San Diego Foundation (SDF) recently announced Fifty & Forward, a grantmaking and fundraising campaign to align charitable giving, harness the generosity of the region and realize the region’s greatest opportunities in education, for children and families and the environment, according to a news release.
San Diego Foundation turns 50 years old in 2025, and is celebrating the collective impact its had and shared with donors, nonprofits and partners to benefit the San Diego region by granting $500 million to nonprofits while fundraising $1 billion to fuel its impact for the next 50 years.
“Since our founding nearly 50 years ago, we’ve granted more than $2 billion into our community—our home. Our home is who we are. It’s where we belong. And it’s where we dream big,” said Mark Stuart, president and CEO of SDF, in the news release. “This campaign is about how much we can give, not just how much we raise.”
The Fifty & Forward Campaign is a seven-year initiative started in 2021 and is the most ambitious granting and fundraising undertaking in SDF history. The campaign focuses on education, children and families, and the environment—critical community needs that, when met, can change the trajectory of San Diegans lives for generations.
SDF invites the community to bring together its resources, passions and spirit of innovation to create a place all San Diegans feel proud to call home.
“The opportunities we have today with education, children and families, and the environment are not new, but our urgency is—especially for communities that have historically been furthest from opportunity,” said Mel Katz, SDF Board of Governors member and Fifty & Forward Campaign Council chair, in the news release. “We are inviting our community to come together and give more like never before so we can ensure our region reaches its potential and our charitable giving makes the greatest impact possible.”
The campaign launch announcement was made before an audience of 300 local donors and partners at The Art of Impact event, hosted by SDF and held Oct. 29 at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. To learn more about or to donate to Fifty & Forward, visit SDFoundation.org/50.