From the Library Guild to the Garden Club to the Historical Society, Rancho Santa Fe is home to a plethora of vibrant and distinctive community organizations for our residents to enjoy, many of which have been around for several decades or more. Read on to learn more about the various organizations you can become a part of as a resident of The Covenant of Rancho Santa Fe.
RSF Community Center
Founded in 1975, the nonprofit Rancho Santa Fe Community Center (RSFCC) has spent nearly half a century working towards its stated aim of enhancing “the spirit and benefits of community life in Rancho Santa Fe through programs, events, and services of enrichment, recreation, and outreach for all ages.” Located in the heart of the Covenant, the RSFCC runs a variety of programs for both children and adults in the community, including after-school care, basketball leagues, summer camps, and adult fitness clubs, and offers membership packages for families, adults, and seniors.
RSF Garden Club
With a storied past stretching back to 1926, the RSF Garden Club is perhaps the oldest community organization in Rancho Santa Fe. Started by a small group of families in the Ranch’s early days, the Club was incorporated as a public benefit nonprofit in 1937. As the Garden Club has grown in the intervening years, its purpose has expanded from mere gardening and landscaping to charitable horticulture, supporting a variety of conservation projects both in Rancho Santa Fe and the Greater San Diego County area. One of the Club’s many unique projects is their “Bloom Again” resale shop. Staffed entirely by volunteers, this shop collects and resells donated items to fund the Club’s Garden Grant program. Last year, the Garden Grant program awarded over $100,000 to local nonprofits!
RSF Historical Society
The Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society aims to “collect, preserve, research, and interpret the documents, photos, and artifacts that connect us to Rancho Santa Fe and its past.” For residents interested in learning more about the history of their community, the Historical Society offers myriad exhibitions, historic sites, events, educational lectures, and more. The Historical Society, which was established in 1985, offers both self-guided and guided walking tours of the community, providing residents with insight into the unique history and architecture that makes the community so special.
Library Guild of RSF
Established by Covenant residents in 1963, the Library Guild of Rancho Santa Fe runs the RSF Library, in partnership with the San Diego County Library (SDCL) system. The Guild raises funds to enhance the services and resources beyond the means of the SDCL, providing additional materials, staff, and programs for library patrons. The library hosts programs for children and teens such as storytimes, arts & crafts, guest entertainers, reading programs, and more. Meanwhile, an adult-oriented speaker series presents several events monthly, with a variety of authors coming to speak on everything from travel to nutrition to finance to health. Quarterly ‘Library Guild Author Talks’ feature various best-selling authors, who speak on their latest works in an intimate setting, exclusively for library patrons.
RSF Foundation
The Rancho Santa Fe Foundation, founded in 1981, manages philanthropic resources from both individual and institutional donors not just to benefit the Rancho Santa Fe community and Greater San Diego County, but to address causes nationally and internationally. Via the Foundation, donors can both identify charitable opportunities and then create charitable funds that address an array of issues, depending on their personal philanthropic interests, all safely stewarded by the Foundation. Through the Foundation, donors can give through donor-advised funds, establish endowment funds, and both give and receive grants.
RSF Senior Center
The nonprofit Rancho Santa Fe Senior Center helps local seniors maintain their health, welfare, and safety, without compromising their independence or dignity. In short, the Senior Center is both a source of information and assistance for local seniors (family support, health outreach, etc.) and a spirited social hub, offering educational programs, classes, and social events both in-person and online, all free of charge. From yoga sessions to weekly chess games to art classes, the Senior Center operates a plethora of invigorating and engaging activities for seniors in the community.
RSF Rotary Club
Founded in 1959, the Rotary Club of Rancho Santa Fe has tackled a number of impactful projects over the years, including opening a permanent 24-hour emergency clinic in the impoverished community of Primo Tapia, Mexico! The Rotary Club has supported many organizations in its 60+ year history, from national organizations like the Salvation Army and Meals on Wheels to local efforts like the San Diego Youth Symphony and Southern California Hospice Foundation. For Covenant residents who are eager to give back, the Rotary Club offers you the means to do so, and foster meaningful connections with other community members all the while!
RSF Art Guild
Aiming to support visual artists both in the Rancho Santa Fe community and the nation at large, the Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild (RSFAG) hosts educational lectures, field trips to studios and exhibits, demonstrations by local, national, and international artists, and provides funds for art education in local schools, among other efforts. All members are residents of the RSF community, and all are established (or aspiring) artists, with the Guild also serving as a platform for members to promote their personal artwork. Recently, the RSFAG also began hosting virtual art shows throughout the year. The Art Guild is one of the youngest community organizations in Rancho Santa Fe, but it’s still been here for nearly 25 years.
The Country Friends
The Country Friends is dedicated to providing aid to women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities throughout San Diego County, with a stated motto of “Helping San Diegans since 1954 - One Hand At a Time.” The Country Friends operates a consignment shop here in RSF, where purchases raise funds for a variety of local nonprofits. They also host numerous fundraisers and other events, such as an annual ‘Art of Fashion Show & Luncheon,’ to raise donations for their charitable efforts.
All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only.
While this information is believed to be correct, it is represented subject to errors and omissions.
Copyright © 2023 Raquel Benguiat. All rights reserved.
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