Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism
About Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
Connect donors, nonprofits, and community partners to create a more vibrant, equitable, and thriving Southern Arizona through grantmaking, donor services, capacity building, and community initiatives.
Focus Areas
basic human needschildren and youth servicesarts and cultureeducationadvocacynonprofit capacity buildingscholarshipslocal journalismenvironmental sustainability
Funding Style
general operating / unrestricted supportcore organizational fundingflexible funding (no program restrictions)organizational sustainability
About Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
A large share of Community Foundation for Southern Arizona’s recent giving has gone to general support for Tucson-based organizations working on domestic abuse services, food access, higher education, and community well-being. The pattern is visible in major grants to Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, the University of Arizona Foundation, and Community Food Bank Inc., all in Tucson. The foundation’s work is broad rather than single-issue: its stated focus areas include basic human needs, children and youth services, arts and culture, education, advocacy, nonprofit capacity building, scholarships, local journalism, and environmental sustainability. In the recent grants list, support reaches institutions tied to education and research, such as the University of Arizona and University of Arizona Foundation, as well as cultural and civic groups including Tucson Museum of Art and Save Democracy Inc. General support is the dominant grant purpose in the recent data, which suggests flexible funding is a recurring part of its approach. The foundation also gives beyond one city within Arizona, with grants to Nogales and Dragoon appearing in the recent record, alongside many Tucson awards.
What Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Funds
Education and scholarship-related work appears across multiple grants. The foundation gave $872,006 to University of Arizona Foundation for general support and $184,328 to University of Arizona for general support, then later added $167,044 to University of Arizona Foundation and $164,034 to University of Arizona. Community services are another clear thread: Community Food Bank Inc received $235,742 in 2025 and $154,459 in 2024 for general support, after a $148,753 grant in 2023. In safety and family services, Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse received $524,682 in 2025, $429,966 in 2023, and $212,618 in 2024, all for general support. Arts and civic life also show up through $317,768 to Tucson Museum of Art and $150,000 to Save Democracy Inc.
How Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Gives
Typical recent grant sizes cluster around $10,000 at the 25th percentile, a $20,000 median, and $35,125 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes a small number of much larger awards, including seven-figure support and several six-figure grants, alongside many general-support grants at the smaller end of the distribution. Recipients recur across years, especially Tucson institutions such as Community Food Bank Inc, University of Arizona, University of Arizona Foundation, and Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse. The foundation is a community foundation, and its grant descriptions in the recent data are overwhelmingly framed as general support, indicating flexible operating-style funding rather than tightly restricted project awards.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$11.8M
Total Assets
$219.5M
Total Revenue
$21.7M
Total Expenses
$16.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $35K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$35K
Geographic Reach
Local32 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
KATHERINE WAIT
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