Santa Cruz Community Foundation Grants

Who We Are

An affiliate of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, the Santa Cruz Community Foundation (SCCF) is a permanent charitable resource that was founded in 2001 by area residents to empower their community to invest in itself. SCCF assists Santa Cruz County to prepare for the future by strengthening the community through the awarding of scholarships and grants to nonprofit organizations.

As SCCF’s umbrella organization, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA) provides expertise and skilled guidance to help donors give back in ways that are aligned with their charitable and financial goals. The Board of Trustees oversees the Foundation’s growing community endowment – which includes assets earmarked for Santa Cruz County – and ensures that donors’ intentions are honored now and forever.

Important Dates

Applications open: October 5, 2026

Applications close: November 6, 2026 at 5:00pm Arizona time.

Recipients notified: December 14, 2026

Eligibility Requirements

• The applicant must be a 501(c)(3) in good standing, conducting charitable work in Santa Cruz County. 
• The use of a fiscal agent is permitted. If applying with a fiscal sponsor, fiscal sponsor must be 501(c)3 in good standing.
• The organization must have local leadership in the form of a board of directors or advisory committee, local financial support, and local program management and   accountability. In the case of nationally-sponsored organizations, no portion of the grant can be used to support the national, state or regional entity.
• The proposed program must directly benefit people living in Santa Cruz County.
• Grants are generally not made to individuals, for profit organizations, government entities, capital fund drives, agency endowments, individual schools or for sectarian   purposes.
• The grant period is one year in duration. An agency must be current in all reporting requirements to CFSA and its affiliates to be eligible.
• Site visits will be scheduled as needed with agencies.
• Only one application will be accepted per organization.
• Requests up to $10,000 will be considered.
• Awards made by CFSA’s various grant committees support organizations that comply with applicable federal and state laws and do not discriminate in employment practices, volunteer opportunities, or delivery of programs and services based on race, religion, gender, or gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), gender expression, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, citizenship, ethnicity, familial status, socioeconomic status (economic circumstances), color, creed, sex (including pregnancy), phases of parenthood, national origin, marital status, veteran status (past, current, or prospective service in the armed forces), genetic information, physical characteristics or appearance, mental or physical disability, or any other status prohibited by applicable law.

Priority will be given to organizations that:

• Are working collaboratively with other agencies on the planning and implementation of the project.
• Have involved staff, volunteers, and current/potential participants in the planning and implementation of the proposed program.
• Enable individuals to identify, contribute and enhance their skills, abilities, capacities and assets, focusing on strengths rather than problems or deficiencies.
• Can clearly articulate the outcomes the program/participants will achieve and be able to collect the data to demonstrate measurable progress toward the accomplishment of those outcomes.
• Can provide a clear description of plans to sustain the organization and/or program beyond the grant period.

Questions?

Please contact the Community Impact Team at CFSA at 520-770-0800 or community@cfsaz.org for questions regarding this process.

How to Apply

All applicants must create an account in our grant portal before applying. 

To view a tutorial video on how to submit an application using this platform please click here.