Program Summary

The Economic Development Department is administering Capacity Building Grants to nonprofit organizations that directly support small businesses in under-resourced communities within the City of San Diego.

Capacity building expenses may include but are not limited to providing technical assistance to businesses, building a website, hanging banners, programming special events, or creating/updating business directories. Only non-personnel expenses qualify for this program. This program is dedicated to nonprofit organizations that serve small businesses within the San Diego Promise Zone, Opportunity Zones, and/or otherwise under-resourced communities.

The City values the vital role these organizations play in furthering the City’s economic development objectives.

Click here to see information on last year's recipients  FY23 Capacity Building Grant recipients. 

The Economic Development Department is hosting a workshop to help applicants understand the application requirements and answer general questions about the program. This workshop is not required, but strongly encouraged. The first workshop will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. To register, click here. The second workshop will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. To register, click here.

    Application Is Now Closed

Please download and use this Excel template to complete the required  FY24 Capacity Building Grant Budget Form

Application closes on September 1, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.

This online application is available through SeamlessDocs and must be completed in one session. SeamlessDocs is best supported by Chrome or Firefox web browsers.

General Provisions

Organization Legal Status: 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) Nonprofits
Contract Duration:  Ends June 30, 2024
Available Funding: Minimum $10,000 to a maximum $30,000 (per qualifying application)

Allocation and Use of Funds

• Funds will not be available for disbursement until 1) a final agreement is fully executed; and 2) all necessary internal accounting protocols have been established. Funds will be advanced to eligible and successful applicants.
• Contract awardees will not be precluded from applying for other discretionary City fund source(s) during the Capacity Building Grant Program contract period.
• Awarded funds must be fully expended by June 30, 2024, with corresponding project reports completed and submitted within the designated reporting period.
• Any allocated budget funds remaining after the contract period has expired will be recaptured and returned to the Capacity Building Grant Program fund pool.

Selection Process

Please note, the application should be completed using Chrome or Firefox (Internet Explorer is not supported). Please note that the online application must be completed entirely in one session. You cannot save your application and return to it later.

Proposals must be submitted by September 1, 2023, and will be at the Economic Development Department’s discretion to reopen the application pool if the $350,000 fund has not been expended.

• Applications will be evaluated for consistency with preceding Capacity Building Grant Program General Requirements.
• For returning applicants: priority will be given to organizations with a proven track record of success with the Economic Development Department.
• Project is required to serve small businesses in under-resourced communities.
• Priority will be given to independent organizations with modest budgets.
• Applicants must be either a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization.
• An organization will receive an email notification from the Economic Development Department within three (3) business days of submitting the Capacity Building Grant Program application.
• Applicants must demonstrate that proposed activities and services will benefit small businesses in under-resourced communities within the City of San Diego.
• Failure to comply with the reporting requirements may impact future funding opportunities.

Ineligible Organizations:

• For-profit business or entity
• Lending institutions
• Business Improvement District managers
• Located outside of the County of San Diego

All applications will be required to provide the following information:

• Scope of work, programs and/or services to be provided.
• Proposed budget to complete scope of work, programs and/or services.
• Proposed schedule for completing scope of work, programs and/or services.
• Supplemental documents and disclosures as required by the City’s standard nonprofit contracting provisions.

• Board of Directors List Include affiliations and brief background information (one-page maximum)
• Key Personnel List Include key information on training, qualifications and experience (one-page maximum)
• Nonprofit Status Include a copy of IRS Determination Letter
• Articles of Incorporation
• Printout of Current Status from Secretary of State website
• Printout of Nonprofit status from Department of Justice website
• Printout of Entity Status Letter from Franchise Tax Board website
• Federal IRS Form 990 Copy of most recently submitted Form 990

Contracting Process

Approved applications will be routed to assigned Economic Development Department staff for contract processing. The City’s contractual process is required in order to make funding available for disbursement of award for programs and services provided per the agreed-upon scope of services and budget (contract).

Contracting Timeframe

Depending on the proposed scope of programs/services/activities to be provided per the agreement and the timely receipt of all required supporting documents and forms to be provided by the contract awardee, it will take approximately 4-6 weeks to execute a final agreement.

    Application Is Now Closed

Please download and use this Excel template to complete the required FY24 Capacity Building Grant Budget Form fy24_capacity_building_grant_budget_form.xlsx

This online application is available through SeamlessDocs and must be completed in one session. SeamlessDocs is best supported by Chrome or Firefox web browsers.

Contact Us

For additional information about the Capacity Building Grant Program or for one-on-one technical assistance, please contact Alex Southard at asouthard@sandiego.gov or the Economic Development Department at sdbusiness@sandiego.gov. 

Home page feature card photo credit: San Diego Regional EDC