The San Diego Foundation Celebrates 44 Years of Joy-Making

Donors give $52 million to nonprofits that support education, the environment and more in FY2019

September 18, 2019 – San Diego, CA – The San Diego Foundation today announced it awarded more than $52 million in grants to the nonprofit community in Fiscal Year 2019. The news was shared at the 2019 Annual Meeting on September 17 in La Jolla, where donors, partners and community leaders celebrated the joy of giving and the positive impact San Diego philanthropists have in the region.

As the community foundation’s Annual Report highlights, during Fiscal Year 2019, grantmaking supported 1,740 nonprofit organizations with 5,667 individual grants to a variety of social impact areas, including: $16.7 million for Health & Human Services, $14.5 million for Education, $7.8 million for Arts & Culture, $4.8 million for Civil Society, $3.6 million for the Environment, and $1.9 million for Youth Development.

For 44 years, The Foundation has focused on joy-making for donors, partners, nonprofits and the many San Diegans whose lives are positively impacted by charitable giving in the region. The benefits of this work can be seen throughout San Diego County – from the cities that are creating age-friendly policies and programs to support our oldest residents to the first-generation students who now have more opportunities to contribute to our regional economy thanks to the Community Scholars Initiative.

“San Diego County is a region rich with generous philanthropists and changemakers, as well as unique challenges that require strong leadership.” shared Mark Stuart, President & CEO of The San Diego Foundation, at the Annual Meeting event. “As we look toward the future, we are focused on how we can further increase joy for the donors we support and the communities we serve.”

“As a community foundation, The San Diego Foundation is a creative builder and co-creator of a deep and pervasive culture of philanthropy and gratitude for San Diego; a dedicated and trusted connector of causes, donors and leaders; and a transformative partner aligning systems, sectors and structures,” added Stuart.

Over the past year, The San Diego Foundation and its generous donors have invested in a variety of new initiatives and spearheaded numerous projects that are bringing joy to more San Diegans. Among the many noteworthy milestones, The Foundation launched an impact investing partnership to help build affordable homes for low-income families; the Hervey Family and the Donna Knox Sefton Family provided $10 million for a new library in the Mission Hills and Hillcrest neighborhood; and San Diego County was named a Thrive Outside Community, which will enable The San Diego Foundation and its partners to create an even greener and more active region.

Since 1975, The San Diego Foundation has focused on joy-making for donors, partners, nonprofits and the many San Diegans whose lives are strengthened by charitable work in the community. The organization has granted more than $1.1 billion to the nonprofit community and manages $895 million in total assets, including $561 million in endowment funds, which will benefit the region for generations to come.

To learn more about The Foundation’s impact in the region, visit SDFoundation.org/AnnualReport. 

About The San Diego Foundation

The San Diego Foundation maximizes the impact of your charitable giving. We mobilize philanthropic resources to advance quality of life, increase social impact and champion civic engagement. For more than 40 years, The Foundation and our donors have granted more than $1.1 billion to grow a vibrant San Diego region. Learn more on our website, and consider a donation to the Fund for the Future Endowment which supports San Diego community needs for good, forever.

Contacts

Vince Heald, Beck Ellman Heald, 858-453-9600, vheald@behmedia.com
Justin Nunez, The San Diego Foundation, 336-254-7056, justin@sdfoundation.org