Price Philanthropies Foundation

What Price Philanthropies Foundation does

Price Philanthropies Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) family foundation founded in 1982 by retail entrepreneur Sol Price and his wife Helen Price, headquartered at 4305 University Avenue in San Diego, California. The foundation's mission is to improve life opportunities for underserved youth and families, executed through two parallel engines: (1) grantmaking primarily to San Diego non-profits serving the City Heights community, providing general operating, program, and capital grants, and (2) directly operated youth programs and community initiatives. The foundation is currently not accepting unsolicited grant requests and works predominantly with established partners.

The core programmatic portfolio includes the Aaron Price Fellows Program (high school leadership pipeline), Cardinals Interact (mentoring/tutoring at Hoover High School), and Aprender y Crecer (school supplies for 280+ primary schools in Latin America and the Caribbean, benefiting 150,000+ students and 7,500+ teachers). Place-based initiatives span City Heights (revitalization for a 74,000-resident, largely immigrant community), Mental Health (behavioral health workforce pipeline), Early Education and Childcare (Head Start, family childcare), Human Rights (immigrant legal services), and Real Estate (City Heights Center, Village Townhomes, City Heights Square, and a growing portfolio of 100% affordable housing developments with Wakeland Housing and Chelsea Investment Corporation).

The revenue model is structured as an endowment-funded private foundation: investment returns on the endowment back annual grantmaking and program operations. Notable strategic commitments include a $10 million grant to Cal State San Marcos for the SWIFT Health Programs behavioral health workforce initiative, and participation in the 'United for San Diego' coalition (with Prebys Foundation and San Diego Foundation) contributing to a combined $70 million increase in regional giving in 2025. Leadership rests with second-generation family members Robert Price (President and CEO) and Allison Price, with the next generation (Rebecca Price Brewer, Sarah Price Keating, David Price) governing the spun-off Aaron Price Fellows Foundation established in 2018.

Name

Price Philanthropies Foundation

Legal name

Price Philanthropies Foundation

Website

https://pricephilanthropies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Price Philanthropies Foundation is a private family foundation, founded by Sol and Helen Price in 1982, that funds San Diego non-profits and operates youth programs targeting underserved youth and families in the City Heights community, with supplementary educational outreach across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Family Foundation and Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Private foundation grantmaking
• Youth development programs
• Community philanthropy services
• Affordable housing development
• Educational scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment and Charitable Giving: Price Philanthropies Foundation operates as a private family foundation funded by an endowment established by Sol Price. The foundation generates revenue through investment returns on its endowment and distributes charitable grants to non-profit organizations serving youth and families in San Diego, particularly the City Heights community.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Price Philanthropies Foundation is a private family foundation that makes grants primarily to San Diego nonprofit organizations serving the City Heights community, while also operating direct youth programs, a college scholarship program, and affordable housing real estate development. Its offerings include grantmaking (general operating, program, and capital grants), youth programs such as the Aaron Price Fellows, Cardinals Interact, and Aprender y Crecer, the College Scholarship Program, and initiatives in City Heights, mental health, early education and childcare, human rights, and real estate.

Product overview

Price Philanthropies Foundation is a private family foundation focused on grantmaking and youth programs; it does not operate a technology product or software platform. Its offerings consist entirely of philanthropic programs, initiatives, scholarships, and community partnerships — including youth programs (Aaron Price Fellows, Cardinals Interact, Aprender y Crecer), community initiatives (City Heights, Mental Health, Early Education and Childcare, Human Rights), real estate development, educational partnerships (San Diego Zoo, Birch Aquarium, USC Price School of Public Policy), and college scholarship programs (Effron and Goldberg scholarships). No technology product, SaaS platform, or software module is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aaron Price Fellows Program A direct-service youth program that prepares highly motivated and diverse San Diego high school students to be responsible, engaged, and caring members of their community.
• Cardinals Interact A mentoring and tutoring program for selected Hoover High School students, delivered in partnership with San Diego Rotary Club 33, Hoover High School, and Price Philanthropies to help students achieve lifelong success.
• Aprender y Crecer (Learning and Growing) An international youth and education program that supports public primary education in Latin America and the Caribbean by providing school supplies, books, and teacher materials, benefiting over 150,000 students and 7,500 teachers in more than 280 primary schools.
• College Scholarship Program (Effron and Goldberg Scholarships) A college scholarship program managed by Price Philanthropies Foundation (including the Effron Center-funded scholarships and the Joseph and Dorothy Goldberg Scholarship administered with San Diego Foundation) that provides scholarships to qualifying students, including Price Scholars for Community Enrichment at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy covering up to 100% tuition for graduate students focused on improving underserved Southern California communities.
• Grantmaking to San Diego Nonprofits The foundation's core grantmaking service, providing general operating, program, and capital grants primarily to San Diego nonprofit organizations serving the City Heights community. The foundation is not currently accepting unsolicited grant requests and works with established nonprofit partners.
• City Heights Initiative A comprehensive, place-based community revitalization initiative in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood serving approximately 74,000 residents (including roughly 21,000 youth under 18), comprising refugees and immigrants from Latin America, Asia, and East Africa, with a median household income of $32,062.
• Mental Health Initiative An initiative supporting behavioral and mental health workforce development and direct services in San Diego, including seed funding for a Behavioral Health Urgent Care at Rady Children's Hospital, the SWIFT Health Programs at Cal State San Marcos, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Fellowship with UC San Diego Health, and a Behavioral Health Workforce Center of Excellence co-funded with the County of San Diego and Interfaith Community Services.
• Early Education and Childcare Initiative An initiative supporting family childcare providers and early childhood education in City Heights, including the STEPS to Family Child Care Success Program with San Diego Foundation, the Urban Village II Head Start and Early Head Start preschool at City Heights Center with Neighborhood House, and the Family Childcare Curriculum Pilot developed with San Diego Grantmakers Early Childhood Funders.
• Human Rights Initiative An initiative providing general operating and program support to immigrant rights and human rights organizations, including ACLU San Diego & Imperial Counties, Casa Cornelia Law Center, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), and Jewish Family Service's Rapid Response Network coordinating 40+ immigrant rights and human services providers for a 24-hour hotline, legal services, crisis intervention, and "Know Your Rights" presentations.
• Real Estate Development Program Affordable housing and community facility real estate development by Price Philanthropies Foundation, including City Heights Center (2002), Village Townhomes (2003), City Heights Square (2011), Mid-City Family Apartments and Harris Family Senior Residence (2022), City Heights Place (2024), City Heights Plaza del Sol (2024), and The Teralta (expected completion spring 2026), developed in partnership with Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation and Chelsea Investment Corporation.
• Sol Price Biography: "Retail Revolutionary and Social Innovator" A published book recounting the extraordinary life of Sol Price and his impact on U.S. and global shopping habits, available for $27.00 (tax and shipping included) and shipped only within the United States.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150,000 students and 7,500 teachers benefited from Aprender y Crecer program in 280+ primary schools
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• San Diego Zoo Wildlife AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrice Family Education Endowment at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance supports experiential learning programs for Title 1 schools in San Diego County. Currently funds the Sensational Scientists Program for 4th grade students and Watershed Heroes curriculum serving at least 65 schools annually.
• Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of OceanographycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOcean Science Education Fund increases access to hands-on ocean science education for Title 1 schools through Aquarium Express and Beach Science Programs, providing up to 420 programs each year.
• USC Sol Price School of Public PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner2011 naming gift endowed the school in Sol Price's honor. Gift established Price Scholars for Community Enrichment scholarship program covering up to 100% tuition for graduate students focused on improving underserved Southern California communities.
• Cal State San MarcoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$10 million grant to launch SWIFT Health Programs, a three-year accelerated bachelor's degree and workforce pipeline for behavioral and mental health careers to address workforce shortage in San Diego County.
• Wakeland Housing and Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for affordable housing developments including City Heights Place (60 units), City Heights Plaza del Sol (75 units), and The Teralta (74 units).
• Chelsea Investment CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Mid-City Family Apartments (78 units) and Harris Family Senior Residence (117 units), 100% affordable housing developments completed in 2022.
• Prebys FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative 'United for San Diego' combining increased annual giving by $70 million to protect access to food, housing, and healthcare for families amid historic government funding cuts.
• San Diego FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative 'United for San Diego' and co-administration of Joseph and Dorothy Goldberg Scholarship. Also partner in San Diego Unity Fund for emergency response.
• San Diego Rotary Club 33coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Cardinals Interact program providing mentoring and tutoring to Hoover High School students. Also supports annual Rotary 4-way Speech Contest.
• San Diego State University School of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to strengthen bilingual and bicultural behavioral health workforce and provide services for City Heights youth through social workers and MSW interns assigned to schools.
• San Diego Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for school-based programs including School in the Park, social and emotional supports, Music Program, and school-based health centers.
• Rady Children's HospitalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeed funding for Behavioral Health Urgent Care within existing City Heights urgent care location. Also support for expansions of pediatric care and behavioral health services.
• Interfaith Community ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Behavioral Health Workforce Center of Excellence (COE), co-funded with County of San Diego, expected to provide 284 trained staff in first five years.
• Mending MattersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with SDUSD to fund behavioral health program at Hoover High School with three dedicated LCSWs coordinating therapy, workshops, crisis intervention, and MSW internship program.
• UC San Diego HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to establish first Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Fellowship program with focus on child and adolescent care.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) San Diego & Imperial CountiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral operating support to ensure civil rights and freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution are upheld.
• Casa Cornelia Law CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro bono legal services to victims of human and civil rights violations, primarily immigrant community along San Diego/Tijuana border.
• International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership connecting law students with pro bono lawyers to provide direct services to refugees and pursue system advocacy through 29 law school chapters and 75+ international law firms.
• Jewish Family Service - Rapid Response NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead agency coordinating 40+ immigrant rights and human services providers for 24-hour hotline, legal services, crisis intervention, and 'Know Your Rights' presentations.
• San Diego FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to pilot Steps to Family Child Care Success Program (STEPS) for City Heights family childcare providers. Also collaborated on Family Childcare Curriculum Pilot.
• Neighborhood HousemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Urban Village II Head Start and Early Head Start preschool at City Heights Center serving children 6 weeks to 5 years and pregnant/post-partum women.
• San Diego Grantmakers Early Childhood FundersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop purposeful, practical, and personalized curriculum for family childcare providers.
• Aaron Price Fellows FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate foundation established in 2018, overseen by Robert and Allison Price with their children, to continue the Aaron Price Fellows Program legacy.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves15 records

Broad incumbents

• The David and Lucile Packard Foundation: Large California-based endowed family foundation with multi-decade place-based strategies and significant real estate / community development interests. Comparable governance model (family-led) and long-horizon approach.
• The California Wellness Foundation: California-focused health foundation funding health equity and youth development. Mission overlap with Price Philanthropies' behavioral health and youth workforce investments.
• The California Endowment: Large California-focused health foundation that funds community health, immigrant integration, and place-based initiatives. Comparable in mission overlap on City Heights-relevant health and immigrant-serving work, though operating statewide at much greater scale.
• Conrad N. Hilton Foundation: Major family foundation addressing youth, homelessness, and safe water. Comparable as a multi-generational family foundation deploying nine-figure annual grantmaking and operating direct programs alongside grantmaking.
• The Annie E. Casey Foundation: National foundation focused on children, youth, and families with place-based community change strategies. Comparable operating model of multi-decade community initiatives serving vulnerable youth populations.
• The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: Large California-based endowed foundation with education, housing, and Bay Area place-based strategies. Comparable as a family-endowed foundation combining long-horizon place-based investment with broader thematic grantmaking.

Direct peers

• San Diego Foundation: The largest community foundation serving San Diego County, co-administering the Joseph and Dorothy Goldberg Scholarship with Price Philanthropies and a co-lead on United for San Diego. Comparable as a regional grantmaking and scholarship operator.
• Weingart Foundation: Southern California-focused private foundation funding non-profits serving low-income communities across housing, education, and health. Comparable grantmaking focus and operational scale, with similar multi-decade place-based orientation.
• Prebys Foundation: San Diego-based private foundation also focused on regional grantmaking and community health/equity programs. Direct peer as Price Philanthropies' co-lead on the $70M United for San Diego initiative and operates on a comparable scale and geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Irvine Foundation (James Irvine Foundation): California-focused foundation with place-based work in select regions including affordable housing and youth pathways. Comparable operating model and California regional grantmaking orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pricephilanthropies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/price-charities
• Instagraminstagram.com/pricephilanthropies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Price Philanthropies Foundation