August 26, 2025 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Foundation (SDF), in partnership with the County of San Diego and a regional network of nonprofit and healthcare providers, has launched Born Well— a cross-sector initiative that leverages strategic philanthropy to address disparities in maternal and infant health.
Born Well represents an innovative model for public-private collaboration: one that aligns philanthropic investment with public health strategy to scale community-based, data-informed and culturally responsive solutions. With an estimated 38,000 births annually in San Diego County — including approximately 1,500 considered high risk — the initiative will improve outcomes for families who face the greatest barriers to care and support.
“We are taking a data-driven approach to improve birth outcomes for mothers and babies who are most at risk,” said Mark Stuart, President and CEO of San Diego Foundation. “When the public sector, philanthropy and the nonprofit community come together strategically around an issue, problems get solved and great things happen. Working together, we can help families so that every child in this region has the chance to live a safe, healthy and productive life.”
San Diego Foundation has committed an initial $1 million to support the initiative’s goals, which includes:
- An innovative guaranteed income pilot for mothers to assess the impact of financial stability on birth outcomes
- Expanded access to doulas, midwives, and wraparound prenatal and postpartum care
- Assistance for providers navigating Medi-Cal reimbursement
- Strengthened care coordination across agencies
- Ongoing, shared evaluation measures aligned with CDC public health objectives for maternal and infant health
San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe emphasized the role of collaboration in closing these gaps: “Born Well complements and amplifies the County’s ongoing work to close health and social equity gaps for mothers and babies,” she said. “Guaranteed income is a powerful tool to reduce stress, improve access to care, and provide stability, especially in historically underserved communities. If we’re serious about improving maternal and infant health outcomes, we must support bold policies that center dignity and economic security for our most vulnerable families.”
As part of the Born Well launch, SDF is announcing capacity-building grants to trusted local nonprofits that provide prenatal and postpartum services and, in partnership with the County of San Diego, a guaranteed income pilot for high-risk mothers in their first or second trimesters. These targeted investments will reduce barriers to care, support financial stability and expand the availability of culturally competent, community-rooted providers.
“This is not just about improving services — it’s about transforming systems,” said Dale Fleming, Community Impact Partner for the Born Well Initiative at SDF. “Born Well reflects how philanthropy can accelerate progress when it works hand in hand with government and trusted providers to co-create solutions.”
Initial funding supports a network of trusted community partners, including:
- For the Village, Inc. — $25,000 to support doula networks.
- Jewish Family Services — $300,000 to determine public health benefits of guaranteed income program for at-risk pregnant women and their infants.
- JIREH Providers — $41,250 to support doula and related services.
- Neighborhood House Association — $58,750 to provide prenatal and postpartum services, including group and one-on-one case management.
- San Diego Community Birth Center — $25,000 to provide evidence-based holistic care for the birth experience.
- San Diego International Birthing Project, Inc. — $25,000 to provide training, certification and support for doulas working with pregnant women.
- Somali Bantu Association of America — $25,000 to support the Rebirth project, providing training, certification and support for doulas.
By contributing philanthropic support to established and successful public health efforts, Born Well helps strengthen programs like the County of San Diego’s Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI).
Public health data underscore the need for this coordinated approach. Across San Diego County and California, some families are significantly more likely to experience poor birth outcomes. Babies in the highest-risk communities are up to six times more likely to die before their first birthday, 60% more likely to be born prematurely, and twice as likely to be born with low birth weight. Their mothers are nearly four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes. These disparities persist regardless of age, income or education — and are linked to systemic barriers such as unequal access to care, toxic stress and social and economic inequities.
In fiscal year 2024–2025, nearly 400 participants were active in the County’s Perinatal Equity Initiative program for high-risk mothers, which provides culturally appropriate services and peer support. Born Well strengthens and extends these efforts by aligning philanthropic investment and elevating community-based care.
About San Diego Foundation
San Diego Foundation believes in just, equitable and resilient communities where every San Diegan can prosper, thrive and feel like they belong. We partner with donors, nonprofits and regional leaders to co-create solutions that respond to community needs and strengthen San Diego. Since our founding in 1975, our community foundation has granted $1.8 billion to nonprofits to improve quality of life in San Diego County and beyond. Join us in commemorating 50 years of impact — and looking toward the next 50 — by learning more at SDFoundation.org.
Contact
Nancy Ives Schroeder
619-540-3751
nancy@intesacom.com
