November 14, 2022 – San Diego, CA – The Escondido Community Foundation (ECF), a regional affiliate of San Diego Foundation, today announced a call for Letters of Intent for its 17th annual grant cycle.

ECF invites nonprofit organizations and agencies to submit proposals for programs that will help engage students in sixth to 12th grade, with a special focus on middle schoolers.

“Although the pandemic has waned and schools have reopened, we are concerned that life is not back to normal for the vulnerable population of unengaged youth,” said Ken Lounsbery, ECF board chair. “Some have become isolated and withdrawn. It is our intent to re-engage our youth with their peers and the community with these grants.”

Eligible nonprofit organizations serving Escondido may submit proposals of $15,000 to $40,000.

ECF is hosting a Voluntary Informational Workshop at 4 p.m. on Nov. 30 at the Raymond Center for Community Philanthropy, located at 900 Canterbury, Ste. 300, in Escondido to answer questions about the grant process and help organizations who are considering whether to submit a Letter of Intent. If you are interested in attending, RSVP to Lesley Hughes at lhughes@sdfoundation.org by Nov. 29.

The LOI is the first step in a two-step process, which will facilitate the allocation of funding for Escondido-centered projects. The funding range is $15,000 to $40,000 available. LOI submissions must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2023. LOI guidelines including directions on how to register and apply can be accessed at www.escondidocommunityfoundation.org.

Organizations that are moved forward through the LOI process to the next step will be invited to submit a full application proposal by Feb. 20, 2023, and a completed application by Mar. 20, 2023.

To become an ECF member, visit the website or contact Trudy Armstrong at trudy@sdfoundation.org.

About Escondido Community Foundation & the Regional Affiliate Program

The Regional Affiliate Program, including Escondido Community Foundation, was established by San Diego Foundation to create a regional network of affiliate foundations by leveraging local leadership, building endowments, increasing impactful philanthropy and promoting civic engagement. Affiliates reside in Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Escondido, Oceanside, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo and 4S Ranch-Del Sur. The Regional Affiliate program has exceeded 1,000 members, established endowments of more than $5 million overall, and granted more than $6 million in total to nonprofit organizations throughout the region.

About San Diego Foundation

San Diego Foundation inspires enduring philanthropy and enables community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region. Our strategic priorities include advancing racial and social justice, fostering equity of opportunity, building resilient communities, and delivering world-class philanthropy to realize our vision of just, equitable and resilient communities. For more than 47 years, SDF and its donors have granted more than $1.45 billion to support nonprofit organizations strengthening our community. Learn more at SDFoundation.org.

Contact

Lorena Nava Ruggero, San Diego Foundation, lruggero@sdfoundation.org, 619-814-1365