The Mission Beach Women’s Club’s annual fundraiser for fiscal year 2023-24 took in a record $65,000 in donations that will benefit Girls Rising Above Child Exploitation, a nonprofit aiding trafficked, exploited, and at-risk youth throughout San Diego County.

Mission Beach Women’s Club credits San Diego Attorney Summer Stephan for giving a keynote speech that raised the bar on donations this year.

Nonprofit GRACE’s mission is to support, empower, and provide services to trafficked, exploited, and at-risk youth. The group’s vision is to end child exploitation by raising community advocates who will educate, mentor, and provide therapeutic programming to exploited, trafficked, and at-risk youth.

“Our group is proud of the contributions we have made to our community over the years since forming in 1926,” said newly inducted club president Mary Bradstreet. “Throughout the years, Mission Beach Women’s Club has played an irreplaceable role in the community including the support of our local schools and all of their activities. Not only are we focused on charitable giving to the community, but we also dedicate hours to local community services such as providing first responders with lunches on Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.”

Mission Beach Women’s Club is dedicated to education, enrichment, community service, social opportunities, and charitable giving. The club was organized in November 1926 when 10 women, mostly Navy wives, gathered together to form a club devoted to the idea of community service. In 2026, Mission Beach Women’s Club will celebrate its centennial.

“Every year we distribute funds to community nonprofits through our 501(c) 4 status in alignment with our mission statement,” said Bradstreet adding, “We have made, and will continue to make, a profound difference to nonprofits in our community and have improved the lives of many underserved individuals.”

Event chair Cordelia Mendoza said Mission Beach Women’s Club has about 110 members, 90 active. She added the club started in the 1920s meeting at different member’s homes. “We purchased the cottage on the bay (840 Santa Clara Place) in the late 1930s,” Mendoza said. “It was built as a YWCA day camp cottage.”

In 1953, William Evans (Evans Hotels founder) approached MBWC asking the club to put on a gala for the first formal inaugural of San Diego’s mayor.

Of the club’s philanthropy, Mendoza noted, “We give all our money away. Rentals are where we make most of our money.”

Mendoza said the club gets rental revenue from about 115 community events held at their cottage annually.

Additional nonprofit groups the club gave grants to this year include Wounded Warrior Homes, Jacob & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, Patrons of the Prado, Together We Rise, Reality Changers, Operation Hope San Diego, Birthline of San Diego County, San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, Shoreline Community Services, Center for Community Solutions, I Love A Clean San Diego, and P.A.E.S.A.N, an annual Pacific Beach Town Council event every September.

The club also allowed 15 nonprofits and schools to use its venue, the Cottage on the Bay on Bayside Walk in Mission Beach, at no cost or at a significantly reduced rate, which amounted to $25,000 that the club underwrote, said the club’s rental director Nancie Geller.

Nonprofit groups may begin applying for 2024-2025 grants beginning Aug. 1 by going to MBWC.org and clicking on the “Philanthropy” link.