The Lucky Duck Foundation (LDF) and Prebys Foundation, with additional support from the David C. Copley Foundation, have launched United for Youth, a groundbreaking $5 million regional effort designed to transform outcomes for current and former foster youth throughout San Diego County.
United for Youth unites more than 40 youth-serving organizations and community partners in a coordinated, data-driven and deeply collaborative system of support that focuses on employment, housing, and mentorship helping foster youth build pathways to lasting independence.
United for Youth is designed to aid more than 500 youth over the next two years. It represents one of the largest, most collaborative youth homelessness prevention efforts in the region’s history.
The effort is designed to combat the very troubling trends facing foster youth: 65% leave foster care at age 18 with no place to call home; after reaching the age of 18, 20% will become instantly homeless; only 50% are employed by age 24; and 71% of young women in foster care become pregnant by age 21, facing the dual challenge of parenting while navigating their own transition to adulthood.
After a series of focused symposiums and follow-up meetings, LDF & Prebys issued an RFP designed and based on collaboration by inviting co-applied proposals. This process ultimately led to the melding of four proposals co-led by seven agencies collectively guiding more than 40 organizations. Additionally, each co-lead’s CEO, board chair, and program manager signed an agreement outlining their commitment to deeply collaborate.
United for Youth will operate as a shared-impact collaborative, ensuring that every dollar, every mentor, and every program contributes to a unified goal of improving life outcomes for foster youth. All participating organizations will routinely convene to measure outcomes and determine where and how the collaboration and the system can be strengthened. In addition to LDF & Prebys each providing $2 million over the next two years, the David C. Copley Foundation is providing $900,000 to expand the expected reach of the program to more than 500 youth.
The launch marks a pivotal moment in regional philanthropy, emphasizing the shared responsibility and opportunity to stand united for San Diego’s youth.
United for Youth invites foundations, corporations, community leaders, families, and individuals to join this growing movement of collaboration and impact. By investing financial resources, professional expertise, or mentorship, partners can play a direct role in transforming outcomes for foster youth across San Diego County.
United for Youth is a countywide partnership uniting more than 40 organizations to transform outcomes for foster youth across San Diego County. Through collaboration, shared data, and coordinated services, these partners align efforts around three key pillars: employment, housing, and mentorship. Together, they will support more than 500 transition-age youth (ages 16–28) over the next two years.
Collective Impact: 40+ organizations | 7 lead agencies | $5 million investment | 500 youth served
United for Youth is powered by the Lucky Duck Foundation, Prebys Foundation, and David C. Copley Foundation, representing one of the most collaborative and data-driven efforts to prevent youth homelessness in San Diego’s history.
Personal or corporate checks can be made out to:
The Lucky Duck Foundation
5675 Ruffin Road, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92123
These funds are highly popular among individual donors because of the ease of administration and potential tax savings from donating via a DAF.
Strategies to save big on taxes, such as Charitable Remainder Trusts, bundled donations, and donations of appreciated stock, IRA, real estate, and estates.
Leave a lasting legacy by including the Lucky Duck Foundation in your estate planning.
We offer turnkey peer-to-peer fundraising so you can create your own fundraising page and invite your friends and family to support the Lucky Duck Foundation and its programs.
There are many ways your organization can get involved and support community giving and volunteering.
We’ve partnered with LNDRY, a premier laundry service in San Diego, to pick up your gently used clothes donation (for free!) to help homeless employment and education-seekers look and feel their best!
Enjoy premium craft coffee with a purpose. Our coffee partner, Tower Roasting Co., provides 100% organic fair trade coffee while helping to prevent and reduce homelessness in San Diego by donating 30% of every sale.
Join our newsletter to stay informed about the Lucky Duck Foundation’s programs and to see how your donations are making a difference.
When you subscribe to our newsletter, we will DONATE A PAIR OF BOMBAS SOCKS on your behalf, in partnership with Bombas Socks.
5675 Ruffin Road, Suite 100,
San Diego, CA 92123
The Lucky Duck Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID: 20-3324885
© 2025 All Rights Reserved.
The EPIC Collaborative serves as the central hub for United for Youth, operated by its two co-leads. Promises2Kids coordinates shared data and assessments, while Just In Time hosts the 24/7 “digital front door” for the U4Y community. This portal connects youth to vital services including workforce training, paid employment, mentorship, and housing assistance, especially for those who fall outside existing County programs.
As the initiative’s key ‘front door,’ Youth Assistance Coalition’s drop-in center offers immediate emergency support and a safe, welcoming space. Urban Street Angels provides a full housing continuum that helps youth move from crisis to stability, pairing housing with workforce development, trade school access, mentorship, and case management to foster long-term independence.
The Resilience Project delivers early intervention for youth ages 16–24 who are justice-involved or in group homes, helping them transition successfully into Extended Foster Care. Through intensive case management and advocacy, the project works to stabilize housing and prevent premature exits from care—laying a stronger foundation for adulthood.
Friends of the Children provides long-term, professional mentorship for the children of current or former foster youth engaged in United for Youth. Each child is paired with a full-time, salaried mentor—called a ‘Friend’—for 12+ years, from kindergarten through high school, building stability, resilience, and opportunity across generations.
When you subscribe to our newsletter, we will donate a pair of Bombas Socks* on your behalf.
*Socks graciously donated by our collaborative partner, Bombas Socks.
