Just over a million dollars was distributed in grant money to 23 organizations on the island after a 4½ hour deliberation by Coronado City Council on June 18.
The top three recipients for 2025 were Safe Harbor Coronado at $125,000, a program that helps youth and families overcome drug use, suicide, mental illness and more through group counseling and workshops and other programs, the Coronado Chamber of Commerce at $109,000 and Coronado Fourth of July at $105,000.
Since 2000, the city has awarded grants to support local nonprofit organizations; and for the last six years, over a million dollars has been allocated yearly in funding.
This year, $1,068,000 went to grant recipients.
The community grant fund is calculated as a percentage of the city’s general fund. For fiscal year 2025-2026, funding was set at 1.4% of the general fund, totaling $1,161,000 for the community grants.
Earlier this year, the City Council approved an expedited pilot program so organizations with consistent, annual and established events could automatically renew their grants. Those applicants accounted for 89% of funding and 82% of awarded programs. There were 28 total renewed applications.
The expedited system allowed for automatic renewal of certain grants alongside a grant application process for other grant categories, according to the staff report.
There was also a modified mini grant application that streamlined the process.
Mini grant applications were not vetted by independent reviewers, but by the entire council. There were 12 total mini grant applications.
This year’s recipients
Certain organizations had multiple programs funded. Here’s a complete list of the grant recipients:
- Storytellers of San Diego
- Lore and Legends of Coronado: $5,000
- Camp Able at Coronado/SDSU Research Foundation
- Camperships: $13,750
- Pacific Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
- Mini grant: $15,000
- Coronado Cheer
- Vital safety equipment: $13,099
- KMAC Foundation
- Annual mini grant: $15,000
- Coronado School of Arts Foundation
- West Side Story: $15,000
- Coronado Hospital Foundation
- Primary stroke center: $15,000
- Coronado Junior Arts League
- CJAL youth theatre: $30,000
- Coronado Chamber of Commerce
- Holiday parade and tree lighting: $15,000
- Advocating for Coronado’s business community: $70,000
- Coronado visitor center website: $24,000
- Coronado Floral Association
- Coronado flower show: $95,600
- Coronado Fourth of July
- Coronado Fourth of July diamond jubilee: $105,000
- Coronado Island Film Festival
- Production of the five-day Coronado Island Film Festival: $50,000
- Year-round production and outreach: $50,000
- Coronado Schools Foundation
- Coronado Art and Wine Festival: $24,850
- Classics 4 Kids Inc.
- Music education access for Coronado students: $15,750
- Coronado Community Band
- Operations support: $18,500
- Coronado community band – July 4th patriotic concert: $1,500
- Coronado Historical Association
- Keep the Coronado museum free: $77,000
- Cross-border architecture exhibit: $15,000
- Hotel Del restoration: $12,000
- Coronado Philharmonia Orchestra
- 2024-2025 season: $50,543
- Emerald Keepers
- Community programs, events and education: $27,800
- Youth services, leadership development and engagement: $42,300
- Lamb’s Players Theatre
- 2024-2025 season: $75,000
- Memorial Day Ceremony planning committee
- Coronado Memorial Day ceremony 2024 grant: $4,000
- Musica Vitale
- 2024-2025 main stage and school program: $15,000
- Crown City Chorale Coronado Choir: $10,000
- Safe Harbor Coronado
- Healthy families program: $75,000
- Family support services: $50,000
- Villa-Lobos International Chamber Music Festival
- Coronado residency: $14,386
- Coronado school outreach: $7,920
