Rancho Santa Fe Foundation

What Rancho Santa Fe Foundation does

Rancho Santa Fe Foundation (RSFF) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1981 and headquartered in Rancho Santa Fe, California (Tax ID #95-3709639). The foundation manages more than $200 million in assets across over 350 charitable funds for individual philanthropists, families, and nonprofit agencies primarily in San Diego County's Coastal North region (Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas), with grantmaking reach extending globally. Core products include donor-advised funds, endowment funds, non-endowment funds, donor-directed endowments, nonprofit agency funds, and a Charitable Special Assets Fund (CSAF) that converts non-cash assets such as real estate and closely held stock into liquid charitable capital. The foundation also operates three formalized impact pillars (Supporting Our Heroes/military families, Advancing Education, and Building Healthy Communities) and houses the RSF Women's Fund, a collective giving vehicle that has distributed over $4.4 million since 2004. Technology consists of the FCSuite ERP fundholder portal for donor self-service, supplemented by a standard marketing stack (Google Analytics, Hotjar, Crazy Egg, LinkedIn ads, CookieYes consent management). The foundation holds Guide Star Platinum Transparency and Community Foundation National Standards Board accreditation.

The foundation operates on an asset-based, fee-driven managed services model. Donors contribute assets to a fund at RSFF, receive an immediate tax deduction, retain grant recommendation privileges, and RSFF earns management fees on the pooled investment portfolio plus returns on invested assets. Distribution is relationship-led through a Professional Advisory Council of wealth managers, attorneys, accountants, and estate planners, complemented by community events, content marketing via the foundation blog, and earned media in regional outlets. Customer segments include individual philanthropists and families (primary), nonprofit organizations managing agency endowments (primary), professional advisors (secondary referral channel), and military service members and veterans served through the Supporting Our Heroes pillar. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagement is per-fund, scaled to fund type and size, with specialty services in planned giving (Legacy Council) and complex asset conversion (CSAF).

Governance is by an independent Board of Directors. The foundation completed a near-complete leadership transition in early 2024: Ben Moraga joined as President and CEO effective February 20, 2024, succeeding interim CEO Karen Sprigle and long-tenured predecessor Christy Wilson, and Linda Kitchens (partner and director at wealth manager Aspiriant) became Executive Board Chair effective January 1, 2024. (Note: source data also lists a 'Chris Sichel, CEO' contact entry, which appears to be stale or conflicting relative to the dated February 2024 appointment record for Ben Moraga; this analysis treats the dated appointment as the most recent authoritative figure.)

Name

Rancho Santa Fe Foundation

Legal name

Rancho Santa Fe Foundation

Website

https://rsffoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rancho Santa Fe Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation managing $200M in charitable assets across 350+ donor-advised and endowment funds for philanthropists, families, and nonprofits in San Diego County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Philanthropic fund management
• Donor advised funds
• Charitable giving services
• Endowment administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Encinitas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Advised Fund Management: Manages donor advised funds where donors contribute assets and receive immediate tax deductions while retaining grant recommendation privileges. The foundation manages and invests these funds, earning management fees and investment returns on the pooled portfolio.
2. Endowment Fund Management: Holds permanent endowment funds for nonprofits and individuals. Principal is invested and annual payouts (up to 5%) provide ongoing income. Foundation earns fees on investment management.
3. Non-Endowment Fund Management: Manages non-permanent funds where all contributions are available for immediate grant distribution. Used for capital campaigns and special projects.
4. Charitable Special Assets Fund (CSAF): Converts non-cash assets (real estate, artwork, closely held stock) into liquid charitable assets. Oversees the sale process and handles related paperwork.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rancho Santa Fe Foundation is a community foundation that establishes, manages, and administers charitable funds on behalf of individual donors, families, and nonprofit organizations. It offers donor advised funds, endowment funds, non-endowment funds, donor-directed endowments, and nonprofit agency funds, and channels grantmaking through targeted programs such as a Community Impact Fund, RSF Women's Fund, and specialty initiatives for education, health, military families, and charitable special assets.

Product overview

Rancho Santa Fe Foundation is a San Diego community foundation offering a comprehensive suite of philanthropic services. The core offerings include Donor Advised Funds (enabling tax-efficient giving with flexibility to recommend grants over time), Endowment Funds (permanent funds for long-term nonprofit support), and Non-Endowment Funds (immediate-access funds for special projects). The Foundation manages specialized programs including RSF Women's Fund (collective giving group granting over $4.4M since 2004), Supporting Our Heroes/The Patriots Connection (military family support), Advancing Education Grants (K-8 learning loss reduction), and Building Healthy Communities (health-focused grants). Additional services include Charitable Special Assets Fund (for real estate and alternative assets), Legacy Council (planned giving), and Scholarship Funds. The Foundation also administers the Community Impact Fund for discretionary grantmaking. All services are unified under the Foundation's mission to connect donors with regional and global needs through visionary community leadership and effective grant-making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RSF Women's Fund: A collective giving group that awards grants annually to nonprofits meeting needs in specific focus areas. Has granted over $4.4 million since its inception in 2004.
• Advancing Education
• Supporting Our Heroes (The Patriots Connection)

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds A charitable giving account established by individual donors or families that allows them to make tax-deductible contributions, invest the fund, and recommend grants to qualifying nonprofits over time. Intended for affluent individuals and families seeking a flexible, long-term philanthropic vehicle.
• Endowment Funds Permanently invested charitable funds where the principal is preserved and a portion of the earnings is granted out annually. Designed for donors, families, and institutions seeking perpetual philanthropic impact.
• Non-Endowment Funds Charitable funds that allow full disbursement of contributions over time, without the permanent restriction of an endowment. Used by donors who want to deploy capital within a defined horizon.
• Donor-Directed Endowments Endowment funds in which the donor retains advisory input on annual grantmaking distributions while the foundation manages investment and stewardship. Intended for donors who want long-term impact plus ongoing involvement.
• Nonprofit Agency Funds Funds established by nonprofit organizations that are held and invested by the foundation for the benefit of the nonprofit, providing outsourced investment management and long-term stewardship.
• Community Impact Fund A pooled fund that supports place-based, high-impact grantmaking in San Diego County, allowing donors to participate collectively in addressing community priorities.
• RSF Women's Fund A collective giving circle for women philanthropists that pools contributions to award grants to nonprofits serving women and girls in the San Diego region.
• Charitable Special Assets Fund (CSAF) A specialized fund that accepts and liquidates complex or non-cash charitable gifts (such as closely held business interests, real estate, and other non-marketable assets) so donors can convert them into charitable dollars.
• Legacy Council & Planned Giving A planned giving program and donor society that supports donors in establishing charitable bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and other legacy gift arrangements through the foundation.
• Scholarship Funds Donor-established funds that award scholarships to students based on criteria set by the donor, with the foundation administering the application, selection, and disbursement processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• $170 Million in grants distributed since 2000
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alliance for African AssistancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2022RSFF partnered with Alliance for African Assistance by providing a $50,000 matching grant to support resettlement of Afghan evacuees in San Diego. The partnership helped encourage community participation in the campaign to support refugees.
• Sharp HealthCare FoundationminorOthersFormer employer of new President & CEO Ben Moraga before joining RSFF. Ben was VP of Sharp HealthCare Foundation leading a team across multiple hospital foundations.
• San Diego State UniversityminorOthersFormer employer of President & CEO Ben Moraga, who was Associate VP of University Relations and Development at SDSU before joining RSFF.
• RSF Garden ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSF Garden Club established both endowed and non-endowed funds at RSFF to support charitable horticulture and conservation activities. They have used the fund to award grants to nonprofits engaged in garden and conservation programs.
• Rancho Santa Fe AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSF Association received $100,000 grant from RSFF's Open Space Fund for brush clearance and Ewing Preserve restoration. Partnership supports fire risk reduction and nature preserve restoration.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ImpactAssets: Donor advised fund and impact investing platform focused on mission-aligned capital deployment. Emerging peer relevant to RSFF donors seeking values-aligned giving and special-assets strategies.

Others

• Foundation Source: Provider of administrative services for private foundations, including back-office, compliance, and investment support. Adjacent to RSFF's nonprofit-agency and endowment services, especially relevant when donors compare DAFs to private foundations.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: The largest U.S. donor-advised fund sponsor, operated by Fidelity Investments. Competes with RSFF for DAF dollars nationally with a tech-forward, low-fee model and significant scale advantage.
• Schwab Charitable: Major national DAF sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab. Competes on cost, digital experience, and integration with brokerage assets — the principal national benchmark against which RSFF measures its community-foundation premium.
• National Philanthropic Trust: Large independent DAF sponsor and philanthropic services provider. Comparable DAF product offering with national reach, used as a benchmark by donors comparing community foundations.

Regional players

• California Community Foundation: Los Angeles-based community foundation offering DAFs, endowments, and scholarship programs. Comparable mission and structure but different geographic focus from RSFF.
• The San Francisco Foundation: Bay Area community foundation providing DAFs, endowments, and impact programs. Comparable community-foundation model with a different donor base and geographic footprint.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: One of the largest U.S. community foundations, serving Silicon Valley. Comparable product suite (DAFs, endowments, impact programs) but operates in a different regional market.

Direct peers

• The San Diego Foundation: San Diego's largest community foundation, offering donor advised funds, endowments, and scholarship funds. Direct geographic and product-line peer to RSFF in the same regional market.
• Jewish Community Foundation San Diego: Affiliated community foundation serving the San Diego Jewish community with DAFs, endowments, and planned giving services. Closely comparable mission and product mix to RSFF.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RSFFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rsffoundation
• Xx.com/rsffoundation

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rancho Santa Fe Foundation