San Manuel Golf Tournament Raises $450K to Empower Native and Local Communities

A community driven by purpose is powerful, and the 2025 San Manuel Golf Tournament flexes that power through collective action and Indigenous-led generosity. On July 23-27, 2025, more than 920 golfers teed off at the Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point, California. Not just for sport, but to live out the spirit of Yawa’, a core Serrano value that means “to act on one’s beliefs.”

With every swing, putt, and high-five, participants, ranging from tribal partners to powerhouse organizations, raised $450,000 for six incredible charities.

Over the past 26 years, this tradition has generated over $4.5 million in support of more than 70 nonprofits, many of which uplift Native, BIPOC, and underserved communities across California and beyond. Each of this year’s recipients received a $75,000 UNRESTRICTED gift, a powerful commitment that says, “We trust your vision, and we believe in your impact.”

And that impact is as expansive as our future. These six organizations are doing the daily, often invisible, work of uplifting Native youth, empowering educators, healing veterans, honoring cultural identity, supporting survivors, and caring for first responders and their families.

Let’s meet them:

🔸 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & the Inland Empire is redefining mentorship by matching more than 3,900 young people with caring adults, building confidence, academic success, and emotional well-being.

🔸 California Fire Foundation honors fallen heroes and supports their families with dignity and care. They’re a lifeline in moments of crisis and a source of strength long after the flames are gone.

🔸 California Indian Education For All (CIEFA) is transforming classrooms by centering Native voices, histories, and contributions in education.

🔸 Home Base is healing the invisible wounds of service, offering world-class, trauma-informed care to veterans and their families, regardless of discharge status or geography.

🔸 Tribal Oak Tree Foster Family Agency is offering culturally rooted foster care and social services that honor identity, family, and intergenerational love.

🔸 Restoring Ancestral Winds, Inc. is ending cycles of violence with compassion and cultural power, providing education and advocacy that centers safety, healing, and Native survivance.

Each of these nonprofits aligns with San Manuel’s pillars of education, economic development, health, and cultural preservation, and with the wisdom of planning for seven generations.

The event also brought out community icons, from culinary star Jet Tila to pro golfer Notah Begay III, and drew support from major sponsors like Gander Group. But at the heart of it all? The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, whose name means “People of the Pines”, and their unwavering commitment to serving their people and neighbors in the San Bernardino region and beyond.

The San Manuel Golf Tournament is a vision of Indigenous futures where generosity, relationality, and sovereignty guide every stroke and strategy.

It’s a reminder that when we act on our beliefs, we grow more than a community, we grow a legacy.