San Diego Foundation Creates More Inclusive, Equitable and Accessible Outdoor Experiences with $838K in Grants to Local Nonprofits

August 9, 2022 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Foundation announced today that it has awarded $838,704 in Opening the Outdoors grants to 24 nonprofit organizations that offer equitable access to outdoor spaces in San Diego County.

“San Diego Foundation is proud to once again support its partners committed to increasing community-driven efforts to enhance accessible outdoor space, encourage youth to learn more through hands-on education and create the next generation of environmental stewards in the San Diego region,” said Christiana DeBenedict, SDF Director of Environment Initiatives.

According to the San Diego Foundation Parks for Everyone 2020 report, the communities facing systemic barriers to usable green space are those with higher concentrations of lower-income households, greater racial and ethnic diversity, and the highest rates of COVID-19 infections. Since the report’s release in 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic has exacerbated systemic inequities and has impacted marginalized communities at disproportionately high rates.

This year’s grantees will help address these inequities and enhance access to the outdoors throughout San Diego County. Opening the Outdoors grantees for 2022 include:

The San Diego Foundation Opening the Outdoors program was established to address inequity and create safe, accessible outdoor space for all San Diegans. Building on the success of the Opening the Outdoors program, San Diego was chosen as a Thrive Outside Community by the Outdoor Foundation in 2019. The vision for Thrive Outside San Diego is to build regional capacity through collective impact by bringing together multi-sector stakeholders for greater coordination across education, advocacy and programming.

These efforts contribute to building resilient communities, a pillar of the San Diego Foundation Strategic Plan, by addressing equity barriers, developing more inclusive and accessible outdoor experiences for all, and creating future generations of environmental stewards.

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. The Environment Initiative seeks to preserve and protect our resources, build a more sustainable path of economic growth and ensure a higher quality of life for those who call San Diego home. For more than 46 years, SDF and its donors have granted more than $1.3 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

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