Building self-sufficiency in the San Diego’s North County Coastal Region through giving people the tools and services they need in order to break the cycle of poverty
Our work is inspired by the Leichtag family’s Jewish heritage and commitment to tzedakah, a concept that embraces important notions of charity and working toward justice according to Jewish tradition. There is no higher level of tzedakah than enabling those in need to become self-sufficient. We therefore support initiatives serving individuals and families who fall below the Self-Sufficiency Standard for San Diego County, as defined by the Center on Policy Initiatives and Insight Center for Community Economic Development. Informed by the Leichtag family’s philanthropic interests and personal experiences as well as the demographics of the North Coastal Region, we prioritize support of programs working with the single mothers, transitional aged youth, families of active military, and veterans.
Please read an announcement regarding the Self-Sufficiency grantmaking strategy here.
Our Impact in This Area
COVID-19 Response Efforts
The Leichtag Foundation is honored to join with community partners in forming and managing the North County COVID-19 Response Fund and San Diego Jewish Community COVID-19 Emergency Fund.
These two funds have provided tens of thousands of San Diegans with food, financial assistance, mental health support, safe spaces for students to do distance learning and more. Click below for details of their impact and to give.
Healthy Food Access
Improving dignified access to fresh produce for low-income households.
Leichtag Foundation does not fund community gardens or CalFresh outreach, nutrition counseling and/or cooking classes that are not part of a larger effort to meet one of the objectives above.
Pathways to Economic Opportunity
Eliminating barriers and creating pathways to economic opportunity through projects that contribute to
a healthy, sustainable, and equitable local food system.
Leichtag Foundation cannot make grants to individuals or for-profit businesses.
Self-Sufficiency Grantees
The Leichtag Foundation is incredibly proud of its highly impactful Self-Sufficiency grantee partnerships.
Below is a grantee list from 2007 to present.
2-1-1 San Diego
4-H Clubs & Affiliated 4-H Organizations
A Growing Passion
Abundance Farm
Accion San Diego
Alliance for Regional Solutions
Alliance San Diego
Alzheimer’s Association San Diego
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
American Foundation for the University of British Columbia
American Public Gardens Association
Angel’s Depot
Anti-Defamation League of San Diego
Association for Women in Science Inc.
Berry Good Food Foundation Inc
Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County
Binational Front of Indigenous Organizations
Blue Star Families Inc.
Boulder Jewish Community Center
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault
California Farmlink
California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
California State University, San Marcos Foundation
Carlsbad Educational Foundation
Casa Cornelia Law Center
Casa de Amparo
Center for Community Solutions
Center on Policy Initiatives
Chicano Federation of San Diego County
Child Abuse Prevention Foundation
Children’s Initiative
City of Carlsbad
City of Oceanside
Civil Eats
Coastal Community Foundation
Coastal Roots Farm
Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Community Health Improvement Partners
Community HousingWorks
Community Resource Center
Computers 2 SD Kids
Cornell Botanic Gardens
Corporation for Supportive Housing
CSU San Marcos National Latino Research Center
Don Diego Fund
Dreams for Change
Eco Districts
Eden Village Camp
Educational Enrichment Systems Inc.
Ekar
Elder Law and Advocacy
Embrace
Encinitas Garden Festival and Tour
Encinitas Union School District
Encuentros Leadership of Northern San Diego County Inc.
Engage San Diego
Farm Forward
Feeding San Diego
Foundation for Women
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees
Hazon
Helping Hand Worldwide
Housing Opportunities Collaborative
Hudson Mohawk Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc.
Insight Center for Community Economic Development
Interfaith Community Services
International Rescue Committee
IRAP
Jewish Coalition for Disaster Response
Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego
Jewish Family Service of San Diego
Jewish Farm School
Jewish Funders Network
Jewish Gift Closet – San Diego Gmach
Kaima Organic and Educational Farm
Kids Turn San Diego
Kitchens for Good
Lux Art Institute
Meals on Wheels
MiraCosta College Foundation
Multifaith Alliance
National Veterans Transition Services
National Young Farmers Coalition
Netiya
New Americans Museum
North County Community Services
North County Health Project Inc.
North County Lifeline
North County Solutions for Change Inc.
North County Trade Tech High School
North County Works
Palomar College Foundation
Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans
Patrons of Encinitas Parks
Pearlstone Conference & Retreat Center
Pilgrim United Church of Christ
ProduceGood
Project Concern International
Pushing the Envelope Farm
Rancho Santa Fe Foundation
Reality Changers
Regents of The University of California at San Diego
Regional Task Force on the Homeless
San Diego Botanic Garden
San Diego Food System Alliance
San Diego Foundation
San Diego Grantmakers
San Diego Horticultural Society
San Diego Hospice Foundation
San Diego Hunger Coalition
San Diego New Farmers Guild
San Diego Opera Association, Inc.
San Diego Organizing Project
San Diego Symphony
San Dieguito Heritage Museum
Second Chance
Senior Community Center
Shalom Institute Camp and Conference Center
Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School
Stone Barns Restoration Corp
SuperFood Drive
Support the Enlisted Project
Surfing Madonna Oceans Project
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders
Syrian American Medical Society Foundation
Syrian Civil Defense
Syrian Community Network
Tender Loving Canines Assistance Dogs
Tevel B’tzedek
The Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank
UC San Diego Foundation
UCSD Scholars at Risk
United Way of San Diego County
University of Hawaii Foundation
University of New Hampshire Foundation
University of San Diego
Urban Adamah
US – Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership
Vista Community Clinic
Voice of San Diego
Words Alive
Healthy Food Access
Healthy Food Access
Improving dignified access to fresh produce for low-income households.
- Procurement & Distribution: Increase the quantity of fresh, healthy and locally-grown food available through traditional & non-traditional food access points.
Grant Story: Produce Good
Addressing food waste and food insecurity in San Diego County with the help of a strong volunteer corps, Produce Good harvests unused produce and distributes it into the charitable food system.
Read more…
*Leichtag Foundation does not fund community gardens or CalFresh outreach, nutrition counseling and/or cooking classes that are not part of a larger effort to meet one of the objectives above.
Pathways to Economic Opportunity
Pathways to Economic Opportunity
Eliminating barriers and creating pathways to economic opportunity through projects that contribute to a healthy, sustainable, and equitable local food system.
- Workforce Development: Work readiness and advanced skills training programs for job placement, retention and career advancement. Priority will be given to programs connected to food system / local food economy.
- Farm & Food Related Businesses Development: Programs that provide resources and training for disadvantaged small business owners, including farmers. Opportunities to increase local food production and the procurement of locally grown and produced foods are also considered.
Grant Story: Accion
A nationwide nonprofit lending network, Accion provides fair and flexible loans, connections to business experts, and access to resources and opportunities specifically tailored to each business owner’s unique needs and goals.
Read more…
*Leichtag Foundation cannot make grants to individuals or for-profit businesses.
Advocacy and Policy Reform
Advocacy and Policy Reform
Advancing the goal of self-sufficiency, with an orientation to food systems and food access, through systemic change.
- Nonpartisan Research and Communications
- Networks and Collaboratives
- Systems, data and performance management capabilities
Grant Story: San Diego Food System Alliance
As a multi-sector collaborative, the San Diego Food System Alliance (the Alliance) creates system level changes by connecting, coordinating and catalyzing actions that promote the shared vision of Good Food for San Diego County.
Read more…
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Jessica Kort2023-03-02 22:20:292023-03-03 15:27:26Purim: A Strengthening of Community
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Jessica Kort2020-02-25 19:00:142020-02-26 23:17:39Food Systems Map with Center on Policy Initiatives
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Connie Lu2018-09-20 20:56:202019-01-29 18:23:11Pathways to Economic Security
Black, Jewish and Queer. These three identities weave the fabric of who I am, but it took a long time to believe that they could exist together.
Lee and Toni Leichtag established the Leichtag Foundation in 1991 following the sale of their business. Lee and Toni were lifelong entrepreneurs with a passion for innovation and for supporting talent. They believed that only with big risk comes big reward. Both born to families in poverty, Toni to a single mother, they strongly believed in helping those most in need and most vulnerable in our community. While they supported many causes, their strongest support was for young children and the elderly, two demographics who particularly lack voice in our society.
Lifelong Baltimoreans, Rabbi George and Alison Wielechowski and their sons, 11-year-old Lennon and 9-year-old Gideon, are more than pursuing the good life in Southern California. Having moved to San Diego more than three years ago, they are fulfilling a lifelong dream.
You would think that as the executive director of San Diego LGBT Pride, Fernando Zweifach López Jr., who uses the pronoun they, has done all the coming out they possibly can. A queer, non-binary individual who has worked for many years on civil rights issues, López also speaks openly and often about their father’s family, Mexican-American migrant workers who tilled the fields of rural California.
Stacie and Jeff Cook understand commitment. They live it.
