San Diego Seniors Community Foundation

What San Diego Seniors Community Foundation does

San Diego Seniors Community Foundation (SDSCF) is a private 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Diego, California, operating as the only community foundation in the United States dedicated exclusively to older adults. It pursues a four-pillar agenda covering physical wellness, mental well-being, financial security, and social connection for seniors, with particular focus on vulnerable subpopulations including senior orphans, socially isolated older adults, and victims of elder fraud. The foundation's programs include the Longevity Fund (a $2 million initiative launched in 2026 to build Longevity Club facilities for adults 55+), Elder Fraud Workshops delivered in partnership with the FBI and Wells Fargo Foundation, the No Senior Alone social-isolation initiative, a $150 million over 10 years Senior Center Master Plan, Generations in Sync intergenerational programs, and annual Empowerment Grants to local senior-serving nonprofits.

The foundation is funded through individual donations, planned and legacy gifts, corporate contributions, and grants from family and corporate foundations including Sahm Family Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Gary and Mary West Foundation, Conrad Prebys Foundation, San Diego Foundation, California Health Care Foundation, Parker Foundation, and David C. Copley Foundation. Distribution occurs through a network of 28 senior centers across San Diego County, community-based partner organizations, in-person fraud-prevention seminars, and digital channels (website, email, and social media on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn). The foundation is governed by a Board of Directors and staffed by a small team led by CEO Paul Downey, with a Chief Program Officer (Joe Gavin) and Director of Programs (Junne Esguerra).

Operationally, SDSCF combines grantmaking, advocacy, direct service programming, and — most recently — facility development via the Longevity Club model. It does not operate technology products; its core platform is its partnership network, donor base, and convening role across the San Diego aging-services ecosystem. The organization produced the inaugural State of Seniors Report to anchor policy and donor engagement and increasingly engages corporate partners (SDG&E, Wells Fargo) and government agencies (San Diego County DA, Aging and Independence Services) on multi-stakeholder initiatives.

Name

San Diego Seniors Community Foundation

Legal name

San Diego Seniors Community Foundation

Website

https://sdscf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Diego Seniors Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation, the first in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to older adults, funding programs in elder fraud prevention, senior center modernization, social isolation, and longevity clubs across San Diego County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Philanthropy and Grantmaking for Senior Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Senior/Third-Age Lifelong Learning Institutes (EDAAAEAJ)

Keywords

• Senior community foundation
• Philanthropy and grantmaking
• Elder fraud prevention
• Social isolation programs
• Senior center modernization

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: Individual donors contribute through the organization's website using embedded donation forms (Kindful platform). The foundation receives outright gifts of cash, publicly traded securities, real estate, paid-up life insurance, and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions.
2. Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: Donors can establish endowed funds, leave bequests, create charitable remainder trusts, designate retirement accounts, or use other deferred giving vehicles to support seniors in perpetuity.
3. Foundation Grants: Receives grants from corporate foundations (Wells Fargo Foundation, Sahm Family Foundation, Gary and Mary West Foundation, etc.) and government partnerships to fund specific programs like elder fraud prevention, social isolation reduction, and senior center modernization.
4. Corporate and Nonprofit Partnerships: Companies and nonprofits partner with SDSCF through corporate giving programs, sponsorships, and collaborative initiatives to support senior services.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

San Diego Seniors Community Foundation is a nonprofit community foundation that raises philanthropic funds through donations, grants, and planned giving to deliver free programs supporting San Diego seniors across four pillars: physical wellness, mental well-being, financial security, and social connection. Its core offerings include the Longevity Fund (building neighborhood Longevity Clubs for ages 55+), Elder Fraud Prevention Workshops, the No Senior Alone social isolation initiative, Senior Center Master Plan modernization campaign, Generations in Sync intergenerational programs, and Empowerment Grants to local senior service organizations.

Product overview

San Diego Seniors Community Foundation operates as a community foundation offering a portfolio of philanthropic programs rather than a technology product. The core offerings include the Longevity Fund supporting Longevity Clubs, Elder Fraud Prevention Workshops, the No Senior Alone social isolation initiative, a Senior Center Master Plan campaign, Generations in Sync intergenerational programs, and Empowerment Grants to local senior service organizations. These programs work together to address senior welfare across physical wellness, financial security, social connection, and infrastructure needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Longevity Fund and Longevity Clubs A $2 million fund establishing Longevity Clubs—neighborhood-based spaces for seniors aged 55+ that combine fitness facilities with community hubs to promote physical wellness, social connection, and healthy aging.
• Elder Fraud Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,009 seniors reached through fraud prevention; 11 fraud-prevention events held; 36 new community partnerships formed in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• FBI San Diego Citizens Academy Alumni AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with SDSCF on elder fraud prevention seminars, providing FBI expertise and real-life case studies to help seniors recognize and avoid scams.
• HGW ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating with SDSCF on the Senior Center Master Plan, designing the vision for senior centers of the future.
• Life Span DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner collaborating on senior center concept presentations and future senior center designs as part of the Master Plan initiative.
• National Council on AgingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization supporting SDSCF's aging services network and providing resources for seniors.
• San Diego County District Attorney's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Diego County DA has made elder fraud a top priority and partners with SDSCF on fraud prevention education.
• San Diego Aging and Independence Services (AIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty administrator overseeing programs that help keep seniors safe in their homes, promoting healthy living.
• Live Well San DiegomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty initiative partner supporting SDSCF's age-friendly community goals.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• USAging: USAging (formerly National Association of Area Agencies on Aging) represents the national network of Area Agencies on Aging and serves as an advocate, resource, and thought leader for community-based aging services. It overlaps with SDSCF's role as a convener and grantmaker for senior service providers.
• Oasis Institute: Oasis is a national nonprofit providing lifelong learning, health programs, and volunteer opportunities for adults 50+. It is comparable to SDSCF's senior learning and social-connection programs and operates a similar community-center-based service model.
• Archstone Foundation: Archstone Foundation is a California-based private grantmaking foundation dedicated to preparing society for the growing population of older adults. It is comparable to SDSCF as a regional aging-focused foundation funding programs in senior health, caregiving, and aging in place.
• Meals on Wheels America: Meals on Wheels America is the national organization supporting a network of community-based programs that deliver meals and social connection to homebound seniors. It directly mirrors SDSCF's No Senior Alone and social-isolation mandate and is a comparable nonprofit community-services model.
• National Council on Aging: NCOA is a national nonprofit advocating for older adults' health, economic security, and independence through partnerships and programs. It is also a confirmed SDSCF partner, making it a directly comparable peer in the aging-services network space.
• Gary and Mary West Foundation: Gary and Mary West Foundation is a San Diego-based foundation focused on enabling successful aging through grantmaking in senior health and wellness. It is both a peer and a current SDSCF partner, with a similar philanthropic focus on older adults in the same geography.
• Foundation for Senior Living: Foundation for Senior Living is an Arizona-based nonprofit providing home and community-based services for seniors and people with disabilities. It mirrors SDSCF's focus on enabling aging in place through community-based programs and partnerships.

Regional players

• Live Well San Diego: Live Well San Diego is the county-led partnership initiative to improve health, safety, and quality of life across the region. It is a current SDSCF partner and a regional peer working on age-friendly community goals in the same San Diego County geography.

Broad incumbents

• San Diego Foundation: San Diego Foundation is the largest community foundation in the region, supporting causes across all age groups with a much broader and deeper endowment. It is a confirmed SDSCF partner but represents a larger, less specialized incumbent in the same regional community-foundation space.
• AARP Foundation: AARP Foundation is the charitable affiliate of AARP and the largest national nonprofit focused exclusively on adults 50+. It shares SDSCF's mission of supporting older adults across financial security, social connection, and wellness, but operates nationally with a far larger endowment and programmatic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/seniorssd
• Facebookfacebook.com/sandiegoseniors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-seniors-community-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/seniorsofsd/?hl=en

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments9 records

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Frequently asked questions about San Diego Seniors Community Foundation