As a catalyst and convener of philanthropy, under a team of dedicated community leaders and volunteers, the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation’s goals are to:

• Assist donors to become responsible philanthropists and build assets for their chosen charitable purposes and for improving the quality of life within San Diego’s LGBT community;

• Promote responsible philanthropy, enhance awareness of ways to give responsively and purposefully, and encourage individual donors to see their philanthropic activities as a critical part of a vibrant, caring community;

• Build and steward a permanent endowment through which donors can make legacy gifts to ensure that we have the capacity to meet the future needs of San Diego’s LGBT community;

• Explore and evaluate local and regional charitable needs, and then fund organizations that promote wellness and well-being within San Diego's LGBT community;

• Support a network of volunteers and donors who make lasting and meaningful contributions to our future;

• Create alliances with San Diego's philanthropic community that promote shared interests and goals.

It can be difficult to understand what a community foundation actually does.   At one level, it’s quite simple: we encourage philanthropic giving, aggregate gifts into a variety of funds, and make grants using these funds, directed by our donors or our board of directors depending on the type of fund.   In our role as community catalyst and convener of philanthropy, we also promote responsible philanthropy and financial planning via educational seminars, and we support a network of volunteers, donors and professional advisors who believe in our mission.

Our most basic job is to be an efficient vehicle for implementing charitable gifts.  As our capacity to make grants has grown, we’ve also become a knowledgeable partner in guiding donor contributions.  As our assets and granting capacity continues to expand, we will play an increasingly vital role as community change agent and leader.