United for College is a regional collaborative led by the Lucky Duck Foundation to help young people address housing insecurity and pursue and earn a college degree.
The scale of this situation is staggering. According to the 2025 Real College California: Basic Needs Survey, 67% of San Diego community college students struggle with food or housing, with 59% facing housing insecurity and 23% experiencing outright homelessness. Recognizing that housing instability is one of the greatest barriers to degree completion, this initiative helps college students access shelter and housing.
By uniting higher education institutions, community-based organizations, and advocates, United for College aims to bypass the delays inherent in traditional multi-family construction and focus on rapid-response, scalable interventions that keep vulnerable students housed and enrolled.
One initial outcome of United for College is that, through a partnership with Urban Street Angels, six students have moved from homelessness or highly unstable living situations into their own transitional housing units. These students are currently attending (which institutions?) and are studying (which subjects) to become (what professionals).
United for College aims to pool regional resources and expertise, replacing institutional silos with a unified strategy that empowers students to focus on their academic and professional futures rather than daily survival.
The shared commitment and collaborative approach of these participating institutions drive the success of this initiative:
San Diego State University (SDSU)
San Diego Community College District (SDCCD)
San Diego Mesa College
Cuyamaca College
Palomar College
UC San Diego (UCSD)
University of San Diego (USD)
California State University San Marcos (CSUSM)
National University
Welcome Home City
Wesley House
Agape San Diego
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.
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5675 Ruffin Road, Suite 100,
San Diego, CA 92123
The Lucky Duck Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID: 20-3324885
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