Our Mission
To expand access to higher education for underserved youth in San Diego through scholarships, mentorship, and community partnership.
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About the Foundation
Building pathways from San Diego neighborhoods to college campuses
We are a volunteer-driven nonprofit that believes a young person’s future should never be limited by their zip code.
Who We Are
A foundation grounded in scholarship and service
The Blue Impact Foundation, Inc. is a California nonprofit corporation and a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our focus is simple: help students from underserved communities in San Diego reach and complete higher education.
We do that by raising funds for scholarships, recognizing students who show promise and perseverance, and surrounding them with mentors and community partners who want to see them succeed.
Our tagline, Educating Scholars. Igniting Good Trouble., captures both halves of the work. We prepare students academically, and we encourage them to follow the example of Congressman John Lewis, an honored member of Phi Beta Sigma, who urged a generation to get into “good trouble, necessary trouble” for the sake of justice.
Our royal blue and white colors honor the men of Phi Beta Sigma whose service inspires our work, and our seal carries the symbols of that mission.
Purpose
Mission & Vision
Our Vision
A San Diego where every young person, regardless of neighborhood or family income, has a real path to college, a career, and a life of leadership in their community.
What Guides Us
Our Values
Scholarship
Education is the most reliable lever for changing a family’s trajectory.
Service
We give back to the communities that shaped us, and we invite our scholars to do the same.
Integrity
Donor dollars are a public trust. We steward them carefully and report openly.
Community
No one succeeds alone. Mentors, families, and partners all have a role to play.
Our Seal
Every symbol tells part of the story
- The open book and mortarboard stand for scholarship and the achievement we invest in.
- The dove with an olive branch represents peace, hope, and a spirit of service.
- The lamp of knowledge is the light students carry forward to others.
- The Sigma honors the brotherhood whose commitment to service inspires our work.
- The twin stars and double ring speak to unity and a bond that endures.
Our Heritage
A tradition of service more than a century strong
Our work draws on the ideals of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., founded at Howard University in 1914 by three young men who wanted an organization that was “a part of” the community rather than “apart from” it.
- 1914
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity is founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service.
- 1954
The first Sigma Beta Club is organized, making Phi Beta Sigma the first Greek-letter organization with a youth auxiliary and a lasting investment in young people.
- 2010
The Omicron Iota Sigma Chapter begins its work in San Diego in community outreach, civil rights, and youth mentorship.
- Today
The Blue Impact Foundation channels that commitment into scholarships and support for San Diego students.
Governance & Transparency
The Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that oversees our scholarship program, finances, and compliance with state and federal nonprofit requirements.
Copies of our IRS determination letter and annual information returns are available on request. Contact us to ask.
Our Relationship with Phi Beta Sigma
The Blue Impact Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We work alongside the Omicron Iota Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., whose members volunteer and support our programs.
The Foundation is not an official program of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and does not speak on its behalf.
Join the Mission
Help us open the next door.
Donate, volunteer, or partner with us to support San Diego’s rising scholars.