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News of Strengthening Philanthropy

Meet Our Members: The Boys & Girls Club of Vista

The Boys & Girls Club of Vista (BGCV) empowers every Club member, through safe and impactful experiences to:

  • Graduate high school with a plan for college or a career
  • Contribute to their community
  • Live a healthy life

BGCV was founded in 1963, with a commitment to helping youth of all backgrounds and interests emerge into successful, well-rounded adults by providing:

  • A safe place for all kids to learn and grow
  • Ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals
  • Life-enhancing programs and character development experiences

Club programs at four sites help kids ages 5-18 with academic support programs, recreation, health and nutrition programs, and career development programs. BGCV provides youth with opportunities to grow and thrive within their communities. BGCV serves 800 Club members each year and employs a youth development strategy that fosters a sense of belonging, usefulness, influence, and competence. All activities employ developmentally appropriate, hands-on, interactive, fun experiences that intentionally develop and reinforce core skills.   We work together to create young adults that can be adaptable, creative, and critical thinkers that solve problems collaboratively upon high school graduation.

The Club is a youth-centered environment that showcases youth engagement and youth voice. BGCV ensures that the youth and families have access to programs that give them opportunities they would not have without us, such as music, sports, arts, or STEM programming.  95% of our Club Members report enjoying learning new things at the Club and 81% report choosing an activity that pushes them to learn new things.

Join us on our journey to provide youth and families in our community with the skills they need to achieve great futures. Learn more at bgcvista.org

Meet Our Members: North County Lifeline

Youth Experiencing Homelessness Find Community & Support at Lifeline

Lifeline has been furthering our mission to build self-reliance among youth, adults, and families through high-quality, community-based services across San Diego County since 1973.

Each year, we serve more than 5,000 members of our community through clinically strong and evidence-based programs that focus on positive youth development, child abuse prevention, housing and self-sufficiency, behavioral health, and human trafficking survivor services.

Lifeline also continues to provide needed mental health services to over 1,200 youth and their families and has added specialized services designed to serve youth and young adults experiencing homelessness county-wide.

“Lifeline was able to provide me with stable housing, and stable resources such as childcare…The services provided to clients set them up to become productive members of society,” former LifeSpring program participant.

Many of the young people who end up on the streets experiencing homelessness are there for a host of complex reasons. Often, they feel unsupported, alone, or forgotten. Having a safe space where they can come, feel heard, build community, and be themselves, reminds youth that they are important and worthy. “A huge shift happens in a youth’s life when they build healthy relationships and get connected to resources that transform their lives,” says Kristen Carvajal-Witek, LifeSpring Clinical Manager.

78% of transition-age foster youth successfully complete the LifeSpring transitional housing and support program by moving on to safe and sustainable housing.

Watch the video below highlighting Lifeline’s housing and self-sufficiency program services and impact.

For more information or to donate to Lifeline, visit nclifeline.org. For questions, please email bstance@nclifeline.org

Stay tuned for information on Lifeline’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, coming October 2023. Join us in celebrating a half-century of service to the community. Follow us on social media to stay up to date on the coming event and sponsorship opportunities!

Meet Our Members: The Century Club of San Diego

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

As a member of NCPC, the Century Club appreciates the opportunity to network with nonprofit professionals, corporate partners, and volunteers dedicated to making a positive impact in our community. Additionally, we enjoy the educational resources NCPC offers and/or connects its members to.

What is your mission?

Our mission is to maximize support for the San Diego community and local youth organizations through the operation of San Diego’s annual PGA TOUR golf tournament, the Farmers Insurance Open. Since 1961, the Century Club has used golf as the platform to showcase San Diego to an international audience, generate revenue for the city, and make a difference in our community by creating programs that benefit at-risk and underserved youth charities.

What do you offer to the community?

The Century Club of San Diego, with support from Farmers Insurance, serves its mission by supporting the critical work of our charitable partners, fueling their abilities to enhance the lives of all San Diegans.

The Century Club’s core charitable program is Champions for Youth program where selected charities receive development and marketing services, volunteer support, and a partial match of the funds raised. The goal of Champions for Youth is to provide the necessary tools and resources to bolster our charity partners’ present and future fundraising efforts and achieve their long-term goals in fulfilling their missions.

The 2021-2022 Champions for Youth organizations were: Just in Time for Foster Youth, New Haven Youth & Family Services, Promises2Kids, San Diego Youth Services, Support the Enlisted Project (STEP), and Words Alive.

Through a unique combination of various means of impact, the Century Club supports the Champions for Youth organizations, Pro Kids, First Tee – San Diego and the Armed Services YMCA San Diego in the following ways:

  • Funding – direct and indirect dollars given, whether through donations or by offsetting costs such as covering the credit card processing fees for our partners
  • Expertise – opportunities to leverage the skills, resources, or networks of staff, Members, or Farmers to benefit our partners
  • Volunteer Support – giving our time through service activities to further our partners’ respective missions
  • Unique Experiences – utilizing Tournament experiences or on-course access to expose the youth our charities serve to the game of golf
  • Marketing and PR – leveraging the tournament audience, our collective reputation, and our relationships with media outlets to increase the awareness and brand recognition of our charitable partners

Additionally, as San Diego’s only annual event with a national and international broadcast, the Farmers Insurance Open serves as a valuable marketing asset for the local economy. Each year, the Century Club infuses revenue into the local economy by hiring more than 200 vendors, recruiting more than 1,100 volunteers, and attracting fans from all 50 states and 17 countries, generating a $34.3 million economic impact on the City of San Diego.

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

Welcoming the community back to Torrey Pines in January for the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open after hosting the 2021 tournament without fans because of the COVID pandemic. The quintessential San Diego event felt hollow playing in front of an empty course in 2021. Celebrating the 2022 tournament with our fans again was emotional, gratifying, and necessary for us to fulfill our mission.

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

Volunteer registration for the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open, held January 25-28, opens on Monday, September 12. Like all PGA TOUR events, the tournament is a volunteer-driven effort with our community of volunteers serving in a variety of essential responsibilities. Without our volunteers, we would not be able to execute the event. Reasons to volunteer include:

  • Be a part of the inner circle of a premiere stop on the PGA TOUR
  • Support an event that helps our economy and local charities
  • Boost your resume with volunteer experience
  • Build lasting friendships and relationships
  • Receive commemorative volunteer apparel

Come out and join in the fun! Visit https://www.farmersinsuranceopen.com/volunteers/ for more information.

Premier Members Making a Difference: Interfaith Community Services

What is your Mission?

Interfaith Community Services empowers people in need to stabilize and improve their lives through comprehensive programs, in partnership with diverse faith communities and people of compassion.

What do you offer to the community?

Interfaith provides both immediate safety net services and long-term, life-changing services for the most poor and most vulnerable of our San Diego County residents. Our 75+ services and programs are organized into five main areas, all designed to overlap so that clients have access to as many resources as necessary for their individual situation: Supportive Services and Basic Needs, Recovery & Wellness, Homeless Outreach & Shelters, Employment & Economic Development, and Housing. These comprehensive programs work to ensure that individuals become self-sufficient, active participants in our community. All programs are focused on the goal of helping individuals and families in crisis stabilize and improve their well-being, while also working to end homelessness and alleviate poverty.

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

Interfaith Community Services is proud and thankful to be a member of NCPC. We work in partnership with hundreds of diverse faith communities, thousands of supporting donors and volunteers, and dozens of partner community-based organizations. NCPC strengthens our connections and our ability to work in genuine and true partnership to deliver on our mission of helping people help themselves.

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

Mental health is on our minds. Interfaith Community Services invites you to join our Change Your Mind Festival (CYM), our inaugural mental health and wellness community festival with something for Everyone! We are creating a unique event and space designed to openly and safely challenge the stigma surrounding mental health and self-care as a community.

Change Your Mind is a free, one-day event that focuses on creating and sustaining mental wellness through workshops, demonstrations, presentations, and hands-on experiences led by experts from Interfaith Community Services and some of the leading voices in the San Diego mental health and self-help communities.

Change Your Mind is a community event that welcomes all ages to come and experience live music, mental health & wellness education, cultural dance performances, creativity & art stations, delicious food, a De-Stress zone featuring unique ways to reduce stress, including a cloud room, aromatherapy, sound baths, Yoga, meditation and much more.

One must register in advance for this FREE inspiring day. SIGN UP TODAY: https://www.interfaithservices.org/change/

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

Our new Abraham and Lillian Turk Recuperative Care Center, the home of Interfaith’s post-hospitalization program, is in the last stage of renovations and is expected to open by winter 2022. The last of renovations include a multi-service dining hall, the creation of a serenity garden, and office space for clinical staff and social workers.

In response to a growing humanitarian crisis with at least a 56% increase in families experiencing homelessness since 2020, Interfaith launched its new Family Shelter. The program is the first and only low-barrier family shelter in North County and is operating out of a temporary location while a permanent site is being renovated. Since August 2021, Interfaith has served 65 families, sheltering over 200 adults and children. Out of the 223 individuals served, 126 have been children with 96 being under the age of 12. We are excited to share that the Family Shelter will move to its permanent home at the Hawthorn Veteran and Family Resource Center in the winter of 2022.

We are proud of our organizational capacity to survive pandemic-related critical challenges and to grow and strengthen our critical safety net services to meet the needs of communities in crisis. Please consider joining our invaluable community of volunteers! getinvolved@interfaithservices.org

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

For over 40 years, Interfaith Community Services has provided services to and advocated for vulnerable and underserved members of San Diego County – regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Following the murder of George Floyd, Interfaith pledged to actively address the inexorable link between racism, poverty, homelessness, and trauma. In 2020, we launched an employee-led Racial Justice Working Group, now called the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Working Group.

In 2021, Interfaith partnered with a diversity consulting firm to facilitate our commitment to Anti-Racism. We are engaged in a lengthy process of self-assessment, and education, and as of June 2022, every employee has received DEIA training. Our pledge to combat all forms of oppression and marginalization is central to our mission. We will continue to work diligently to bring to fruition our vision of a society in which all people can lead healthy, self-sufficient, and empowered lives.

Premier Members Making a Difference: San Diego Business Journal (SDBJ)

The mission of the San Diego Business Journal (SDBJ) is to deliver business intelligence to its readers in the form of in-depth coverage of the San Diego County business community. For over forty years with its own staff of reporters, researchers, and editors, we have been delivering award-winning journalism not found elsewhere. This knowledge helps businesses of all kinds grow and thrive.

Coming up…SDBJ’s annual Giving Guide publishing on October 31st! Don’t miss out!

The Giving Guide reaches the most affluent, powerful readers in San Diego! Nothing in San Diego compares to the exposure each non-profit receives and to the most committed philanthropists in the San Diego area! With an average household net worth of $3.3 million and income of more than $250,000 per year, our weekly readership of C-Level, business owners, and top management executives are a prime target for your business.

As in the past, the North County Philanthropy Council will have a 2-page spread highlighting all the volunteers from this year’s annual Volunteer of the Year Awards luncheon.

The San Diego Business Journal prides itself on supporting and working with our nonprofit partners by reaching the most affluent business demographics in San Diego County. Our goal is to help organizations like yours succeed year over year!

For more information on the Giving Guide and how to participate, contact AnnMarie Gabaldon @ amgabaldon@sdbj.com or call (760) 271.1660

Premier Members Making a Difference: Catalent Pharma Solutions (San Diego)

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

At Catalent San Diego, we are dedicated to two things:

1. “Patient First” philosophy drives all of our actions,

2. Community Support and Involvement helps everyone else we don’t touch.

Our volunteering and philanthropy programs amplify the enthusiasm we have for giving back to our communities—especially in the areas of health and STEM education. Catalent San Diego has a long history of giving back to our neighbors. Through “Catalent Cares,” employees have been organizing volunteer projects and charitable giving for years. In alignment with our corporate responsibility strategy, we encourage employees to volunteer for organizations that serve patients, expand STEM education, and protect the environment.

Catalent San Diego has one community ambassador who coordinates with our Corporate Responsibility team, defines the local volunteering strategy, and connects employees to causes and non-profit partners important to the site. Our ambassadors champion volunteering and ensure that our projects align with local community needs. In alignment with our actions and philosophy, Catalent San Diego benefits from being a part of NCPC, because we become more directly connected to the organizations that are doing the heavy lifting to help our community at large.

What is your Mission?

Catalent San Diego’s mission is to develop, manufacture, and supply products that help people live better healthier lives. We work closely with innovative biotechs (worldwide) that have life-changing small molecules or peptides. In the San Diego facility, we help biotechs turn these molecules into capsules, tablets or injectables to be used in ‘first in human’ clinical trials.

What do you offer to the community?

We have a long tradition at Catalent San Diego of volunteerism with our employees through our ‘Catalent Cares’ program to the donation of grants for non-profits that have heavy, positive impacts in our community. We willingly give our time and treasure to ensure that our community knows that we could not be here without them. We not only help construct lifesaving treatments (with our partner biotechs) for those in need, but we also give back in a more immediate and direct way.

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

We worked on over 60 life-changing therapies, focusing on very different indications including oncology, COVID-19, Parkinson’s, and many more. We also donated over 1000 hours of community service during the pandemic. Some of the beneficiaries of these hours went to supporting Mountain Shadows Thanksgiving gift baskets, San Diego Food Bank, Homeless Hygiene Supplies, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Community College Career Panels.

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

In late 2021, we opened our first-ever Clinical Supply Services warehouse and manufacturing depot in San Diego. This 25,000 sq. ft. facility stores clinical supplies and therapies. The facility also has the ability to package tablets, and capsules in very specific ways (e.g., blinding, special label techniques, import/export, complicated packaging designs and blister cards) and deliver them anywhere in the world for clinical trials. Bottom line – we have another facility to support the Patient First!

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

At Catalent, we foster an environment where individuals are welcomed, appreciated, heard, and respected, where differences and similarities are valued. We aim to create a collaborative and engaging workplace that drives innovation and excellence. From our experience, employees with different backgrounds and experiences working together can yield better decisions, driving innovation and excellence in everything we do. Our diversity and inclusion (D&I) council break down silos where people feel they can share their ideas freely and take considered risks, often leading to higher contributions. We frequently have in-depth discussions about the direction of the D&I strategy, priority areas, and the groundwork that needs to be done across the organization. Our D&I program creates a working environment that provides more innovation, better access to talent, and additional opportunities for continued career advancement. Collaboration through trust, respect, and empathy are key elements for success. The uniqueness of every employee makes Catalent an inclusive place where we not only realize our dreams, but also the dreams of our customers and the patients we serve.

Learn more at https://www.catalent.com/our-locations/north-america/san-diego-usa/

Premier Members Making a Difference: Impact Cubed

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

Among the many rewards of NCPC membership, we appreciate the capacity-building opportunities for our region’s social impact professionals and organizations that lead to a stronger field. We are also so grateful for the collaborations and partnerships that enhance all our work and reach.

What is your Mission?

In a time of rapid change and evolving needs, Impact Cubed shares deep knowledge and connections to changemakers with people who want to make smart, lasting impact in their community. Impact Cubed stimulates philanthropy and builds social sector capacity.

What do you offer to the community?

Impact Cubed spreads awareness about community needs and sparks more giving to respond to them. Our advisors offer the tools, resources, and services that community members need to magnify their impact, including:

  • Relationships with local grassroots efforts and unique information about issues facing our community
  • Workshops, group learning, coaching, and facilitation to support donors with their priorities
  •  Expertise to advise giving strategy coupled with deep, long-term, trusting relationships to partner, connect, and network
  • Educational programs to build the capacity of nonprofits and movements
  • Fiscal sponsorship for new social change initiatives

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

With the onset of the war in Ukraine, Impact Cubed connected with a grassroots network of leaders on the ground to understand urgent needs and help link donors around the world to respond immediately. The network was able to increase evacuations of Ukrainians from the most dangerous regions and deliver food and medicines to communities that were cut off from supplies, lacking food and water for weeks. More than 360 funders contributed generously, powering a tenacious grassroots network that provides nourishment, evacuations to safety, and sexual assault kits via trained and trusted healthcare providers to rape survivors, often victimized more than once. Learn more here.

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

Impact Cubed is the fiscal sponsor of San Diego Gives, a six-month capacity-building program for San Diego-based nonprofits that culminates in a 24-hour online fundraiser – Thursday, September 8, 2022. It educates the San Diego community about addressing the pressing needs of our region. The San Diego Gives campaign raises much-needed funds directly for 327 nonprofits and shines a light on their tremendous impact throughout our community. Donors can choose to give to one or more nonprofits through the San Diego Gives platform. Learn more about the nonprofit training opportunities and the San Diego Gives campaign at www.sandiegogives.org.

Learn more at https://impactcubed.org/.

Meet Our Members: The YMCA of San Diego County

The YMCA of San Diego County has been a proud member of the North County Philanthropy Council for many years because of our shared belief in the power of connection for good. At our multiple north county YMCA locations in Encinitas, Oceanside, Escondido, Rancho Peñasquitos, Julian and across the entire county, supporters and partners of the Y move our vision forward to be a catalyst for transforming lives and communities. At the Y, we nurture a healthy spirit, mind, and body so all can thrive while honoring our faith-based heritage.

The YMCA of San Diego County was established in 1882 and is the second largest YMCA association in the nation serving nearly 400,000 San Diego County residents and employing more than 5,000 people.

Through a variety of programs and services focused on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y unites individuals of all walks of life to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve our communities’ health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors.

To bring about meaningful change, individuals need ongoing support, encouragement, and connections to others — all of which the Y provides in abundance – before, during and beyond a global pandemic, social unrest, and the many challenges we face today. Participation in enriching activities is more important than ever, from preschool to sports and fitness, camps, aquatics, senior clubs, mental health services and counseling to volunteerism and work force development, we want all people to realize their fullest potential through positive, safe, and encouraging spaces and programs.

For more information, please visit www.ymcasd.org or contact Development Director, Emily Figueiredo, at efigueiredo@ymcasd.org. The YMCA thanks our generous supporters and partners for making this work possible!

Meet Our Members: High Five Career Coaching

High Five Career Coaching facilitates transformational individual, team, and organizational success among socially conscious and purpose-driven organizations. Our clients value having a trusted partner and confidante in their corner as they tackle complex challenges. We facilitate open pathways and craft a customized plan for each client’s specific circumstances that enables them to attain sustainable outcomes.

High Five was founded over five years ago by Mike Gellman – an author, coach, devoted dad, and adventurer with 15+ years of experience in nonprofits and Fortune 500 organizations.

Having grown up with a significant hearing loss and often finding himself on the “outside looking in” during his formative years, Mike developed a sensitivity for social service and social justice. He channeled his frustration and energy into a career-long passion for developing the inherent (yet often unrecognized) potential of individuals while creating cultures of inclusion that value and build upon the strengths of diverse professionals.

Guiding Principles & Values

High Five uses a “teach to fish” holistic approach and facilitates a process of client self-discovery, commitment to action, and self-sufficiency. Core principles guiding our work include operating with integrity and excellence, striving for lasting impact, connecting and engaging others, continuous learning and growing, and facing fears with courage to expand beyond one’s comfort zone.

Services & Outcomes

Many clients are surprised to learn that we offer more than just career coaching! We have a diverse team offering comprehensive talent management solutions including: Executive coaching, teambuilding, succession planning, conflict mediation, training, and organizational change.

“It grew into a team that was the best team I have ever had and led in the 18 years that I have been with the company.” – Organizational client

“I even look forward to Mondays now.” – Private coaching client

Connect With Us

If you have a challenge to discuss or wish to learn more about High Five, book a complimentary strategy session or email support@mikegellman.com. We also invite you to view video testimonials on our website and recommendations on LinkedIn.

Meet Our Members: Rancho Coastal Humane Society

At Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS), we create second chances. RCHS finds homes for almost 1,000 dogs, cats and rabbits each year. More than 90% of these companion animals come from shelters that are struggling with overcrowding and high euthanasia rates. To meet the needs of our growing community, RCHS is about to undertake a campus-wide expansion that will build a state-of-the-art medical center, a modern learning center, a pet food storage facility, and a refreshed Welcome Center, which will remain in the same little yellow house where RCHS was founded in 1960.

RCHS is best known for its personalized pet adoption process, where we match the needs of the animal with the desires of the adopter. Our youth programs, including Animal Camp, Kids Community Service and Happy Tales, teach your children responsible pet ownership and co-existence with wildlife. RCHS is also recognized for programs and services that strengthen the human-animal bond, including the Animal Safehouse Program, the Community Pet Food Bank, Pet-Assisted Therapy and Pet Loss Support programs, Veterinary Care Program for Seniors and other community outreach that provides a “helping paw” to people in crisis. At RCHS, we believe everyone should be able to keep their beloved pets safe, healthy and at home – where all companion animals belong.

RCHS is recognized nationally as a top-rated 4-star charity by Charity Navigator, achieving a perfect 100-point overall score, one of 5 animal shelters in the nation and the only one in Southern California to receive this distinction. RCHS has a Platinum Seal of Transparency through Candid (formerly Guide Star) and charity accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. As 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. As a limited admission shelter, we have time and, thanks to your generous support, funds to address medical and behavioral issues which might have caused a pet to end up in a shelter in the first place. We have no government contracts and are supported only by individual donors, grants and foundations, and, of course, our extraordinary Thrift Shop in Cardiff.

If you would like to learn more about RCHS, please visit SDPets.org. Join us on Saturday, September 17, 2022, at our gala event, Celebration of Second Chances – Unleashing the Magic, to get an insider’s view on the plans to enhance our campus so that we can embrace a future where Every Animal Deserves a Tomorrow®.