March 26, 2025 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Foundation (SDF) announced today that it is offering $500,000 in grants to expand mental health services to nonprofits serving local Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) youth and young people, ages 15 – 24.

“Our recent State of San Diego Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders Report found that suicide is the leading cause of death for California’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander young people,” said Amenah Gulamhusein, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives, SDF. “Focusing on well-being while providing and destigmatizing access to mental and behavioral health services is critical to addressing this issue in our community alongside our nonprofit partners.”

Successful grants will support projects and programs that employ one or more of the following key strategies:

• Provide screening, treatment and/or access to supportive interventions for AANHPI youth and young people.
• Facilitate intergenerational connections between AANHPI youth and young people and community elders.
• Create pathways to leadership development for AANHPI youth and young people to access culturally relevant mentorship and leadership development opportunities.
• Provide educational resources to reduce the stigma of mental health in the community and ensure AANHPI youth and young people are knowledgeable and have access to mental and behavioral health support.

Eligible organizations may request a maximum of $50,000 per proposal. Nonprofit organizations serving San Diego County are invited to apply through 5 p.m. PDT, Friday, April 18, 2025, at SDFoundation.org/apply.

San Diego County has the 7th largest AANHPI community in the country. The State of San Diego AANHPI Report commissioned by SDF and developed in partnership with the Policy & Innovation Center revealed significant disparities in outcomes across AANHPI communities and highlighted a critical need to support the well-being of AANHPI youth ages 15-24. The report found that 30% of AANHPI community members reported difficulties accessing health services due to financial cost, lack of awareness about available options, limited insurance coverage and limited English proficiency.

This grant funding is made available through the AANHPI Fund, an SDF affinity fund dedicated to enhancing the visibility of and advancing the leadership of AANHPI San Diegans. The AANHPI Fund celebrates the diversity of the AANHPI community and works with donors and community leaders to invest directly in solutions that address the challenges faced by AANHPI communities. The fund was designed in partnership with community leaders, supports and celebrates giving from the community, and targets critical needs in the community. The AANHPI Fund was created with a $2.5 million endowment from SDF.

The AANHPI Fund and this work aligns with Fifty & Forward, a multi-year grantmaking and fundraising campaign that SDF originally launched in 2021 and publicly announced in 2024. The goal of the ambitious campaign is to partner with donors to grant $500 million to local nonprofits supporting education, children and families, and the environment, while fundraising $1 billion to help shape San Diego’s future. To date, $335 million has been granted to create a place we feel proud to call home.

To learn more about how San Diegans can amplify their impact together, visit SDFoundation.org/50.

About San Diego Foundation

San Diego Foundation believes in just, equitable and resilient communities where every San Diegan can prosper, thrive and feel like they belong. We partner with donors, nonprofits and regional leaders to co-create solutions that respond to community needs and strengthen San Diego. Since our founding in 1975, our community foundation has granted $1.8 billion to nonprofits to improve quality of life in San Diego County and beyond. Join us in commemorating 50 years of impact – and looking toward the next 50 – by learning more at SDFoundation.org.

Contact

Lorena Nava Ruggero, lruggero@sdfoundation.org, 619-814-1365