The San Diego Foundation (SDF) announced a $4 million commitment to support local high school students facing homelessness, in foster care, or learning English prepare for college success.
The initiative comes as recent data shows significant graduation disparities among vulnerable student populations in San Diego County. While the overall graduation rate reached 84.6% in 2023-24, 69.4% of English learners, 49.8% of foster youth, and 62.8% of homeless students graduated.
"For nearly 50 years, San Diego Foundation has responded to critical community needs," said Mark Stuart, SDF President & CEO. "We are grateful to our donors for these significant gifts that will help local young people pursue a quality education and grow our region's future leaders."
The foundation will distribute $935,000 in grants to 10 local nonprofits in San Diego providing services including tutoring, counseling, and college application assistance. Recipients include A Step Beyond, Barrio Logan College Institute, and First Gen Scholars, each receiving $125,000 annually.
Two major donations bolster the initiative: an anonymous $1 million gift and a $500,000 matching gift from the Barbara Monroe Scholarship Fund.
The commitment is part of SDF's Fifty & Forward campaign, launched in 2024, which aims to grant $500 million to local nonprofits while raising $1 billion for San Diego's future.
Founded in 1975, SDF has granted $1.8 billion to strengthen the San Diego community. The organization focuses on advancing racial and social justice, fostering equity of opportunity, building resilient communities, and delivering world-class philanthropy. Since 2017, its Community Scholars Initiative has provided over $1.9 million in scholarships to 710 first-generation college students from underrepresented communities.
