Local philanthropy looks to step up as federal cuts hit Santa Cruz County nonprofits

Susan True, the head of one of Santa Cruz County’s most significant philanthropic organizations, compares the second Donald Trump presidency to major emergencies like the pandemic and 2023’s severe storms in the way it has sent waves of uncertainty rippling through the region’s social services network.

“We know that some nonprofits have already felt cuts, and we know that we don’t know what’s going to happen,” said True, CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, which is considered by many to be the county’s epicenter of giving. 

As some local nonprofits grapple with the sudden loss of federal aid, True said the Community Foundation is exploring ways the organization can help bridge that gap. Just as during the pandemic and natural disasters, this is a time when the community can come together and help each other, she said.

While True said she hasn’t seen a change in the number of donations the nonprofit has received since Trump took office, she believes donations from the community will help provide some relief as nonprofits and local government agencies navigate their financial challenges. “It’s a little too soon to tell because everyone is adjusting to changes in the stock market, in the job market,” she said. 

The Community Foundation has long been a resource for nonprofits and residents alike when an emergency occurs. In 2024, the organization handed out $23.8 million in grants to nonprofits around the county. 

The biggest need True has noticed from the community these days is for basic support to keep up with the increasing cost of living, she said. Between how expensive groceries have become to rising costs of child care and housing, True said, there are so many families seeking that assistance. 

Rising costs are also affecting nonprofits such Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County, which also recently announced the sudden loss of more than $700,000 in federal aid. “It’s more expensive for Second Harvest to buy food. It’s more expensive for nonprofits to drive a senior somewhere, because the fuel costs are more expensive,” True said. Everything has hit the nonprofit sector — and the clients they serve — hard. 

The Community Foundation has also launched an immigrant support fund to help the work being done by some of its partners that provide services to the immigrant community, such as Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Catholic Charities and Community Bridges. True said the organization has helped pay for child care, food and outreach materials for “Know Your Rights” workshops. 

“That kind of preparation work with the immigrant community has been really important because people are so scared,” said True. Ensuring that people are prepared should family members be deported is a big need that has only increased in the current political climate, she said. 

Most, if not all, of the nonprofit’s funding comes from individual donors in the community, True said, with some grant funding. The organization is focusing on helping people find ways to give locally for causes they care about, whether that’s through monetary donations or volunteering their time. This can give nonprofits more flexibility to respond to whatever emergency might happen in the future. 

“It’s just neighbors helping neighbors, stepping up again and caring for each other,” True said. 

If community members consistently donate to those in need, or even to local nonprofits, it can at least create some assurance for those organizations that funding will continue, said True. “We can’t make up for federal budget cuts, but we can help in meaningful ways,” she said. 

In the past, such donations have helped the Community Foundation support its partners when emergencies — such as the Pajaro Valley floods in 2023 — happen by helping organizations like the Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey and Community Bridges pay overtime to staff working on the front lines, said True.

Recently, the organization purchased mattresses for a household affected by the Pajaro Valley floods, after a case manager from Catholic Charities realized the family hadn’t replaced their damaged bedding, she said. 

With all the uncertainty surrounding federal funding and its impact on local organizations, the Community Foundation is helping people avoid drowning themselves in worry, True said. It doesn’t help to be worried all the time, she said, and it can distract nonprofits from focusing on what’s important: helping those in need. 

“I think that’s what nonprofits do the best is bringing expertise to solving a problem, to working on solutions, and that’s why we just have to stay incredibly laser focused on right now,” True said.

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