Recent News

2007 Grants Announced
Ten grassroots organizations will receive year-end grants totalling $25,000 from the Foundation for Change's general grantmaking pool. Grant recipients include: a new organization working to raise awareness about the rights of Middle Eastern women in San Diego; a group helping youth in San Diego's Diamond District make a literary connection with incarcerated youth; and an organized group of sex workers in Tijuana's red light district working to promote their own security and health. To see the complete list of grantees and to learn about the work they are doing, visit the Grantmaking History page.

Fire Fund Update
Six grants totaling over $15,000 have now been issued from the "Fires 2007 Fund" directing resources to grassroots organizations working with populations overlooked by more traditional disaster-relief operations. To learn more visit the Fires 2007 Fund page.

Sepulveda to work with Foundation for Change
The Foundation for Change will be contracting with Juan Sepulveda, principal of the San Antonio-based The Common Enterprise, to lead us in our strategic planning program, funded by the California Endowment. To learn more about Juan visit www.ksg.harvard.edu/saguaro/PARTICIPANTS/sepulveda.htm.

Ross Joins Board of Directors
Helen Warren Ross has joined the Board of Directors at the Foundation for Change. A resident of La Jolla, Helen is a retired educator who served on the Psychology faculty at San Diego State University. Welcome, Helen!

San Diego County Searches Welfare Recipients’ Homes
If you live in San Diego and are a welfare recipient, investigators from the County’s DA office can show up unannounced and without a warrant to search your home in order to to confirm that you are eligible for government aid. Eric Isaacson, Foundation For Change President, Partner in the law firm, Coughlin-Stoia, and cooperating attorney with the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, discusses the US Supreme Court rejection of the legal challenge to this practice. read more >>

California Endowment Funds Strategic Planning Program
The Foundation for Change has received a grant of $96,000 from the California Endowment to pursue a 15-month program of strategic planning, aimed at strengthening our core operations and giving greater strategic focus to our work.

San Diego Pride Offers Matching Fund for LGBT Causes
San Diego Pride has offered $15,000 in matching funds to the Foundation for Change, with the goal of creating a pool of grantmaking funds for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender organizations. The intent of the fund is to support grassroots LGBT groups in San Diego and Tijuana.

Brau, Zschiesche Join Board of Directors
Michael Brau and Peter Zschiesche have joined the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Change.

Michael Brau is the principal of the Elliot Consulting Group and the co-founder of the Baltimore Bagel Co., a regional chain of San Diego bakery-cafes sold in 1995 to the corporation now operating as Einstein Bros. Bagels. Michael has served on the Boards of Congregation Beth El, the United Jewish Federation, the American Jewish Committee, and the M. Larry Lawrence Jewish Community Center.

Peter Zschiesche is the Founding Director of the Employee Rights Center, a non-profit program offering education and advocacy to all workers regarding their workplace rights. A former machinist, Peter now represents the Machinist Union Local 389 on the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council and is an elected Trustee of the San Diego Community College District.

Welcome, Michael and Peter!

Families without Borders-- December 15
On Saturday, December 15, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. friends and supporters of the Foundation for Change will join with grassroots interfaith organizations from both sides of the border to celebrate the 14th annual La Posada Sin Fronteras at Border Field State Park. La Posada is an ancient Mexican tradition in which participants re-enact the Christian story of Mary and Joseph's search for a place to stay on the night of Jesus' birth. Since 1994 people in San Diego and Tijuana have been gathering at the border fence separating the two cities to celebrate La Posada.

Grantee Updates Requested
In anticipation of our 25th Anniversary, to be celebrated next year, the Foundation for Change is inviting past grant recipients to bring us up to date on their work. If you have received a grant from the Foundation for Change, you should have received in the mail a letter and enclosure requesting you to tell us about your current work. If you prefer, you can complete this online form or contact Jean Fisher at 619-692-0527 or jean@foundation4change.org.