Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund
/OVERVIEW: The Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund prioritizes the needs of women and families in North San Diego County.
IP TAKE: The Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund shifts its grantmaking focus each year, but giving tends to focus on women, families and people in need in the area around Encintas in San Diego County. Submitting a letter of inquiry that is clear and focused goes a long way with this funder. Site visits and in-person presentations are also integral to the application process. Reach out to this accessible and transparent funder via email with questions at any time.
PROFILE: Established in Encintas, California in 2004, the Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund is a local women’s giving circle in Northern San Diego County. Its mission involves “collective philanthropy and building a sense of community through volunteerism and social activities while escalating awareness of local organizations and needs.” This is a group that pools its money together to give approximately $400,000 in grants to local nonprofits each year. The fund chooses a new area of focus each year, often benefiting women and girls.
Grants for Women and Girls, Work and Opportunity, Health, Mental Health and Community Development
The Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund does not organize its grantmaking around thematic areas but chooses one or more thematic giving areas each year. While many grants focus on the well-being and economic development of women and girls, other grants support health, mental health and community development more generally. Populations of interest over the years have included children, youth, veterans, the elderly, caregivers and animals. Grantmaking is limited to specific areas in and around Encintas in San Diego County. In a recent year, the foundation named social services for homeless, disabled, elderly and immigrant groups, as well as women’s services for victims of domestic abuse and sex trafficking, as areas of interest.
Past grantees include the San Diego Rescue Mission, Promises2Kids, the Elizabeth Hospice, Canine Companions and the Rosie Network, which “military entrepreneurs and their families succeed by providing the best training, financial literacy, professional services, and mentorship available.”
Important Grant Details:
Grants mainly range from $25,000 to $75,000.
Grants tend to support small- and medium-sized organizations in the fund’s designated service area.
Many of the fund’s grantees serve women and girls, but organizations serving other populations also receive grants.
The application process begins with an online letter of intent form that is due on September 1. In November, the fund will contact organizations from which it would like to receive full proposals. Proposals are due in December, and in the following months the fund conducts site visits and hears presentations from applicants. Grants are announced in May.
The fund provides LOI guidelines and answers questions about the application process via email at rsfwomensfund.org.
For information about past grantmaking, see lists of grants by year on the fund’s application page.
Submit general inquiries to the Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund via email at rsfwomensfund.org. or telephone at (760) 230-2761
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