Carlsbad to Benefit from San Diego Foundation's Matching Grant Program

Tough times can tighten wallets, but The San Diego Foundation is hoping the current rough economy will inspire a different reaction across the North County: generosity.

"Philanthropy's going to have to take up some of the slack," said Bob Kelly, president and CEO of The San Diego Foundation, during the announcement of a new matching grant fund program on Wednesday.

The Matt McLaughlin Matching Program is named after the late longtime Rancho Bernardo philanthropist who donated $10 million to the foundation. Some of the earnings from that endowment will be used to match half of the membership fees of North County affiliate foundations in Ramona, , Oceanside, 4S Ranch-Del Sur and Escondido. Rancho Bernardo also has an affiliate foundation, but it does not collect membership fees and is not part of the matching program.

To join these community foundations, contributors typically must donate $1,000 a year, half of which goes toward the foundation's endowment. The other half—which the Matching Program will meet—goes toward grants for community programs and projects, such as arts, education and helping seniors. The 4S Ranch-Del Sur Community Foundation, a smaller affiliate, has a $500 membership fee, of which $250 goes toward grants and is eligible to be matched through the program.

During a luncheon at the Escondido Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, the foundations' leaders and supporters wondered whether people will be willing to donate in the midst of high unemployment and financial struggle. How can fretful people be sold on generosity?

John Degenfelder, chair of the Ramona Community Foundation, said the current struggle is the selling point—people are in need. That the donated money will be doubled—$500 in grant money becomes $1,000 after the match—could also make people more comfortable with the donation, luncheon attendees said.

The matching applies to both new and renewed memberships starting now, or within the past week or two, foundation officials said, with a goal of 500 participants. The grants will start to go out with the 2012-13 grants cycle, and matching dollars cannot go toward a foundation's endowment. Every three years, the foundations will focus their grants on one target area, such as arts or the environment.

"Thanks to Matt McLaughlin, the mechanism is firmly in place to provide our communities with an effective process and a sound vehicle for legacy planning and gifting," Hollyce Phillips, board chairwoman of the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, said in a statement.

McLaughlin, described as "a modest gentleman that just wanted to make a difference" in a North County Times obituary, died in December 2009 at the age of 89.

For more information on the matching program, visit sdfoundation.org or call Trudy Armstrong at 858-674-6979.