Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation: Grants for San Diego
/OVERVIEW: This funder supports San Diego area nonprofits in K-12 and STEM education, arts, music, and economic development. It accepts letters of inquiry throughout the year.
IP TAKE: This private funder supports San Diego and K-12 education, and grant seekers should keep this in mind when submitting a letter of inquiry.
PROFILE: The Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation was established in 1991 and serves San Diego, California. It seeks to “be a catalyst for growth and sustainability for organizations with the vision and ability to provide meaningful and robust STEAM educational opportunities for youth where these resources are most needed.” The foundation was created with assets from the estate of Thomas C. Ackerman, who was born in San Diego in 1927, attended San Diego State College, and went to the School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley. He became a partner at the San Diego law firm of Gray Cary Ames & Frye and wished to continue supporting his hometown even after his death.
The foundation supports K-12 education, arts, music, and the economic development of San Diego. It has supported more than 650 organizations and granted in excess of $7 million in the San Diego region. K-12 STEM education is a top priority and has been since 2005. Underserved parts of San Diego County are the focus of these grants. To a lesser degree, grants still support human services, community development, and culture.
Ackerman mainly funds projects that will become self-sufficient or will obtain other sources of funding, however, it occasionally makes multiyear grants. It does not make grants for human medical or biomedical research; occasionally, it supports religious organizations. Around 48 percent of recent grants supported education, 24 percent to health and human services, 13 percent to community development, eight percent to culture, and seven percent to miscellaneous/endowment.
To apply for an Ackerman grant, grant seekers should submit an online letter of inquiry of three pages or less, and expect the LOI review process to take six to 12 weeks. The foundation will invite groups to submit formal grant applications electronically. The board of directors typically meets in February, September, and December. Past application deadlines fall in early September and late November.
The best way for grant seekers to get in touch is to email info@ackermanfoundation.org. The phone is (619) 741-0113, and the address is 101 West Broadway, Suite 900, San Diego, California 92101.
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