The San Diego Women’s Foundation Opens Applications Process for over $200,000 in Environmental Grants

SAN DIEGO – January 15, 2004 – The San Diego Women’s Foundation today announced the opening of its 2003-2004 grant cycle that will award more than $200,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations or programs that maintain the quality, health and diversity of the environment in San Diego County.

The San Diego Women’s Foundation (SDWF) is accepting applications until February 10, 2004 from qualifying nonprofits whose work seeks to protect the area’s natural or cultural resources, including reclaiming environmentally-degraded areas; to reduce air, water or soil pollution; to provide natural or cultural surveys; to restore or rehabilitate areas affected by the October 2003 fires; to develop and enhance environmental programming or education of services; or promote the conservation and public use of scientific collections.

Julie Dubick, president of The San Diego Women’s Foundation, said “Protecting and enhancing the quality of our environment is a critical issue in our community. San Diego County is one of the world’s top twenty-five biodiversity hot spots – environments that support a wide variety of animals and plants living in close proximity.”

“In addition to its many natural treasures, our area is rich in cultural heritage resources with over 17,000 recorded archaeological sites. San Diego County even shelters the greatest number of endangered species per county in the continental United States.”

“Meanwhile, the county’s human population is expected to increase by over one million people by 2030, putting further stress on the landscapes, sense of place and fragile ecosystems that sustain our region.” Dubick said, “With so many treasures at risk that are of such fundamental importance to every resident in the San Diego area, The San Diego Women’s Foundation chose to target its philanthropic efforts this year to helping improve the overall environmental quality of San Diego. We look forward to finding out how we can best help protect the environment as we study grant requests and then fund innovative and effective environmental organizations and projects in 2004.”

The San Diego Women’s Foundation was founded in 1999 to increase the participation and leadership of women in philanthropy. A supporting organization of The San Diego Foundation, SDWF currently has more than 200 members and has built an endowment fund of over $616,540. In its first three years, the SDWF has granted $389,000 into the San Diego community.

According to Dubick, SDWF members pool their yearly commitment funds to make significant grants to a wide range of local nonprofit organizations in a grant-making cycle that changes focus annually. After a rigorous selection and review process, members vote to award grants to the specially selected organizations. Unique to volunteer-supported organizations, a SDWF member can choose her level of involvement with opportunities to join hands-on committees, to attend substantive education forums on philanthropy and community issues, or to just participate in the important, democratic voting process. There are also opportunities to establish new friendships both with other SDWF members and nonprofit leaders. Also unique to SDWF is the opportunity to establish mutually-beneficial relationships with community partner organizations and their members.

Past grant cycle focus areas have been health and human services, civil society and economic/employment development. Respectively, past recipients and now community partners are: Angels Foster Family Agency, Partners for Community Access “Special Deliveries Program”, Planned Parenthood “Star Program”, San Diego Youth and Community Services “Take Wing Transitional Housing Programs”; International Women’s Kitchen, San Diego City Attorney’s Office “Mid-City Community Court”, Monarch High School “Volunteer/Mentor Program”, Scripps Health “Rosa Parks Community Garden”, Sherman Heights Community Center Corporation; Alpha Project for the Homeless “Neil Good Day Center”, Bronze Triangle Community Development Corporation, San Diego 2nd Chance “Prisoner Re-Entry Employment Program”, Urban Corps of San Diego “Corps-to-Corps Program, Walden Family Services “Employment Skills Development Program”.

With this year’s focus on the San Diego environment, The San Diego Women’s Foundation is working to ensure more perfect days in San Diego. Grants will be awarded to select applicants on June 9, 2004 at SDWF’s annual Granting Day.