News of Strengthening Philanthropy

At Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS), we believe that Together We Save Lives! For the past 60 years, YOU have supported us in saving the lives of homeless companion animals and assisting pet families in need.

RCHS is recognized for programs that strengthen the human-animal bond, including the Animal Safehouse Program for victims of domestic violence, seniors and military veterans, Animal Camps for kids, Pet Assisted Therapy, Veterinary Care Assistance Program for seniors and the Community Pet Food Bank.

RCHS finds new homes for about 1,000 dogs, cats and rabbits each year. Many of these animals come from shelters that are struggling with overcrowding and high euthanasia rates. Bringing these animals to RCHS gives them a second chance.

During the pandemic, our mission to preserve and protect the human-animal bond was our highest priority. With the shelter closed to the general public, RCHS quickly and successfully launched an Adoptions-by-Appointment program, which implemented strict health and safety protocols and responded to increased demand for pet adoptions during stay-at-home mandates.

Our Community Pet Food Bank addressed a 200% increase in need and our Animal Safehouse Program quickly expanded to provide emergency pet boarding for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The Pet Loss Support program converted from in-person group sessions to individual telephonic counseling with professional counselors to address increased need for grief therapy during isolation. Our Animal Camp for children has resumed, with limited enrollment and strict safety protocols. In fact, our Spring Animal Camp welcomed the first group of students just last week.

Spring is about renewal and RCHS continues to plan for and embrace whatever the future holds. In March, the City of Encinitas approved the long-stalled RCHS building project, which means that, later this summer, RCHS will relaunch its capital campaign. The project will create a modern learning center, veterinary medical center, pet food storage facility and office space to better serve our growing community.

RCHS has no government contracts and is supported only by individual donors, grants and foundations, and our Thrift Shop. Right now, thanks to an anonymous donor, all donations will be matched $1 for $1 up to $75,000!

If you would like to learn more about RCHS, please join our “Zoom” Coffee with the President, Judi Sanzo, on April 15, 2021 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Please visit rchumanesociety.org/join-us-for-a-virtual-coffee-with-the-president/ for more details.

VetCTAP* is San Diego County’s premier job search skills training organization for senior transitioning military, veterans, and spouses. In this innovative and interactive, 8-module (24 hours) workshop series we assist participants to successfully translate and sell their military skills for application in the civilian job market.  Additionally, the top comment we hear from participants is increased confidence.

2020 was an interesting and challenging year. However, we were able to meet our goal of supporting military members and their family in career transition. Since May 2020, our free workshop series has been delivered virtually via ZOOM. Not only are we moving forward, we have expanded our reach! Because we are virtual, we are now able to accept participants and volunteers living and working all over the world. In one of our classes, our participants logged in across 13 time zones! We have also added nine new volunteers just in the last three months.

2021 is also a challenge, but we continue our mission and purpose. Career transition from the military is not easy. Fortunately, we have a phenomenal success rate. You can listen to a few of our graduates talk about how we helped them by clicking the link: https://www.vetctap.org/testimonials.html

The participants learn up-to-date information because the classes are taught by experienced Human Resources and business professionals. Since 2012, we have conducted 72 of these workshop series, served over 1000 participants, have hundreds of success stories and utilize more than 50 trained volunteers. Do you want give back to the military community? Contact us to today for volunteer opportunities such as: coach, Board member, advisor, or sponsor.

Lessons Learned in 2020-2021 so far:

• Technology is our friend (most of the time)
• ZOOM has great interactive capabilities
• Our volunteers like working remotely
• We can serve more veterans/spouses outside San Diego County
• Virtual training works, but we miss face-to-face interaction
• Employers love hiring veterans (of course)

Save the Date: November 1, 2021 for our next Golf Fundraising Event.

*VetCTAP (Veteran Career Transition Assistance Program) is a program of JBS Transition Experts, Inc. a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information about our workshops visit us at www.vetctap.org

• Diversity & Inclusion: Ensure all people feel respected and have equal access to resources and opportunities to succeed.
• Economic empowerment: Strengthen financial self-sufficiency and economic opportunities in underserved communities.
• Environmental sustainability: Accelerate a just transition to a low-carbon economy to help reduce climate change impacts.

What was your organization/company’s biggest accomplishment in the past six months—one year?
Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Fund Boosts Access to capital, technical expertise and long-term resiliency programs for minority-owned businesses. Wells Fargo launched the Open for Business Fund in 2020 as an approximately $400 million small business recovery effort across the U.S. to help entrepreneurs hardest hit by COVID-19 pivot their business, rebuild and thrive.

To date, the Open for Business Fund has deployed more than $84 million in philanthropic capital to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)—which has supported an estimated 16,000 diverse small businesses kept helped retain 50,000 jobs.

Locally, Wells Fargo granted $2 million Open For Business Fund grant to Accion serving Southern California. Funding strengthened Accion’s ability to provides loans to small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic in Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties through its COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Loan Program for Racially & Ethnically Diverse Entrepreneurs.

Which event or campaign do you have coming up that you would like to share with our readers?
Wells Fargo recently announced a major step in its efforts to support the transition to a low-carbon economy by setting a goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions — including its financed emissions — by 2050. The company will also launch an Institute for Sustainable Finance to manage the deployment of $500 billion of financing to sustainable businesses and projects by 2030, as well as support science-based research on low-carbon solutions and advocate for policies that enable client transitions.

Have you made a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization/company and if so how are you demonstrating it?
While we have always believed in the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the calls for racial justice in 2020 reinforced the urgency of working to create a company culture with broad representation in who we are, how we think, and how we make decisions. Having an inclusive environment in which our differences and perspectives are respected and valued is both a business imperative and the right thing to do. In November, we welcomed Kleber Santos as head of Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion. Kleber reports to CEO Charlie Sharf and sits on Wells Fargo’s Operating Committee. In this new role, Kleber is responsible for leading efforts to advance all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the company and in the marketplace, including partnering with line of business CEOs to deliver products and services specifically designed to meet the needs of our diverse customer base. We have a lot of work to do to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion into every facet of our operations, our processes, and our programs. The addition of Kleber and creation of this new group are critical to those efforts. Throughout 2020, we also announced our expanded commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. A few highlights are include:

• We added the concept of equity to our diversity and inclusion efforts in recognition of the systemic and structural challenges in our society that have contributed to disparities that exist today.
• We are committed to significantly increasing Black leadership over the next five years.
• Our Operating Committee members will be evaluated on their progress in increasing diverse representation at senior levels, and these evaluations will have a direct impact on year-end compensation decisions.
•  In the U.S., we are requiring a diverse slate of candidates — and a diverse interview team — for most roles with total direct compensation of more than $100,000 per year.
• We require unconscious bias training for all managers, and are developing anti-racism training, which also will be mandatory for all managers.
• Wells Fargo made a commitment in March 2020 to invest $50 million in Black-owned Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs). After spending time understanding each MDI’s unique needs and growth strategy, Wells Fargo completed several investments, which we formally announced in the first quarter of 2021.

Join Wells Fargo to collaborate together and create a more equitable future for our community. Contact xiomara.arroyo@wellsfargo.com for more information.

Lukoff Consulting Services – Colleen Lukoff is a dedicated participant in our beloved and essential nonprofit sector, and the first Sustaining Member of NCPC. She has served the non-profit community as a Fund Development professional since 1985, raising funds and developing targeted marketing efforts. She is skilled in analyzing, planning. and implementing fundraising efforts for mid-size and smaller non-profit organizations, with successes in major gifts, capital campaigns, donor acquisition, annual fund, peer-to-peer, endowment building, grant writing, database organization, and planned gifts. As NCPC’s first Sustaining Member of NCPC, Lukoff Consulting Services is honored to continue being a helper now, and going forward with you into the “new normal.”

One year.

One year of Covid-19 taking a huge toll on our country, and the world beyond.

One year with more than half a million lives lost and families forever changed due to the pandemic in the U.S. alone, along with millions more hurting from loss of income, lack of food, and stay-at-home school. Many others surviving and still suffering from the after-effects of the virus, of which so little is truly known.

Thankfully, millions have stepped up to help during this time of hardship and loss. Whether aiding through supporting existing non-profit organizations, starting new ones, or just reaching out on a personal level, the goodness of our neighbors can be seen and felt.

From the many mask-makers breaking out their sewing machines and enlisting helpers to cut and package home-made protective devices, to those who gave treasure and time, we are all grateful.

To the thousands of healthcare workers who literally risked and sometimes gave their lives to care for others, we are grateful.

To the millions who grow and produce our food, and get it into our hands, we are grateful.

To the hundreds of thousands of nonprofit organizations stepping up to serve in new and creative ways, caring for mind body and spirit, we are grateful.

To the scientists who are providing us life-saving vaccines and treatments, and for those working to disseminate them to our country and beyond, we are exceedingly grateful.

And now – one year in – we are on the path to end the pandemic – with more people vaccinated in our country than those diagnosed with it!!!

Fred Rogers’ beloved mother told him years ago, whenever things are challenging, to “Look for the helpers.” But that is not enough – we must BE the helpers.

As a dedicated participant in our beloved and essential nonprofit sector, and the first Sustaining Member of NCPC, Lukoff Consulting Services is honored to continue being a helper now, and going forward with you into the “new normal.”

Learn more about Colleen Lukoff.

Palomar Family Counseling Service, Inc. “Everyone should look forward to tomorrow.”  That core belief inspired concerned North County leaders in 1956 to form Palomar Family Counseling Service – a local service organization to treat the unmet mental health needs of children, adults, and families.  That same core belief resonates at Palomar Family Counseling Service today. Unmet mental health needs can have dire consequences.  Loneliness, despair, job loss, family instability, homelessness, spiraling healthcare costs, family violence, substance abuse, and suicide can result.

Palomar Family Counseling Service has grown in size and scope since those early days. At our offices in Escondido, Vista, Poway, and Fallbrook, and at local schools and community sites across North County, we provide a wide array of mental health services to over 6,000 children, adults and families each year.  Yet our grassroots spirit is alive and well.  It is the health of everyone in our community that motivates our expert team to provide the highest quality of personalized service.

We know that there are many in our community who are underserved or lack financial resources – our doors are open to everyone.  Our services range from individual and family counseling, to groups for domestic violence, to Los Cafecitos for parents.  We believe that all individuals possess strengths and the capacity for positive growth.  We are grateful to the funders, donors, and supporters who join us on our mission to strengthen and support children, youth, adults, families, schools, and communities.

Now more than ever our community needs professional and compassionate counseling to heal, grow, and thrive. Visit us at www.palomarfamilycounseling.com or call (760) 741-2660 to learn more.

What do you benefit most from being a member of NCPC?
I believe the most important benefit of our NCPC membership is developing relationships with my colleagues in our field. It is important for me to continue to learn from others’ good work, observing their best practices. It is important to me to mentor the newer individuals in our field and to give back by becoming an active, contributing member of our nonprofit community. At the same time, I always try to expand my knowledge base by listening to my colleagues and adding their knowledge to mine.

What is your Mission?
Simply stated, the mission of Mirenda & Associates is to empower nonprofit boards, enabling them to build strong, successful nonprofit communities.

What do you offer to our community?
We offer the community a deep passion and wealth of experience and knowledge to transform nonprofit boards from “responsible” boards to “highly functioning” boards. In addition, we advise corporate executives on how to select and properly vet nonprofits which have invited them to be board members. We believe this body of knowledge strengthens the fabric of our nonprofit community.

During most of our experience as fundraising consultants, we learned many of our clients’ required extensive counsel in the key areas of board governance and fundraising. Several years ago, I decided we could make a larger systemic impact on an organization if we focused on board development. So, I began extensive research about board education and training, focusing on the areas of governance and fundraising, adding that knowledge to what we had acquired over the past four decades. Subsequently, I attended a three-day Board Source workshop and became a Certified Nonprofit Board Training Consultant, joining a relatively small nationwide cadre. This is important to me, as it represents a higher, more formal level of board training which distinguishes me from others.

Since then I have been writing and presenting extensively about board training. Those articles are available on my website at www.mirendaassoc.com. I have also done several presentations on various aspects of board enrichment, both in Denver and San Diego.

What is something about your organization/company that might surprise people?
Working with many of the icons of air and space, I managed a $180 million campaign to help build the Steven Udvar Hazy National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, located at Dulles International Airport. That campaign received a $58 million naming gift, the largest gift up until that time, to the entire Smithsonian Institution. That 750,000 sq. ft. facility is a magnificent monument to all those who contributed to the United States’ superiority in flight and space travel.  For me, it was the most important and memorable project of my career.

Which event or campaign do you have coming up that you would like to share with our readers?
We are embarking on a campaign to provide presentations to a number of nonprofit boards and professional membership organizations that serve individual nonprofits including one with NCPC on March 24th.

What changes/opportunities have occurred due to COVID-19?
While the past year has been rampant with financial hardships for a huge number of nonprofits and saw many close, I believe it also included some very positive change. It made us leaner, more inventive, less prone to continue to “color within the lines” and willing to experiment with new programming and delivery methods. It also made us and our board leadership more committed to success and filtered out those who couldn’t stand the heat. It also encouraged more organizations to explore and commit to joining forces with other nonprofits with similar missions and constituencies, which will make them stronger and more effective.

And, as importantly, it saw donors step up to the plate as never before. More megagifts of hundreds of millions of dollars were given with consistent regularity. Donor advised funds saw a huge increase in outflows to nonprofits and the small donors continued their support.

Have you made a commitment to diversity?
Yes. More than ever, I strongly encourage clients to re-evaluate their diverse representation on their boards. It is extremely important for board leadership to reflect those they serve. And, I am not speaking of “tokenism”. They need to analyze seriously the leadership needs they have on the board and make a concerted effort to identify, cultivate and recruit representatives from their diverse constituents who can fill those needs.

For more information and to learn more about their work, go to www.mirendaassoc.com.

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

Being a member of the NCPC has multiple benefits to VCC, as a fellow nonprofit. The resources that NCPC offers are of great value to our organization, as it brings new connections, gives the organization an environment to solidify existing relationships, an opportunity to share ideas and grow our philanthropic involvement. Having the space that the NCPC offers is absolutely invaluable to our growth as an organization that serves the greater good of the community.

What is your Mission?

VCC’s mission is to advance community health and hope by providing access to premier health services and education for those who need it most.

What do you offer to the community?

VCC focuses on the health and wellbeing of the local community, and beyond. Patients of all ages and stages of life are welcome and encouraged to access the care that is provided. With a wide range of services, VCC provides something for everyone in need, with the goal of creating a community where everyone has the opportunity to grow to his or her highest potential and thrive, by “choosing health”:

• Adult Medicine
• Pediatrics
• Women’s Health
• Prenatal Care
• Dental
• Optometry
• Podiatry
• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic Care
• Behavioral Health
• Insurance Enrollment
• Food and Diaper Distribution
• Youth Programs
• Social Support
• Free Pregnancy Testing
• Medically Assisted Treatment Program
• Medical Assistant Training and Education
• Gender Affirming Care

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

The past year has been a challenge for everyone in this country and around the world. One of our biggest accomplishments during this challenging last year was simply staying open as a strong healthcare organization on the frontlines throughout a global pandemic. Our doors never closed and we continued to provide access to the health and wellness services that our patients and communities need. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our clinicians, staff, and leadership team, VCC was quick to adapt to an unprecedented situation in a safe way so that potentially life-saving care was never interrupted. Not only did we ensure the continuation of prescriptions, professional medical access, immunizations, and labs, we were also there as a safety net for anyone that needed insurance coverage or help navigating the system, as shut downs and job losses began to affect large portions of the population.

One of the single biggest accomplishments to come out of this consistency in service was our medical mobile unit. This unit offers no-cost COVID-19 testing to all members of the community at any age. Initially created to extend the reach of our care to those experiencing obstacles to access, it has allowed VCC to bring testing directly into neighborhoods, opening up access to every member of the community. The response has been tremendous and provided a much needed service at a delicate time.

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

VCC is constantly involved in so many facets of the communities we serve; we provide food and diaper distributions on a weekly basis, are currently working with UC Davis to deliver COVID-19 education to local farmworker populations, are working on ways to increase cancer screenings and other preventive care measures, and so much more. With a plethora of programs and campaigns running around the clock, the best way for readers to stay updated on what VCC is doing is to subscribe to our newsletter by emailing Betsy Heightman, VCC Chief Development Officer, at Betsy@vcc.org.

As a nonprofit community healthcare center, VCC relies heavily on outside support to continue its mission of health and hope, and this is where businesses and individuals can make the biggest impact. Donations are happily accepted all throughout the year, and our most involved events can be found by visiting: http://www.vistacommunityclinic.org/get-involved/.

Our annual gala event is VCC’s single biggest fundraiser of the year, and has been set, virtually, for Saturday, August 14,^, 2021, at 6:00pm. This important event helps establish new connections, raise awareness, and re-energize our mission in a big way. This event can be a real game changer for VCC and the over 70,000 patients it provides care to. Though the gala is several months away, it’s never too early for readers to sign up or learn more. Sponsorship opportunities are also available at a variety of levels. For more information, please email Betsy Heightman at Betsy@vcc.org.

What changes/opportunities have occurred due to COVID-19?

COVID-19 has significantly disrupted the normal processes of VCC. As a community healthcare center, our normal days, pre-pandemic, included a high volume of patients coming and going to appointments, for prescriptions, for walk-in care, etc. Once COVID-19 hit, VCC had to change the entire process of who could enter our locations and how they could access care. To mitigate the spread and allow for social distancing, VCC was no longer able to allow walk-in care, and set up check-in areas outside of the clinic doors to properly screen patients coming in for their appointments. To accommodate the number of appointments allowed on-campus, VCC clinicians began to provide Telehealth, or virtual appointments, whenever applicable. VCC also established new policies to ensure optimal patient health and safety, including but not limited to: enhanced disinfecting of exam rooms between every patient, requiring all employees to wear face coverings at all times, and screenings and temperatures of all staff prior to entering the clinic. VCC is also taking the extra step to schedule patients who are sick or symptomatic at different locations than patients who are well or are visiting the clinic for chronic disease follow-up appointments.

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

VCC’s foundations are based in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our mission is to provide access to care for all members of our community regardless of not only insurance status or income, but also regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. To that end, VCC provides programs and job opportunities to as many different segments of the community as possible. Understanding that the communities we serve are naturally diverse, the organization strives to not only be inclusive in its offerings, but to also look like who we represent. From our board to our front desks, the face of VCC is diverse in all ways. We offer language translations at visits, provide culturally competent care and training, pursue programs that target marginalized groups, and work toward connecting our communities with equitable access of all resources.

Mercy Air provides air medical services 24/7/365 to the region, responding to emergency medical calls for trauma events such as heart attacks and strokes.  Mercy Air is proud to serve California and Nevada for over 30 years, but our reach extends nationwide.

Mercy air is owned and operated by Air Methods Corporation, the nation’s leading provider of air medical transport and the most experienced air medical operator in the industry. Air Methods operates over 300 bases and more than 450 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft serving 48 states. Our 5,000 team members complete over 70,000 patient transports per year, which equates to over 130,000 flight hours.

During our missions, medical teams execute lifesaving interventions to care for patients, from providing trauma care after an accident to administering clot-busting medications after a major stroke. With the continued consolidation of hospitals and the growing number of rural hospital closures, the clinical support and speed of transport is critical to ensure patients receive the best and most timely treatment possible.

In emergency situations, minutes can be the differences between life and death.  We are honored to provide emergency medical care for everyone in our surrounding communities.  We are also proud that we do not require patients to acquire paid memberships for our services. All patients we transport are supported by our patient advocacy teams, which help them navigate post-flight insurance requirements in order to avoid costly out-of-pocket expenses.

Mercy Air and Air Methods have long supported our community and the work of our non-profit partners.  We recently donated a helicopter to southern Africa-based humanitarian relief organization, Mercy Air Africa. The nonprofit was founded in 1991 to provide private flight support for nongovernmental organizations serving in the southern region of Africa.  Using lightweight high-performance airplanes and helicopters, Mercy Air delivers assistance in a challenging operational environment where great distances, limited infrastructure, and difficult topography make access to rural populations inefficient or infeasible via other means of transport.  For more information about us: https://www.airmethods.com/