Life Science Cares San Diego Awards Over $1.9 Million to Local Nonprofits at the Forefront of Alleviating Poverty

Awards include three newly launched Innovation Grants aimed at elevating high-impact programs that aid systemically disadvantaged students with entering and exceling in the workforce

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Life Science Cares (LSC) San Diego, a nonprofit organization activating the financial, human and social capital of the life sciences industry and partnering with local nonprofits to disrupt the cycle of poverty and inequity, today announced that it has awarded over $1.9 million in grants, including three new multi-year Innovation Grants, to 20 San Diego-based nonprofit organizations working to alleviate poverty and inequity. These grants will support initiatives focused on expanding access to education, basic needs and economic opportunity for under-resourced individuals in the community.

“Through the incredible generosity of individuals and organizations in our life sciences community, LSC San Diego has been able to increase our grant funding by over 60% this year. This growth allows us to deepen our partnership with local nonprofits working tirelessly to break the cycle of poverty,” said Alicia Kitagawa, Executive Director of Life Science Cares San Diego. “We are committed to activating and amplifying the life sciences community to empower access to education, career pathways, and equitable healthcare that support upward mobility for systemically under-resourced community members and future generations. These grants are a key component of our holistic strategy to leverage the life sciences industry’s financial, human, and social capital to address systemic inequities.”

LSC San Diego developed and launched the Innovation Grants to support programs designed to create long-term solutions for advancing economic mobility among underrepresented and systemically disadvantaged students in San Diego. These multi-year grants are specially designed to help students enter and excel in the workforce. Each program supported by an Innovation Grant will focus on a variety of career awareness, mentorship, professional development, academic coaching and, for college students, an opportunity to participate in a myriad of paid internships within the local life science community.

The Innovation Grants will support the following programs:

• An extension of Junior Achievement’s Fellows Program that provides select students from Lincoln High School and Chula Vista Learning Community Charter with year-round leadership experience, including paid internship opportunities.
• A trade school scholarship program designed by Just in Time for Foster Youth that provides comprehensive support addressing long-term aspirations of young people impacted by foster care.
• The SD2 Life Science Cares Program, which supports Southwestern College transfer students pursuing STEM degrees at four-year institutions with scholarships, mentorship, career exploration and professional development.

“Many students in under-resourced communities have little awareness of or connectivity to career paths that offer significant room for upward mobility including careers in STEM, arts, business, skilled trades, and other high-growth industries,” continued Ms. Kitagawa. “Our Innovation Grants are focused on empowering nonprofits that are developing impactful programs to offer windows and open doors to these careers: windows to show students what opportunities exist and doors that guide them toward these pathways. We look forward to gauging the impact of these Innovation Grants and distributing them for years to come.”

Other organizations funded with Life Science Cares grants are:

• Access Youth Academy
• Barrio Logan College Institute
• Community Resource Center
• Feeding San Diego
• Home Start
• Hope through Housing Foundation
• Horizons
• Links to STEM
• MAKE Projects
• Mama’s Kitchen
• MANA de San Diego
• Monarch School
• Partners in College Success
• Serving Seniors
• Wesley House
• Words Alive

About Life Science Cares San Diego

Life Science Cares San Diego is a collective effort to activate the financial and human capital of the region’s life sciences industry – and partner with nonprofits – to disrupt the cycle of poverty and inequality in our communities. The organization helps solve societal problems through active caring, combining grants with supportive services such as volunteerism, thought leadership and industry expertise. Since 2021, the organization has generated substantial grants, gifts, education, leadership interaction, and community engagement. For more information, please visit https://lifesciencecares.org/san-diego/.