More than US$100,000 in Grants Awarded to San Diego Community Organizations
The City of San Diego and California Coast Credit Union have awarded a total of US$109,000 in grants to 11 nonprofit organizations operating within the San Diego Promise Zone. Each organization will receive between US$9,000 and US$10,000 to support projects focused on community development, educational access, and workforce training.
The funding is part of the Community Partners Growth Fund, a joint initiative designed to support underserved communities within a federally designated Promise Zone. The area spans 6.4 square miles and includes neighborhoods such as East Village, Barrio Logan, Southeastern, and Encanto. Although rich in cultural diversity, the zone faces ongoing challenges related to housing, employment, health care, and education.
Grant recipients include Accessibility, which will launch a microcredit program; Black Tech Link, which will offer training in geographic information systems; Classics for Kids, which will expand access to music education; Computers for Kids, which will implement its TECH UP initiative; and In Good Company, which will provide climate change literacy training.
Also receiving funding are Mission Edge, which will lead a community outreach project; Project Monarch School, which focuses on education and career preparation for homeless youth; the San Diego Travelers Aid Society, which will provide services to older adults; the Urban Collaborative Project, which will host its fifth annual Transportation Justice Expo and a holiday event; Unidos Camino del Condado de San Diego, which will offer a STEAM-to-Career education program; and Workshops for Warriors, Inc., which will use its grant to support advanced manufacturing recruitment and a youth training program. Workshops for Warriors was the only organization to receive $9,000; all others received US$10,000.
Program officials said grant recipients were selected based on their experience serving the community, the urgency and relevance of their proposed projects, and how closely their goals align with the Promise Zone’s mission. The funding is intended to strengthen the capacity of these organizations to deliver services more effectively and sustainably.
Adrienne Fusek, executive director of In Good Company, said the funding will allow the organization to offer Carbon Literacy certification to local residents through outreach efforts and full scholarships. Hernán Luis y Prado, founder and director of Workshops for Warriors, noted that the grant will help scale up training opportunities in advanced manufacturing, with a target of reaching up to 7,500 trainees annually, including local workers and veterans.
Since its establishment in 2016, the San Diego Promise Zone has brought together more than 80 partner organizations working collaboratively to expand economic opportunity and improve quality of life in historically underserved communities.
