Equity Impact Grant Program

Program Overview

The County of San Diego is piloting a new Equity Impact Grant (EIG) program in partnership with The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego (NPI) to address community feedback about the challenges that small, grassroots organizations led by people of color experience when applying for government contracts and philanthropic funding.

Each cycle, the EIG program will support 10 qualified San Diego-based social impact organizations/initiatives with $100,000 in general operating support grants.  Throughout the year-long grant period, NPI will provide tailored coaching and resources such as workshops on leadership, nonprofit governance, organizational resiliency and more.

The EIG program will focus on supporting community-driven efforts and community-based organizations working in the social and racial justice fields in the following areas:

  • education (early childhood through higher/continuing education)

  • civic engagement and movement building

  • arts, media & culture

  • housing, community development & mobility

  • public safety & restorative justice

  • health and healing

  • financial literacy & economic development

  • food systems and environmental justice

Eligibility

You're invited and encouraged to apply if:

1. Your organization has 501c(3) status, is fiscally sponsored by a 501c(3) organization, or is a tax-exempt tribal organization.

2. Your 501c(3) organization is based and serves communities in the Greater San Diego County (including all tribal and rural communities).

3. Your operating expenses are under $500,000 and/or personnel of under five full-time employees.

4. Your organization's mission and/or program(s) align with funding priorities (see above).

5. Your organization is helping to build power and/or advance life outcomes among BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, immigrants, people with disabilities, women, and youth.

6. Your organization's staff and board have lived experience with and are representative of communities they seek to impact such as, low income, housing insecure, food insecure, economically depressed, overpoliced, criminal justice system impacted, and environmental justice communities.

How to apply

The EIG program is no longer accepting applications. Awardee announcements will be made in November 2024.

The online application consists of three main sections:

Part I will screen for eligibility

Part II will capture some organizational details like name, address, EIN of the organization or fiscal sponsor, annual budget, and personnel.

Part III asks you to share some of your organization's story and impact (consisting of, but not limited to, the lived experience of your organization's leadership, history/future of your community impact, how the EIG program resources could support your impact, etc.)

Please review our application guidelines for more detailed information on how to apply.

Additional Information

Presentation slides and recordings from the informational sessions are available.

Additionally, please review our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Here is a draft of the grant agreement for this program. Please note that this a template. Individual circumstances may dictate variations in the agreement.

For any additional questions or needed support, including request for language interpretation during our virtual informational sessions, please fill out this form and we will get back to you.

Language Accessibility

Application guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) have been translated into the following languages:

Arabic - application guidelines and FAQ's

Chinese - application guidelines and FAQ's

Korean - application guidelines and FAQ's

Persian - application guidelines and FAQ's

Somali - application guidelines and FAQ's

Spanish - application guidelines and FAQ's

Tagalog - application guidelines and FAQ's

Vietnamese - application guidelines and FAQ's

If you need further assistance with translation or interpertation, please email us at equityimpactgrant@sdcounty.ca.gov 

Cohort 1 Grantees

May 1, 2024

Take a look at the first group of the Equity Impact Grant (EIG) program grantees! These ten organizations are engaged in amazing work throughout the San Diego region and represent a broad cross-section of our communities. 

  • Building Justice (HoMEwork) – A Southeast San Diego organization that supports people transitioning out of incarceration by prioritizing their personal development, creating a support system, and providing opportunities to amplify their voices and influence policy decisions.  
  • First Gen Scholars – An organization helping first-generation, low-income Black, Latinx, and Southeast Asian students navigate the college admissions process and graduate debt-free.   
  • Free Thought Revolution – A community-driven effort to “bridge the divide of humanity through storytelling, community, and social action.” In addition to their podcast, their vision includes educational initiatives and housing programs to provide a safe space for marginalized individuals to engage in healing and community-building.   
  • Garden 31 – This organization trains and mentors youth and adults that are considered at-risk, formerly incarcerated, justice-impacted, and socioeconomically disadvantaged in regenerative agriculture, sustainable food systems, and life skills to improve community health and wellness. 
  • Inner-Tribal Treatment – To address the needs of the Native American population impacted by the opioid crisis, this organization provides one of the only culturally-based treatment programs in Southern California.  
  • Lived Experiences – A North County community-based organization that utilizes data-proven methods to advocate for change by investing in people’s microsystems and addressing the root causes of physical and emotional trauma.  
  • Majdal Arab Community Center of San Diego – Through advocacy and cultural programs, this East County organization works to empower and uplift the Arab community in San Diego.   
  • Paddle for Peace – An organization conceived to create a nurturing space where BIPOC children could not only access coastal environments for recreation, physical fitness and mental healing but also envision and explore careers in Marine Biology and Environmentalism. To date, they have provided over 600 first time coastal experiences for BIPOC, underserved youth.   
  • San Diego Community Birth Center – This is the only Black-owned birth center in San Diego County, providing access to midwifery care, doula and lactation services, among other resources that ensure healthy births.   
  • San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition – A volunteer-led organization that not only serves over 500 Black LGBTQ people and families yearly but works to address the acute needs of the Black transgender community.