Celebrating the Power of Philanthropy During Community Foundation Week

This week, The San Diego Foundation joins more than 700 community foundations across America celebrating Community Foundation Week and National Philanthropy Day.

For 25 years, Community Foundation Week has raised awareness about the increasingly important role of these philanthropic organizations in generating resources and fostering local collaboration and innovation to address social and economic challenges.

In San Diego County, The San Diego Foundation has generated more than $1.75 billion worth of impact for our region, and ranks among the top 30 community foundations (by asset size) in the United States. The Foundation’s 42 years of strategic grantmaking and philanthropic leadership has improved quality of life in San Diego in many ways.

For example, since 2010 The San Diego Foundation has partnered with Del Mar Healthcare Fund and established the Age Friendly Communities program. According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, the number of people 65 and over in San Diego County is expected to double by 2030. The Age Friendly Communities program works with partners throughout the region to understand the challenges of our older population and promote aging in place.

As a result of our partnership, the City of Chula Vista and County of San Diego were initiated into the World Health Organization’s network of Age Friendly Communities in 2016. To date, $1.5 million has been invested in building the capacity of local agencies who provide support for older adults, while also promoting awareness and advancing public policy among key decision-makers.

In 2007, the San Diego Regional Disaster Fund at The San Diego Foundation granted more than $10 million to support response, recover, rebuilding and preparedness efforts related to wildfires that destroyed more than 1,600 homes and impacted thousands of San Diego residents. More recently, during the aftermath of the 2017 natural disasters, donors at The San Diego Foundation granted more than $800,000 to help the communities of Houston, Northern California, Puerto Rico and others impacted.

Since 1975, The Foundation has granted more than $1 billion and currently stewards more than $773 million in assets, including $484 in endowment funds that will benefit San Diego forever.

During Fiscal Year 2017, donors at The Foundation granted $50.9 million to 1,714 nonprofit organizations, including $2.7 million in scholarships to 900 San Diego students pursuing higher education during the 2017-2018 school year.

As one of San Diego’s leading community foundations, The San Diego Foundation has a rich history of advancing quality of life, increasing social impact and championing civic engagement in the region.

Community foundations and the donor advised funds they manage and invest represent one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy. Community Foundation Week, created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush, recognizes the work of community foundations and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to benefit communities nationwide.

Community foundations are independent, public entities that steward philanthropic resources from institutional and individual donors to local nonprofits that are the heart of strong, vibrant communities.

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