Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County is a public charity based in Aptos, California. Founded in 1982, it brings together donors, ideas, and resources to support community needs and help Santa Cruz County thrive.
Key facts about Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
In short: Community Foundation Santa Cruz County gave $20.7M across 303 grants in 2024 (avg $68K), mostly in California. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 94-2808039
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $20,690,367
- Grants made (2024)
- 303
- Average grant
- $68,285
- Median grant
- $20,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (55 of 302, 2024)
- Total assets
- $252,472,451
- Primary geography
- California (77% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Community Grants are by invitation; invitations are sent to selected organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$252.5M
+13.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$20.7M
-16.8% YoY
Grant Count
303
-10.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$68K
-6.6% YoY
Is Community Foundation Santa Cruz County open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 55 of 302 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $36K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−10%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to bring together people, ideas, and resources to inspire philanthropy and accomplish great things. Its 2024 filing identifies six broad fields of interest: arts, history and culture; community development; education and youth services; environment; health; and human services. Its Community Grants also support areas including seniors, end-of-life care, historic preservation, and women and girls initiatives. The Foundation describes its approach as flexible, with a preference for general operating support, and says it works with leaders of color to address historic and current inequities.
The Foundation’s filing describes grants to tax-exempt nonprofits, charitable organizations, and public-sector service agencies. Among the organizations it supported in 2020, Community Bridges described its work as providing meals, transportation, child care, education, and other services to community members including seniors and low-income families. Housing Matters described its mission as providing emergency and transitional services to people experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz County. The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County described its mission as protecting, caring for, and connecting people to natural and working lands.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation reported awarding $31.7 million in grants and scholarships to 887 nonprofit organizations. It reported that 68% of grant funds stayed local and that 100 Community Grants were awarded without restrictions. Separately, it reported $53 million in 2025 grants, loans, and scholarships. In spring 2026, it awarded $2.1 million in Community Grants to 103 nonprofits; the Foundation said 96% of 2025 Community Grant awardees received renewed funding in 2026 and that it made new multi-year commitments to nine nonprofits.
Review Cycle
.
Open Grants
12 open opportunities from Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
Barbara J. Thompson Scholarship Grant
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
Amount
Up to US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFSCC Community Grants
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County: Environmental Scholarship Grant
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Community Foundation Santa Cruz County?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s grantmaking includes organizations and public-sector service agencies in Santa Cruz County and beyond. Its Community Grants program focuses on nonprofits addressing local issues in Santa Cruz County.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 303 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $11.9M (2019) to $31.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 303 grants totaling $20.7M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Online Giving Foundation Inc ($2.8M). Together the top 10 received $8.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
1,506 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,084 grants of 1,506 (72%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc Newark, DE | General Operating Support, Recognition of Employee Service Hours | $2,808,979 |
| Land Trust of Santa Cruz County Santa Cruz, CA | General operating support, beach ranch project, circle p ranch | $1,260,876 |
| Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey Seaside, CA | General Operating Support, Czu Support & Case Management | $1,063,000 |
| The 418 Project Santa Cruz, CA | General Operating Support, Secret Santa, Rise Together Investment | $937,047 |
| Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project (DBA Watsonville Community Hospit Watsonville, CA | General Operating Support | $554,500 |
| Cal Poly Foundation San Luis Obispo, CA | Thomas mackin fund, cal poly farm store, center for innovation and entrepreneurship | $505,000 |
| Cabrillo College Foundation Aptos, CA | General operating support, wes, emergency fund, cap, & more | $457,993 |
| Santa Cruz Shakespeare Santa Cruz, CA | General Operating Support, Capital Campaign | $430,595 |
| Uc Santa Cruz Foundation Santa Cruz, CA | General Operating, Humanities Institute, Arboretum, Seymour Marine Center | $400,000 |
| Santa Cruz Community Health Santa Cruz, CA | General Operating Support, Adolescent Opioid Use Disorder | $367,673 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $252,472,451 | $46,923,526 | $26,928,132 |
| 2023 | $223,502,260 | $50,381,031 | $28,633,788 |
| 2022 | $185,548,177 | $40,392,988 | $36,616,478 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $252,472,451 | $223,502,260 | $185,548,177 |
| Revenue | $46,923,526 | $50,381,031 | $40,392,988 |
| Expenses | $26,928,132 | $28,633,788 | $36,616,478 |
| Net Investment Income | $9,904,754 | $5,363,749 | $2,531,136 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS December 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jim Weisenstein as president, Trevor Strudley as vice president, Kirk Schmidt as treasurer, and Chris Murphy as secretary. It also lists Rob Allen, Audries Blake, Gina Castaneda, Liliana “Lili” Diaz, Lawrence “Larry” Donatoni, and Doug Fischer as board members. The Foundation identifies Susan True as its CEO.
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County is led by Susan True, Chief Executive Officer since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 5 of 21 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Susan True
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer → CEO, 2021
CEO → Chief Executive Officer, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$219K (2019) → $292K (2024)
Jim Weisenstein
President
Director → Treasurer, 2020
Treasurer → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Carson
Program Director
Program Director - Rwmf → Program Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$131K (2019) → $165K (2024)
Hilary Shuman-Bryant
Donor Services Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$166K (2024)
Alexandra Urbick
Controller
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$146K (2023) → $162K (2024)
Sabine Dukes
Chief Operating & Finance Officer
Chief Operating & Financial Officer → Chief Operating, Financial Officer & Treasurer, 2023
Chief Operating, Financial Officer & Treasurer → Chief Operating & Finance Officer, 2024
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$98K (2022) → $225K (2024)
Kirk Schmidt
Treasurer
Director → Board Member, 2021
Board Member → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Liliana 'lili' Diaz
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rogelio Ponce Jr.
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sandy Skees
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Trevor Strudley
Vice President
Director → Board Member, 2021
Board Member → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Murphy
Secretary
Director → Board Member, 2021
Board Member → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gina Castaneda
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Doug Fischer
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lawrence 'larry' Donatoni
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maria Elena De La Garza
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Audries Blake
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Fraser
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob Allen
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ed Newman
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samuel Pun
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (26)
- Former: David Doolin (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Julie Haff (2019–2023) — President
- Former: James C. Thompson (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Kevin Heuer (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Lisa Lurie (2022–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Sierra Ryan (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Heidi Luckenbach (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Robert Swartz (2023) — Employee
- Former: Sam Leask (2019–2022) — Philanthropic Services Director
- Former: Susan Farrar (2019–2022) — Chief Operating & Financial Officer
- Former: Piret Harmon (2022) — Secretary
- Former: Shuman-Bryant Hilary (2022) — Donor Services Director
- Former: Emily J. Buchbinder Esq. (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Freny Cooper (2019–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Janet Heien (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Judy Franich (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Tonee Picard (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Donna Ziel (2021) — Chair
- Former: Jim Brown (2021) — Chair
- Former: Jim Thompson (2021) — Chair
- Former: Lawrence 'lary'donatoni (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Fred Keeley (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Larry Donatoni (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Marilyn Calciano (2019–2020) — Immediate Past President
- Former: Carlos J. Palacios (2019) — Director
- Former: Darcelle Pruitt (2019) — Senior Planner
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $292K, to Susan True (Chief Executive Officer). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 7807 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003
Phone: (831) 662-2000
Website: https://cfscc.org
Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
How much does Community Foundation Santa Cruz County give each year?
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County gave $20.7M across 303 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $24.9M across 340 grants.
What is Community Foundation Santa Cruz County's typical grant size?
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $68,285, across 303 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Community Foundation Santa Cruz County that year got $36K on average.
Where does Community Foundation Santa Cruz County give grants?
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County gives mostly in California: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Delaware (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Cruz, CA (85 grants), Watsonville, CA (41 grants), San Francisco, CA (13 grants) and Washington, DC (11 grants).
Does Community Foundation Santa Cruz County give general operating support?
Yes: 75% of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (227 of 303) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Community Foundation Santa Cruz County's largest grantees?
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County's largest 2024 grantees include American Online Giving Foundation Inc ($2,808,979), Land Trust of Santa Cruz County ($1,260,876) and Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey ($1,063,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Community Foundation Santa Cruz County?
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County reported $252.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $46.9M.
What does Community Foundation Santa Cruz County fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to bring together people, ideas, and resources to inspire philanthropy and accomplish great things. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation Santa Cruz County?
Community Grants are by invitation; invitations are sent to selected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Community Foundation Santa Cruz County's EIN?
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2808039. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Community Foundation Santa Cruz County by hand.
Explore Open Grants
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Community Foundation Santa Cruz County down — hundreds of funders to go?