2026 Special Grants

2026 Special Grants is sponsored by Children’s Health Foundation. Provides one-time grants to nonprofit organizations working to improve the health of at-risk and underserved children in San Diego or Imperial Counties, with priority given to programs addressing childhood obesity or mental and behavioral health.

Special Grants | Rest Haven Children's Health Fund Children’s Health Foundation (formerly Rest Haven Children’s Health Fund) is pleased to announce our 2026 Special Grants. We will provide one-time grants to nonprofit organizations working to improve the health of at-risk and underserved children in San Diego or Imperial Counties. We anticipate distributing $350,000 during this grant cycle.

Our grants will support new programs, the expansion of existing programs, or the acquisition of equipment that will be used to enhance children's health needs. The beneficiaries of this grant are restricted to children (ages 0-17) who reside in San Diego or Imperial Counties. Priority consideration will be given to programs that support issues concerning Childhood Obesity or Mental and Behavioral Health .

If your agency shares our mission and vision, we invite you to submit a grant application that identifies a community need, your plan to meet the that community need, how you will measure or evaluate your outcomes and the impact of your program, and your plans for the sustainability of your program once our grant funds are expended.

2026 Special Grants Timeline: Applicants notified of grants awarded (subject to change) Interim Grant Reports due All applicants are required to review our FAQs, below, before submitting an application . How to Submit Your Application Our Special Grants process is fully digital. All applications must be submitted through our online grant application after you create your unique account by clicking here .

Paper copies are not accepted. Here are the steps you will take to submit your application: 2. For new users of returning applicant organizations, do not create a new profile for your organization to avoid duplication.

Email us to get a new username added to your organization's profile. We do not have access to your password. If you forget your password, you must change it by clicking "Forgot Your Password" and following the prompts.

3. As soon as you register, you can view our Special Grants Application. 4.

Once the application opens, you can begin filling in your responses to the questions and prompts. All of your responses and uploaded documents will be saved, and you can access your application at any time and from any device. 5.

After the application period ends, you will no longer be able to make any changes to your application. Incomplete applications will be rejected. 6.

All Interim Reports and Final Reports will be made using the same portal. 7. For help please see the Applicant Tutorial.

8. Want to add a collaborator from your organization? Watch this Collaborator Tutorial .

Deadlines and Award Notifications The application deadline is April 3, 2026. Your completed application, including all requested uploads, must be submitted via our online grant application by this date. All grant requests will be reviewed through a committee process and approved by the Board of Directors.

Applicants will be notified electronically on or around June 12, 2026, as to the status of their grant request. This date is subject to change. Those organizations awarded a grant must sign our Grant Agreement before funds are disbursed.

We reserve the right to reject any request submitted for any reason without indicating reasons for said rejection. Limitations on Use of Grant Funds All Special Grants awarded are to be used for the specific program that was approved by our Board of Directors. Grantees must return any funds (1) not used for the purpose stated in the approved grant application, or (2) used in a manner inconsistent with the grantee's approved budget.

We recognize that, on occasion, there may be a need to change or substitute items for various reasons. If a grantee believes this is required, they must complete the following before the funds in question are spent: 1. Submit a formal written request via email to us explaining why the grant recipient is requesting the proposed changes in use of grant funds, and 2.

Submit a revised budget reflecting the requested changes. Notifying us of changes or substitutions solely in your Interim or Final Report does not satisfy this requirement. Once the written request and revised budget is received, the Executive Director, Board President and Grants Committee Chair will review the request.

After a request for changes is reviewed and a decision is made, a written response will be provided. Contact our Executive Director at executive@resthavenchf. org for further details.

All 2026 Special Grant grantees must submit an Interim Report by January 29, 2027, to update us on the progress of grant objectives and expenditures. Final Reports and Final Budget Expenditure Reports are due by August 31, 2027. These reports will detail the manner in which the grant monies have been used and document results and progress.

All reports will be submitted electronically through our portal . The Final Report will include a brief description of the program, a summary of how the funds were spent, whether the goals, objectives and timelines outlined in the original proposal were met, and whether there were any changes or challenges during the grant period.

The Final Budget Project Expenditure Report should reflect all expenses for which grant funds were used and any applicable matching grant funds spent. Receipts must be submitted for any individual items purchased over $1,000. 00 and having a useful life of over 24 months.

We reserve the right to request additional receipts as deemed necessary. Should a grantee not submit the required reports, submits incomplete reports, or is repeatedly delinquent in submitting reports, future applications for funding will not be considered. 2025 Special Grants Requirements and Reporting Interim Reports for 2025 Grant Awardees are due by January 31, 2026.

Final Grant Reports, along with a Final Budget Project Expenditure Report are due by August 31, 2026. Final Grant Reports and Final Budget Expenditure Reports must be submitted through your online portal . Further details will be emailed directly to all 2025 Special Grant Awardees.

Frequently Asked Questions Who can submit a grant request? Any 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to improve the health of at-risk and underserved children ages 0-17 who reside in San Diego or Imperial Counties can submit an application. All applicants must be in good standing with the California Attorney General's Charitable Organization Registry and the California Secretary of State.

Will you fund salaries and/or fringe benefits? Yes, we will now fund salaries if the sustainability of the program for which the salaries are being requested can be demonstrated beyond the one-year grant period. We will not fund any fringe benefits, bonuses, taxes, finders or recruiting fees.

Applications requesting those items will be rejected. What do you mean by "sustainability"? Sustainability is the ability of a program to continue operating after the Special Grant is exhausted, which are for one year only.

If you are applying for salary support or support for a new program that you anticipate will continue beyond the grant period, it is critical that your application includes a demonstrated plan showing how your organization will sustain the program beyond the year for which the grant is awarded. Will you provide funding for general operating support and overhead? No, we will not fund general program operating support.

Furthermore, a Special Grant is not meant to be used for general operating support if other funds supporting the program have been or will be eliminated. Will you fund brick and mortar or any part of a capital improvement campaign? No, we will not fund brick and mortar or provide funds for a capital improvement campaign.

If we applied last year, can we submit a grant application again this year? Yes. Applicants that received a Special Grant last year are permitted to submit an application for new or ongoing programs without restriction.

Do we have to submit more than one price for item/equipment being requested? Yes, two price quotes must be included for any one item or piece of equipment that costs more than $1,000 each and has a useful life of over 24 months. The purpose of this request is so we can verify that you have found the lowest price for the items needed.

If we are asking for funding for equipment, do you still need us to explain our program goals and measurement of our outcomes? Yes. When funding for equipment is requested, the goals and measurement of outcomes from your program still need to be identified in the application.

You could, for example, tell us how many children you anticipate will use or benefit from this equipment, what you expect will be its impact, and how you will measure it's impact on your community served. What type of budget do we submit? Our program budget template is downloadable from our online application and is mandatory to submit with your full application.

The budget should include projections for all costs relevant to your program. Please also provide details on any anticipated matching grants, other funding you will receive, or any unfunded program costs so the Board of Directors can get a better sense of your entire program. You do not need include your general operating budget unless we specifically request to review it.

A sample budget is available for you to download for guidance. A common mistake we see is for applicants to use vague wording such as "supplies" or "expenses" in their budget. This is unacceptable for purposes of our application.

Please be more specific and use descriptive terms or your application will be rejected. Consult the sample budget for further illustration. Is there a minimum or maximum amount we can request?

No. The amount should be based on the need, but take into consideration that we will be awarding $350,000 total during this 2026 grant cycle. We historically award 18 to 22 grants in any given year. What do you mean by a "matching grant"?

Matching grants are funds you request from another donor source to partially support the same grant request being made to and in conjunction with our Special Grants. General fundraising to support other program needs is not considered a matching grant. Do we have to receive matching grant funds before Children's Health Foundation disburses funds for the approved grant request?

No, but we will not release funds until we receive a written commitment of funding from the matching funds donor source. This written commitment for matching funds must be secured no later than September 30, 2026, or our funds will no longer be available. What reporting is required and what are the deadlines?

January 29, 2027 - Interim Reports Due August 31, 2027 - Final Reports Due These reports will be made through our online portal . Reminders will be emailed to the individual who submitted the application. Who decides if our grant request gets funded?

Our Grants Review Committee reviews and approves all applications, and our Board of Directors makes the final determination. If approved, when will grant funds be disbursed? If approved, grant funds are targeted for disbursement on July 1, pending our receipt of your signed Grant Agreement.

Funds can be expended anytime during the grant period of July 1 - June 30. We cannot award grants that are outside of the grant period. Can we apply for a multi-year grant?

If grant funds are being requested to support a project that extends over a period of more than one year, a multi-year grant may specifically be requested, but we do not commonly approve these requests. Children’s Health Foundation in the Community Children’s Health Foundation Announces 2025 Special Grants Recipients Rest Haven Announces 2024 Special Grants Recipients Cass Kaminetz, Executive Director executive@resthavenchf.

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