Inspiring Future Leaders
With the Inspiring Future Leaders (IFL) giving initiative, we support programs that develop the next generation's innovative, diverse and talented STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) workforce to drive economic growth and community success.
The 2024 SDG&E Inspiring Future Leaders grant cycle is now open!
SDG&E invests in programs that advance K-16 STEM education and leadership development in historically underrepresented communities.
SDG&E launched three new signature initiatives to ensure that every student has equitable access to a bright future in STEM.
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SDG&E graduated its pilot cohort of the #BeThatGirl Mentorship Program, championed by SDG&E CEO Caroline Winn. This employee engagement opportunity pairs our women STEM professionals with underrepresented students interested in STEM. Inspiring Future Leaders nonprofit partners nominate their high school to college-aged students to take part in structured mentor sessions, which also serves as a safe space for the participants to ask questions and hear real experiences from industry leaders in STEM.
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SDG&E launched its first scholarship program designed to support students of color, girls and women in high school or college who plan on pursuing a degree in a STEM field. The Inspiring Future Leaders STEM Scholarship program provides $10,000 scholarships that can be eligible to be renewed for up to three years – meaning students could receive up to a total of $40,000 in financial aid. Meet our 2023 winners.
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In collaboration with our nonprofit partners, SDG&E helped bring two national programs to San Diego for the first time. Girls Inc. of San Diego County’s Eureka! is a five-year college-based summer intensive program that includes a summer STEM camp at UCSD for rising 8th graders and continues programming for that cohort through high school graduation. The American Heart Association of Southern California’s STEM Goes Red Initiative brings high school students from underserved areas for a day of hands-on STEM activities and heart-health education.
Grant Details
Thank you for your interest in applying for an Inspiring Future Leaders grant. Nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)3 IRS tax-exempt status or a fiscal agent may apply for grant funding.
All applications must submit their grant proposals online by Friday, May 3 at 5:00 p.m. PST
If you have questions, you may contact SDG&E Community Relations at [email protected].
Information for 2024 Grant Seekers
SDG&E’s Inspiring Future Leaders (IFL) initiative supports 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations working to bridge equity gaps and improve access to STEM education. SDG&E has offered charitable funding under this signature initiative for more than a decade, supporting organizations that have shown commitment to developing the next generation’s innovative, diverse and talented STEM workforce to drive economic growth and community success.
Priority will be given to programs that serve low-income, diverse, and historically under-represented populations. This includes programs that align with SDG&E’s #BeThatGirl initiative to address the gender equity gap for girls and women interested in pursuing career pathways in STEM, the trades and leadership.
SDG&E Finds the Eureka! Moment with Girls Inc.
Girls Inc. of San Diego is helping shape the future workforce by equipping youth with the necessary people, programming, and environment to succeed. They have found that as young girls transition from elementary to middle school, they are more likely to defer from pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
As part of SDG&E’s #BeThatGirl initiative, SDG&E funded the program’s arrival in San Diego to further encourage 25 rising eighth grade girls from Knox, Mission and Rincon Middle schools that have shown that spark for STEM. Over four weeks, they filled the classrooms and explored the UC San Diego campus to embark on the start of their five-year Eureka! journey.
More Information
For questions about your application, visit our Funding Guidelines page.