Sara Wilensky
The San Diego Foundation
(619) 235-2300 ext. 338
sara@sdfoundation.org

March 15, 2007 – As part of his continuing efforts to reduce gang-related crimes throughout San Diego, Mayor Sanders met with southeast San Diego community leaders in December to hear concerns and help develop a short-term approach to reduce gang-related violence. As a result of the meeting, The San Diego Foundation began working with various funding agencies and community organizations throughout the San Diego region to provide a funding mechanism to help quell the threat of gang-related violence. This effort resulted in The San Diego Foundation’s announcement today that a mini-grant initiative has been established to fund programs aimed at stopping gang-related violence.

“STOP GANG-RELATED VIOLENCE IN SAN DIEGO NOW (STOP NOW)”

The mini-grant initiative, known as “STOP Gang-Related Violence in San Diego NOW (STOP NOW),” will identify and fund nonprofit and community organizations with experience and success in working with gangs and intervening in the escalation of violence within the community.

This program is intended to decrease gang-related violence, executed in support of mid-and long-range solutions being formed by the San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention & Intervention, other funders, and community leaders.

The San Diego Foundation is coordinating with the following organizations in the STOP NOW effort:

• The Legler Benbough Foundation
• San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention & Intervention
• The Waitt Family Foundation

"This program is designed to be a short-term solution that can be implemented swiftly. It is intended to compliment the long-term solutions, which are now being studied and will be implemented by the San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention & Intervention,” stated Bob Kelly, President and CEO of The San Diego Foundation. “The STOP NOW initiative fills a gap between where our community is now and where we hope to be, once long-term solutions are identified and put to work."

Download the "STOP NOW" Grant Guidelines

If you or your organization would like to support the STOP NOW effort by making a contribution, please call Sara Wilensky at (619) 235-2300 or email sara@sdfoundation.org today.

About The San Diego Foundation
Founded in 1975, The San Diego Foundation is a broad-purpose community foundation helping individuals, families and organizations carry out their charitable plans, with the common goals of improving the quality of life in the greater San Diego region, now and for generations to come.