The California Community Foundation awards four different types of support:

1. Competitive Grants
Competitive grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations that seek to meet an identified community need and that match the foundation’s funding priorities.  The bulk of competitive grants are awarded through the foundation’s grantmaking in its five priority areas: arts, education, health care, human development and neighborhood revitalization.  We encourage you to visit our Web site often as other funding opportunities may arise.

2. Donor Advised Grants
Individuals, families and organizations that have established donor advised funds at the community foundation determine the goals and objectives of the grants from their funds.
Donor advised funds are not open to requests for funding.

3. Program Related Investments
The foundation makes program related investments (PRIs) in the form of low-interest loans and loan guarantees to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and intermediary lenders that serve nonprofit finance needs related to the foundation’s programmatic priorities.

4. Special Initiative Grants
Special initiative grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations whose proposed projects match the specific objectives and outcomes for each initiative. Learn more about these grantmaking opportunities.

In 2008, the foundation awarded $220 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles County, across the country and worldwide.  Of this amount, nearly 70% were donor advised grants.  Competitive grants represented 10.6% of this amount, with the remainder awarded through scholarships, supporting organizations, and special initiatives .

Download the 2008 Annual Report to learn more.