Our Grants
Since its inception, The Del Mar Foundation has supported community projects and organizations through its robust grants program, fiscal sponsorship, and fiscal management expertise.
The Foundation’s grants focus on activities, programs, and acquisitions that further its mission to acquire and preserve open space, improve beaches and parklands, and support diverse cultural programs and community events in Del Mar.
Interested in applying for a grant? Check out our grant application forms, examples of grant agreements and examples of our past grants, below. We welcome applications that further our mission, and will help make Del Mar a vibrant community.
Examples of Past Grants
Keeping Del Mar Safe
On June 25 and 26, 2021, Del Mar CERT volunteers participated in the annual American Radio Relay League Field Day, giving them a great opportunity to test new communications equipment CERT acquired through a Del Mar Foundation grant: four dual band digital handheld transceivers and one all-band multimode portable transceiver.
Del Mar CERT established a mobile operations site behind the Public Works maintenance yard just south of the river mouth to participate in this annual 24-hour contest to contact as many ham radio operators as possible over a wide set of frequency bands.
One year Gene Swiech (at left in the photo) won this nationwide contest single-handedly, according to Cap Pinney! More information is available here.
Helping Hands
In response to the pandemic, DMF stepped up its support for St. Peter’s Helping Hands program, which provides not only meals, but also life-changing services to homeless individuals, many of whom are seniors. During the pandemic, their services also supported many newly unemployed people in our area. In a comprehensive report, Shirley King (at left in the photo) and Ann Austin recap how the grant was used over the course of fifteen months.
Highlights include:
- Partnering with Stratford Court Cafe and Beeside Balcony to serve 3,180 restaurant-prepared meals;
- Distributing homemade soup, hot drinks, sack lunches with high protein drinks, fruit, fresh underwear and socks, and 2,500 face masks;
- Providing critical social work services, including health care referrals for emergency dental work, wound care, diabetes management, major surgeries and substance abuse admissions; and achieving housing through Project Room Key for several seniors;
- Hosting an on-campus vaccination clinic and scheduling off-site Covid-19 vaccination appointments, achieving a remarkable 90% vaccination rate.
The work and success of this committed group of volunteers, which includes teens and college students, is truly inspiring. We know that every dollar we placed in their hands was carefully invested in supporting and changing the lives of those among us who are most in need.
Just In Time For Summer
A new truck, specially customized to meet Lifeguard needs, started patrolling our beaches in late spring 2021, thanks to a $50K grant from the Foundation. It replaced a “rust bucket” which has now be retired from service.
Art Bench Plaques
Del Mar artist Maidy Morhous generously donated two artworks for public display. The pieces were installed in 2019 but the pandemic that followed meant City funding for plaques to identify the artist and artwork titles evaporated. A small DMF grant allowed these plaques to be purchased, and to be installed by Public Works’ Tom Romaine.
Safety Center Repairs
Necessary improvements to the Beach Safety Center at 17th St. are now under way, paid for with a DMF grant of $30,000. The Foundation previously donated $35,000 for construction of the Safety Center and $20,000 for the adjacent walk and garden.
Training Pays Off
Del Mar lifeguards and firefighters recently completed rope rescue training funded by grants from DMF and Del Mar Rotary. This training paid off soon thereafter when it was used in a real-life rescue at Anderson Canyon.
Apply for a Community Grant
The Del Mar Foundation accepts grant applications AT ANY TIME. An applicant may apply as often as needed. The Grant Application Review Committee will notify applicants within eight weeks. Each grantee shall provide documentation of the use of funds received from the Foundation within 30 days of the end of the Term of Agreement.
To apply, complete and submit the Del Mar Foundation Grant Application according to the instructions listed on the application and send via email to grants@delmarfoundation.org.
Receipt of your Grant Application package will be acknowledged via email, and you will be contacted by a member of the Grants Committee should there be any questions or need for additional information.
Grant Application Documents
Please review and use these documents when submitting a grant application:
Grant Agreement Examples
Here are examples of the Grant Agreement that grantees are required to sign, and the documentation requirements that apply to DMF grants:
Del Mar Foundation Response to Covid-19 Pandemic
The current Covid-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts on our country, state, county and city. Beginning in March, to help mitigate the effect of this crisis, we increased our support of various Del Mar-based organizations including Del Mar Community Connections (Pandemic Response Driver Program), the Del Mar Village Association (Fueling the Front Line), and St. Peter’s Church’s Helping Hands food program.
The Foundation is also aware of the severe impact the pandemic has had on the City’s finances, and concluded that we could make a significant difference. On August 3rd, the Del Mar Foundation presented a $180,820 donation to the Del Mar City Council, which will restore funding for budget items important to our community, connected to the Foundation’s mission, that the City had to cut from its budget because of the crisis.
We hope that this funding will benefit our community as we work together to overcome the challenges Covid-19 presents to our individual and collective health and safety, and our community’s well-being.
