The Teddy Fund
The goal of the fund is to support organizations and efforts that improve the health and well-being of babies, kids, and teens. Each year, we choose a charity or organization whose work directly benefits at-risk and underserved children.
The Muth’s are exceedingly grateful to all family, friends, and community members who have contributed to the Teddy Fund. They also are grateful to organizations committed to improving the lives of children. The recipients of the Teddy Fund grantmaking are featured below.
Teddy’s Story
Teddy’s story was published in "A Piece of My Mind" in Journal of the American Medical Association. Click here to share in this story of anticipation, heartbreak, and hope. Teddy will live on in perpetuity, thanks to the Teddy Fund. (Trigger warning: discusses pregnancy loss)
Recipients
2023
Surfing Madonna Surf Camp for Children with Special Needs
Every summer Surfing Madonna Oceans Project hosts free surf camps in Encinitas and Oceanside for children with special needs. The Teddy Fund is proud to sponsor camp for several children to help them experience the joy of the ocean and learning to surf and learn a new school while being active in a social environment.
2022
Promises 2 Kids Camp Connect
Promises2Kids provides invaluable supports to children and adolescents in the San Diego foster care system. The Teddy Fund is proud to support Camp Connect in which siblings in separate foster care homes are provided the opportunity to reconnect through a four-day summer camp and recreational and educational day camp activities throughout the year.
Snowball Express
Snowball Express is an initiative of the Gary Sinise Foundation that provides support, healing, and a community to the children of fallen military heroes and their surviving parents and guardians. The Teddy Fund supports this program that honors the children whose parent gave the ultimate sacrifice.
No Kid Hungry Share Our Strength
Share Our Strength's campaigns include No Kid Hungry which aims to help end childhood hunger in the United States and Cooking Matters which helps low-income families learn to shop and cook healthier. The Teddy Fund is pleased to support these initiatives.
2021
North County LGBTQ Resource Center
The mental health fall out of the COVID 19 pandemic was especially difficult for adolescents, and even more so for those adolescents who identify as LGBTQ. The Teddy Fund donation to the North County LGBTQ helps support mental health programs and resources and supports.
2020
Boys & Girls Club San Dieguito
The COVID 19 pandemic brought worldwide devastation, including for local families and children. The Teddy Fund donation to the COVID19 Relief Fund helps to the Boys & Girls Club provide local families with daytime learning centers tech support, mentorship and emotional support, virtual tutoring, after-school programs, and sports and recreation.
ACLU
The Black Lives Matters movement of 2020 brought racial injustice and urgent need for reform to the forefront. The Teddy Fund Donation to ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties supports the ACLU's fight for individual rights and fundamental freedoms for all through education, litigation, & policy advocacy.
2019
Exposure to language, books, and reading in a child's first 5 years of life is critical for brain development, strength of family bond, and literacy and school readiness. The Teddy Fund is happy to support Reach Out and Read for a second time to fund the launch Reach Out and Read to Natalie's Carlsbad clinic to provide a free book to underserved children from ages 6 months - 5 years during their well child visits.
Reach Out and Read
Casa Cornelia Law Center Children's Program and
AAP Gun Safety and Injury Prevention Research Initiative
2018
2018 was characterized by grave injustices to children, including horrific treatment of immigrant children and gun violence. The Teddy Fund strongly supports Casa Cornelia's commitment to provide immigration legal services to children detained in San Diego County. The Teddy Fund is also pleased to support the Chicago-area based American Academy of Pediatrics in its gun safety and injury prevention research initiative to protect children from firearm injuries.
Feeding America San Diego and
Greater Chicago Food Depository
2017
Millions of children and families suffer from food insecurity, not having access to healthy foods or knowing from where the next meal will come. The Teddy Fund is committed to helping children and families in need access healthful food. This year in honor of Teddy's 10th birthday, the Muth family started a tradition of volunteering with our chosen charity in addition to providing financial assistance.
Carlsbad Public Library and Chicago Public Library
2016
The Teddy Fund supported the Carlsbad Public Library in Carlsbad, CA and the Chicago Public Library/Thurgood Marshall Branch to purchase books geared towards elementary-school aged boys. Early access to and love of books is predictive of later academic success, communication skills, concentration and imagination. The Teddy Fund is excited to support reading and literacy for children who live in North County San Diego as well as South Side Chicago, in memory of Shirley Foley.
YALLA is the only college preparatory organization in California that uses soccer and academic programs to motivate refugee and immigrant youth to rebuild their lives. Along with soccer, kids attend YALLA’s academy that focuses on English literacy as well as STEM. One in four refugee youth in San Diego drop out of school every year, but in 2013, 100% of YALLA’s seniors graduated from high school and pursued higher education. YALLA serves primarily the South Bay area of San Diego. Soccer is a long-time passion of Bob’s and the Teddy Fund is very excited to support an organization that effectively uses soccer to help underserved children experience academic success and the joy that comes from physical activity and sport.
YALLA
2015
The Y is committed to helping the community by providing a safe place for families, young adults, kids, and people of all ages to come and be active and experience friendship, great classes, and more. The Teddy Fund contribution goes specifically to supporting children’s programs and Y membership at the Joe & Mary Mottino Y for children who otherwise may be unable to pay. As a pediatrician in the local are of the Mottino Y, Dr. Natalie Muth is grateful that the Teddy Fund can help support her patients and children in the local community to have a safe, healthy place to be active, have fun, and learn skills to help optimize their health.
Joe & Mary Mottino YMCA
2014
The San Diego Children and Nature Collaborative aims to help children experience nature. Over 60 organizations work collaboratively to create opportunities for children throughout San Diego County enjoy nature and play. The Teddy Fund is proud to support grassroots initiatives to share the joy of physical activity and nature with children.
San Diego Children and Nature Collaborative
2013
Feeding America San Diego feeds more than 73,000 children, families, and seniors every week. Nearly half of those served by Feeding America San Diego are children. In 2012, the Teddy Fund eagerly donated to Feeding America San Diego’s Feeding Kids programs, including the BackPack Program, School Pantry Program, and Farm2Kids Program. These initiatives distribute nutritious foods directly to children and their families.
Feeding America San Diego
2012
Donations were made to the Early Learning Center (ELC) at the St. Joseph Center, a community center in Venice, CA serving the community members in greatest need. The ECL is an innovative bilingual preschool that serves children of various backgrounds and levels of access to resources. The Teddy Fund donations went specifically to providing reading and learning opportunities to low-income and at risk children. The Teddy Fund supported establishing “Teddy’s Book Club” and the “Kindergarten, Here I Come” project.
Early Learning Center at the St. Joseph Center
2010 & 2011
As a Marine family, the Muth’s are committed to helping military children succeed. In 2009, the Teddy Fund contributed to the Reach Out and Read program at Camp Pendleton to purchase Zero to Three materials for families of deployed Marines.
Reach Out and Read at Camp Pendleton
2009
North Carolina Children’s Hospital
2008
The first annual gift from the Teddy Fund went to supporting the revitalization of the lactation room in the neonatal intensive care unit at North Carolina Children's Hospital, adjacent to the North Carolina Women's Hospital where Teddy was delivered.
How to Give
The Teddy Fund is housed at the San Diego Foundation. If you are interested in contributing to the Teddy Fund, please send a check directly, payable to The San Diego Foundation/Teddy Fund #6772 2508 Historic Decatur Road, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106
Thank you for your support.