Join Now

News of Strengthening Philanthropy

Premier Members Making a Difference: Alliant North County Insurance

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

As an affiliate who specializes in risk management, it is great to hear the major concerns of nonprofits of all sizes. NCPC has given me an opportunity to learn things I can share with my clients that shows them I am a student of their industry. I use what I have learned to counsel nonprofits on best practices and ideas other organizations are using.

What is your Mission?

I love learning about the great things our community organizations are doing to make San Diego, “America’s Finest City!”

What do you offer to the community?

As a specialist in nonprofit insurance, I assist them in identifying their exposures and offering them solutions to protect themselves against those risks.

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

Having merged with Alliant in 2019, I now have the resources of a large national insurance agency without losing the local agent feel. The best of both worlds!

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

Alliant is a proud supporter of An Evening of Changing Lives (Boys & Girls Club of Greater San Diego), Saturday, September 10, 2022

 

Premier Members Making a Difference: San Diego Foundation

 

What is your Mission?

The San Diego Foundation inspires enduring philanthropy and enables community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region.

What do you offer to the community?

Our strategic priorities include advancing racial and social justice, fostering equity of opportunity, building resilient communities, and delivering world-class philanthropy to realize our vision of just, equitable and resilient communities. We realize this vision through our partnerships and collaboration with our donors and fundholders, civic and business leaders, and our grantees and local nonprofit organizations. For more than 46 years, The Foundation and its donors have granted more than $1.3 billion to support nonprofit organizations strengthening our community.

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

Last July, The San Diego Foundation was honored to receive the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships for our work on the San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund. The Community Response Fund launched in March 2020 and, thanks to our partners and donors, we were able to grant $67 million through 347 grants to more than 250 nonprofits that delivered 4.14 million services to San Diegans in need during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

We are excited to launch the summer 2022 edition of Level Up SD with San Diego Unified School District and more than 80 nonprofit partners throughout San Diego. Like last summer, students will participate in education enrichment in the morning, then in the afternoons, they’ll be able to participate in enhanced learning opportunities such as traditional summer camps to performing and fine arts, to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities with our nonprofit partners.

Watch an impact video from summer 2021.

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

The largest demonstration of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is our Strategic Plan pillar dedicated to advancing racial and social justice. This commitment is evident in our programs such as the Black Community Investment Fund that has raised $3.1 million and granted $3 million to education, employment, entrepreneurship and housing initiatives that increase generational wealth for Black San Diegans. Of these programs, our most visible program in recent months has been our Black Homebuyers Program, which is a partnership with Urban League of San Diego County, LISC San Diego and Union Bank that offers up to $70,000 in first-time homeowner grants to 35 Black San Diegans this fiscal year.

 

Premier Members Making a Difference: Fordable Fundraising

 

What is your Mission?

Fordable Fundraising’s mission is to make life easier for San Diego’s nonprofit leaders by helping them build better relationships, secure more resources, and transform the San Diego region for good.

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

We are grateful to be members of NCPC and enjoy the camaraderie and connections with the amazing nonprofit leaders in San Diego.

What do you offer to the community?

We provide nonprofits with a grant seeking system, a framework designed to help nonprofits expand their ability to find, secure, and manage funding, and we offer grant writing for charities with high volume foundation and corporation grant writing needs (40 or more applications a year).

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

In 2021, our team helped our nonprofits secure $4.3 million in grant awards. This funding is being used for a variety of causes from providing opportunities for youth to experience the power and joy of HipHop dance, to empowering transitioning military to achieve careers in the advanced manufacturing sector, to stabilizing and housing people suffering from homelessness and serious mental illness.

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

If you are growing and looking for expanding solutions in fundraising or grant writing or if you are struggling in these areas, we invite you to schedule a free consultation call with our President, Janeal Ford, MPA, CFRE https://bit.ly/3sFWrTK.

Meet Our Members: International Relief Teams

International Relief Teams is a nonprofit humanitarian organization based in San Diego, dedicated to alleviating human suffering by providing health and other supportive services to victims of disaster, poverty, and neglect, both internationally and domestically.

Since 1988, we have deployed more than 7,500 volunteers and provided $574 million in medicines and supplies to families in desperate need in 73 countries worldwide.

We specialize in two sets of complementary activities:

  • International and Domestic Disaster Relief – we provide relief supplies (food, water, hygiene supplies, construction materials, etc.) and medical and/or construction personnel as needed in response to natural and man-made disasters. We have been actively involved in most major natural and man-made disasters since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Ida, the earthquake in Haiti, the wildfires in California, and the Ukraine refugee crisis.
  • Building Healthy Communities – this includes providing for the nutrition and education needs of abandoned children, providing medicines and medical supplies to hospitals and clinics serving the poor, deploying volunteer teams to provide surgeries, eyeglasses, and house construction in vulnerable communities, and providing weekend food to needy local schoolchildren and their families.

For more information, visit www.irteams.org.

 

Meet Our Members: Palomar Family Counseling Service, Inc.

Untreated, mental health issues can have dire consequences for our communities – we’re on a mission to change that.  Since 1956, Palomar Family Counseling Service has administered programs and services to meet changing community mental health needs. We are recognized as a trusted provider of consistently high-quality mental health and case management services. Our passionate and dedicated staff strive to provide evidence-based care with skill and sensitivity.  We believe all individuals possess strengths and the capacity for positive growth.

We provide trauma-informed mental health services to as many individuals and families as our capacity allows.  We are committed to designing and delivering programs that serve children, families and individuals with limited resources who may not receive mental health care otherwise. Our enduring mission is to support and strengthen children, youth, adults, families, schools, and communities.

What a generous community we live in! This year in particular the outpouring of concern and support for mental health services for our fellow citizens has been so inspiring. Thank you for your confidence in our work. There is much yet to do.  Indeed, as we move into a new phase of the pandemic, it is clear that COVID-19 has taken a toll on mental health, with groups like children, racial and ethnic minorities, and low-income families hit disproportionately harder.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  Mental health is foundational to physical health and overall well-being.  Join us all month long as we raise awareness. For more information on our services and ways to help, visit www.palomarfamilycounseling.com or call our Director of Development at (760) 466.8887.

Meet Our Members: The Elizabeth Hospice

All hospice providers are not the same.

The Elizabeth Hospice, a local independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit hospice leader, has provided hospice care, palliative care and grief support services to children and adults in San Diego County and Southwest Riverside County since 1978.

As a nonprofit hospice, we offer care to everyone in the community; no one in need has ever been turned away for financial reasons. Our caregivers are trained to support veterans, addressing post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, survivor’s guilt, and soul injury. Additionally, we offer veteran pinning ceremonies to honor and thank veterans for their military service. Our comprehensive grief support services, which include individual counseling and support groups, are open to all community members, regardless of patient affiliation or how their person died.

The clinicians, staff and volunteers with The Elizabeth Hospice pride themselves on high-quality, compassionate care. We earned the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission, an independent not-for-profit organization that certifies and accredits healthcare institutions across the US. This certification demonstrates our commitment to quality and dedication to excellence.

If you know someone facing the challenges of an advanced life-limiting illness who might benefit from the care and support provided by The Elizabeth Hospice, please encourage them to call 800.797.2050 or visit www.elizabethhospice.org. We’re here to help.

Premier Members Making a Difference: Graphic Assist

 

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

I’m Laura Roden, owner of Graphic-Assist. We provide graphic design services including annual reports, fundraising campaigns, donor, sponsor solicitations, and more. We partner with nonprofits and their strategic partners to support their fundraising and marketing while strengthening their relationships with their donors, board members, and volunteers.

What is your Mission?

We help nonprofits maximize their fundraising revenue. We communicate the value of their impact in the community using the same creative strategies and solutions the largest national organizations use.

What do you offer to the community?

With almost 20 years experience designing for corporations, small to medium businesses, and nonprofits, we’ve worked with national retail brands to sell their products in markets of all sizes. Our current clients benefit from that same level of graphic design experience. We specialize in working with nonprofits so they can use these major-league strategies to solicit support and donations from their communities.

For the last 10 years, we have been using our skills and expertise to help local and regional nonprofits maximize the return they get on their outreach and fundraising campaigns. We’re passionate about giving nonprofits with smaller footprints the ability to use the same strategies major organizations do. We send a monthly email sharing best practices, ideas, and even free templates. In May, we’ll be sharing a checklist of the 10 photos you need to take at your next fundraising event. Anyone is welcome to add themselves to the list here.

What changes/opportunities have occurred due to COVID-19?
The shift to virtual/remote work has encouraged nonprofits from all over the country to partner with Graphic Assist. We exceeded our goal for 2020-2021 to double the number of nonprofit clients and partners.

How to you benefit most from being a member of NCPC?
We are always trying to learn more about what our local nonprofits need and develop solutions to support them. Membership in NCPC gives us a chance to network with individuals who are actively serving our community. Meeting new people who are doing this important work inspires our team with new ideas and opportunities to give back.

What event/program or campaign do you have coming up that you would like to share with our readers?
We design custom annual reports for our clients, which are used as a multi-platform marketing tool. We want to help smaller nonprofits who might assume they cannot afford a custom document, design a report as well. We are in the process of creating a portfolio of templates that nonprofits of any size can use for fundraising and community building. If you would like to be notified when the templates are released, please email Laura: laura@graphic-assist.com.

 

 

Premier Members Making a Difference: California State University San Marcos

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

NCPC provides a range of professional development and networking opportunities for our development team and beyond. Over the years, our team members have been involved with board and committee leadership and our staff, faculty, and donors have served as featured speakers and panelists at events that bring the community together around important topics and initiatives.

 
What is your Mission?
 

At Cal State San Marcos our mission is student success. The University enrolls 17,000 students and is focused on closing educational equity gaps and providing social mobility for the most underserved populations in the region.

 
What do you offer to the community?
 

CSUSM offers 43 bachelor’s degree programs and 39 minors, 24 master’s programs, 5 credential programs and a joint doctoral program with University of California at San Diego. The university encourages community spectators for our 13 NCAA Division II athletic teams, along with various art and culture events that take place throughout the year. We are committed to building a stronger and more vibrant region by connecting the University to surrounding communities in mutually beneficial ways. CSUSM reaches out to all communities it serves to help address the region’s most critical issues.

 

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

 

Tuesday, May 3 is One CSUSM, a 24-hour campaign to raise funds for scholarships at Cal State San Marcos.
­­­
One CSUSM is an important fundraising event because for many students, financial support from family is not an option as nearly 70% of our students receive financial aid. Scholarships are a vital component to student success, encouraging them to persist to graduation and experience the sense of pride that comes from earning a degree.
Please join us by making a gift May 3 between midnight and 11:59pm! There are more than 90 scholarships to choose from, including the General Scholarship Fund. Plus, your gift could be matched, dollar for dollar, thanks to a $25,000 match from the David T. and Dorris E. Staples Foundation. Visit our website: www.csusm.edu/onecsusm

 

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

CSUSM is an inclusive and welcoming community of students, faculty, staff, and administrators, grounded in social justice that creates educational equity as we reflect and embrace the range of regional and global diversity. We are an interculturally proficient learning community whose members at all levels develop and display critical skills to effectively advocate for social change, foster inclusion, celebrate and value difference, build on their unique strengths, and engage and contribute intelligently and effectively in diverse groups and communities. CSUSM has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award annually since 2013.

 

Meet Our Members: Blair Search Partners

Every organization’s performance is the sum of its people. As such, our mission is straightforward: source the highest caliber talent from across the nation on behalf of San Diego’s nonprofit sector.

Blair Search Partners is a retained executive search and recruiting firm, working exclusively with mission-driven organizations of all sizes and sectors. Our clients retain us to manage search engagements at every level, including c-suite, director, manager, and program/staff levels. While each search engagement is customized around the needs of the individual client organization, we place equal emphasis on the candidate experience throughout the entire process. After all, today’s candidate could very well be tomorrow’s volunteer, donor, or board member!

We don’t think of this as the business of recruiting: to us, this is the business of community building.

Please visit us at http://blairsearchpartners.com/ for more information about our firm and to view our current engagements.

Meet Our Members: Access Caregivers, Inc.

Access Caregivers is a special team of personal caregivers made up of Certified Home Health Aides, Certified Nursing Assistants, Homemakers and Companions with an abundance of experience in personal care. We are a locally owned and operated company based in North County with over 24 years of experience in care giving.  We are passionate about home care, believing that seniors should be respected and revered as the unique individuals they are.

After watching a 60 Minutes program in 1996 where they explored the poor care and treatment our seniors were receiving nationwide, especially in crowded nursing homes, I knew then I needed to contribute, so I left my aviation job to make a more personal difference. Coming from a culture where elders are seen as sources of wisdom and given proper respect as seniors, caring for them is natural for me – it’s an honor and not a burden. And because this is something I strongly believe; it naturally carries directly into my daily business practices. I remain highly involved in the care that each client receives.

Our skilled team takes pride in successfully matching clients and caregivers for optimum results with minimal disruption to the individual’s quality of life, working closely with each client and family to provide the most appropriate services available. A tailored care package is designed uniquely for each client because there is no need or request too small.  Our commitment and our vision is to make a difference in every life we touch. My personal mission is to achieve that vision daily.

– Marilou dela Rosa, Access Care