As a community foundation, we are different from other foundations who are fully in control of decisions about which nonprofits receive funding. The majority of our annual grants are directed by Foundation fundholders according to their own interests. The key to attracting these grants is knowing your donors and engaging them about your work in order to inspire gifts from their charitable funds at the Foundation. 

Further, even though the Foundation has grown to more than $200 million in total assets, the majority of those funds are endowed, meaning that the Foundation and our fundholders can only grant out a small percentage annually, protecting the principal. 

While donor-directed grantmaking continues to have a major impact in the region, the bulk of the Foundation’s grantmaking reflects our Strategic Initiatives. For more information on all of our Foundation-directed grants, please click here.

The following are some additional suggestions on how your nonprofit can attract grants from the Foundation: 

• Create a profile on GivingEdge: To receive grants from the Foundation and other local funders, as well as be eligible to participate in Big Day of Giving, you will need to establish a GivingEdge profile. 
• Join our grants registry: Register to be notified of grant opportunities. 
• Keep us informed about your work: Send our Impact Team your newsletters, invite us on site tours, and educate us about your important programs and events. The more informed we are about your impact in the community, the better we can support you!

Through a Nonprofit Fund with the Foundation, community organizations like yours can set aside funds to create long-term stability, plan for future growth or add to the organization’s credibility with key donors. 

When you partner with the Foundation, we work closely with the leadership of your organization to help establish a fund that supports your goals for today and in the future. As an additional benefit, the Foundation handles the administration of the fund, leaving your staff and board free to focus on what matters — your mission on behalf of the community.

A Nonprofit Fund can help to meet future needs by providing a relatively constant source of operating income. The fund can be opened for a minimum of $10,000 and donors may use cash, stock, or other assets to grow the fund over time. To learn more about the benefits of partnering with the Foundation by opening a Nonprofit Fund, please visit our Nonprofit Funds page.

Please email your question to the GivingEdge team, givingedge@sacregcf.org. Due to the high volume of inquiries regarding GivingEdge and creating a GivingEdge profile, we ask that all questions are sent via email to help us provide faster service.

You should peek through our Big Day of Giving pages for general audiences and area nonprofits as well as the Big Day of Giving website.

If you would like to participate in Big Day of Giving, creating a GivingEdge profile is one of the first steps to eligibility. 

If you still cannot find the answer to your question, please email it to the Big Day of Giving team, bdog@sacregcf.org. Due to the high volume of inquiries regarding Big Day of Giving, we ask that all questions are sent via email to help us provide faster service. The Foundation is unable to take phone calls from nonprofit organizations regarding participation.

The Foundation is committed to providing our nonprofit partners with opportunities for continued learning and insights into new technology and resources. (In fact, we think of Big Day of Giving as one huge capacity-building program, in addition to a fundraising challenge!)

There are many online resources for nonprofits in everything from proposal writing to board engagement. Among our favorites:

• The Center for Effective Philanthropy
• Council on Foundations
• GEO - Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
• Stanford Center on Social Innovation
• The Bridgespan Group
• How America Gives Interactive Tool - The Chronicle of Philanthropy