Annual Grant Program
Each spring, the West Sacramento Foundation awards grants to registered 501(c)3 organizations that directly benefit the residents of West Sacramento. Grants are usually range between $150 to $2,000 and are for projects that can be implemented during the calendar year.
The grant program is possible because of generous donors and sponsors. Thank you!
Congratulations to the 2023 Recipients!
- James Marshall Parent Nursery School
- Yolo Crisis Nursery Inc.
- Sacramento History Museum
- Our Lady of Grace
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Mercy Coalition of West Sacramento
- River City Rowing Club
- Yolo County Children’s Alliance
- Washington Unified School District- Bridgeway Island
- Bryte and Broderick Community Action Network
- Campus Life Connection
- Elkhorn Village Boosters
- West Sacramento Friends of the Library
- CommuniCare Health Centers
- Starting Point for Refugee Children
- Southport Elementary PTO
What We Fund
- Projects and services that improve the quality of life for West Sacramento residents.
- Projects and services that will be delivered or completed within one year of the award date.
- Organizations that are located in West Sacramento or deliver services in West Sacramento.
- Grant requests between $500 and $2,000.
Grants at A Glance
| Grant Amount | $150 to $2,000 |
| Available to | Organizations that directly serve West Sacramento residents |
| Applications open | January |
| Applications close | 5:00pm on the last Friday in February |
| Awards announced | 5:00pm on the third Monday in April |
| Checks distributed | By April 30 |
| Recipient reports due | By December 10 |
West Sacramento Foundation Grant Eligibility (click to expand and read)
–Registered Non-Profit Status: Only organizations that are currently registered as section 501(c)(3) with the Internal Revenue Service are considered.
–Location: Organizations that are located in West Sacramento or operate services in West Sacramento are given priority. Organizations in surrounding communities must show how Foundation grant funding will used for West Sacramento residents.
–Number of Applications: One application per 501(c)(3) per year. If you organization has multiple tax IDs, we recommend that you use very different names on the application. For example, use Women’s Group at Church Name and Men’s Group at Church Name instead of Church Name first.
–Previous Reporting: If you previously received a grant from the West Sacramento Foundation, you must report use of the funds in writing by mail, email, or document upload before grant applications open.
What We Do Not Fund (click to expand and read)
-General operating expenses, which includes paying rent, utilities, postage, insurance, and internet fees.
-Payments to people or companies for labor, this includes wages for staff or payment to a contractor to perform work. If it’s income that the person claims on their taxes, grant money cannot be used to pay it.
-Any fundraising activities, including money toward a capital campaign or endowment.
-Purchase, acquisition or creation of items that will be resold, which includes agriculture.
-Money that you intend to give to individuals, this includes awarding scholarships, giving money to people for their living expenses, and giving money as a travel stipend.
-Payment of dues or membership fees to other organizations.
-Retirement or settlement of existing debt.
-Academic research.
-Acquisition or renovation of equipment or facilities (usually something that requires a permit for demolition or construction.)
-Funding to K-12 schools and public agencies that would supplant tax-supported services.
-Political or partisan purposes, activities that promote a religious doctrine, and organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
What You Need to Apply (click to expand and read)
The application is simple, but you need to show that WSF funding is filling an identified need that will directly help West Sacramento residents. Your application is more likely to be successful when you:
- Demonstrate that the funding will help people living in West Sacramento. For example, an application to fund transportation to a field trip is more likely to be funded when you include the school or group that already indicated interest in the field trip and the number of students that will go on the trip. It is less likely to be funded when the application asks for $2,000 for school buses.
- A specific about what you want to purchase, how much it costs, and where you will purchase it. An application that states you want to buy 100 can openers from Grocery Outlet at $2.00 per can opener is more likely to be funded than an application for $500 for can openers.
- Show that you have explored options and partnerships. An application that states you contacted the City or Chamber to locate surplus equipment and art supplies is more like to be funded than an application that asks for $1,000 for art supplies.
- Be specific about how you will serve West Sacramento residents. An application that states you will provide tutoring to 12 children is more likely to be funded than an application that asks for $1,500 for tutoring classes that are available to West Sacramento children.
- Describe your organization and your need. An application that explains who you are, what you do, and why you do it is more likely to get funded than one that makes the grant committee do its own research.
- Describe how this funding will make a difference. An application that describes how funding will be used to fill a need is more likely to be funded than an application that asks for $2,000 for a general purpose like to “improve education” or “make West Sacramento better.”
West Sacramento Foundation Grants Success Stories
Sacramento Children’s Museum
Sacramento Children’s Museum typically charges a field trip program fee of $300 for a small group of 30 guests, and $600 for a large group of 60 guests. Grant funding of $750 from the West Sacramento Foundation was used to pay the field trip program fee for 605 students in grades k through 3 from Riverbank Elementary School. One of SCM’s objectives is to support experiential learning outcomes for underserved children, and successfully met its goal with the West Sac Foundtion grant.is through these free visits.
The West Sacramento Friends of the Library
The WSFOL has been supporting library services in the community for almost 60 years. During the pandemic, WSFOL supported the Arthur F. Turner Community Library’s staff and volunteers with curbside pickup service and telephone assistance. A grant from the West Sacramento Foundation purchased tents and weights so that staff and volunteers had protection from the sun and rain. The tents continue to be used for outdoor events.
St. Vincent de Paul
Founded in 1833, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a worldwide organization of lay Catholics. Vincentians respond to many community and individual needs, and our local Vincentians provide food and services to people expereinceing homelessness. With a grant from West Sacramento Foundation, the group provided blankets, sleeping bags, tarps, hats, and gloves. to more than 100 of our residents who sleep on the streets.
Mercy Coalition
Mercy Coalition feeds lunch to West Sacramento residents experiencing homelessness, supports the Project Homekey residents, and runs rotating Winter Warming Centers in coordination with local churches. In 2019, a grant from the West Sacramento Foundation helped Mercy serve breakfast at the Warming Centers seven days a week and buy laundry supplies. Of the 63 people who used the Warming Centers in 2018-19, 19% found permanent housing before program ended. Others went back to school, were encouraged and accompanied to court and medical appointments, began participating in weekly recovery meetings, and became regular attendees at the host churches.
Yolo Food Bank
Founded as a volunteer-run backyard gleaning program, Yolo Food Bank has grown to an organizational network of staff, volunteers and more than 80 nonprofit partner organizations. Demand for food assistance grew 60% during COVID and the the Food Bank needed more food, more distribution locations, and more supplies to keep staff, volunteers and customers safe. The West Sacramento Foundation responded with an emergency grant of $5,000 to help tackle food insecurity in West Sac.