The Cushman Foundation - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $3.9 million (2025)
• Total Assets: $36.6 million (2024)
• Success Rate: ~13% (based on 2019 data)
• Decision Time: Quarterly reviews (approximately 3 months)
• Grant Range: $200 - $1,050,000
• Median Grant: $8,000
• Geographic Focus: San Diego County, California

Contact Details

Address: 10620 Treena Street, Suite 110, San Diego, CA 92131

Phone: (858) 549-2874

Email: foundation@cushnet.net

Website: www.cushmanfoundation.net

Grant Inquiries: cap@jcfsandiego.org (Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego)

Overview

The Cushman Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1994 in San Diego, California. With total assets of $36.6 million and annual giving of approximately $3.9 million, the foundation supports a diversified array of community and humanitarian endeavors with a goal of bringing about constructive change and promoting human welfare. The foundation's philosophy centers on social responsibility and honoring the communities where the family has conducted business, giving back to the city that has supported them for generations. All grants benefit qualifying charitable organizations in the greater San Diego area. The foundation made 86 awards in 2025 and 107 awards in 2024, demonstrating consistent and active grant-making activity.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Making a Difference for San Diego Grant Program

• Awards range from $20,000 - $60,000
• Multi-year grants available (up to 3 years with annual maximum of $50,000)
• Applications submitted through Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego's Competitive Application Platform (CAP)
• Quarterly application cycles

Phil Fest 2025

• Innovative grant competition for high-impact projects
• Five grants of $100,000 each awarded
• Finalists receive $5,000 to produce presentations
• Focus areas: Food Insecurity & Nutrition, Homelessness, and Military & Veterans

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on sustainable programs and services exclusively for:

• Veterans (not on active duty)
• Seniors
• Children

Broader areas of support include:

• Aid to seniors
• Arts and culture
• Education
• Food insecurity and nutrition
• Health and well-being
• Human services
• Military and veterans programs
• Homelessness initiatives

Recent Focus Areas (2025):

• Teen mothers
• Foster youth over age 18 who have left the system
• Communities experiencing antisemitism (special focus on school campuses)
• Women involved in or threatened by domestic violence or sexual assault

What They Don't Fund

• General operating costs (at this time)
• Organizations outside San Diego County
• Programs not serving veterans, seniors, or children
• Non-501(c)(3) organizations

Governance and Leadership

The Cushman Foundation operates as a private family foundation with a Board of Directors that meets quarterly to review grant applications and make funding decisions. Specific board member names are available in the foundation's Form 990-PF filings through ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer and GuideStar.

The foundation partners with the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego to administer their Competitive Application Platform (CAP), which manages the application process and provides support to applicants.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego's Competitive Application Platform (CAP) at cap.jcfsandiego.org.

Application Process:

1. Review eligibility requirements and funding priorities on the Cushman Foundation website
2. Create an account on the CAP portal
3. Submit application during open application period (typically October - November)
4. Following the application deadline, finalists are contacted for in-person interviews
5. Board reviews applications and makes decisions quarterly

Application Requirements:

• Must be a current 501(c)(3) organization
• Must be located in and serving San Diego County
• Requests must be for program-specific costs only
• Programs may be up to two years in duration depending on scope

Decision Timeline

• Application Period: Typically October 8 - November 3 (varies by year)
• Board Review: Quarterly basis following each board meeting
• Decision Timeline: Approximately 3 months from application deadline
• Example Timeline: March 20 deadline → June 30 grant distributions
• Notification Method: Finalists contacted for in-person interviews; all applicants notified of decisions

Success Rates

While specific success rates are not publicly disclosed, the foundation received over 150 applications in their 2019 Making a Difference grant cycle and funded 19 organizations, suggesting a competitive process with an approximately 13% success rate for that cycle. The foundation makes 86-107 grants annually, indicating active and broad support across the San Diego nonprofit community.

Reapplication Policy

The foundation's reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants is not explicitly stated in public materials. Applicants should contact cap@jcfsandiego.org for guidance on reapplication timelines and eligibility.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's stated priorities and grant-making patterns, successful applications demonstrate:

1. Direct Impact on Priority Populations: Applications must clearly demonstrate how programs serve veterans (not on active duty), seniors, or children. The foundation emphasizes that successful applications must be "meaningful, thoughtful, and specific" in addressing these populations.

2. Sustainability: The foundation prioritizes "sustainable programs and/or services" and asks applicants to demonstrate "sustainable impact on the community." Show how the program will continue beyond the grant period.

3. Making a Difference for San Diego: Applications must specifically address "how your organization and its programs and/or services...will be Making a Difference for San Diego, and how this grant would enable that to happen." This is a key evaluation criterion.

4. Measurable Impact: The foundation seeks organizations "demonstrating significant and measurable impact through powerful projects." Include specific metrics and outcomes.

5. Program-Specific Requests: The foundation currently does not fund general operating costs. Applications must be for specific program expenses with clear budget justification.

6. Local Service and Location: Organizations must be located in AND serving San Diego County. Emphasize local roots and community connections.

Recent Grant Recipients (2019) as Examples:

• Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation
• Hannah's House
• Home Start
• Interfaith Shelter Network
• Just in Time for Foster Youth
• Leap to Success
• Musicians for Education
• San Diego Dental Health Foundation
• Sharp Healthcare Foundation
• Tender Loving Canines Assistance Dogs
• Urban Street Angels
• VIP NeuroRehabilitation Center
• Workshops for Warriors

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Focus on the three priority populations: Veterans (not on active duty), seniors, or children - your program must serve one of these groups
• Use their language: Frame your proposal around "Making a Difference for San Diego" with specific, measurable impact
• Emphasize sustainability: Show how the program will create lasting change beyond the grant period
• Be program-specific: Do not request general operating funds; focus on specific program costs
• Apply through CAP: Familiarize yourself with the Jewish Community Foundation's online application platform before the deadline
• Prepare for interviews: Finalists are invited for in-person interviews, so be ready to discuss your proposal in detail
• Consider Phil Fest: For high-impact projects in food insecurity, homelessness, or military/veterans services, the Phil Fest competition offers larger awards
• Time your application: With quarterly board meetings, understand that the review process takes approximately 3 months from submission to decision

References

• Cushman Foundation official website: www.cushmanfoundation.net (accessed February 2026)
• Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego - Competitive Application Platform (CAP): https://jcfsandiego.org/organizations/competitive-application-platform-cap/ (accessed February 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Cushman Foundation: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/330643458 (accessed February 2026)
• Cause IQ - The Cushman Foundation: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/cushman-foundation,330643458/ (accessed February 2026)
• Instrumentl 990 Report - Cushman Foundation: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/cushman-foundation (accessed February 2026)
• GuideStar Profile - The Cushman Foundation: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/33-0643458 (accessed February 2026)
• Times of San Diego: "Cushman Foundation Awards $1.2 Million to 19 Nonprofits 'Making a Difference'" (July 2019)
• Giving Back San Diego: "Cushman Foundation Awards $1.2 Million" (accessed February 2026)