand to Hand.Read More
April 20, 2018 Getting to Know the Scripps, the First Family of San Diego Philanthropy April 20, 2018/ Alyssa Ochs If you spend any time around the world of San Diego philanthropy, one name that will keep coming up over and over again is Scripps. But it’s a bit of a challenge to wrap your head around the family's giving. Read More
March 24, 2018 What Is the Larry Himmel Neighborhood Foundation Doing in San Diego? March 24, 2018/ Alyssa Ochs This foundation was formed after the San Diego television reporter's death from cancer. Here's how its has been involved in the local community lately.Read More