What kinds of legal issues does San Diego County Bar Foundation fund?

It funds access to legal services, administration of justice, and public legal education, with specific support for immigrant and asylum seekers, domestic violence survivor services, elder abuse prevention, foster care advocacy, indigent criminal defense, and housing-related legal assistance.

Does San Diego County Bar Foundation accept unsolicited grant requests?

Some programs do. The General Grant Fund, Elder Abuse Grants, Foster Children Grants, Refugee Legal Assistance Grants, Indigent Criminal Defense Fund, and cy pres-designated support all accept unsolicited requests, while the General Grant Program and San Diego County Bar Foundation — Grant Program are marked as not accepting unsolicited applications.

What is the typical grant size?

The grant-size distribution centers on relatively small awards: p25 is $7,750, the median is $11,000, and p75 is $21,375.

Does the foundation support organizations outside San Diego County?

Its grantmaking is local and concentrated in California, with 95% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The recent grants list is overwhelmingly San Diego-based, with one example in Oakland, but the program descriptions emphasize San Diego County and nearby San Diego communities.

What types of organizations receive support?

The foundation funds sustainable, results-driven local legal nonprofit organizations and related service providers. Recent awards include legal aid groups, volunteer lawyer programs, conflict resolution services, law school programs, and organizations serving children, seniors, refugees, and people affected by poverty, abuse, and discrimination.

San Diego County Bar Foundation

Name: San Diego County Bar Foundation — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActiveMutual & Membership Benefit

Fresno, CAWebsite5592286140EIN: 95-3366651

About San Diego County Bar Foundation

Provide access to justice for underserved San Diegans by funding sustainable, results-driven local legal non-profit organizations serving those affected by poverty, abuse, and discrimination.

Focus Areas

Legal services / legal aidAccess to justiceLegal education and public understanding of lawImmigrant and refugee legal assistanceDomestic violence survivor servicesChildren and family legal servicesElder lawHousing and homelessness-related legal assistanceVeterans legal services

Who They Fund

low-income individualsunderserved communitiesmarginalized/vulnerable populations

About San Diego County Bar Foundation

The San Diego County Bar Foundation centers its grantmaking on access to justice, with recent awards repeatedly supporting legal services for underserved San Diegans affected by poverty, abuse, and discrimination. Its largest recent grant in the data is $80,000 to Center for Employment Opp in San Diego for legal services to underserved people, and the pattern continues with sizeable support for organizations such as Think Dignity, Natl Conflict Resolution Ctr, and Father Joes Village. The foundation also backs legal help tied to specific needs, including immigration and asylum, elder abuse, foster children, criminal defense, and domestic violence survivor services. Across the recent grants list, the foundation appears to favor direct service organizations that deliver legal advice, representation, advocacy, and related support rather than broad, general-purpose funding. Grants also reach local legal education and public understanding of the law, reflecting its stated interest in improving the administration of justice and helping people navigate the legal system. The recurring wording in award descriptions points to a consistent emphasis on sustainable, results-driven legal nonprofits serving San Diego County communities.

What San Diego County Bar Foundation Funds

One clear theme is general civil legal aid. The foundation gave $23,500 to Legal Aid Society of SD for legal services to underserved people, and it also awarded $15,000 to Sd Volunteer Lawyer Prgm Inc for the same purpose. Another recurring area is housing and basic stability: Think Dignity received $50,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025 for legal services to underserved people, aligning with services for people facing poverty and discrimination. Immigration-related legal assistance is another supported area. Casa Cornelia Law Center received $15,000 for legal services to underserved people, while License to Freedom received $15,000 in 2025. The foundation also funds child and family services through legal work, including $15,000 to Voices for Children Inc and $15,000 to Radys Childrens Hospital, both for legal services to underserved people.

How San Diego County Bar Foundation Gives

Typical grants cluster around a modest direct-service range: the 25th percentile is $7,750, the median is $11,000, and the 75th percentile is $21,375. Recent awards show both one-time and recurring support. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Center for Employment Opp, Think Dignity, Father Joes Village, Uprise Theatre, and CA Western School of Law. The foundation gives through named grant programs and targeted funds, including general legal-aid grant programs, elder abuse grants, foster children grants, refugee legal assistance grants, and an indigent criminal defense fund. It also accepts unsolicited requests in some programs, including the General Grant Fund, Elder Abuse Grants, Foster Children Grants, Refugee Legal Assistance Grants, Indigent Criminal Defense Fund, and cy pres-designated support.

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$476K

Total Assets

$1.3M

Total Revenue

$287K

Total Expenses

$646K

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $8K and $21K, with a median of $11K.

25th Percentile

$8K

Median

$11K

75th Percentile

$21K

Geographic Reach

Local2 states funded

About 95% of grants go to recipients in CA.

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
Center for Employment Opp	San Diego, CA	$80,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Natl Conflict Resolution Ctr	San Diego, CA	$50,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Think Dignity	San Diego, CA	$50,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Father Joes Village	San Diego, CA	$45,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Uprise Theatre	San Diego, CA	$25,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
License to Freedom	El Cajon, CA	$15,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
CA Western School of Law	San Diego, CA	$15,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Survivors of Torture Intl	San Diego, CA	$15,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Radys Childrens Hospital	San Diego, CA	$15,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
La Maestra Comm Health	San Diego, CA	$12,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
SD Volunteer Lawyer Program	San Diego, CA	$12,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Pathways to Citizenship	Solano Beach, CA	$12,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
CA Rural Legal Assistance	Modesto, CA	$12,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Alliance for African Assist	San Diego, CA	$12,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Casa Cornelia Law Ctr	San Diego, CA	$12,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Elder Law & Advocacy	San Diego, CA	$11,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Legal Aid Society of SD	San Diego, CA	$10,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
World Relief of So Ca	Garden Grove, CA	$10,000	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
ABA Fund for Justice and Ed	Chicago, IL	$7,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Center for Comm Solutions	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Jewish Family Svcs of SD	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Catholic Charities SD	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
USD School of Law	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
So Cal Immigration Project	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Imm Ctr for Women & Children	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Voices for Children	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2025	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Center for Employment Opp	San Diego, CA	$60,000	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Think Dignity	San Diego, CA	$50,000	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Natl Conflict Resolution Ctr	San Diego, CA	$50,000	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Father Joes Village	San Diego, CA	$45,000	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Uprise Theatre	San Diego, CA	$26,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Legal Aid Society of SD	San Diego, CA	$23,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
CA Western School of Law	San Diego, CA	$11,000	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
SD Volunteer Lawyer Program	San Diego, CA	$11,000	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Survivors of Torture Intl	San Diego, CA	$11,000	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Elder Law & Advocacy	San Diego, CA	$11,000	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
La Maestra Comm Health	San Diego, CA	$10,000	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Casa Cornelia Law Ctr	San Diego, CA	$10,000	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
License to Freedom	El Cajon, CA	$8,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
So Cal Immigration Project	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Pathways to Citizenship	Solano Beach, CA	$7,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Voices for Children	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Pillars of the Community	El Cajon, CA	$7,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Center for Comm Solutions	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Imm Ctr for Women & Children	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
ABA Fund for Justice and Ed	Chicago, IL	$7,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
Jewish Family Svcs of SD	San Diego, CA	$7,500	2024	Provide legal svcs to underserved
CENTER FOR EMPLOYMENT OPP	SAN DIEGO, CA	$60,000	2023	PROVIDE LEGAL SVCS TO UNDERSERVED
NATIONAL CONFLICT RESOURCE CE	SAN DIEGO, CA	$50,000	2023	PROVIDE LEGAL SVCS TO UNDERSERVED
THINK DIGNITY	SAN DIEGO, CA	$50,000	2023	PROVIDE LEGAL SVCS TO UNDERSERVED

Recipient

Location

Amount

Year

Purpose

Center for Employment Opp

San Diego, CA

$80,000

2025