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Impact Profile
General charitable impact
Who can apply: Organization must be based in Santa Cruz County and have a minimum of one full year of demonstrated programmatic impact.
Deadline: Accepted on a rolling basis.
About Regional Water Management Foundation
Established by Community Foundation Santa Cruz County to support planning and obtain funding for water resource projects in Santa Cruz County, promoting regional coordination and collaboration to increase resilience and sustainability of local water supply, water quality, watershed stewardship, stormwater, and flood management.
Focus Areas
Water resource planningGrant administrationGroundwater sustainabilityWater supplyWater qualityWatershed stewardshipStormwater managementFlood managementRegional coordination
Who They Fund
disadvantaged communities (DAC)regional water management entities / IRWM consortialocal or small/rural water systems
About Regional Water Management Foundation
Regional Water Management Foundation is defined by water project coordination: it was established by Community Foundation Santa Cruz County to help plan, secure funding for, and administer grants for regional water resources work in Santa Cruz County. Recent grant activity shows that mandate in practice, with support going to the City of Watsonville for a community water tank, the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County for Integrated Regional Water Management implementation, and the City of Santa Cruz for IRWM Round 2 work. The foundation’s portfolio centers on water supply planning, groundwater sustainability, water quality, watershed stewardship, stormwater, and flood management, with a strong emphasis on regional coordination among public agencies and local partners. It also supports disadvantaged-community engagement and project development, including Prop 1 DACI work and planning support for local systems. The recent grants list includes both large implementation awards and smaller planning or coordination grants, suggesting a mix of capital-adjacent funding and technical support. The foundation’s local scope is consistent with its Santa Cruz County focus, and its grants are entirely within California.
What Regional Water Management Foundation Funds
Water supply and infrastructure planning are a clear throughline. In 2025, Regional Water Management Foundation awarded $837,948 to the City of Watsonville for RWMF UMDR Water Tank, and it also awarded $292,494 to the same city in 2024 for the same project line. The foundation also backs regional implementation work: the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County received $483,056 in 2024 for RWMF DWR IRWM Round 1 Implementation, while another $427,341 followed in 2025 for the same initiative. Disadvantaged-community engagement appears in the grant list as well. In 2023, the City of Watsonville received $203,132 for Prop 1 Disadvantaged Communities Involvement Program, and the City of Soledad received $39,990 for the same program. Administrative and project-development support shows up in smaller awards, including $5,580 to Nilsen & Associates for RWMF DACI project development in 2024.
How Regional Water Management Foundation Gives
Typical grant size is uneven and project-driven: the 25th percentile is $5,580, the median is $110,460, and the 75th percentile is $292,494. That spread points to a mix of planning or coordination grants and larger implementation awards. The recent record also shows repeat funding to the same recipients across multiple years, including the City of Watsonville, the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, and Davenport County Sanitation District. The foundation is a public charity, not an individual-giving funder, and it makes grants rather than program-related investments. Its active programs also show structured administration, including grant administration and a scholarship program, alongside the water-focused work.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.6M
Total Assets
$2.1M
Total Revenue
$2.4M
Total Expenses
$2.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $6K and $292K, with a median of $110K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$110K
75th Percentile
$292K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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