The McCune Foundation, established in 1990 by George D. McCune and Sara Miller McCune, aims to be an agent of productive change in society by fostering the growth of social capital in communities. It focuses on supporting projects and community-based organizations tackling critical issues in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties through community organizing strategies, with a particular interest in empowering marginalized and excluded populations.
The grant program of the Foundation focuses on supporting grassroots organizations with a strong community base in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, which utilize community organizing strategies to address critical social and economic justice issues. It emphasizes funding projects initiated and led by disenfranchised groups such as low-income, working poor, and marginalized individuals, aiming to empower these populations. The grants aim to enhance community capacity to mobilize residents to tackle problems, grow social capital, and encourage solution-oriented approaches and systemic change rather than addressing symptoms of problems. The Foundation prioritizes projects that include the leadership and active participation of economically and politically marginalized individuals in their operations and decision-making processes, highlighting the importance of "doing with others" rather than "doing for others." Direct services or purely educational programs do not fall within the funding scope.