Women Give San Diego is a giving circle of Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial Counties, with 135+ multi-generational members. We fund programs that help women and girls of San Diego achieve economic self-sufficiency and security.

Click here to learn more about who we are and what we do.

Our Mission


Women Give San Diego (WGSD) funds nonprofit organizations in San Diego County that focus on historically under-resourced and often overlooked women and girls. Our partner organizations invest in women and girls to bring about increased prosperity within their communities. 

WGSD’s model for change balances education, community collaboration and strategic and effective grantmaking to center the voices of those most impacted by social inequities.  We believe that by empowering and uplifting women, we improve the circumstances and conditions for all people in San Diego County.

Our Vision

Women Give San Diego envisions a world of sustainable economic self-sufficiency and security for all women and girls in San Diego County, especially those who have been traditionally and historically invisible.

Our Impact

In the past 11 years, Women Give San Diego has granted $1,250,000 to 42 organizations in San Diego, helping under-resourced women and girls in San Diego County achieve and maintain economic sustainability.

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Our Core Values


  • Gender Justice: equal rights and opportunities for women and girls
  • Integrity
  • Inclusiveness
  • Transparency
  • Partnership
  • Impact focused
  • Female-centered: Honor the unique way in which women approach issues
  • Collaboration and leverage
  • Accountability

Our Areas of Focus

  • Low-income and working poor women
  • Transition age youth, pregnant & parenting teens
  • Immigrant and refugee women
  • Victims of domestic violence, sexual exploitation & human trafficking
  • Elderly women in economic crisis
  • Military women & wives
  • Why Women?

    Women are more likely to share their economic gains with their families and communities at large – thus potentially making investment in women and girls a leveraged granting opportunity, no matter what your specific giving area focus. A woman’s economic autonomy is impacted by her level of education and conditions in the workforce, such as availability of health insurance, pension plans, family friendly work environments and flextime.

  • How We Help

    Women Give San Diego funds organizations who elevate the economic status of women by providing access to or direct education, job training, supportive networks and availability of needed resources. We believe that when women thrive, their communities, state, nation and world also thrive.

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Get involved!

Become a member – join a leadership team – come to our next event.   Make a difference in the lives of SD women and girls!

The Benefits of Membership

Connect…

Build relationships and collaborate with other like-minded women:

  • Work together to make a difference in our community and change the lives of low income women and girls in San Diego.
  • Become true partners with the organizations and programs we support with our grants.
  • Learn about our vulnerable populations through panel discussions with experts

Lead…

Women Give San Diego encourages members to get involved to help make our impact on the local community so much stronger:

  • Join one or more of our Leadership Teams to deepen relationships, share time, talent and passion.
  • Share your skills in one of our mentorship programs.

Celebrate!!

Help celebrate our success through:

  • Bi-monthly programs
  • Casual program socials
  • Mentorship dinners
  • Annual grants celebration
  • Annual holiday party

Developing skills to improve financial literacy and poverty prevention

Every year Women Give San Diego funds programs for women which target several of our key focus areas. Our over-arching program goals are:

Building Bridges to Economic Self-Sufficiency

 
 

Preparing women for first time employment or jobs in higher paying fields

Maintaining Independence, Social Welfare and Economic Security for all Women

Meet our Grantees from 2022

Accessity

Accessity’s mission is to open doors of financial opportunity, primarily to entrepreneurs of color, women, and immigrant entrepreneurs so they can build prosperous businesses and livelihoods for themselves and their families, while also strengthening our communities. Loans provided through this funding will support diverse women-owned small businesses as they contribute to vibrant neighborhoods, generate local tax revenue, and create jobs.

The Chicano Federation Women's Small Business Development Program

The Chicano Federations Women’s Small Business Development Program is an eight-week childcare training program that provides women with the skills and resources to start a home-based childcare business, including preparing them for state licensing requirements. The goal of this program is to provide women with a unique opportunity to start their own business, while helping families in need of affordable childcare.

Logan Heights Community Development Corporation

Logan Heights CDC works to strengthen residents and businesses in Greater Logan Heights neighborhoods through community empowerment, education, economic growth, and housing development. The organization serves as a conduit to connect entrepreneurs with existing businesses, as well as provide access to agencies that can assist with resources like funding, financing, consulting and/or technical support. Logan Heights CDC also provides workshops, growth opportunities and more to help diverse women-owned businesses not just survive but thrive in their community.

Olivewood Gardens

Olivewood Gardens improves health and environmental stewardship by providing children, adults, and families from the community with the tools to make informed and healthy decisions in the kitchen, in the community, and for the environment. This grant will support the Kitchenistas Program and the development of educational tools and curriculum to support entrepreneurism, with a particular focus on San Diego County’s newly adopted Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) program.

San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation

The mission of San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation (SDBFCF) is to reduce socioeconomic disparities in breast/chestfeeding support by increasing access to qualified lactation consultants for low-income families. The San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation (SDBFCF) has developed a comprehensive strategic plan to facilitate growth to increase service capacity. This grant will help increase access to qualified lactation consultants for people of color and low-income families by training lactation consultants from the community and offering new parents free access to education about breast/chestfeeding.

Sister Cities Project

Sister Cities Project creates formal partnerships between affluent communities and underserved communities to create programs and events that allow the two areas to build true relationships. Funding will help establish a permanent framework for Entrepreneurship programs that serve Black Women Entrepreneurs in San Diego. San Diego is a launch market and the groundbreaking work done here has the potential to provide an economic equity and racial equality ripple effect that will change the lives of the over one million Black Women Entrepreneurs nationwide.

Grant History

Women Give San Diego Grant Application and Process

Women Give San Diego will post information about its next grant cycle in Fall 2023. Please check this page starting October 1, 2023 for more information.

Thank You!

We're So Glad You Want to Help!

By becoming a member or simply donating to Women Give San Diego, your contribution will help women and girls of San Diego achieve success in their own right. 100% of our membership contributions go directly to our grant program. Together, we can make a difference!

Recent Events

10 Year Anniversary Celebration

    January 13, 2020

    Women Give San Diego celebrated it’s 10 year anniversary with a festive, event attended by over 100 members, grant partners, and past members alike! Thank you to all those who spent the evening with us, it was an incredibly joy-filled and meaningful night for all of us and we are so happy that you were a part of it. 

    The evening kicked off with professional headshots taken for all of our guests, plus lots of socializing, eating, and drinking! The short program included a welcome from current Women Give San Diego Presidents Sara Vaz and Stephanie Korszen and Lux Art Institute Executive Director, Andrew Ütt. Women Give San Diego founders Linda Katz and Gayle Tauber shared a heartfelt reflection on the organization’s creation and growth, expressed words of gratitude for the WGSD members and community, and honored WGSD’s founding members as a gesture of appreciation for a full decade of their support and dedication. 

    We also heard from Dana Bristol-Smith, founder and executive director of WGSD Grant Partner, Leap to Success, who shared with us the incredible impact their organization has on women in our community, and graciously spoke to the impact of the Women Give San Diego grant they received a few years back and its significance in helping drive their organizational goals forward. We heard from our amazing partner in philanthropy, President and CEO of SD Grantmakers, Debbie McKeon, who rounded out the program with a testimonial to our partnership and shared vision. Finally, Women Give San Diego past Presidents were also honored with small tokens of appreciation from current Presidents, Sara and Stephanie. 

    The evening was a genuine and emotional reflection of the heart, energy, and passion that sparked the founding of Women Give San Diego by Founding President, Jan Tuttleman, and co-Founders Linda Katz and Gayle Tauber, in 2009.

    10 years and 31 grants totaling $810,000 later, and we had a whole lot to celebrate!

    Together with our 152 members, Women Give San Diego has made and continues to make an impact on the lives of women and girls throughout our San Diego community. We are proud to be part of the solution and to help lift women and girls out of poverty and provide opportunities for economic self-sufficiency.

    Thank you to each and every one of you for your commitment to Women Give San Diego. Our members are the heart and soul of our community, and the driving force behind our community impact!

    To read Linda and Gayle’s “10 Things We Learned” reflection, please click here.

    To read “10 Fun Facts” about Women Give San Diego’s 10 years, please click here.

    Stronger Together!


    From Our Blog…

    We love to share our stories about our grantees, our programs, and current events related to our focus areas. Come read all about it!

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