San Diego Foundation

“What gives us the greatest hope for San Diego’s future is already happening here, and focused, sustained philanthropy can help move it forward,” said Mark Stuart, President & CEO. In fiscal year 2025-26, donors and community partners made 8,167 grants through San Diego Foundation to 2,578 nonprofits working across our region and beyond. Eighty percent of all grant dollars stayed right here in San Diego County. Seventy percent of the funds supported family well-being, education, environment and housing - four connected priorities guiding SDF’s new five-year strategic plan. Progress in one area can strengthen outcomes in others, and for donors, that means a gift in one area ripples across the entire community. Creating lasting change across San Diego will take all of us. Explore the 2026 Annual Report to see how we’re moving forward, together. https://lnkd.in/d3bStQt

Early in-person voting locations are opening across San Diego County ahead of the November 3 election. Get the facts on Measure B before you cast your ballot. SDFoundation.org/MeasureB #SDMeasureB

The Kyoto Prize Scholarship application is open! Presented by the KYOTO PRIZE SYMPOSIUM and San Diego Foundation, in collaboration with Japan's Inamori Foundation, these scholarships recognize San Diego County high school seniors who demonstrate academic excellence and a strong commitment to serving their communities and society at large. Worth up to $10,000 each, six scholarships are available based on the annual Kyoto Prize categories of Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy. Check eligibility and requirements → https://lnkd.in/g8-iHku8 Deadline: December 28, 2026 #KyotoPrizeScholarship #Scholarships

For our 50th anniversary, we set out to do something bold. Thanks to San Diegans and incredible community partners like you, we did it. Highlighted in our 2026 Annual Report, the remarkable results of Fifty & Forward – the most ambitious campaign in our history - reflect years of connecting people who care to causes that matter. Your generosity continues to open doors for students, help families build stronger futures and protect parks, open spaces and natural resources that make San Diego home. We’re profoundly grateful as we move Forward, Together. Now SDF’s new five-year strategic plan carries this work forward across four interconnected challenges: family well-being, education, environment and housing. The challenges are connected. And so are the solutions. https://lnkd.in/d3bStQt

More of your questions about Measure B, answered. Swipe to learn more about the San Diego County Health & Safety Act on the November 3 ballot. Get the facts on #SDMeasureB. SDFoundation.org/MeasureB

The San Diego Unity Fund is a 2026 Anthem Awards finalist, and the Community Voice award comes down to public votes. Voting is open through Oct. 29. Federal funding cuts and policy changes put essential services for San Diegans at risk. In response, San Diego Foundation brought together donors, nonprofits, civic leaders and community partners, and the San Diego Unity Fund launched to rapidly support nonprofits facing funding cuts. As a rapid-response lifeline, San Diego Unity Fund grants helped families remain safely housed, helped children and families access healthcare and helped families put food on the table. More than 100 nonprofits have been supported. Cast your Anthem Awards vote → https://lnkd.in/gm8q4jbn #AnthemAwards

Not every charitable gift starts with cash. Through our vehicle donation program with Charitable Adult Rides & Services (CARS), donors complete a simple online form, the vehicle is picked up and sold at auction, and the proceeds go to the charitable fund or cause they choose, including a donor-advised fund. We can also accept complex assets, such as privately held business interests, private equity and real estate. As Giving Season begins, it’s one more way to support the causes that matter most. See how it works: https://lnkd.in/gc3EHyka

Small businesses make up 99% of all businesses in the San Diego region and employ 60% of working San Diegans, according to San Diego Regional EDC. When locally owned businesses grow, they create jobs, wealth and opportunity for the families and communities they support. Entrepreneurs, nonprofit partners, donors and community leaders gathered at San Diego Foundation for Somos El Camino: Celebrating Entrepreneurship, sponsored by Wells Fargo. Three local business owners shared what became possible with support from SDF’s El Camino Fund: Silvana Alaniz, El Rincón Restaurant, supported through Accessity Jennifer Arellano Sabag, San Diego Bee Collective, supported through Logan Heights Community Development Corporation Jessica Yohara Osuna, Tiny Treasure Daycare, supported through Chicano Federation of San Diego County El Camino Fund invests in nonprofits that help small businesses grow through coaching, mentorship and access to capital. Thank you to Wells Fargo, Antonio Barbosa and Laura Chapman for investing in El Camino Fund and partnering with us to help more local entrepreneurs take their next step. Thank you also to Leadership Council member Adriana "Adri" Brunner for guiding the program. Learn more about El Camino Fund: SDFoundation.org/Camino

Estate planning conversations are a natural time to ask clients what they want their giving to accomplish. This week is National Estate Planning Awareness Week, and the December 31 IRS deadline for 2026 charitable tax deductions will be here before we know it. Two strategies worth raising now: 📌 Planned gifts through wills, trusts and beneficiary designations let clients support nonprofits and causes over the long term, often using assets they may not donate during their lifetime. 📌 Clients age 73+ are required to take Required Minimum Distributions each year. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) can help reduce taxable income from RMDs before year-end while supporting the causes they care about. If you’d like to talk through how these strategies fit into your clients’ charitable plans, we’re here to support → https://lnkd.in/gUFxqfKw #EstatePlanningAwarenessWeek #QCD #ProfessionalAdvisors

The 2027 San Diego Fundraising Conference registration is live! After a sold-out 2026 conference, we’re excited to announce that the San Diego Fundraising Conference will return September 14–15, 2027, at Hilton San Diego Bayfront. We’re also welcoming our first keynote speaker: Kevin L. Brown, CEO and co-founder of MIGHTY ALLY and author of Fundable & Findable. Kevin brings a unique perspective at the intersection of brand strategy, communications and fundraising, helping nonprofits become more visible, more compelling and more fundable. Register now. https://lnkd.in/gDpTzvXC Join nonprofit professionals from San Diego and beyond for two days of learning, connection and practical ideas.