Sustained Support Fund

Sustained Support Fund is sponsored by Unspecified (Administered by an organization focusing on San Diego or Imperial Counties). The Sustained Support Fund provides recoverable, zero-interest grants to address short-term cash flow gaps for nonprofit organizations, tribal organizations, and fiscally sponsored projects.

##### Even after funding is committed, it can take weeks or months for grants to be disbursed or reimbursements to be received. In the meantime, community organizations are expected to keep programs running, meet payroll, and respond to urgent community needs, despite not yet having the funding to do so.

##### The Sustained Support Fund is a joint effort by local funders to ensure organizations can continue their work uninterrupted while they wait for committed funds to arrive. Have questions related to applying for or supporting the fund? With seed funding from Alliance Healthcare Foundation, the Avila Fund, The David C.

Copley Foundation, The Parker Foundation, Price Philanthropies Foundation, and additional support from our own reserves, the Sustained Support Fund provides timely, short-term, zero-interest, recoverable grants to nonprofits, fiscally sponsored organizations, tribal organizations, and tribal governments to help cover cash needs while awaiting payment of committed funding.

The fund prioritizes those affected by federal policy and funding shifts since January 2025. Grants from this fund are: * **Recoverable**: Repayment due upon receipt of committed funds or within 90 days. * **Zero interest:**The recoverable amount is equal to the amount granted.

* **Flexible in size**: Grant amounts will be determined based on need, repayment capacity, and available resources, up to $100,000. #### **Access the application here. ** To date, the Sustained Support Fund has provided bridge capital to 15 nonprofits across San Diego and Imperial counties, spanning arts and culture, housing and human services, community development, and organizations of varying sizes.

With this support, recipients have been able to maintain operations, retain staff, and continue services during reimbursement and disbursement delays. Each dollar in the pooled fund has been spent more than two times. By addressing short-term cash-flow gaps, the fund enables organizations to meet immediate financial obligations and sustain essential work during periods when committed funding has not yet arrived.

While modest in scale, this kind of flexible, recoverable capital can play an outsized role in preventing disruption and stabilizing community-based organizations in real time.

###### FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)3 status, tribal organizations/governments, or fiscally sponsored projects that serve primarily in San Diego or Imperial Counties and can demonstrate a short-term cash flow need for work associated with future committed revenue. Documentation must be included for committed revenue that will be received within 90 days.

Priority will be given to applicants who meet one or more of the following: * Have experienced a direct loss of federal funding since January 2025. * Are addressing increased community needs related to federal policy changes since January 2025. * Were recommended by fund contributors.

* Has your organization been impacted by funding or policy changes since January 2025? * Is your primary work in San Diego County or Imperial County? * Does your mission and demonstrated work align with inclusive and equitable values and contribute to an effective social change ecosystem?

* Are you able to clearly identify the need for operating cash within the eligible purpose of this grant? * Are you able to document a guaranteed source of funding to repay the requested grant within 90 days? * If no: Are you able to document a guaranteed source of funding to repay the requested grant within 6 months?

Although it is not currently the case, we are interested in your need and will follow up if longer-term funds become available. Applicants will be required to complete a letter of interest, provide required documentation, and participate in a conversation with a member of staff or the review committee to ensure that there is an effective financial management system in place.

Documentation must be included for committed revenue that will be received within six months.

Required documentation includes: * Documentation of committed revenue, such as a signed contract, government reimbursement, or foundation grant letter, that (1) is equal to or greater than the requested bridge amount and (2) will be paid within 90 days * Documentation of the organization’s current cash position, such as a balance sheet or statement of financial position * Cash flow statement and forecast Catalyst will review submitted applications to verify organizational eligibility, a committed funding source, and a repayment timeline.

Applications that meet the eligibility criteria, demonstrate a clear need, and can document future committed funding will move forward to an interview. The interview will assess whether the organization has effective financial management systems in place. If confirmed, the organization will receive a short-term recoverable grant to cover operating cash needs while awaiting payment of committed funds.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as long as funds remain available. Due to demand, eligible applications may experience delays before being invited for an interview. If a delay occurs, we will confirm with the applicant that the need remains before proceeding.

Turnaround will be fast: within two weeks of receiving a complete application and documentation. Submit your application at any time – grant review and awards will continue on a rolling basis as funds are available. The number of awards will depend on grant requests.

Application review and awards will take place as long as funds are available. Each grant is anticipated to return to the fund within 90 days, allowing a new grant to be made. As of 9/8/25, the total available is $525,000.

Yes. Fiscally sponsored organizations are welcome to apply, provided they meet the other eligibility criteria. The applications can be accessed here.

To help you prepare, this PDF contains all the application questions in one place.

###### CASE STUDY: Bridging the Gap for Families Displaced by Flooding In the long-term recovery from the devastating 2024 floods in San Diego, the Harvey Family Foundation—a nonprofit committed to supporting underserved families, creating college pathways for youth, and hosting vital community resource events—emerged as a crucial partner in rebuilding efforts.

Backed by philanthropic and government support, the foundation helped 77 families rebuild homes that had been destroyed, creating safe and welcoming places to live once again. But many months into the recovery, an unexpected challenge arose: the reimbursable grant funds that powered their work were suddenly required to be spent down far earlier than anticipated.

Although the funds were committed, the foundation needed to front the costs before receiving the reimbursement. Without immediate access to liquid capital, the organization faced an all-too-familiar nonprofit dilemma—risking the forfeiture of those critical funds and, with them, the ability to help dozens more families still in need. > _“Without access to immediate cash flow, we were stuck.

The funding was there, but we couldn’t reach it in time, and families were depending on us. ” — Armon Harvey, Founder, Harvey Family Foundation_ At the same time, Catalyst had been developing the **Sustained Support Fund**—a rapid-response, zero-interest funding pool designed to help nonprofits bridge short-term cash flow gaps.

Seeing the opportunity to pilot the concept in real time, Catalyst partnered with the Harvey Family Foundation to put the fund into action. Less than one week after submitting a request, the organization received $100,000 in bridge funding. With immediate cash in hand, they were able to move swiftly, supporting 18 additional families in returning to safe and secure housing.

> _“This is the kind of support nonprofits need—flexible, timely, and built on trust. It let us do our job without unnecessary barriers. ” — Armon Harvey, Founder, Harvey Family Foundation_ Because the government reimbursement was expected within 60 days, the organization knew it could return the $100,000 to the Sustained Support Fund quickly.

In fact, they put the dollars to work within two weeks and repaid the grant in full two and a half weeks later. From application to repayment it took just one month, making the dollars quickly available for Catalyst to extend forward to the next nonprofit facing a similar cash crunch.

This early success demonstrates what’s possible when nonprofits have access to timely, flexible funding: not only are services preserved, but lives are stabilized, and communities rebuilt.