History

The Social Justice Fund was spearheaded by a group of philanthropic and nonprofit leaders in Ventura County in 2003. These community activists recognized a need for a philanthropic resource to support organizations and projects that address root causes of social problems and that effectively engage the authentic voices of the low-income and disenfranchised sectors of the community. No such resource existed in Ventura County. Key organizational support came from and continues to come from the Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) who is the host and serves as fiscal sponsor for grants for the SJF and the Coastal Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) who serves as an important educational resource and connection to the emerging grassroots community.

Over the next couple of years, the SJF received major support from the McCune Foundation, the Rosenberg Foundation and the School of the Pacific Islands Foundation. In 2007, with this support the SJF launched the first Giving Circle. (“A Giving Circle is a pooled fund created by a group of individuals who make grants around a common interest or shared values.”) An initial group of 77 community donors raised $50,000 and came together to establish the first circle. Together they engaged in a process of learning about social justice issues, meeting members of grassroots organizations, and selecting grant recipients. See Grants Section of this website for listing.

The first grants cycle was considered a great success and Giving Circle members and its Steering Committee unanimously voted to move forward.

Recently, the Social Justice Fund successfully secured major funding from the James Irvine Foundation to support the SJF’s sustainability plan. With the receipt of the James Irvine Foundation grant, SJF was able to hire its first staff, a part-time coordinator.