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The California Community Foundation

Annual Giving
$359.0M
Grant Range
$1K - $10.0M

The California Community Foundation

Note: Research indicates the California Community Foundation's EIN is 95-3510055. The EIN 81-0566002 provided may require verification. This overview is based on information from calfund.org and confirmed sources about the California Community Foundation serving Los Angeles County.

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $359 million (FY 2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Varies by program (not publicly disclosed)
  • Grant Range: $500 - $10 million+
  • Geographic Focus: Los Angeles County (with some statewide and national initiatives)

Contact Details

Website: www.calfund.org Phone: (213) 413-4130 Email: info@calfund.org Grant Inquiries: (213) 239-2330 or grantsmanager@calfund.org Application Portal: applyforgrants.calfund.org Special Initiatives Portal: calfund.smapply.org

Overview

The California Community Foundation (CCF) was founded in 1915 by Joseph Sartori and is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the United States. With assets of $2.3 billion and managing more than 1,900 charitable foundations, funds, and legacies, CCF is the fourth largest community foundation in the nation based on total giving. Since 2004, CCF has distributed more than $3.9 billion in grants. In fiscal year 2023, CCF awarded $359 million through 8,312 grants, with more than half designated for local nonprofits across Los Angeles County. The foundation surpassed its commitment to distribute $1 billion in Los Angeles County by 2025—three years ahead of schedule. Since 2015, CCF has awarded over $1.2 billion across the county, including $403 million for education, $222 million for health, and $147 million for housing. CCF's vision is "A good life for all in Los Angeles County," and its mission is to "invest in, partner with, and amplify the power of community toward a good life."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

CCF Impact Fund The Impact Fund advances five interconnected priorities:

  • Meeting Basic Needs: Emergency food, stable housing, healthcare access (urgent relief and long-term stability)
  • Building Economic Opportunity: Education, living-wage jobs, financial security
  • Creating Safe, Resilient Communities: Disaster response, climate adaptation, neighborhood safety

Fellowship for Visual Artists Grants of $15,000 - $20,000 plus professional development support for visual artists.

Ready to Rise A private-public partnership with LA County Probation Department offering grants of $50,000 - $200,000 annually over three years for youth development programs serving probation-involved youth.

Scholarship Programs CCF awards more than $3 million annually to students seeking postsecondary education and workforce training.

Violence Prevention Partnerships (2024) In partnership with LA County Office of Violence Prevention, CCF awarded 56 grants totaling $25 million across seven categories: Hospital Violence Intervention, Street Outreach, Peer-to-Peer Learning Academy, Youth Programs, Trauma Informed Care, Crisis Response, and School Safety Transformation.

Wildfire Recovery Fund As of January 2025, CCF awarded over $15 million to over 100 nonprofit organizations in fire-impacted areas including Altadena, Pasadena, and the Palisades.

Application Methods: Mix of rolling basis applications through online portals and specific program deadlines. Most programs require completion of eligibility test first.

Priority Areas

CCF focuses nearly all grantmaking on underserved populations in Los Angeles County across five core areas:

  • Education: Ensuring every child has access to quality early education and resources to succeed in life
  • Health: Access to quality physical and mental health care for all Angelenos, regardless of zip code
  • Housing: Combining grantmaking, lending, and advocacy to provide affordable housing and better jobs for working families
  • Arts and Culture: Strengthening community bonds and enriching cultural identities
  • Immigration: Creating pathways to strengthen social, economic, and civic engagement for immigrants and communities
  • Climate/Community Resilience: Empowering communities to withstand climate crisis impacts
  • Civic Engagement: Building capacity of nonprofits to deepen civic engagement and voter participation

What They Don't Fund

  • Private foundations (not eligible)
  • Organizations not located within or primarily serving Los Angeles County (except for regional, statewide, or national public policy efforts that may benefit substantial portions of the local population)
  • Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or disability in hiring practices or provision of services
  • Political campaign donations or related organizations (through donor-advised funds)

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO

Miguel A. Santana was appointed President and CEO in August 2023 and assumed the role on October 16, 2023, succeeding Antonia Hernández after her nearly two-decade tenure. Santana brings more than three decades of expertise in government, nonprofit, private, philanthropy, and community sectors. He oversees the foundation's $2.3 billion in assets and partnerships with nearly 2,000 charitable foundations, legacies, and funds.

On his appointment, Santana stated: "The California Community Foundation's mission of fulfilling the promise of Los Angeles County aligns deeply with my core values of unapologetically fighting for equity, justice, and for a Los Angeles region where everyone thrives."

Key Priorities Under Santana's Leadership

In a January 2025 interview with the Los Angeles Business Journal, Santana outlined three major priorities:

Homelessness: "CCF believes that you can end street homelessness in the next 10 years, which requires everyone focused on that goal, the public sector, the nonprofit sector, and philanthropy all rowing in the same direction, with accountability, transparency and a commitment to align resources that are outcome driven."

Education: "CCF cares about education, wanting to make sure that every person has the opportunity to realize their potential by either going to college or getting workforce skill training, creating greater pathways to careers and upward mobility."

Immigrant Communities: "CCF cares about the immigrant community and those who are disproportionately represented in poverty, wanting to prioritize services to support those individuals and families who have been historically under-resourced."

Board of Directors

Thomas A. Saenz serves as Board Chair. Board members include Silvia R. Argueta, Kristin J. Ceva, PhD, CFA, Robert A. Cherry, MD, Alfred Fraijo Jr., Darline P. Robles, PhD, Thomas A. Saenz, Miguel A. Santana, and Daniel G. Weiss.

Chief Financial Officer: Steven J. Cobb

CCF's leadership team and staff are among the most diverse of any foundation in the country.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Take the Interactive Eligibility Test: Available at calfund.org/interactive-eligibility-test to determine eligibility for competitive grants

  2. Check Current Opportunities: Visit calfund.org/opportunities for active funding opportunities

  3. Register in Application Portal:

    • General grants: applyforgrants.calfund.org
    • Special initiatives: calfund.smapply.org
    • New applicants register using the green button and select the program they're applying for

  4. Contact Program Officers: For initial consultation, contact grants specialists at (213) 239-2330 or grantsmanager@calfund.org

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (not a private foundation)
  • Must be located within and primarily serve residents of Los Angeles County (except for certain policy initiatives)
  • Cannot discriminate in hiring or service provision

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly disclosed and vary by program. Applicants are encouraged to contact program officers for program-specific timelines.

Success Rates

CCF does not publicly disclose success rates or acceptance percentages. In FY 2023, the foundation made 8,312 grants totaling $359 million. The foundation receives hundreds of applications and may feature only a handful of open opportunities at any given time, suggesting competitive selection processes.

Reapplication Policy

CCF does not publicly disclose a specific reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants. Organizations should contact grants specialists at (213) 239-2330 or grantsmanager@calfund.org for guidance on reapplication procedures.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from CCF

Focus on Outcomes: "CCF advises applicants to focus on the outcomes they aim to achieve with a grant rather than on current challenges or statistics."

Consider Partnerships: "The foundation values partnerships and encourages organizations to consider applying collaboratively with another organization for a larger grant within the stated range of available funding."

Build for Sustainability: "CCF's grants often take the form of multi-year commitments and are intended not only to enable day-to-day operations, but to help an organization build a sturdy foundation for their work that makes it possible for them to thrive permanently."

What CCF Looks For

CCF searches for insight into critical attributes including:

  • The role of the organization's board
  • The position the nonprofit holds in its field and community
  • Level of alignment between CCF's mission and the grant seeker's goals
  • Strong, sustainable organizations whose work is consistent with CCF programs and outcomes

Community Engagement

"Nonprofits interested in applying for CCF grants should highlight their community engagement strategies in their proposals, and by demonstrating how they plan to involve local voices in their initiatives, applicants can increase their chances of securing funding."

Recent Grant Examples

BLOOM: Seeks to reduce prison incarceration rate among 14-18 year-old Black males in Los Angeles previously involved in the county probation department by a minimum of 10%

Jenesse Center: Received funding for trauma prevention work as part of the Violence Prevention Partnerships

LA Family Housing, Skid Row Housing Trust, PATH Ventures: Housing-focused grantees

100+ organizations: Received wildfire recovery grants in Altadena, Pasadena, and Palisades areas (2024-2025)

Organizational Characteristics

Inside Philanthropy notes that CCF gets high marks for being "responsive," "friendly," "open-minded," and "insightful," though navigating its sprawling website and many affiliated programs may require persistence.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Geographic Focus is Critical: Your organization must primarily serve Los Angeles County residents. Even if you have broader reach, demonstrate strong LA County impact and connection.

  2. Emphasize Outcomes Over Challenges: Frame your proposal around the positive change you'll create, not just the problems you're addressing. CCF wants to see specific, measurable outcomes aligned with their priority areas.

  3. Consider Collaborative Applications: CCF actively encourages partnerships. If your work complements another organization's, consider a joint application for larger funding.

  4. Align with Leadership Priorities: With President Santana's focus on ending homelessness in 10 years, advancing education and workforce pathways, and supporting immigrant communities, applications addressing these areas should directly connect to these priorities.

  5. Demonstrate Sustainability: CCF invests in organizations with strong governance and community positioning. Show how your board is engaged, how you're positioned as a leader in your field, and how CCF's support will help you build lasting capacity—not just fund temporary programs.

  6. Engage Community Voices: Highlight how local communities shape your work and how you involve residents in decision-making and program design. This resonates with CCF's community-centered approach.

  7. Take the Eligibility Test First: Don't skip CCF's interactive eligibility test. It helps ensure you're applying to the right programs and demonstrates you've done your homework. Follow up with program officers for guidance before submitting.

References

  1. California Community Foundation Official Website. "Home." Accessed January 2025. https://www.calfund.org/

  2. California Community Foundation. "What We Fund." Accessed January 2025. https://www.calfund.org/what-we-fund/

  3. California Community Foundation. "Financials." Accessed January 2025. https://www.calfund.org/financials/

  4. California Community Foundation. "About Us - Mission and Vision." Accessed January 2025. https://www.calfund.org/mission-and-vision/

  5. California Community Foundation. "Our History." Accessed January 2025. https://www.calfund.org/our-history/

  6. California Community Foundation. "Learn How to Apply." Accessed January 2025. https://www.calfund.org/check-for-eligibility/

  7. California Community Foundation. "Our Process." Accessed January 2025. https://www.calfund.org/our-process/

  8. California Community Foundation. "Staff & Leadership." Accessed January 2025. https://www.calfund.org/staff-and-leadership/

  9. California Community Foundation. "Miguel A. Santana Named Next President and CEO of the California Community Foundation." August 2023. https://www.calfund.org/press-and-media/miguel-a-santana-named-next-president-and-ceo-of-the-california-community-foundation/

  10. Los Angeles Business Journal. "Q+A: Santana Talks California Community Foundation." January 2025. https://labusinessjournal.com/featured/qa-santana-talks-california-community-foundation/

  11. California Community Foundation. "Letter from Miguel A. Santana - CCF 2023 Annual Report." Accessed January 2025. https://www.calfund.org/2023-annualreport/letter-from-miguel/

  12. Philanthropy News Digest. "California Community Foundation grants nearly $360 million in 2023." Published 2024. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/california-community-foundation-grants-nearly-360-million-in-2023

  13. California Community Foundation. "California Community Foundation Grants Nearly $360 Million in Fiscal Year 2022-23." Accessed January 2025. https://www.calfund.org/california-community-foundation-grants-nearly-360-million-in-fiscal-year-2022-23/

  14. County of Los Angeles. "Office of Violence Prevention, California Community Foundation Invest $25 Million in Violence Prevention, Intervention and Healing Services." March 2024. https://lacounty.gov/2024/03/06/office-of-violence-prevention-california-community-foundation-invest-25-million-in-violence-prevention-intervention-and-healing-services/

  15. Inside Philanthropy. "California Community Foundation." Accessed January 2025. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant-places/southern-california-grants/california-community-foundation

  16. Wikipedia. "California Community Foundation." Last modified 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Community_Foundation

  17. Candid/Foundation Directory. "California Community Foundation Profile." Accessed January 2025. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=CALI001

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