What We Fund

The Foundation’s focus areas are: Arts & Culture, Community & Environment, Education, Health & Human Services, and Youth. The Foundation’s Youth Fund is a separate grant fund that awards grants to selected youth-oriented organizations in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. Nonprofit organizations can submit one grant application per twelve-month period to either Monterey Peninsula Foundation or the Youth Fund, with the exception of colleges and universities, which may apply to both.

Types of Grants

The Foundation will consider grant applications for capital projects, programs, and operating support. Grants range from $10,000 – $100,000, and may be higher for capital projects or multi-year grants. Grant applications should show strong and realistic financial planning. The Foundation may make matching or challenge grants to help organizations attract wider support.

Geographic Funding Areas

Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties in Central California, with limited grants to organizations in Northern California.

What We Don't Fund

Learn more about what we don't fund.

2011 and 2012 Grants

Arts & Culture

Total Arts and Culture (14 grants)$344,000
Arts Council for Monterey County$10,000
Arts Habitat$10,000
Camerata Singers$10,000
Carmel Ideas Foundation$19,000
Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County$20,000
First Night Monterey$10,000
KQED$25,000
Monterey Jazz Festival$30,000
Monterey Museum of Art$40,000
Museum Foundation of Pacific Grove$10,000
Pacific Repertory Theatre$30,000
SpectorDance$10,000
Sunset Cultural Center$20,000
Tannery Arts Center$100,000

Community & Environment

Total Community and Environment (33 grants)$1,274,850
Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association$30,000
Animal Friends Rescue Project$19,500
Association of Junior Leagues International$250
Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade$10,000
Carmel Mission Foundation$100,000
Carmel Public Library Foundation$20,000
Coastal Watershed Council$18,000
Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County$15,000
Community Foundation for Monterey County$500
Community of Caring Monterey Peninsula$20,000
Diocese of Monterey Education$17,500
Friends of the Salinas Public Library$100,000
The Friends of the San Benito County Free Library$20,000
Heritage Society of Pacific Grove$20,000
Homeless Garden Project$15,000
Leadership Monterey Peninsula$15,000
Literacy Campaign for Monterey County$500
The Marina Foundation$20,000
MEarth$20,000
Monterey Bay Veterans$15,000
The Offset Project$15,000
One Acre Fund$100
Operation Christmas Cheer$10,000
Partners for Peace$25,000
Point Lobos Foundation$20,000
Public Recreation Unlimited$500,000
Raising a Reader$20,000
Rebuilding Together$20,000
Salinas Rotary Club Charitable Fund$100,000
SPCA for Monterey County$25,000
Sustainable Conservation$15,000
Ventana Wildlife Society$30,000
Watsonville Wetlands Watch$18,500

Education

Total Education (13 grants)$1,296,000
Chartwell School$50,000
Friends of Monterey Academy of Oceanographic Science$12,000
Panetta Institute for Public Policy$50,000
Monterey County Educational Television Fund $20,000
Monterey Institute of International Studies$50,000
The Morton Foundation$10,000
Notre Dame High School$50,000
Notre Dame High School$1,000
O'Neill Sea Odyssey$40,000
Parent Institute for Quality Education$100,000
Santa Catalina School$50,000
University Corporation at Monterey Bay$100,000
University Corporation at Monterey Bay$763,000

Health & Human Services

Total Health and Human Services (54 grants)$1,967,600
Abode Services$25,000
ACTION Council of Monterey County$50,000
Alliance on Aging$50,000
Alzheimer's Association Monterey County Area$25,000
American Heart Association - Northern Central Coast$50,000
American Red Cross Monterey Bay Area Chapter$30,000
Big Sur Health Center$20,000
Blind & Visually Impaired Center of Monterey County$20,000
Breathe California Central Coast$20,000
Carmel Foundation$25,000
CASA of Monterey County$20,000
CASA of Santa Cruz County$60,000
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Monterey$35,000
Center for Community Advocacy$40,000
Central Coast Center for Independent Living$25,000
Central Coast HIV AIDS Services$40,000
Central Coast Hospice Foundation$45,000
Central Coast VNA & Hospice$60,000
Coalition of Homeless Services Providers$30,000
Community Bridges$26,000
Community Human Services$20,000
Community Pantry of San Benito Co.$30,000
Compassionate Care Alliance$15,000
Easter Seals Central California$40,000
Emmaus House$15,000
Family Service Agency of the Central Coast$30,000
Freedom Fields USA$100
Gateway Center of Monterey County$35,000
Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation$75,000
Health Projects Center$20,000
Healthy Eating Lifestyle Principles$10,000
Homeless Services Center$20,000
Homeless Task Force of San Benito County$20,000
Hospice of Santa Cruz County$36,500
Housing Resource Center of Monterey County$20,000
Interim$100,000
Jacob's Heart Childrens Cancer Association$20,000
Josephine Kernes Memorial Pool$35,000
Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula$50,000
Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley$35,000
Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project$15,000
Natividad Medical Foundation$50,000
Prunedale Senior Center$10,000
Monterey County Rape Crisis Center$40,000
RotaCare Clinic$15,000
Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital Service League$10,000
Santa Cruz Women's Health Center$30,000
Seneca Family of Agencies$150,000
Shelter Outreach Plus$40,000
Special Olympics Northern California$45,000
Sun Street Centers$160,000
Sunrise House$20,000
United Way Monterey County$50,000
Womens Cancer Advocacy Resources & Education$10,000

Youth

Total Youth (98 grants)$2,160,240
AAUW-MPB Local Scholarship Program$5,000
Alisal Unified School District$44,000
Amesti School$3,000
AT&T Pebble Beach Junior Golf Association$50,000
AT&T Pebble Beach Junior Golf Association$5,000
Ballet Guild$7,680
Bay View Academy$9,000
Bay View Academy$10,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County$20,000
Big Sur International Marathon$15,000
Bolsa Knolls Middle School$3,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County$150,000
Cabrillo College Foundation$7,500
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music$10,000
California Missions Foundation$10,000
Carl Cherry Foundation$8,000
Carmel High School$2,000
Carmel Music Society$9,000
Carmel River School$10,000
Carmel Valley Community Youth Center$4,400
Castroville Elementary School$10,000
Castroville Elementary School$10,000
Central Coast YMCA$100,000
Christine Marie's Star Riders$10,000
Colleagues of the Arts$10,000
Community Partnership for Youth$75,000
Education Foundation of MPUSD$7,000
Festa Italia Santa Rosalia Foundation$5,000
The First Tee of Monterey County$250,000
The First Tee of Monterey County$250,000
Gateway School$7,500
Girls Inc. of the Central Coast$170,000
Gonzales Youth Football$10,000
Good Shepherd Catholic School$7,600
Greater Bay Area Make a Wish Foundation$30,000
Harmony at Home$10,000
Hartnell Community College$34,250
Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County$20,000
Hollister Youth Alliance$90,000
I Cantori di Carmel$2,000
International School of Monterey$10,000
International School of Monterey$9,500
International School of Monterey$9,000
Junior Achievement$15,000
Junipero Serra School$5,000
Junipero Serra School$7,500
Junipero Serra School$7,500
Junipero Serra School$7,500
Kidpower$10,000
Life Is For Everyone$20,000
Lyceum of Monterey County$20,000
Marshall Elementary School$8,000
Monte Vista Elementary School$10,000
Monterey County Office of Education$10,000
Monterey County Police Activities League$10,000
Monterey Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival$7,500
Monterey High School$10,000
Monterey High School$6,500
Monterey High School$12,500
Monterey High School$7,500
Monterey High School$10,000
Monterey High School$7,400
Monterey High School$10,000
Monterey High School PTSA$2,000
Monterey Peninsula College$49,600
Monterey Peninsula Cypressaires$3,000
Monterey Pony-Colt League$20,000
National Coalition Building Institute$7,500
Pacific Grove Art Center Association$9,000
Pacific Grove High School$10,000
Pacific Grove High School$5,000
Pacific Grove High School$2,000
Pacific Grove Middle School$3,000
Palma & Notre Dame High Schools' Sober Graduation Committee$2,000
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte$25,000
Rancho Cielo Youth Campus$80,000
Robert Down Elementary School$9,810
Robert Down Elementary School$6,500
Salinas High School$12,500
vSalinas High School$2,000
Salinas Valley Junior Golf Association$20,000
San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music$2,000
Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos$10,000
Santa Cruz Chamber Players$2,500
Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center$20,000
Santa Cruz County Symphony Association$7,000
Seaside High School$10,000
Seaside High School$10,000
Seaside High School PTSA$2,000
Seniors Council of Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties$6,000
Stone Soup$5,000
UC Santa Cruz Foundation$10,000
UC Santa Cruz Foundation$10,000
University Corporation at Monterey Bay$40,000
VMC Foundation$15,000
Watsonville High School$5,500
World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area$5,000
Youth Music Monterey$10,000

Other

Total Other (20 grants)$311,000
American Diabetes Association$1,000
Ann and George Lopez Foundation$1,000
AT&T Pebble Beach Junior Golf Association$1,000
Band Against MS Foundation$1,000
Community Bridges$30,000
Community Partnership for Youth (CPY)$1,000
The First Tee of Monterey County$1,000
Giants Community Fund$20,000
Heart of the Ozarks Junior Golf Association$40,000
Hemophilia Foundation of Northern California$10,000
Lifehouse$1,000
Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury$40,000
Monday After the Masters MAM Pro-Am Golf Tournament$10,000
Monterey Bay Adult Day Care$20,000
Naval Postgraduate School Foundation$100,000
Not On Our Watch$1,000
Project MuszEd$1,000
San Francisco Forty Niners Foundation$30,000
Valley Guild$1,000
weSPARK$1,000