Grants
Our Grants
It is our honor to help our fellow San Diegans through our grant program. Below are some of our grant recipients throughout the years. To protect their privacy, first and last names may not be displayed.
To request a grant, click the “Request a Grant” button.
San Diego Multicultural LGBT Literary Foundation
San Diego Multicultural LGBT Literary Foundation
This grant was used to fund the cost of books at the San Diego Multicultural LGBT Literary Foundation’s “We Alive: A Celebration of Black Lesbian Womanhood” event, which was held on March 8, 2015. The highly successful program featured the acclaimed Black lesbian performance poet Lenelle Moïse and other performance artists. We Alive took place on International Women’s Day and was the only lesbian-focused International Women’s Day event held in San Diego. The focus on Black lesbian women was intended to address anti-Black racism that has most recently led to the creation of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. In that spirit, the Rob Benzon Foundation provided funding for 50 copies of Lenelle Moïse’s book, which was delivered to California women’s prisons with an emphasis on local women’s correctional facilities in San Diego.
Grant made February 2015
Special Delivery San Diego
Special Delivery San Diego
Rob Benzon Foundation again answered the call to improve the nutritional status and quality of life of members of the LGBT community living with life-threatening illnesses in San Diego through the provision of medically-appropriate meals. This grant was targeted specifically for funding for the food pantry at Special Delivery San Diego, which purchased groceries for approximately 150 materially-poor clients with AIDS, heart disease, cancer, kidney disease and other life-threatening illnesses for three months.
Grant made February 2015
The Elizabeth Hospice: Grant to Camp Erin
The Elizabeth Hospice: Grant to Camp Erin
This grant paid for camper equipment and supplies related to grief activities for children campers attending Camp Erin San Diego. Camp Erin is a free overnight weekend camp experience that addresses the needs of children and teens grieving the loss of someone close to them. Hosted by Center for Compassionate Care of The Elizabeth Hospice, this annual weekend summer camp is open to children and teens ages 6 to 17 and will be held June 5 – 7, 2015 in Julian. This unique camp experience combines traditional, high-energy camp activities with grief support and education. Camp Erin San Diego is part of the largest nationwide network of free bereavement camps for children and teens ages 6 to 17 years of age who have experienced the death of someone close to them.
Grant made February 2015
Toby L.
Toby L.
This grant paid for extensive medically needed dental work that was not covered by insurance for a senior of limited financial means.
Grant made September 2014
USCA 2014 Youth Lounge
USCA 2014 Youth Lounge
This grant provided partial funding for the creation of the West Coast Lounge used by youth attending the 2014 USCA Youth conference. Held on the UCSD campus in La Jolla, this very successful conference provided educational, psychosocial and networking activities for children and teens.
Grant made August 2014
San Diego Unified School District
San Diego Unified School District
This grant provided funds for a storage shed to secure the outdoor toys, bikes, water play materials, balls, and other equipment donated by the community to benefit students in the Auditory/Oral DHH Program at Whitman Elementary.
Grant made August 2014
Donna J.
Donna J.
This grant provided a low income senior citizen funds for a medically necessary bone graft, so that she could get dentures.
Grant made July 2014
Foster and Displaced Children in Court
Foster and Displaced Children in Court
The Rob Benzon Foundation once again provided more than 500 new stuffed animals to comfort the scores of scared children in our county’s juvenile dependency court rooms. The children are there for hearings which include taking kids away from their parents, and placing kids in foster homes after abuse or neglect. Each child gets to pick out a stuffed animal for comfort during the hearing and then is surprised with the news that they keep their new friend and take it home.
Grant made July 2014
H.P.
H.P.
H.P. is a 22 y/o, newly diagnosed, gender fluid individual who had ran into very tough times. He had little family support and gender fluidity presented challenges for housing and employment. His landlord illegally evicted him from his apartment without any notice and immediately changed the locks. H.P. had been able to scrape up the last of his money to pay for a hotel room for three days but would have been back on the streets and homeless without quick assistance coordinated by his caseworker and paid for by RBF to get him temporary housing. H.P. is a very motivated and resourceful person and the Foundation was glad to be able to help H.P. with a short-term emergency need to keep him from homelessness and give him the bridge he needed back to safe self-sufficiency.
Grant made May 2014
Margaret I.
Margaret I.
Margaret I.is a 75 year old woman who has the diagnosis of chronic respiratory failure. She is on constant oxygen and is chair bound. She is slight of build. The chair she has is very uncomfortable and she is starting to have painful skin breakdown on her heels and her elbows. The chair makes her back hurt and she has difficulty getting in and out of the chair. Rob Benzon Foundation was able to get her a medically recommended chair that enabled Margaret to get in and out with creating sores and pain and helped provide much needed comfort to this lovely woman.
Grant made April 2014