The San Diego Women's Foundation

What The San Diego Women's Foundation does

The San Diego Women's Foundation (SDWF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2000 that operates a member-driven collective philanthropy model serving women philanthropists in San Diego County. Members contribute annual dues ranging from $750 to $2,500 (with optional $500 Collaboration Committee and $3,000 President's Circle enhancements), pool resources, and democratically allocate grants to local nonprofits through an annual research-based, issue-driven grantmaking cycle, supplemented by collaborative grants with partner funders. The organization pools over 200 members and has awarded more than $5.9 million to 128 local nonprofits across issues including senior isolation, youth mental health, early childhood education, food insecurity, refugee services, Indigenous food sovereignty, and environmental justice.

SDWF's core product surface consists of its Membership Program, Annual Grantmaking Program, Collaborative Grantmaking partnerships, the two-year Fellowship Program for emerging nonprofit leaders, the Corporate Partners Program, and the Next25 Campaign launched to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The underlying technology is entirely off-the-shelf SaaS: Blackbaud handles donation forms and membership contribution processing, Canva hosts digital annual reports, and Eventbrite manages event registration. There is no proprietary technology platform; the "product" is the curated grantmaking process, educational programming, and member community.

SDWF operates as a supporting organization of The San Diego Foundation, sharing its Liberty Station headquarters, administrative staff, finance, marketing, and impact functions, while employing three dedicated staff (Executive Director Stephanie Cook, Programs & Grants Manager Angela Fujii, Senior Specialist for Membership & Communications Ahtziri Ayala) who are formally employed by SDF. Revenue is generated through membership contributions, one-time and recurring donations, tribute and legacy gifts, corporate sponsorships, and enhanced giving circles, with all grants awarded on a member-voted basis and an increasing share delivered as multi-year unrestricted funding under a trust-based philanthropy framework adopted in 2019-2020.

Name

The San Diego Women's Foundation

Legal name

San Diego Women's Foundation

Website

https://sdwomensfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The San Diego Women's Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pools annual dues from 200+ women members to democratically fund local nonprofits, awarding $5.9M+ to 128 grantees across San Diego County since 2000 via member-driven, increasingly unrestricted multi-year grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collective Philanthropy and Grantmaking Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Collective philanthropy
• Women's giving circles
• Community grantmaking
• Trust-based philanthropy
• Donor-advised grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions: Annual membership dues based on giving capacity, ranging from $750 to $2,500 per year. Members receive voting privileges, committee involvement, and event access.
2. Donations: One-time gifts, monthly sustaining donations, tribute gifts in honor or memory of individuals, and legacy/planned giving contributions.
3. President's Circle Contributions: Additional $3,000 annual contributions from President's Circle members to increase grantmaking capacity and support organizational growth.
4. Collaboration Committee Contributions: $500 additional annual contributions from committee members to fund collaborative grants pool with partner organizations.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual sponsorship packages at various levels providing brand visibility, event participation, and employee engagement benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The San Diego Women's Foundation (SDWF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that pools philanthropic contributions from individual women members and collectively grants funds to nonprofit organizations serving the San Diego community. Members participate in democratic grantmaking, vetting and voting on which nonprofits receive multi-year unrestricted grants, supported by educational programming on community issues.

Product overview

The San Diego Women's Foundation operates as a collective philanthropy organization offering a unified suite of programs centered on collaborative grantmaking. The core offering is the Membership Program, which enables women to pool resources and make democratic funding decisions. This is supported by the Annual Grantmaking Program, Collaborative Grantmaking partnerships, and the Fellowship Program for emerging nonprofit leaders. The Next25 Campaign and Corporate Partners Program expand reach and sustainability. All programs operate within a member-driven model focused on trust-based philanthropy and equity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Annual membership program for women philanthropists with tiered dues (Bronze/Silver/Gold at $750/$1,250/$2,500) that grant each member equal voting rights in collective grantmaking decisions.
• Annual Collective Grantmaking Cycle Annual pooled-fund grantmaking cycle through which members collectively vet applications and award multi-year unrestricted grants to San Diego County nonprofits addressing critical community needs.
• Collaboration Committee Grants Smaller, more responsive pooled grants funded by members opting into additional contributions beyond base dues, supporting timely community needs outside the annual grant cycle.
• Educational Programming & Site Visits Member learning events including nonprofit site visits, speaker series, and issue briefings that educate members on San Diego's community needs to inform their grantmaking decisions.
• Corporate Partnership Program Sponsorship and partnership program for businesses and foundations that support SDWF's operations, events, and grantmaking through financial contributions and in-kind support.
• Next25 Campaign Targeted giving initiative engaging younger women philanthropists and next-generation donors in SDWF's collective giving model.

Quantifiable outcome

• $5.9 million+ granted to 128 nonprofits since 2000
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• San Diego Foundation Growing Green Spaces InitiativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership to expand access to parks, green infrastructure, and community gardens. $30,000 awarded across four organizations: lipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, Indigenous Regeneration, San Diego Parks Foundation, and Viet Voices. Supports climate resilience and public health.
• U.S. BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate member sponsor supporting employee participation in SDWF. Employee Ellie Bucklin serves as Impact Chair on Board of Directors.
• LPL FinancialminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate member sponsor with employee Shari Miller who served as SDWF President (2022-2023).
• Symbio Financial PartnersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate member sponsor where Shari Miller serves as founding partner. Supports employee engagement in SDWF.
• The New Children's MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for DEI Event Series 'The Layers We Lead With' - interactive art experience exploring perspectives on leadership and collective impact. Event scheduled September 16, 2026.
• San Diego Foundation Environmental InitiativesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to fund Environmental Justice, Community Organizing and Civic Engagement. Five organizations each awarded $10,000 totaling $50,000. Funded organizations include Environmental Health Coalition, Harvey Family Foundation, Olivewood Gardens, SanDiego350, and Urban Collaborative Project.
• Avila FundflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Three-way partnership with Avila Fund and San Diego Foundation to fund Indigenous Food Sovereignty in tribal communities. Five organizations each awarded $15,000 totaling $75,000. Partners include Campo Band of Mission Indians, Climate Science Alliance, and Southern Indian Health Council.
• Rotary District 5340coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership to support community-based organizations providing services to Afghan Refugees in San Diego County. $82,565 distributed to four organizations including Amna Sanctuary, Helping Empower Community Refugees, License to Freedom, and San Diego Afghan Refugee Aid Group.
• Latina Giving CircleflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Joint grants cycle to advance racial justice efforts led by women of color. Three organizations received equal grants totaling $44,000. Partnership supports community-driven initiatives addressing systemic inequities.
• Amplified Impact Partners (formerly San Diego Social Venture Partners)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership for inaugural collaborative grants cycle in 2018 focused on Early Childhood Education. Two organizations each awarded $10,000 ($20,000 total). Partnership continued with 2019 collaboration committee grants.
• San Diego FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000SDWF is a supporting organization of The San Diego Foundation. SDF provides workspace, technology, administrative services, and professional staff support including Finance, Marketing, and Impact teams. SDWF staff are employed by SDF but fully dedicated to SDWF. Joint Leadership Group ensures strategic alignment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sdwomensfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 The San Diego Women's Foundation