San Diego Giving Stories

San Diego Giving Stories is a special initiative of San Diego Grantmakers, launched by the SDG Policy Committee in October 2009. The project includes the development and email distribution of a series of short, engaging stories about the work of SDG members to local leaders. 

These stories offer a glimpse into the many ways institutional philanthropy is making a difference in our community. We will profile local grantmakers who are investing their resources in our region, and partnering with each other, nonprofits and government to improve our quality of life.

Featured Stories

The SDG Policy Committee selected an initial round of stories to represent a diversity of sizes and types of funders and giving areas and to illustrate how grantmakers made a measurable difference in addressing critical community needs. 

After the stories are developed, they will be available on this page.

• Profile 1: SDG Homelessness Working Group
• Profile 2: The Patricia & Christopher Weil Family Foundation
• Profile 3: Jewish Community Foundation
• Profile 4: San Diego Workforce Funders Collaborative

Other organizations to be featured in 2010 include:  

• The California Wellness Foundation
• Cox Communications
• The Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Foundation
• Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation/San Diego Neighborhood Funders
• The Kenneth A. Picerne Foundation
• The San Diego Foundation
• San Diego National Bank
• San Diego Social Venture Partners
• The Ronald Simon Family Foundation
• Coming Home to Stay Project

Why We're Doing This

• Nationally, The Philanthropy Awareness Initiative has shown that most community leaders cannot cite an example of how grantmakers have helped their communities or even name a foundation on the first try. 
• At the same time, there has been increasing scrutiny of our field. 
• Since we published The Grantmaking Report: Foundation and Corporate Giving in the San Diego Region in 2008, SDG has been building relationships with local leaders in order to help them understand the nature, scope, and impact of organized philanthropy in our community. 

Project Sponsors

The San Diego Giving Stories project is made possible by the generous support of The California Wellness Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and JP Morgan Chase & Co. Global Philanthropy.  If you are interested in supporting the project, let us know.