The goal of the Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund is to inspire more women to get involved with philanthropy. The Fund now has 120 members, and has grown substantially since 2004, when its 53 charter members granted $100,000 to four organizations. Last year, the foundation awarded six grants to charities and programs that work to better the lives of San Diego citizens. This year, the number shot up to ten grants.
This month, the fund celebrated its 10th anniversary at The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe. Gayle Gillies-Mize, the organization’s founder, was thanked and given an award for her hard work in creating and sustaining the organization, which has given out a total of $2,405,585 to San Diego charities and non-profits.
According to the Rancho Santa Fe Review, Gayle was touched, saying, “But it isn’t just me who should be recognized—its all the women who have worked so hard theses past 10 years to make it so successful.”
Some of the organizations that have been given grants include Big Brothers and Big Sisters of San Diego County, the Scripps Health Foundation and Cecily’s Closet. Cecily’s Closet is a unique non-profit that recycles durable medical equipment to support children with special needs.
In addition, the foundation chooses two areas of need in the community every year. These areas are awarded more grants. Military and veteran services and women were chosen as the focus areas for 2015.
When choosing grantees, the Women’s Fund uses a set of loose guidelines to make the process of granting easier, as well as to ensure that the organizations they fund are representative of the values the fund stands for.
The foundation strives to provide funding for North San Diego and San Diego city area projects that address at least one of the following: 1) Responses to urgent and critical need; 2) Bold new ventures; 3) New approaches to time-worn problems.
Only organizations that have 501(c) (3) status under the IRS can be funded.
Reality Changers Founder Christopher Yanov at the anniversary event.
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Though the organization is geared toward women engaging in philanthropy, the foundation is representative of the charitable and philanthropic spirit of the entire Rancho Santa Fe community.
The Rancho Santa Fe Foundation, the umbrella organization under which the RSF Women’s Fund operates, has a Scholarship Fund that offers financial assistance to residents of North San Diego County who wish to pursue higher education in the greater San Diego area.
The RSF Foundation also offers the Agnes Diggs Road to College Scholarship Fund. The fund offers assistance to college sophomore level and higher journalism/communication majors who live in either San Diego or Riverside County. Recipients must have a demonstrated interest in and commitment to community service and improvement.
Whether you already reside in Rancho Santa Fe or you’re looking to move, this community’s obvious commitment to community service, philanthropy and bettering the San Diego area is definitely a point to consider.