San Diego Police Foundation

What San Diego Police Foundation does

The San Diego Police Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 33-0785173) founded in 1998 and headquartered at 550 West C Street, Suite 500, San Diego, California. The Foundation's stated mission is to enhance police/community relations, crime prevention, and public safety in San Diego by providing grant funding for specialized equipment, training, and collaborative community programs that support the San Diego Police Department (SDPD). It is governed independently of SDPD and operates as a tax-exempt charitable entity, with up to 10% of each restricted gift retained as a sustaining fee to underwrite foundation operations.

The Foundation's programmatic surface consists of community engagement initiatives rather than technology products: United in Trust (a seven-session community education curriculum on law enforcement topics), Inside SDPD (behind-the-scenes police experiences), the annual Women in Blue Luncheon (15th year in 2026), Soiree galas (including the K9-focused Soiree: La Vita Blu), National Night Out, Coffee with a Cop, Game with a Cop, Community Academy, and Faith and Blue. It maintains a merchandise Shop on its website as an additional donor/supporter engagement channel.

The revenue model is donation-based: the Foundation raises funds from individuals, corporate sponsors, and event attendees, with no disclosed pricing, subscription, or product revenue streams. It holds a Candid (formerly GuideStar) Transparency Seal and a Four Star charity rating, and it operates through recurring partnerships with STAR/PAL (youth athletics), Chick-fil-A (community festivals), and La Vita Blu (K9 event sponsorship). Distribution is domestic, single-city (San Diego, California, USA), and the organization employs 1-10 staff.

Name

San Diego Police Foundation

Legal name

San Diego Police Foundation

Website

https://sdpolicefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The San Diego Police Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that supports the San Diego Police Department through grant funding, community engagement programs, and signature fundraising events for the San Diego community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Law Enforcement Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Nonprofit foundation services
• Community policing programs
• Public safety grants
• Crime prevention initiatives
• Police community relations

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds through donations to support police/community relations, crime prevention, and public safety initiatives. Up to 10% of each restricted gift is used as a sustaining fee to sustain foundation operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The San Diego Police Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the San Diego Police Department and broader community by providing grant funding for specialized equipment and training, operating community engagement programs (United in Trust, Inside SDPD, Coffee with Cop, Game with a Cop, Community Academy, Faith and Blue), and hosting annual fundraising events (Women in Blue Luncheon, Soirée: La Vita Blu, National Night Out). Up to 10% of each restricted gift is retained as a sustaining fee to support foundation operations.

Product overview

The San Diego Police Foundation is a nonprofit organization (EIN: 33-0785173) that supports police/community relations, crime prevention, and public safety through grant funding for specialized equipment, training, and community programs. Rather than a technology product company, the Foundation operates community engagement initiatives including United in Trust (a seven-session community education program covering law enforcement topics), Inside SDPD (behind-the-scenes police experiences), Women in Blue (annual recognition luncheon), National Night Out, Soirée: La Vita Blu (K9 Unit celebration), and various community events like Coffee with Cop, Game with a Cop, Community Academy, and Faith and Blue. The Foundation does not offer a technology product or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SDPD Grant Funding Program A grant funding mechanism that directs charitable donations to the San Diego Police Department for specialized equipment, training, and collaborative community programs not covered by public budgets. Available to supporters through restricted and unrestricted gifts.
• United in Trust Community Education Program A seven-session community education program that covers law enforcement topics for San Diego residents, designed to build trust and understanding between police and the community.
• Inside SDPD Experience Behind-the-scenes experiences hosted by the Foundation and SDPD that give community members direct exposure to police operations and personnel.
• Women in Blue Annual Luncheon Annual recognition luncheon celebrating women in law enforcement and supporting the Foundation's mission through ticket sales and sponsorship.
• Soirée: La Vita Blu Annual gala event celebrating the SDPD K9 Unit, sponsored by La Vita Blu, supporting vital training, equipment, and public safety initiatives.
• National Night Out An annual community event held in partnership with SDPD that brings together neighbors, families, community leaders, and local organizations for an evening celebrating community, unity, safety, and connection.
• Community Outreach Programs A suite of recurring community outreach programs including Coffee with Cop, Game with a Cop, Community Academy, and Faith and Blue, designed to foster informal engagement between residents and SDPD officers.
• Foundation Merchandise Shop Online storefront where supporters can purchase branded merchandise, with proceeds supporting the Foundation's mission of enhancing police/community relations, crime prevention, and public safety.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• STAR/PALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTAR/PAL (Sportsmen's Trout Achievement and Relaxation/Police Athletic League) partners with SDPD and the Foundation for the annual STAR/PAL Golf Classic, supporting youth programs and police/community engagement through athletics.
• Chick-fil-AminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChick-fil-A partners with SDPD and the Foundation for community events like the Chick-fil-A Fall Festival, providing venue support and community engagement opportunities.
• La Vita BlucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLa Vita Blu is the sponsor and partner for the annual Soiree: La Vita Blu event, celebrating SDPD's K9 Officers and their four-legged partners while supporting vital training, equipment, and public safety initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Police Executive Research Forum: National policy and research organization serving police executives, addressing policing issues through research, training, and convening. Comparable in its police-focused nonprofit mission but with a research/policy orientation rather than direct community grantmaking.
• National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund: Nationally focused nonprofit that honors fallen officers and supports law enforcement through a memorial, museum, and officer-support programs. Operates at national scale rather than single-city, but addresses the same donor pool of police supporters.

Direct peers

• New York City Police Foundation: Independent nonprofit supporting NYPD through grantmaking for equipment, training, and youth/community programs, with a similar gala-and-event fundraising motion. Largest police foundation in the U.S. and closest model for SD Police Foundation at scale.
• Houston Police Foundation: Independent nonprofit providing grants to HPD for technology, training, and community engagement. Operates with comparable mission, single-city scope, and event-driven fundraising model.
• Miami Police Foundation: Independent nonprofit supporting Miami PD through donations and grants for equipment, training, and community programs. Comparable structure and event-driven fundraising approach.
• Los Angeles Police Foundation: Independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting the Los Angeles Police Department through grants for equipment, training, technology, and community programs. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and event-driven fundraising model.
• Chicago Police Foundation: Independent 501(c)(3) that funds CPD equipment, training, and community programs through donations and events. Same mission, structure, and donor base type as SD Police Foundation in another major U.S. city.

Others

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-development nonprofit with similar community-engagement programming, event-driven fundraising, and reliance on corporate partnerships. Comparable operating model though mission is youth-development rather than police support.
• National Police Association: National nonprofit advocacy and support organization for law enforcement officers. Addresses the same broader police-support donor constituency but focuses on advocacy and member services rather than local grantmaking.
• 100 Black Men of America: National nonprofit focused on mentoring, education, and community development, with chapters that often partner with local law enforcement on youth programs. Comparable in running event-driven community programming supported by corporate sponsorships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about San Diego Police Foundation