The San Diego Women’s Foundation (SDWF) is inviting letters of inquiry from nonprofit organizations for its Breaking Down Housing Barriers grant program that work across various fields to provide housing support services that help individuals and families acquire or maintain stable housing.

The San Diego Women’s Foundation connects, educates and inspires women to come together in collective philanthropy. Like women in several other major U.S. cities, these community leaders sought opportunities to learn about critical issues facing the region and make a difference. In 2000 they founded the San Diego Women’s Foundation to strengthen and improve women’s capacities to engage in significant philanthropy in San Diego.

Focus Areas

• Education and outreach services to identify housing options
• Case management
• Applications and forms assistance
• Upfront costs (deposits, fees, moving costs)
• Rental and mortgage assistance

Funding Information

• The minimum grant to be awarded in this grant cycle is $25,000. While there is no specific maximum award amount, most grant awards are $25,000 to $60,000.
• An award amount greater than $75,000 is unlikely. The foundation does not award partial grants. The full grant request will be awarded or denied. SDWF expects to award $200,000 to $225,000 in July 2021.
• Each grant is awarded for a 12-month period. This grant cycle begins on July 1, 2021 and ends on June 30, 2022.

Funding Exclusions

• Major building campaigns
• Conferences
• Endowments
• For-profit organizations
• Existing organizational obligations/debt
• Individuals unaffiliated with a qualified fiscal sponsor
• Work outside of the San Diego region
• Projects that promote religious or political doctrine
• Research (medical or otherwise)
• Scholarships

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for a grant from SDWF, organizations must provide services in San Diego County. Organizations must have tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status. An organization may serve as a fiscal sponsor for a charitable organization that does not have tax-exempt status if a cooperative relationship between the two can be clearly demonstrated. The fiscal sponsor must be willing to administer the grant if awarded.
• Collaborative proposals are eligible for funding, in which two or more organizations share funding and work jointly to implement a program or connected services. One organization must serve as the lead applicant: the application must be submitted under that organization’s name and 501(c)(3), and funds will be granted to that organization to be dispersed among collaborators.
• An organization may submit only one proposal, including collaborations. If more than one proposal is submitted from the same organization, all proposals from that organization will be ineligible for funding. An organization that has received or currently is receiving funding from SDWF is eligible to apply.

For more information, visit The Foundation.