What is a Community Foundation?
The Santa Cruz Community Foundation is part of a rapidly growing field of over 600 community foundations that act as community savings accounts for different regions. We are a nonprofit community organization created by and for the people of Santa Cruz County and linked in shared community service to our sister foundation, FESAC, in Nogales, Sonora Mexico. We are a foundation for the community - making grants to and building capacity of community organizations. We are also a foundation by the community. We provide leadership to convene the community to address critical needs and help to generate resources to meet those needs. We manage a variety of funds, established by families, individuals and corporations. We’re here to help our donors do good work for now and for the future.
Founded in 2001, the Santa Cruz Community Foundation was created by area residents as a permanent resource for the entire county. Even though the foundation has only been in existence for a few years, it has already complied an impressive record of community service. In 2007, in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, 16 local agencies received over $54,000 in grant support and 38 local young people were awarded scholarships for $143,240.
We are affiliated with the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, the international Border Philanthropy Partnership and La Fundación del Empresariado Sonorense AC (FESAC).
Our Mission
To Empower Our Community To Invest In Itself. We work with you to promote philanthropy to make the communities of Santa Cruz County and Nogales Sonora a better place to live - now and in the future.
Who are our supporters? SCCF donors include individuals, families, businesses and nonprofit organizations. We combine local knowledge, permanence and maximum tax benefits with personalized service for our donors - who are as diverse as the causes they care about.