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International Community Foundation

Annual Giving
$13.6M
Grant Range
$25K - $0.3M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $13.6 million (FY 2023)
  • Total Granted: $145+ million since 1990
  • Geographic Focus: Mexico, Latin America, and cross-border Cali-Baja region
  • Organizations Supported: 863+
  • Total Grants Made: 3,342
  • Funding Model: Donor-advised funds, partnership programs, specific grant initiatives

Contact Details

Address: 2505 N Avenue, National City, CA 91950

Phone: (619) 336-2250 or (619) 592-8008

Email: info@icfdn.org

Website: www.icfdn.org

EPA Thriving Communities Program: thrivingcommunities@icfdn.org

Overview

The International Community Foundation (ICF) was founded in 1990 as an outgrowth of The San Diego Foundation to address the unique challenges of cross-border philanthropy in the binational San Diego-Tijuana region. Since its founding, ICF has granted over $145 million to support community leaders on the ground across Mexico, Latin America, and beyond, representing over 1,000 donors with diverse international interests. The foundation earned a 4-star rating (100%) from Charity Navigator and operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity and community foundation (T31 classification). In FY 2023, ICF granted $13.6 million, with 77% of funds flowing out to local leaders and their teams in the same year they are received. Under the leadership of President and CEO Marisa Aurora Quiroz (appointed December 2021), ICF focuses on creating "ecosystems of change" by providing flexible, operational support to community-led nonprofit organizations, particularly in the Baja Peninsula and Sea of Cortez region.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

ICF operates through multiple funding mechanisms rather than a single public grant application process:

1. Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)

  • Minimum initial contribution: $5,000
  • Endowed DAFs: 0.5% fee
  • Non-endowed DAFs: 6% fee
  • Donors direct grants to international organizations aligned with their philanthropic goals

2. "Friends of" Funds

  • Allow non-U.S. organizations to solicit tax-deductible donations from U.S. donors
  • No minimum donation amount
  • Can be endowed or non-endowed
  • Helps nonprofits broaden their organizational reach

3. Binational Resilience Initiative (Partnership with San Diego Foundation)

  • Geographic focus: Cali-Baja coastline from Oceanside in North San Diego County to Ensenada in Baja California, Mexico
  • Grant amounts: Up to $50,000 per year per organization; up to $100,000 total for binational partnerships
  • Recent funding: $1M+ awarded in 2023; $500,000 available in 2024
  • Focus: Climate resilience, coastal preservation, cross-border collaboration

4. EPA Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (Region 9)

  • Total available: $48 million distributed across Region 9
  • ICF service area: San Diego, Orange, and Imperial counties in California
  • Grant range: $150,000 - $350,000
  • Eligible applicants: Community-based nonprofits, local governments, institutions of higher education, and Native American organizations
  • Application timeline: Rolling basis (portal opened January 15, 2025)
  • Focus: Environmental and health-related issues in disadvantaged communities

Priority Areas

ICF's 2021 funding distribution demonstrates their priorities:

  • Environment: 56% (coastal, marine, and terrestrial biodiversity, climate resilience)
  • Health and Human Services: 17%
  • Education: 17% (educational equity, scholarships, teacher training, innovative programs)
  • Human Rights and Migration: 3%
  • Arts and Culture: 3%
  • Economic Development: 2.3%
  • Disaster Relief: 1.5%

The foundation emphasizes:

  • Community-led initiatives and grassroots movements
  • Flexible, operational support rather than restricted project funding
  • Trust-based philanthropic practices
  • Intersectional approaches to complex social issues
  • Organizations in the Baja Peninsula and Sea of Cortez region

What They Don't Fund

  • Grants to individuals (only to eligible organizations)
  • Organizations outside their geographic focus areas (unless through specific partnership programs)

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO: Marisa Aurora Quiroz (appointed December 2021)

  • Background: Joined ICF in 2015 as Senior Program Officer for Environmental Conservation, became Vice President of Culture and Impact before her CEO appointment
  • Education: Master's in Nonprofit Leadership and Management (University of San Diego), Bachelor's in Anthropology and Sociology (Mills College)
  • Previous experience: 7 years at The San Diego Foundation prior to joining ICF
  • Leadership philosophy: "ICF believes that the people with closest proximity to the problem also have the keys for solutions." This belief stems from her grandmother's phrase: "Don't do anything about me without me."

Former President and CEO: Anne McEnany served as President & CEO for 6½ years with 20 years of dedicated service at ICF (tenure ended circa 2021). Under her leadership, ICF's grantmaking expanded from $7.7 million in FY2015 to $17.4 million in FY2020.

Senior Program Director: Eliza Brennan

Note: Specific board of trustees information was not publicly available in current sources.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Important: ICF does not operate a traditional open grant application process. Instead, the foundation primarily makes grants through:

  1. Donor-Advised Funds: Donors with DAFs at ICF recommend grants to organizations aligned with their interests. Nonprofits seeking funding should cultivate relationships with potential donors who have DAFs at ICF.

  2. Partnership Grant Programs: ICF partners with other foundations (e.g., San Diego Foundation for the Binational Resilience Initiative) to administer specific grant programs with defined application processes. Monitor ICF's website for announcements of these opportunities.

  3. EPA Thriving Communities Program (Current opportunity):

    • Portal: https://icfdn.org/thriving-communities/
    • Applications accepted on rolling basis
    • Eligible organizations: Community-based nonprofits, local governments, higher education institutions, and Native American organizations in San Diego, Orange, and Imperial counties
    • Email: thrivingcommunities@icfdn.org
    • Schedule meeting with EPA Program Manager, Elizabeth Figueroa

General Inquiries: The ICF website states "Please check back soon for more updates!" regarding current grant opportunities, indicating opportunities are announced periodically rather than on a set schedule.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by program. For partnership programs like the Binational Resilience Initiative, applications are reviewed on a rolling or cycle basis depending on the specific opportunity. The EPA Thriving Communities Program reviews applications on a rolling basis.

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies vary by specific grant program. No general policy is stated.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with ICF's Philosophy

ICF emphasizes several core principles that should guide potential grantees:

1. Community Proximity and Leadership

  • Marisa Aurora Quiroz: "ICF believes that the people with closest proximity to the problem also have the keys for solutions."
  • Organizations led by and accountable to the communities they serve are prioritized
  • Local knowledge and cultural context are valued

2. Trust-Based Philanthropy

  • ICF embraces "trust-based philanthropic practices that help make philanthropy more accessible and inclusive"
  • Emphasis on flexible, operational support rather than restricted project funding
  • The foundation aims to strengthen organizational capacity, not just fund discrete projects

3. Intersectional Approaches

  • Quiroz: "We cannot think about climate resiliency without thinking about migration and people on the move."
  • ICF values organizations that understand interconnected social, environmental, and economic issues
  • Solutions should address root causes, not just symptoms

4. Relationship Building

  • "Relationships are infrastructure" is a key ICF principle
  • Long-term partnerships are valued over transactional funding relationships
  • The foundation provides not just funding but vetting, regulatory compliance support, and capacity building

For Partnership Programs

When specific grant opportunities are announced (like the Binational Resilience Initiative):

  • Demonstrate effective cross-border collaboration
  • Show contribution to multiple impact areas (climate relevance, economic prosperity, knowledge sharing, organizational resilience, research)
  • Prioritize projects benefiting communities of concern or historically under-resourced communities
  • Emphasize community-led solutions and sustainable change

Recent Grant Examples

Binational Resilience Initiative 2023 Recipients:

  • 4 Walls International Inc. and Universidad Autónoma de Baja California: $75,000 combined to study Environmental Impact Bonds for Tijuana River basin pollution
  • American Friends of Promotora de las Bellas Artes: $92,000 for coastal environmental education programs and music workshops for children and youth on both sides of the border
  • Botanical Community Development Initiative and EcoAlianza de Loreto/CEMA: $85,250 combined to document biodiversity and empower border residents as community scientists

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not a traditional funder: ICF primarily operates through donor-advised funds and partnership programs rather than open grant applications. Focus on building relationships with potential donors or watch for partnership grant opportunities.

  • Community proximity is paramount: Organizations with deep roots in the communities they serve and leadership from those communities have the strongest alignment with ICF's values. Emphasize your local accountability and community-led approach.

  • Think intersectionally: ICF values organizations that understand how environmental, social, economic, and migration issues interconnect. Don't silo your work—show how you address multiple dimensions of community wellbeing.

  • Flexible funding focus: When opportunities arise, emphasize the need for operational support and organizational capacity building, not just project funding. ICF seeks to strengthen organizations as a whole.

  • Geographic specificity matters: The majority of ICF's grantmaking focuses on the Baja Peninsula and Sea of Cortez region, with additional work throughout Latin America. Organizations outside these regions should look for specific partnership programs (like EPA Thriving Communities) that include their service area.

  • Monitor for opportunities: Check ICF's website regularly and sign up for updates. Partnership programs are announced periodically and may have limited application windows.

  • Leverage their infrastructure: For U.S. donors wanting to support your Latin American organization, ICF's international grantmaking infrastructure (including "Friends of" funds) can be a valuable mechanism. Consider establishing a "Friends of" fund to facilitate U.S. tax-deductible donations.

References

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