Each year the Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund (RSFWF) awards eight to 12 grants to nonprofit organizations serving North County. For each of the last three years these grants have totaled over $500,000, involving a rigorous selection process. After reviewing letters of intent – the 2026/27 grant cycle has received 179 letters of intent – the most qualified applicants are invited to submit a proposal which is evaluated by one of two grant committees. Site visits are subsequently conducted – open to all members – with finalists presenting to the group who vote to determine the grantees, a news release stated.

In the 2024/25 grant cycle, the RSFWF made a $48,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego (BGCNWSD) to support its “SMART and Savvy” program, for implementation during the 2025/26 school year. SMART Girls, developed by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, is a structured, small-group health, fitness and self-esteem enhancement program designed to meet the developmental needs of girls in three age groups, the news release stated.

A club member shares original artwork exploring courage, justice, peace, and standing up against hate and prejudice. (Courtesy of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego)

The SMART Program uses age specific content for girls ages 8-10, 11-13, and 14-18 with developmentally appropriate small-group sessions, discussions, role-play, take home challenges, collaborative decision making and problem solving. Main curriculum areas cover mental and physical well-being, along with fostering healthy community relationships. These are delivered through both structured and unstructured sessions.

For example, art workshops provide a safe and creative space for self-expression, identity exploration and the development of self-esteem. Girls are encouraged to reflect on emotional awareness, growth and resilience through “Positivity and Optimism” art projects, while making “Courage and Hero” posters explores justice, peace and standing up against prejudice, the news release stated.

While implementing the SMART program, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego identified a critical need for personal safety education to address alarming statistics reported in the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Report, and by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).  Furthermore, in 2023 the FBI ranked San Diego as number 13 on a list of most dangerous cities for sex trafficking in the United States, while harmful social media messaging, often covert, constantly exposes girls to threatening and sexually explicit content, according to the news release.

The ‘Savvy’ portion of the program was developed to address the need for practical personal safety education, including situational awareness, online safety, dating safety, self-defense workshops, knowing when and how to seek help, and developing confidence to respond to unsafe situations.

“We identified a need to add a practical, skills-based component to the SMART program that would bolster our girls’ confidence and sense of safety as they navigate their way in an increasingly challenging world,” said Marineke Vandervort, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego in the news release. “We appreciate that the Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund acknowledged this need, and are grateful for their generous contribution to the development of the SMART and Savvy program.”

Four North County locations – the Polster Clubhouse in Carmel Valley, La Colonia in Solana Beach, Griset in Encinitas and the Oceanside Clubhouse – formally implemented and tracked the SMART and Savvy program. An impact report, provided to the Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund at the end of the grant period, stated that 96 girls participated in the structured program, and an additional 609 girls benefitted from broader SMART programming focused on wellness, leadership, safety and healthy relationships. Program survey results from participants showed strong outcomes: 89% felt emotionally safe; 84% felt physically safe; 86% reported strong connections with caring adults, the news release stated.

Collaborative events facilitated with community partners included a safety event for the broader elementary and middle school community in Carmel Valley, as well as engagement with the Oceanside Police Department’s “Oceanside Youth Partnership,” a 12-week character building and mentoring program. Representatives from the Vista Community Clinic, also a recipient of Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund grant in the 2024/25 grant cycle, guided conversations as part of their Resourceful Adolescent Program (R.A.P) which offers practical advice on building healthy relationships, handling peer conflict and improving communication skills for teens, the news release stated.

Volunteer self-defense instructors and Play It Safe Defense, an organization founded by Tracie Arlington, a mother and black belt in Taekwondo who developed a safety awareness and self-defense training program for women and children, delivered age-appropriate self-defense and personal safety workshops to clubhouses.

Looking to the future, the Boys & Girls Clus of Northwest San Diego plans to build on its foundation of programs like SMART Girls and Passport to Manhood by implementing “Journeys: Paths to Adulthood.” This updated programming helps youth reflect on their identities, build self-esteem, and navigate adolescence through a modern lens. By bringing these discussions together, the club is breaking down gender-specific silos and creating opportunities for youth of all genders to learn, connect, and grow alongside one another, the news release stated.

Additionally, BGCNWSD aims to enhance its mental and behavioral health support by deepening partnerships with community organizations like Eli Health, alongside dedicated social work and occupational therapy interns.

“It is extremely gratifying to know that the Smart and Savvy program has been so well received, not only by the participants, but by the community partners engaged in its implementation,” said Mary Consalvi, president and chair of the Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund, in the news release. “We consider three criteria when evaluating grants. Does it address an urgent and critical need? Is it a bold new venture? Does it offer a new approach to a time-worn problem? Our members determined that yes, ‘SMART and Savvy’ easily satisfied these criteria. Now, we are looking forward to our new grant cycle and evaluating proposals which focus on women’s services, and children and youth services.”

Through member-led philanthropy, volunteerism, and social connection, the RSFWF supports innovative nonprofit programs addressing urgent local needs. In addition to its grantmaking, the organization brings women together in meaningful and impactful ways to foster engagement through educational programming, guest speaker events, volunteer opportunities, member gatherings and friendship.

For more information about the RSFWF, membership opportunities, grantmaking, or donating to the Fund, visit www.rsfwomensfund.org or contact admin@rsfwomensfund.org or boardchair@rsfwomensfund.org.