In 1982, a storm dropped 25 inches of rain on Santa Cruz County over three days, causing devastating flooding and mudslides. Generous people looking to help were searching for a central organization to send donations to—one that would support the long-term recovery efforts. But, such an organization didn’t yet exist. Community Foundation Santa Cruz County was formed to meet that need.
In 2009 we set out to build a center for community giving in Santa Cruz County. With a lead gift from Jack & Peggy Baskin and contributions from nearly 60 donors, we opened the center in October 2010. Our Building received a LEED Gold certification—a national benchmark for high performance green buildings.
While Community Foundation Santa Cruz County offices occupy a portion of the award-winning Mark Cavagnero Associates’ designed building, over half of the facility’s 9,200 square feet is available for community use. Our center houses the Borina Nonprofit Resource Center, which offers workshops and a library with the Foundation Center’s online grants databases.
Book A Room
When open to the public again, local nonprofit organizations can reserve a room for daytime, evening, or weekend meetings and events.
The Regional Water Management Foundation was established by Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, in cooperation with local agencies, to support planning and obtain funding for water resource projects in Santa Cruz County. Since 2008, $14.8 million in state grants have been awarded through the Foundation.
Learn about the Regional Water Management Foundation’s work and meet the team promoting local coordination and collaboration on water resources management.
