$300,000 in Grants Available to Advance Racial and Climate Justice in San Diego

December 6, 2019 – San Diego, CA – The San Diego Foundation and San Diego Grantmakers today announced the availability of up to $300,000 in grant funding for nonprofit programs that advance racial and climate justice in San Diego County. The deadline to apply is January 16, 2020.

Climate change impacts us all, yet the effects are not always shared equally. For many San Diegans, the regional impacts of climate such as sea-level rise, severe heat days and air pollution have a greater impact on their health and well-being. As outlined in the report, San Diego, 2050 is Calling. How Will We Answer?, low-income communities and people of color are often the ones hit hardest by our changing climate. In response, the grants will support two-year projects that address both racial and climate justice.

“We believe that the voices of individuals most impacted by climate change should be front and center in shaping climate justice actions,” explained Megan Thomas, Vice President of Collaboration and Special Initiatives at San Diego Grantmakers. “This funding initiative strives to reduce the pace of climate change and mitigate its impacts by investing in community-driven solutions that benefit all people, particularly low-income people of color who disproportionately experience the adverse effects of our changing climate.”

This grantmaking is made possible through a partnership between The San Diego Foundation and the San Diego Grantmakers Social Equity Collaborative Fund. The Social Equity Collaborative Fund is an initiative of San Diego Grantmakers, a group of funders and individuals working together to contribute to improved economic, social and physical well-being of San Diego and Imperial County residents. Grants are awarded by an independent steering committee comprised of funders and subject matter experts.

“As the effects of climate change have increased, we are seeing an even greater need to address the inequities in our community,” shared Lydia Van Note, Director of Environment Initiatives at The San Diego Foundation. “This partnership combines the regional impact of The San Diego Foundation Climate Initiative with the social justice focus of the San Diego Grantmakers Social Equity Collaborative Fund to launch a climate justice funding initiative that connects and amplifies a community-driven approach to local climate solutions.”

For more information about the grants or to apply, visit bit.ly/SECF_ClimateJustice_RFP.

Interested nonprofit organizations that want to learn more about the grant cycle are encouraged to sign up for one of four informational workshops hosted by The San Diego Foundation and San Diego Grantmakers on December 17 at 6:00PM (Point Loma); December 23 at 10:00AM (webinar); January 2 at 4:00PM (Escondido); and January 7 at 5:30PM (South East San Diego).  To register, sign up at bit.ly/SECF_Grant_Workshops or contact Melissa Padilla (padilla@sdgrantmkers.org, 858-247-2022).

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About San Diego Grantmakers

San Diego Grantmakers (SDG) is a nonprofit membership organization of more than 120 organizations and individual philanthropists seeking to improve outcomes for residents of San Diego and Imperial Counties, and beyond. Through learning, cross-sector collaboration, advocacy, grantmaking, and impact investing we connect and activate funders to learn, lead, and invest in our community. San Diego Grantmakers’ vision is an equitable, collaborative, and impactful social change ecosystem that improves the lives of all residents in our region. To learn more, visit www.sdgrantmakers.org.

Contacts

Justin Nunez, The San Diego Foundation, 336-254-7056, justin@sdfoundation.org

Katie Janowiak, San Diego Grantmakers, 858-263-1241, katie@sdgrantmakers.org