The San Diego River Park Foundation

What they do & why we invested

The San Diego River Park Foundation, an organization founded by concerned citizens, is dedicated to creating a better future for the 52-mile-long San Diego River and the communities through which it traverses. The organization has seen a drastic decrease in individual and corporation donations due to COVID-19-related events and pledge cancelations. While the foundation had to let go of two employees, the need for their services has not decreased; from April 2020 to June 2020, the number of encampments along the river increased by 369 percent. In response, the San Diego River Park Foundation has shifted to focus on relief for the people who live in the riverbed.

The funding will allow them to hire three positions, and expand its Riverbed Encampment Program by 20 percent to meet growing needs. They also intend to use the loan to supplement their cash flow until they are able to execute the operational requirements of their reimbursement-based grants and contracts and secure additional funding.