These small grants of up to $10,000 help the community respond to unanticipated needs and new opportunities. The application period is open until available funds have been awarded.
The Diversity Partnership Fund grant program seeks to sustain, enhance or expand programs and/or projects designed to serve the LGBTQ+ community. Apply for grant funding this July.
Due to the generosity of the Santa Cruz County community, we awarded $11.7M in grants to 581 organizations in 2018. $1.5 million was made through a competitive open application process for our Community Grants, as well as grants from the Diversity Partnership and the Rydell Visual Arts Fund.
Local nonprofits and community groups can reserve a modern and comfortable meeting room or outdoor terrace for events at the Jack & Peggy Baskin Center for Philanthropy in Aptos.
Supported by a gift from the Borina Foundation, we're part of a nationwide network of community foundations and libraries helping nonprofits and grantseekers, and a Funding Information Network partner of the Foundation Center.
We offer free self-guided access to:
Recent compensation surveys for the nonprofit sector
Nonprofit management, philanthropy, and board development publications
The Foundation Center’s core collection of grant guides and research reports on trends and patterns of giving by U.S. grantmakers, plus our own library with hundreds of popular titles. For a limited time, the Foundation Directory Online is being made available to nonprofits to access from their office or home, rather than just onsite at the Community Foundation. Access the directory here.
Looking for help finding a consultant for your nonprofit organization? Our consultant directory is a shared service we offer in concert with our peer community foundations in Monterey and San Benito counties. Listings are posted by consultants – not vetted by Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.
Lending Library
Visit our public library during our regular business hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 7807 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003
If you find a book title that you like, check in with our front desk staff about our free book lending policy.
We provide an array of workshops throughout the year to help you find grants, discover new board members, increase your odds of receiving a major planned gift, and more.
Kind of like speed dating between nonprofits and people who want to give their time, talent, and energy in a meaningful way. Enjoy complimentary happy hour drinks and bites, and get the chance to meet and mingle.
DataShare SCC is the new interactive data platform with local, state, and national data that allows you to explore and understand information about the Santa Cruz County community. Loaded with tons of data, and with easy-to-use report and dashboard building tools, DataShare SCC offers you access to hundreds of data points to deepen and inform your knowledge of many aspects of life in our county. Please use the platform for your advocacy efforts, grant application, program planning, presentation preparation, or any other way it is useful.
We love telling the stories of the hard-working nonprofits that we work with. Contact Kevin Heuer, Director of Engagement & Impact, to help spread the word about your latest accomplishments.
Join the Community Foundation and local nonprofit leaders for a networking event on April 2nd. Enjoy complimentary happy hour drinks and bites, and get the chance to meet and mingle with nonprofits in need of excellent board members.
