About Southern California Grantmakers
SoCal Grantmakers (SCG) is a community of philanthropists and grantmakers working to make a difference in California’s communities and around the world. SCG connects and informs the giving community through learning, collaboration, advocacy, and coordinated philanthropic action.
Focus Areas
Philanthropy capacity-buildingPublic policy and advocacyChild welfareEarly childhoodParks and public spacesDisaster response and resilienceCross-sector partnerships
Who They Fund
not specified
Funding Style
general operating supportunrestricted/core supportoperational/overhead funding
About Southern California Grantmakers
Southern California Grantmakers concentrates on general operating support, and its recent grants show that pattern clearly: $220,000 awards in 2024 went to Community Partners, Nehemiah Charitable Fund, and The Empowerthem Collective. The foundation also made a $165,000 grant in 2025 to A New Way of Life Reentry Project (anwol) and a $140,000 grant to Timelist Group Inc, both as unrestricted support. That mix points to a funder that backs the day-to-day work of California nonprofits rather than project-only funding. The grantee list includes community intermediaries, reentry organizations, faith-based coalitions, and groups focused on family and neighborhood stability. In 2025, Southern California Grantmakers gave $125,000 to Black Women for Wellness and $120,000 to Antelope Valley Domestic Violence Council, while 2024 support included $130,000 to Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (cope) and $110,000 to Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches. Several awards recur at the same dollar tier across years, reinforcing a consistent operating-support model. Its active evolve Executive Cohort program also shows an organizational focus on professional development for foundation executives in Southern California.
What Southern California Grantmakers Funds
Southern California Grantmakers supports philanthropy capacity-building through its own infrastructure. Its active evolve Executive Cohort (2026) is a professional development cohort for foundation executives in Southern California, centered on leadership. The recent grants also point to public policy and advocacy. In 2024, the foundation gave $130,000 in general operating support to Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (cope) in San Bernardino, and in 2024 it gave $110,000 to Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches in Los Angeles. Child welfare and family stability appear in multiple grants. A 2025 award of $165,000 went to A New Way of Life Reentry Project (anwol) in Los Angeles, while 2025 support of $120,000 went to Antelope Valley Domestic Violence Council in Lancaster. The grant list also includes parks and public spaces-related and community resilience work through local intermediaries, but the clearest pattern is flexible operating support for organizations working on civic, family, and community issues.
How Southern California Grantmakers Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$5.5M
Total Assets
$35.3M
Total Revenue
$27M
Total Expenses
$36.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $110K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$110K
Geographic Reach
Local3 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
CHRISTINE ESSEL
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