How and Where the Coastal Community Foundation Gives in SoCal

In Southern California, we often focus our coverage on Los Angeles because this is where so much local philanthropy takes place. But there are also some important things going on in other parts of the region, especially among community foundations that operate here.

For example, the Encinitas-based Coastal Community Foundation (CCF) is very involved in the local mental health and education scenes, and it awarded over $600,000 to groups last year. Here are a few things nonprofits along the Southern California coast should know about this grantmaker.

San Diego North Coastal Communities in Focus

Rather than focusing specifically on just one city, CCF is a regional funder that addresses the needs of several north coastal communities in San Diego County. The city of San Diego itself is not a target area because after all, it has its own community foundation. Instead, CCF mostly supports nonprofits in Encinitas, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Del Mar, and Solana Beach.

Mental Health Grants

Mental health is one of the top priorities of CCF, which is something that distinguishes it from other funders in the region. CCF awards grants to groups with programs for early intervention and mental health counseling for youth. These groups must serve the people of Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, or Oceanside, and grants tend to be between $2,500 and $6,000 each.

Education Grants

Another top cause for CCF is education, especially hands-on and creative projects that have a STEAM focus. The target demographic for education grants is 4th through 8th grade students in public schools. Schools must be located in Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, or Oceanside to apply for these grants. CCF makes additional grants to career and technical education programs in both middle schools and high schools in the region.

Grants Specific to Solana Beach

The city of Solana Beach has its own specific fund at CCF to support everything here from neighborhoods to culture and families The Solana Beach Fund awards grants of $2,000 to $5,000 and focuses its efforts on organizations with budgets of less than $2 million.

Other Funding Opportunities

In addition to these main CCF opportunities, local nonprofits can also get involved with this grantmaker through the Betty Scalice Foundation that CCF manages. The Betty Scalice Foundation is interested in music programs in the region, such as free community concerts, school musical performances, and music therapy. This foundation awards grants of $1,000 to $5,000 periodically throughout the year. Another music-related opportunity to know about is the Barbara Schneiderman Memorial Scholarship for Piano Enrichment, a scholarship that is open to students studying at the Suzuki Institute camp for piano. Meanwhile, Hand to Hand grants address the needs of local women and girls, such as workforce reentry programs, job training, and mentoring.

Overall CCF grants are for one-year periods, and many grants come from donor-advised funds that are not open to unsolicited requests. Check out IP’s full profile of the Coastal Community Foundation to learn more about this locally focused funder.