Universidad Popular (UP), a grassroots community-based organization, was founded in 2012 in North County San Diego by a group of Chicana/Mexican/Latinx grassroots leaders with the mission of nurturing human dignity, multicultural appreciation, and a culture of trust and civic participation in our nation’s democratic process. Specifically, Universidad Popular aims to fill a major gap in human rights education, to foster multi-racial collaboration across agencies, organizations, and communities, and to center equity and social justice at the heart of its work.

Universidad Popular brings together diverse leaders and educators with bold ideas to envision and create innovative programs that are culturally/linguistically responsive, data-driven, and social justice focused. The organization employs a three-prong approach that is intergenerational, action-oriented, and culturally responsive:

1) INTERGENERATIONAL approach bridges generational ecosystems that serve elders, parents, and youth. The target Latinx and immigrant community has the largest population of limited English-speaking Mexican indigenous migrants and immigrants. The extended family unit approach reflects a culturally appropriate understanding of the Mexican/Latinx community.

2) ACTION-ORIENTED approach is based on educación popular, a pedagogy based on Paulo Freire’s (1970) method of dialectic interchange and kinesthetic learning. Information is presented through a culturally responsive lens in English, Spanish and bilingual formats which resonate with participants’ histories and lived experiences. An essential element to the model is empowerment and connecting students’ learning with their role in creating positive social change.

3) STRENGTH-BASED theoretical framework is based on Tara Yosso’s (2006) theory of “cultural wealth,” which is a strength-based framework that highlights the importance of familial and cultural beliefs, practices, skills, abilities, contacts, and knowledge. This novel approach, in synergy with the human rights framework, can greatly improve our work’s effectiveness helping to connect, rediscover and cultivate ancestral roots to new practices.

Universidad Popular’s community education classes include U.S. History/Government, Voting Rights, human rights, immigrant rights, Chicana/Chicanx Studies, Ethnic Studies, and Women/Gender Studies, Worker Rights, Leadership, Citizenship, Environmental Health and Justice, Emergency/Disaster preparedness, and Economic Justice. Most of the classes are offered in Spanish.  For additional information, visit our website www.unipopulr.org.

—

Arcela Nuñez-Alvarez

Co-Founder and Co-Director

Universidad Popular

M: 760-484-1398    E: arcela@unipopular.org

W: www.unipopular.org

What do you benefit most from being a member of NCPC?

Being a premier member of the North County Philanthropy Council provides valuable connection opportunities to enhance our philanthropic reach in the community. In addition, it provides an avenue to network and learn from other incredible community and charitable organizations impacting our community.

What is your Mission?

The mission of the Palomar College Foundation is to assure equal access to success for all Palomar College students by inspiring individual, business, and foundation philanthropic support that helps remove financial barriers and provides essential educational resources.

In addition to direct student support, the Foundation’s mission includes support of college and faculty initiatives that enhance the educational experience of Palomar College students.

What do you offer to the community?

The Palomar College Foundation provides support for student success through our core programs of scholarships, textbook assistance, and student emergency grants. We administer more than 500 scholarship opportunities annually that benefit our students. Our popular Textbook Assistance Program assures students the access they need to textbooks for their courses; the complementary Comets Affordable Learning Materials (CALM) program has saved students more than $10 million in textbook costs for our students since 2018. Student emergency grants address critical and time-sensitive needs and issues, providing students assistance that keeps them on track and continuing their education.

We also provide support for crucial programs that afford specialized support for military veterans who are beginning or resuming their education. We are the vehicle through which the philanthropic gifts of individuals and companies in the area help build our capacity to encourage the pursuit of higher education, particularly for those from underserved communities.

What was your organization/company’s biggest accomplishment in the past six months – one year?

Our goal is to make higher education accessible to every student who wants it and to eliminate disparities that discourage local students from pursuing higher education. In 2022, the Palomar College Foundation awarded over $1 million to students, gave 500 scholarships, and provided $300K in grants to remove financial barriers and provide essential resources. Approximately 3,000 students benefited from the foundation’s charitable efforts and activities, and 400 students received emergency grants or computers. Our priority is to nurture educational excellence and provide support to the next generation of professionals in various fields.

Have you made a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization/company and if so, how are you demonstrating it?

At Palomar College and the Foundation, we are deeply committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and ensuring that everyone has access to equitable opportunities. We understand the importance of providing a safe and creative learning environment for all students and work tirelessly to achieve this goal. By embracing diversity and encouraging collaboration, we believe that we can create a truly enriching educational experience that benefits everyone involved.

Palomar College is an institution of opportunity for a large and highly diverse local population—diverse economically, socially, racially, and in almost every other way. About 62% of our student body is comprised of racial and ethnically diverse individuals. By gender, 54% of the undergraduate student body is female, and 46% male. We also host students from 47 countries who help enrich the educational and cultural experience for all our students.

Palomar College is deeply dedicated to not just diversity, equity, and inclusion but also to an active antiracist stance, expressed in many opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to understand better both systemic and individual biases that create barriers to understanding and equitable access to education. We also share a strong commitment to accessibility for all.

We understand that the success of inclusivity is success for not only the individuals most directly affected but also for the communities of which they are a part and the companies of which they are ultimately employees. Studies clearly demonstrate the economic, social, and personal benefits of higher education for individuals and their communities.

What event/program or campaign do you have coming up that you would like to share with our readers?

The Palomar College Community Showcase is scheduled for March 6, 2024. The breakfast event attracts over 300 business and community leaders as we come together to celebrate Palomar College Superintendent/President, Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey’s annual report to the community. In addition, the Foundation recognizes the annual philanthropist of the year through our Comet Award and showcases one of our esteemed academic programs. For more information, please visit: https://www.palomar.edu/foundation/

The Council for Supplier Diversity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, drives economic empowerment in underserved communities through supplier diversity initiatives. We’re dedicated to expanding opportunities for women, minorities, service-disabled veterans, and other underrepresented businesses. We strongly believe that diverse business growth is essential for reducing poverty and unemployment and fostering societal integration and wealth creation in the US.

As a committed partner, we help diverse suppliers expand their operations and improve their economic standing. This growth enables them to create opportunities for others in underserved communities. We provide services such as supplier diversity sourcing, physical office space, conference and training room space reservations, specialized business lending services to provide businesses the funding they need to expand, and a variety of supplier development and training programs to help our suppliers grow their businesses, create jobs, and contribute to the economic empowerment of the local community.

One of our highlights over this past year has been implementing our accelerator program in collaboration with our partner, Southern California Gas Company. This program addresses the long-standing issue of underrepresenting African-American businesses in the gas pipeline construction space, where economic opportunity exists. We took an industry with virtually no African-American suppliers and developed a program to build their capacity to do this type of work by connecting and partnering them with experienced companies already working in the space. The partnerships created as a result of this program will allow them to secure contracts and get exposure to projects that were previously out of reach. We have seen great success with this model this year, and we hope to expand it to other industries in the new year!

Additionally, we take pride in advancing our “Category Sourcing Exchange” model. These tailored gatherings offer a unique platform for buyers specializing in particular product/service categories to engage with relevant suppliers. These events facilitate a direct link between supply-chain decision-makers and diverse suppliers, ensuring productive connections. Our DBEs who take part in these exchanges get to sit face-to-face with corporate buyers, providing them an extremely valuable opportunity to make connections in their industries and an efficient way to secure new business. Our category sourcing exchanges have been a hit from both the buyer and the supplier side; a win-win!

We are excited to announce that we will be holding our year-end meeting and recognition reception on Thursday, December 14th. This event is not just a celebration; it’s an opportunity to join hands in our collective efforts to strengthen the local economy and foster economic opportunities through supplier diversity. This is a great opportunity to get updated on the advancements the Council has made over the past year, and network with our corporate members, DBEs, and other community partners who will be in attendance. By attending, you contribute to the success of our many programs designed to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs and foster economic growth in our local community. We encourage you to go to our website and register for this event! Sponsorship opportunities are also available on our registration page.

Ronald B. Garnett

President & CEO

rgarnett@supplierdiversitysd.org

Website: https://www.councilforsupplierdiversity.org/

Year-End Event: https://csd.wufoo.com/forms/w1ok0xsc0tij8s9/

San Diego North Economic Development Council (SDNEDC) is an economic development organization that is focused on helping North County grow toward a more inclusive, thriving, and prosperous economy.  We measure our success in how residents can connect with increased employment opportunities that provide good wages, benefits, and a pathway toward prosperity.  Operating in the communities located north of State Route 56, we attempt to accomplish our mission in three core ways:

• Marketing North County as an attractive place to invest and grow private sector employment.
• Retaining and expanding employment opportunities at existing companies – helping them overcome challenges so they can continue to grow in North County.
• Connecting employers and educators so they can better understand workforce needs and educational capabilities so residents can gain the skills they need to succeed and thrive.

Under this third pillar – Connecting – one of the programs we are most excited about is Student Opportunities for Career Awareness and Learning (SOCAL) – a joint program with Tri-City Medical Center and six north county chambers of commerce.  Two years ago, SOCAL introduced its initial offering: an asynchronous learning platform (www.socalworkforce.org). This platform enables North County students to delve into various careers; hear directly from a diverse group of individuals about necessary job skills; learn about the paths those individuals took to their current positions; and discover the aspects of their jobs they value the most. The site currently hosts 107 videos from 30+ North County Employers.

SDNEDC and its partners have also invested resources in promoting the SOCAL program – reaching out directly to high schools and community colleges throughout North County and attending dozens of career and college fairs to promote the tool.  We have worked hard to recruit a diverse set of interviewees and feature many careers that do not necessarily require a 4-year degree.  It is important to grow an economy that works for as many people as possible, reflecting the diversity of North County. SOCAL represents those core priorities.

We continue to grow the library of careers featured and would love to work with North County Philanthropy Council members to feature additional occupations or to discuss ways to further expand the program.  Students need more resources to explore and understand the career options available to them. By providing a free asynchronous learning tool to students and districts, we are providing an avenue for students to engage in this learning at their convenience without being dependent on the schedule of a volunteer speaker.

Please reach out to SDNEDC’s CEO Erik Bruvold at ebruvold@sdnedc.org for more information.

 

Fordable Fundraising’s Mission and Vision:

Fordable Fundraising is headquartered in San Diego and provides fundraising consulting and grant writing services. What makes us unique is our approach. The typical nonprofit has limited tools available to manage content and grant workloads. This often leaves writers fishing in hundreds of files to help satisfy grant questions. This approach wastes time, increases errors, and fragments key messages. 

Fordable Fundraising offers a systematic approach to content management and provides the tools needed to win grants. Combined with our team of talented writers, this will maximize your resources and improve your ability to spend time where it matters most in fundraising and relationship building.

Introducing Impact Consulting

Impact is like the heartbeat of a nonprofit. It’s proof that your efforts are making a real difference. When you can show how your work directly affects positive change, it’s like shouting from the rooftops, “Hey, we’re doing something amazing here!” And it is what donors really want. The better you get at defining, measuring, and reporting the success and impact of your services, the more competitive you will be for donor resources. 

None of us were born knowing how to evaluate the success of our programs, and it can be a mind twist to know where to start. Without guidance or expertise, it can be equally hard to know how to improve measures or create ease with data collection. After seeing nonprofits struggle, Fordable Fundraising is excited to provide Impact Consulting to help you improve your ability to steward donors and report outcomes.  

Are you ready to take fundraising to superhero status? 

Impact consulting is the superhero cape you’ve been waiting for. Together with data expert  Gavin Clark from Task Force Analytics, we help you take your nonprofit’s performance evaluation and impact reporting to a whole new level. 

Impact Consulting will help you nail down your performance metrics and outcome measures. Think of it as a makeover for your data game. The services include an initial consultation, a deep dive into your case for support (program) outcomes, a look at your data collection tools and methods, and then, of course, some solid recommendations to make things even better. To learn more, please contact Darin Andersen our COO at darin@fordablefundraising.com 

Impact Unleashed: Nonprofit Strategies for Building Grant-Ready Programs

Want to learn more about impact measurement? Join Fordable Fundraising and Gavin Clark on January 18th from 3:30 to 5:30 for an engaging discussion on impact measurement. The event will be held in person in San Diego or via Zoom. Don’t miss this opportunity to collaborate with other nonprofit leaders and industry experts and better prepare your organization for 2024.   

Learn More and Register

The VetCTAP workshop series, which includes individualized coaching, is a transformative journey and the epitome of job search skills training in San Diego County with a reach throughout the country. As a leader for senior-level transitioning military, veterans, and their spouses, our cutting-edge workshop series (24 immersive hours of interactive training) doesn’t just enhance skills; it reshapes lives.

Participants interact in a space where confidence is cultivated, the civilian marketplace is conquered, and connections with influential hiring professionals are forged through VetCTAP’s extensive network. 

With every hour, our military members unlock their potential, not just for personal growth but for the well-being of their families. With an impressive 80% employment success rate since 2012, VetCTAP isn’t just a program, it’s a roadmap to personal and professional achievement. VetCTAP – where success isn’t just a possibility; it’s a reality.

Hear what one of our graduates has to say about their VetCTAP experience:

Jim Hensien – Retired Marine, Director of Operations, Performance Plus Installation Services

“For 30 years I had friends and mentors help me weigh my professional options. Whether it was for the next operational assignment, school, or command, I had countless trusted agents to ask for advice while I was on active duty.  I didn’t have the same strong network of insiders to help me during my career transition. 

VetCTAP provided a lot of the information and advice I needed to successfully navigate my career transition. The program helped me hone the networking, career search, resume crafting, and salary negotiation skills I didn’t regularly practice on active duty. 

I attended five transition seminars prior to retirement from the Marine Corps. VetCTAP was the most helpful and I highly recommend the program to anyone preparing for a career after the military.”

VetCTAP.org (a nonprofit charity aka JBS Transition Experts)

 

Discover the joy of purposeful giving. Established in 1981, Rancho Santa Fe Foundation plays a critical role in making connections and driving collaboration between philanthropists and nonprofits. We believe in the power of smart philanthropy, which happens when donors give knowing that their contributions will be used effectively to create deep and lasting impact.

We take a personal approach to helping donors find, research, and connect with nonprofits that have a mission closely aligned with their personal values and philanthropic goals. Then we support donors in leveraging their philanthropic giving through collaborative grantmaking, focusing on three distinct impact pillars: military and veteran services, education and healthy communities.

Since 1981, we have awarded more than $130 million in grants to nonprofits across the globe.

Rancho Santa Fe Foundation brings the right people and organizations together to help donors maximize impact and nonprofits accelerate progress. Learn more at www.rsffoundation.org.

 

How does Coastal Roots Farm’s approach to farming combat both climate change and hunger?

Agriculture and land use alone account for nearly a quarter of total global greenhouse emissions. Our industrialized food system produces food as cheap as possible despite the devastating impact on our environment.

But the solution is just below our feet. At Coastal Roots Farm, we practice regenerative agriculture, prioritizing soil health and drawing carbon out of the atmosphere. Each year, we grow 80,000+ pounds of food for 40,000+ community members in need, all while taking care of our planet. Through food, we can fight climate change and care for our neighbors. Learn more about our approach to climate-smart farming and read our most recent impact report.

How can we help?

We’re raising $150,000 between now and December 31st to continue this important work.  Thanks to a matching donation, each gift will be doubled. Join us as we “Nourish Community” from the ground up. Donate to our Year-End Appeal today!

What else would you like to share about your impact in the community?

In addition to practicing organic, regenerative farming and sharing our harvest with those who lack access, Coastal Roots Farm reaches community members of all backgrounds through environmental education and Jewish life programs and events. We deliver unique farm-based environmental education and foster inclusive spaces for people of all ages to come together to learn in ways that catalyze a healthier, more vibrant community. 

This year we will reach 10,000 youth through education programs (including 50% who come on scholarship) and an additional 5,000 community members at events on the Farm.

What do you most enjoy about being a member of NCPC?

Coastal Roots Farm is grateful to be in community with dozens of other impactful nonprofit organizations and other individuals or groups in the philanthropy community making an impact!

Southern Indian Health Council, Inc. is a Native American nonprofit organization committed to protecting and improving the physical, mental, and spiritual health of our American Indian community. Our organization began as a satellite operation of the Indian Health Council in Pauma Valley, and initially operated out of trailers on the Sycuan reservation until our nonprofit incorporation in 1982. Since 1987, our main campus has been seated in Alpine, CA, with a satellite clinic in Campo, CA, offices in the Viejas Outlet Center, as well as the Kumeyaay Wellness Center and the Boys & Girls Club of Kumeyaay Nation Wellness located on the La Posta Reservation in Boulevard, CA.

SIHC has undergone tremendous growth over the years as an accredited and Federally Qualified Health Center that champions the patient-centered home model of integrated and comprehensive wellness. Today, we serve a seven-member tribal consortium that includes Barona, Campo, Ewiiaapaayp, Jamul, La Posta, Manzanita, and Viejas. In addition to offering medical, dental, pharmacy, podiatry, optometry, and referral services, we heavily impact the community through our Kumeyaay Family Services programs such as adult and youth behavioral health initiatives, Indian Child Social Services, and addiction treatment. Through Project Safe, SIHC offers trauma-informed case management, emergency shelter and transitional housing related to domestic violence, abuse, and human trafficking. Our ROAM vehicle provides mobile outpatient care with a schedule of rotating sites to serve those with limited transportation. We also hold educational and empowering community events, family-oriented nutrition resources and activities.

Southern Indian Health Council, Inc. also chartered the first Native Boys & Girls Club in California, which regularly assists 200+ children through myriad programs including S.T.E.M. curriculums, tutoring, school break and after school programs, and field trips. We are also creating and growing our Inter-Tribal recreational sports teams!

We are excited to be a part of such a dynamic and collaborative group such as NCPC and look forward to partnering and collaborating with other members, from foundations to volunteers! To learn more about our organization, you can visit www.sihc.org.

 

Rancho Coastal Humane Society is dedicated to saving lives of abandoned companion animals, promoting adoption into loving homes and offering education programs and support services that inspire and strengthen the human-animal bond.

A member of the San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition, RCHS abides by the pledge that NO healthy, treatable animal will ever be euthanized for time or space. 

RCHS is known for its personalized pet adoption process, Friends of County Animal Shelters program (FOCAS) and humane education programs. RCHS is also recognized for services that strengthen the human-animal bond, including our Animal Safehouse Program, Community Pet Food Bank, Pet-Assisted Therapy and Pet Loss Support programs, Veterinary Care Program for Seniors and community outreach efforts that provides a “helping paw” to people in crisis. With our support, owners can keep their beloved pets safe, healthy and by their sides.

RCHS has earned a 4-star rating score from Charity Navigator. RCHS has a Platinum Seal of Transparency through GuideStar and Charity Accreditation with the Better Business Bureau.

At RCHS, we believe that Every Animal Deserves a Tomorrow®. To learn more about RCHS and our services, visit us at sdpets.org.