About Us
Since 1983, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation has been the go-to authority on philanthropic giving in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties.
Foundation staff volunteering
We’re Your Partners in Inspiring Philanthropy
As the region’s primary provider of philanthropic solutions, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation helps people who want to give back through customized charitable funds that grow their philanthropic power. We also leverage our unique position to build dynamic partnerships that foster positive change.
For over 40 years, local philanthropists, nonprofits, and civic leaders have trusted the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to promote philanthropy that moves our region forward. As the center of philanthropy in the Sacramento region, it’s our job to understand the pulse of local communities.
In 2022, we adopted a bold Strategic Roadmap that charges us to grow the philanthropic resources available to the Sacramento region, enhance our leadership activities, and ensure all our efforts are rooted in — and advance — diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Our Vision, Mission, & Values
Our Mission & Vision
Our vision is a thriving and resilient region where generosity and collaboration create equitable opportunity and our mission is to lead, serve, and inspire enduring philanthropy for a just and vibrant Sacramento region.
We strive for excellence in all areas of our work and on behalf of all we serve in the Sacramento region. We are guided by our values:
Leadership
We lead with courage, speak up, partner with, and amplify community voice, and take informed risks to advance our mission.
Stewardship
We build a philanthropic legacy for future generations through responsible care and management of the resources entrusted to us.
Ethics
We exercise the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and accountability in everything we do.
Teamwork
We nurture a joyful, trusting, and inclusive environment where everyone’s perspectives are heard and respected.
Equity
We are committed to using our resources and working in partnership with others to address systemic inequities in our region.
Learning
We embrace continuous learning and use data, self-reflection, and the experiences of our community to inform and strengthen our work.
We adhere to the highest professional standards and maintain Community Foundations National Standards accreditation, indicating we meet the greatest marks for philanthropic excellence.
History
Like more than 800 community foundations that dot the country, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation brings together the philanthropic resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support the greater needs of the community we serve — El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties.
We exist today because of the dedication of the women in the Junior League of Sacramento. For years, the Junior League of Sacramento has identified gaps in the cultural and social service offerings of the capital area and has worked to fill the gaps by empowering existing organizations and building new ones — including your community foundation.
Since their vision was realized in the spring of 1983, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation has gained the confidence of generous people who recognize the value of an organization dedicated to improving the capital area through philanthropy.
Throughout the years, we have witnessed the transformative power of collaboration and the incredible impact we can achieve when we join forces. Thanks in large part to the generosity of people who partner with us to assist in their personal charitable giving, we have awarded $250 million in grants and scholarships in our first 40 years — including those grants we’ve directed through our community initiatives, like Big Day of Giving, which has become a game-changer for charitable giving in our region over the past decade.
In partnership with you, our neighbors, we continue to address a wide range of needs and pursued critical opportunities. We provide scholarships for aspiring students, collaborate with cross-sector partners to strengthen social systems, and extend resources to those in need during challenging times and recovery. In short, we remain steadfast in our belief that philanthropy can create meaningful opportunities for all who live in the capital area.
Milestones
May 1983: Sacramento Regional Foundation established by the Junior League of Sacramento
1984: First grant awarded: $50,000 to the Crocker Art Museum
1985: First scholarship awarded
2002: Renamed Sacramento Region Community Foundation
2011: Formed GiveLocalNow, the collaboration that germinated GivingEdge and Big Day of Giving
2012: Affiliated with Yolo Community Foundation
2013: Celebrated having awarded $100 million in grants and scholarships since 1983
2020: Total raised since Big Day of Giving began in 2013 topped $50 million, with $12 million given during devastating pandemic
2021: Grew to $200 million in assets, stewarding philanthropic resources available to the Sacramento region
2024: Celebrated awarding $250 million in grants and scholarships over our first 40 years; the total raised since Big Day of Giving began topped $100 million
2025: Launched the Impact Collaborative and announced focused investments in health equity
Through our affiliation with the Yolo Community Foundation, we offer our expertise, pool investments for greater return, and handle the administrative aspects of community foundation work — freeing its team to focus on helping Yolo County flourish.
What’s New
Discover the latest updates from our team, inspiring stories from our partners, and insights into the work shaping our community’s future.
