We are dedicated to building a stronger community and enhancing the quality of life in San Benito County through the support of philanthropic activities.
A defining feature of Community Foundation for San Benito County is its large-scale support for local higher education and emergency relief alongside broader regional philanthropy. The foundation’s active programs include more than 25 scholarship opportunities for San Benito County high school graduates, a cancer household-assistance grant, a Latino scholarship program, a children’s fund for critically ill youth, a disaster recovery fund, and a women’s fund. That mix shows a funder using multiple program-specific vehicles rather than a single grantmaking track. The recent grants list also points to substantial institutional giving. In 2025, the foundation awarded $1,392,651 to San Benito County Heritage Foundation in Tres Pinos, and it made a $14,000,000 grant to Impact Assets Inc in 2024. Alongside those larger awards, it has supported local organizations such as Benitolink in Hollister and United for San Benito in Hollister. The community foundation structure, combined with targeted scholarship and hardship-assistance programs, suggests a grantmaker serving both county residents and a wider network of nonprofit partners. Its stated purpose is to strengthen community life in San Benito County through philanthropic activities, and the grant record shows that mission taking shape through education, health, and community recovery support.
Education is a central thread in the foundation’s program work. Community Foundation Scholarships offers more than 25 scholarship opportunities for San Benito County high school graduates, and the Latino Generations Scholarship Program supports Latino students with economic need who will attend a two-year or four-year university or certified vocational training institution. Health and family stability also appear in the grant programs. The Hope Harvest Cancer Grant provides financial household assistance for cancer warriors in San Benito County, while the Martin Rajkovich Children’s Fund supports critically or chronically ill children and may cover special equipment or therapeutic treatments. The foundation also maintains place-based response programs. The San Benito Disaster Recovery Fund provides financial support to organizations aiding individuals, families, businesses, and communities affected by disasters in San Benito County. The Women’s Fund supports grants and leadership opportunities to advance the status of women and girls through education, resources, equity, self-sufficiency, and well-being.
$6.2M
$28.8M
$4.4M
$8.3M
Most grants fall between $13K and $56K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$56K
CHANG SO
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Typical awards cluster around a mid-sized grant profile: the 25th percentile is $12,686, the median is $30,000, and the 75th percentile is $55,750. The recent record also includes much larger institutional grants, which indicates that the foundation works with both smaller program awards and major commitments. The grant list shows repeated support to some recipients across multiple years, including Ecdysis Foundation and Carbon Cycle Institute, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts only. As a mixed community foundation, it uses both standard and general grants, and some of its active programs accept unsolicited requests while others do not.
Grantmaking is strongly centered in California, with 69% of grants going to recipients in the state. San Benito County places appear often, including Hollister, Tres Pinos, and Paicines, which reflects the foundation’s local service area. At the same time, its recipient map reaches beyond the county through awards to organizations in places such as Berkeley, Petaluma, San Francisco, and Pescadero. Outside California, recipient locations include Portland, Ames, Bethesda, and Estelline, showing a regional footprint rather than a purely county-only pattern.
Its active programs include more than 25 scholarship opportunities for San Benito County high school graduates, the Hope Harvest Cancer Grant for household assistance, the Latino Generations Scholarship Program, the Martin Rajkovich Children’s Fund, the San Benito Disaster Recovery Fund, the Women’s Fund, and the Homeless Services Fund.
Yes. Education is built into multiple programs, including Community Foundation Scholarships with more than 25 opportunities for San Benito County high school graduates and the Latino Generations Scholarship Program for students with economic need attending two-year, four-year, or vocational institutions.
The grant-size distribution is $12,686 at the 25th percentile, $30,000 at the median, and $55,750 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include much larger commitments, showing a wide range of grant sizes.
Recipients in California account for 69% of grants, and San Benito County locations show up repeatedly, including Hollister, Tres Pinos, and Paicines. The recipient base also includes organizations in Berkeley, Petaluma, San Francisco, and Pescadero, plus out-of-state grantees such as Portland and Ames.
Yes. The Hope Harvest Cancer Grant, the Latino Generations Scholarship Program, the Martin Rajkovich Children’s Fund, and the Women’s Fund accept unsolicited requests. Other programs in the list, including the San Benito Disaster Recovery Fund and Homeless Services Fund, do not.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Community Foundation for San Benito County that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: The organization must be located in a U.S. state or territory, be a 501(c)(3) that has existed for at least one full operating year, and maintain accurate and complete financial records.
Deadline: Applications accepted year-round; anticipated decision within four weeks of receipt of a completed application.
Who can apply: Nonprofits providing services or associated with the beneficial interest of horses.
Deadline: No deadline provided in the scraped content.
Who can apply: Children with critical, chronic, or long-term illness living in San Benito County. Anyone may refer a child; the Foundation contacts the family for additional information.
Deadline: Year-round.
Who can apply: Used in the event of a disaster in San Benito County to provide financial support to those affected; may include organizations directly aiding impacted people.
Deadline: The fund was described as still open and accepting donations in 2023; no formal grant deadline was provided.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAN BENITO COUNTY HERITAGE FOUNDATION | TRES PINOS, CA | $1,392,651 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| ECDYSIS FOUNDATION | ESTELLINE, SD | $250,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| CARBON CYCLE INSTITUTE | PETALUMA, CA | $205,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| PAICINES RANCH LEARNING CENTER | PAICINES, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| WOMEN'S FOOD AND AGRICULTURE NETWORK | AMES, IA | $175,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE | BERKELEY, CA | $175,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| PIE RANCH | PESCADERO, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| POSSIBILITY LABS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $119,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| UNITED FOR SAN BENITO | HOLLISTER, CA | $111,500 | 2025 | SOLICITED |
| INTERTRIBAL AGRICULTURE COUNCIL | BILLINGS, MT | $100,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| INFACT DBA CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| HIGHER PURPOSE CO | CLARKSDALE, MS | $100,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| ESPERANZA COMMUNITY FARMS | WATSONVILLE, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| COMMUNITY ALLIANCE WITH FAMILY FARMERS | DAVIS, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| PET FRIENDS AND RESCUE | HOLLISTER, CA | $97,300 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| SAN BENITO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | HOLLISTER, CA | $96,475 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| COMMUNITY SERVICES UNLIMITED | LOS ANGELES, CA | $95,700 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| SAN BENITO RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT | HOLLISTER, CA | $81,500 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| WOLFE'S NECK FARM FOUNDATION INC | FREEPORT, ME | $80,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| CALIFORNIA FARMLINK | APTOS, CA | $78,750 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| COMMUNITY WATER CENTER | VISALIA, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY CO ADVANCEMENT SERVICES | ROHNERT PARK, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION | ALBANY, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| MERIDIAN INSTITUTE | DILLON, CO | $75,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| HAWAII INVESTMENT READY | KANEOHE, HI | $75,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| BENITOLINK | HOLLISTER, CA | $63,700 | 2025 | SOLICITED |
| LEADERSHIP COUNSEL FOR JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY | FRESNO, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| LAND STEWARDSHIP PROJECT | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $60,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| INQUIRING SYSTEMS INC | SANTA ROSA, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| QUIVIRA COALITION | SANTA FE, NM | $52,500 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| CIVIL EATS | COTATI, CA | $52,500 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $52,500 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| CLIMATE CHANGE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE | SANTA FE, NM | $50,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| OJAI VALLEY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL | OJAI, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | CORVALLIS, OR | $50,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIES LAW CENTER | OAKLAND, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY FRESNO FOUNDATION | FRESNO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| GREATER KANSAS CITY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | KANSAS CITY, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| HILLBROOK SCHOOL | LOS GATOS, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| AGRICULTURE AND LAND-BASED TRAINING ASSOCIATION (ALBA) | SALINAS, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| FOOD SYSTEM 6 | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| COOPERACION SANTA ANA | SANTA ANA, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| EMMAUS HOUSE | HOLLISTER, CA | $39,068 | 2025 | SOLICITED |
| POTLIKKER CAPITAL | BURLINGTON, NJ | $37,500 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| CASCADE PACIFIC RC&D | CORVALLIS, OR | $35,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| FARM AND RANCH FREEDOM ALLIANCE | CAMERON, TX | $35,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| REUNITY RESOURCES | SANTA FE, NM | $30,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| UC SANTA CRUZ FOUNDATION | SANTA CRUZ, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
| FIBERSHED | SAN GERONIMO, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | STANDARD |
SAN BENITO COUNTY HERITAGE FOUNDATION
$1,392,651STANDARD
PAICINES RANCH LEARNING CENTER
$200,000STANDARD
WOMEN'S FOOD AND AGRICULTURE NETWORK
$175,000STANDARD
STANDARD
PET FRIENDS AND RESCUE
$97,300STANDARD
SAN BENITO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$96,475STANDARD
SAN BENITO RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT
$81,500STANDARD
SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY CO ADVANCEMENT SERVICES
$75,000STANDARD
BENITOLINK
$63,700SOLICITED
LAND STEWARDSHIP PROJECT
$60,000STANDARD
HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL
$52,500STANDARD
CLIMATE CHANGE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
$50,000STANDARD
OJAI VALLEY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL
$50,000STANDARD
EMMAUS HOUSE
$39,068SOLICITED
FARM AND RANCH FREEDOM ALLIANCE
$35,000STANDARD