The San Diego Foundation believes that a successful nonprofit sector is vital to the continued success of the San Diego region. Few would deny that the quality of life in San Diego County has been greatly enhanced by the good work of our local nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit organizations meet a double bottom-line: mission achievement and financial performance. For this reason, The Foundation launched the Organizational Success Program (OSP) in 2001. The purpose of the program is to strengthen the organizational capacity of nonprofits to more effectively carry out their mission in San Diego, as well as to build awareness and support for the role the nonprofit sector plays as a public benefit in our community. The Foundation has brought together a Working Group comprised of diverse experts with specific skill sets in capacity development to guide our efforts in nonprofit effectiveness.

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Vision: Our vision is that San Diego’s nonprofits are the most efficient and effective organizations in the country. To achieve that vision, we support professional development of nonprofit leaders, provide in-depth organizational assessments and offer capacity building grants to support the development of those organizations.

Approach:

With the guidance and assistance of the Working Group, The Foundation has developed capacity building for our nonprofit partners. Below is more information on the resources, tools and training opportunities that The Foundation offers.

The Nonprofit Resource Center is available to the entire San Diego nonprofit community and focuses on providing basic tools and workshops that teach the essentials of nonprofit management. The Nonprofit Resource Center, a satellite of The Foundation Center, provides nonprofits access to a national database of grantmaking foundations. In addition, The Foundation has dedicated part-time staff available to assist nonprofits who visit the resource center.

In partnership with the Center on Philanthropy Fund Raising School at Indiana University, The Foundation provides opportunities for nonprofits to participate in the Certificate in Fund Raising Management course series each year as part of its professional development series. The IMPACT Program offers select nonprofits an opportunity to participate in an in-depth assessment of their organizational strengths and areas for development. Working with a carefully selected consultant, each organization creates a work plan to strengthen key areas, build on best practices and implement plans for long term success.

Additionally, The Organizational Success Program supports research on the nonprofit sector. In 2008, we released a report on public confidence in the nonprofit sector. Research was done by the University of San Diego’s Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research. Please click here to read the report.

Grants:

This year, the Organizational Success Program will be providing targeted trainings for nonprofits organizations that are grantees of the San Diego Foundation through the Professional Development Series. Additionally, grants will be available on an invitation only basis for facilitated organizational self-assessment grants and capacity building awards. For more information, please contact Lori Finch in the Organizational Success Department at lori@sdfoundation.org.