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 emphasizes backing grassroots groups with strong community ties, engaging in strategies that aim to reform the root causes of social and economic injustices rather than merely addressing symptoms. It champions the empowerment of excluded populations by ensuring their significant representation in leadership roles. The Foundation values initiatives that integrate systemic change, community capacity building, and the fostering of social capital. Specifically, it does not fund direct service provision or purely educational endeavors but instead supports projects that are creative, solution-oriented, and contribute to systemic social change. Additionally, the Training Mini-Grant program is designed to enhance organizational capabilities in mobilizing for systemic change, offering funding for training and coaching in community organizing and social justice, open to both current grantees and other eligible groups within the targeted counties.