Community Foundation Santa Cruz
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County is a 501(c)(3) community foundation headquartered in Aptos, California. Founded in 1982 in response to devastating floods and mudslides, the organization has evolved from its disaster-relief origins into a comprehensive community foundation. The foundation brings together donors, nonprofit leaders, and community members to inspire philanthropy and accomplish lasting change across Santa Cruz County.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$252.5M
+13.0% YoY
Revenue
$46.9M
-6.9% YoY
Net Investment Income
$9.9M
+84.7% YoY
Expenses
$26.9M
-6.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: We bring together people, ideas, and resources to inspire philanthropy and accomplish great things.
Vision: To make Santa Cruz County thrive for all who call it home, now and in the future.
Core Values: Trust, earned through integrity, accountability, discretion, transparency, prudence, and extraordinary service.
Primary Funding Areas:
- Arts, history and culture
- Community development
- Education and youth services
- Environment
- Health
- Human services
The foundation has placed increased emphasis on racial equity in recent years, with the majority of Community & Discretionary Grants awarded to organizations leading work with Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and People of Color communities.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** Varies by program; average Community Grants approximately $21,400
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Santa Cruz County, California, with service area extending from the Pajaro Valley to Davenport and the San Lorenzo Valley. Grants are provided to organizations in Santa Cruz County and beyond.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $252.5 million (2024)
Total Revenues: $46.9 million (2024)
Total Expenses: $26.9 million (2024)
Annual Giving: $23.8 million (2024)
Organizations Served: 768 nonprofits in 2024
| 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 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $9,904,754 | $5,363,749 | $2,531,136 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 0 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
50 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
13 open opportunities from Community Foundation Santa Cruz
Barbara J. Thompson Scholarship Grant
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SANTA CRUZ
Amount
Up to US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFSCC Community Grants
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SANTA CRUZ
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County: Environmental Scholarship Grant
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SANTA CRUZ
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- CEO: Susan True (since 2017)
- Chief Philanthropy Officer: Kea Gorden
- Donor Services Director: Hilary Bryant
- President of the Board of Directors: Marilyn Stephens Calciano
- Board Member: Leola Lapides
Staff: 23 employees (as of 2024)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JIM WEISENSTEIN | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| TREVOR STRUDLEY | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| KIRK SCHMIDT | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| CHRIS MURPHY | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| ROB ALLEN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| AUDRIES BLAKE | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| GINA CASTANEDA | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LILIANA 'LILI' DIAZ | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LAWRENCE 'LARRY' DONATONI | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DOUG FISCHER | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ED NEWMAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ROGELIO PONCE JR | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SAMUEL PUN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SANDY SKEES | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MARIA ELENA DE LA GARZA | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LISA FRASER | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SUSAN TRUE | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 40 | $291,937 |
| SABINE DUKES | CHIEF OPERATING & FINANCE OFFICER | 40 | $224,500 |
| HILARY SHUMAN-BRYANT | DONOR SERVICES DIRECTOR | 40 | $165,667 |
| TIM CARSON | PROGRAM DIRECTOR | 1 | $165,183 |
| ALEXANDRA URBICK | CONTROLLER | 40 | $161,667 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation awarded $280,000 in racial equity grants to support organizations leading work with communities of color. In 2024, the foundation celebrated scholarship awardees and continued its commitment to strengthening the local nonprofit sector through grants, workshops, and resources.
20 Santa Cruz County Nonprofits Have Been Awarded 2025-2026 Santa Cruz CommunityThe foundation operates the Jack & Peggy Baskin Center for Philanthropy in Aptos, which received Gold Level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Contact Information
Address: 7807 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003
Phone: 831-662-2000
Email: cfhelp@cfscc.org
Website: www.cfscc.org
Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
EIN: 94-2808039
Tax Status: IRS 501(c)(3) organization; donations are tax-deductible
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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