San Diego Foundation

The foundation also operates donor-advised funds (DAFs) on behalf of individuals, who direct giving from such funds while they are alive. In 2025, the foundation was the subject of a lawsuit from the right-of-center Pacific Legal Foundation, a group that the San Diego Foundation has funded, alleging that the foundation’s administration of a Black Alumni Scholarship Fund on behalf of the University of California-San Diego violated federal anti-discrimination laws. ^{2 3 4}

Background and History

Founded in 1975, the San Diego Foundation (SDF) is the region’s primary community foundation, and describes itself as a hub for donor‐advised funds, field-of-interest funds, scholarships, and competitive grantmaking in San Diego County. Early projects of the foundation mostly centered around traditional charitable causes, including historic preservation and support for community service organizations such as the YWCA. Early funders of the foundation included media philanthropist and former U.S. Rep. Clinton McKinnon (D-CA); Col. Frank C. Wood, a decorated cavalry officer and war hero who served in the Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection and China Relief Expedition; and Ruben H. Fleet, an aerospace executive. ⁵

As of 2025, the foundation’s strategic plan centers on advancing “racial and social justice,” “equity of opportunity,” and “resilient communities,” supported by a Strategic Initiatives Fund. Public materials emphasize four pillars and showcase program “accomplishments” since the plan’s July 2021 launch, including policy-oriented work around economic mobility, health equity, and climate resilience. ⁶

The foundation operates numerous grant programs and regional affiliates, with open calls ranging from arts education to environmental initiatives. In fiscal year 2023, SDF reported distributing $131.1 million in grants to nonprofit partners, the most in its history to that point. ^{7 8}

Legal Challenge Over Race-Based Scholarships

In 2025, the San Diego Foundation was named as a defendant in a federal lawsuit accusing it of conspiring with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to administer a racially exclusive scholarship in violation of equal protection law. The lawsuit, filed in July 2025 by the Pacific Legal Foundation and Californians for Equal Rights Foundation (CFER) on behalf of transfer student Kai Peters, claimed that UCSD transferred operation of its Black Alumni Scholarship Fund (BASF), a program limited exclusively to Black students, after the state-wide ban on race-based preferences under California Proposition 209. The plaintiffs argued that transferring BASF to SDF was a tactic meant to sidestep legal constraints, noting that UCSD continues to recruit applicants, promote the program, staff the scholarship’s board, and provide racial data to the foundation. The lawsuit asserted that the arrangement constituted an unlawful conspiracy to deprive eligible students of constitutional rights. ^{2 3}

Despite it being sued by the Pacific Legal Foundation in 2025, the San Diego Foundation reported over $300,000 in general support to PLF in its 2023 tax return. ⁴

Programs and Funding Areas

In addition to an explicit focus on funding organizations focused on “racial and social justice,” the San Diego Foundation operates programs with an emphasis on left-of-center policy priorities, including housing policy, climate change, and economic issues. The foundation describes a long-standing climate portfolio, noting it has “led the call for regional action to reduce global warming pollution” since 2006. ⁹

Leadership and Governance

Mark Stuart, a career fundraiser and foundation executive, was the president and CEO of the San Diego Foundation and reported to its board of governors. Stuart had previously worked for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School. ^{10 10} Stuart was paid over $700,000 in total compensation from the foundation in 2023. ⁴

The foundation has a large staff that includes grantmakers, “community need advisors,” and development personnel who manage donor relationships and program execution. ¹¹