Building Capacity One Page at a Time

Since June, the YNPNsd Book Club has gone from a small idea into a monthly occurrence. It has become a space where members of the community, many new to YNPN, come to discuss the most pressing issues in the non-profit sector here in San Diego.

It’s funny really. I remember when I went to my first meeting to pitch the idea that we could READ about a topic (in what free time?) and get together and have substantive discussion around it. The thought was, “Well, let’s give it a try and see where it goes.”

I had not been reading as much as I would like, especially about issues facing non-profits and non-profit professionals. I wanted an excuse to make myself read more and then have a group with whom I could discuss the topic. A book club seemed natural, but this book club couldn’t be your grandma’s Sunday book club. I wanted to replace the gossip and crumpets with informed conversation in an edgy and attractive way.

I also wanted it to be something bigger and more impactful, which brings me to the real motivation to start a book club with YNPN. I wanted to help develop a professional development opportunity that would give people skills and knowledge to help fulfill their organizations’ missions while also building the capacity of the San Diego non-profit sector as a whole.

Getting people together to read and discuss these issues seemed like the logical choice. I saw that the YNPN chapter in the Bay Area had a book club, and it made sense to start one here. The book club would provide a different type of programming where we could build upon our collective knowledge and share experiences with each other as peers. Since many of us do not have formal training or education in the field, this type of peer exchange is a necessary way to build our individual and collective capacities to affect positive outcomes in the community.

The chapter is excited the book club has become one of YNPN’s most successful events, not in terms in pages read, but rather the connections made and the knowledge gained, which collectively help create positive community impact. Scott Bechter-Levin, a member of the YNPN San Diego Community Council and the founder of IdeaEncore and the Pacific Ridge School said, "Because the format encouraged deep conversations among dedicated and passionate nonprofit professionals, it was the best YNPN event in my three years involved with the chapter.” And we do it over happy hour, so it’s a win-win.

Moving forward, the book club’s success is evidence there is a need for robust professional development opportunities. The challenge now is to develop a series of programs, of which the book club is only a small piece, that benefit the YNPN community, and in turn the whole San Diego community. Through creating opportunities for San Diegans to build professional and personal relationships, develop new skills, and expand collective knowledge, YNPN can make a powerful impact in the region and even in the nation.

That means we need YOU! Please feel free to contact me with any ideas for professional development programs at efrem@ynpnsandiego.org.

Working Together in Our Community

We've now passed our 3 year birthday as an organization, and as we continue to grow, we're always looking to make new friends.

That's why tomorrow, you'll find us reaching out to the Mission Valley Sunset Rotary Club at their Wednesday mixer at the Randy Jones All American Grill in Hazard Center. We expect to see quite a few of our YNPN members, and are excited to see how our organizations' membership crosses over. We'd love to see you there!

Established just summer (2010, already!), the Mission Valley Sunset Rotary Club is a service-oriented organization whose membership is closely aligned with our own. In fact, you may even see some familiar faces in their ranks!

Here are the details:
Location: Randy Jones All American Sports Grill, 7510 Hazard Center Drive, Suite #215, San Diego, CA 92108
Time: Starts at 5:30pm
Event information: The suggested $10 donation gets you appetizers and drink specials.

So come on out and drop by for a beverage and some conversation before the Pads play the Diamondbacks. It's a great way to beat downtown traffic!

Cosmos and Causes, Wednesday, July 20

It's about that time for another great YNPN Meet & Greet event, especially given the perfect weather we've had lately! What better venue could we ask for than a gathering at the Cosmopolitan in Old Town tomorrow, Wednesday (July 20) to get together with old friends, and to make new ones. With over 75 attendees confirmed, this classically restored hotel can host many more, so we hope you can join us between 6 and 8 pm. Our theme, Cosmos and Causes, is sure to delight, if for nothing else than because it is a great combination!

With $5 food and drink specials, we'll also be raffling off a VAVi Sport & Social certificate, just to make sure you really enjoy your summer. So while the sun's still shining till 8, don't just go home after work. Come and join us at the Cosmopolitan--you'll be glad you did!

RSVP for Wednesday's Cosmos and Causes event here.

IdeaEncore Resources of the Month

Looking to find and share resources with colleagues?
IdeaEncore provides an easy way for you to share what it know, learn from others in the nonprofit sector and earn unrestricted income for your organization. Check out these resources to help you network and build important nonprofit skills. And don't forget to select Young Nonprofit Professionals-San Diego (YNPN-SD) as your Primary Professional Association when you sign up for a free IdeaEncore account.

Networking for Job Seekers - Useful Step by Step Guide
Shared by Acumen Fund (Free)

Using Social Media for Fundraising

Shared by CJW Consulting & Services, Inc. ($20)

Power Skills: How Volunteerism Shapes Professional Success

Created by Women’s Way and Shared by Issue Lab (Free)

Basic Grantwriting – Online Course

Shared by Grant Central US ($99)

Nonprofit Job SitesDirectory

Shared by Blue Avocado, a project of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services (Free)

Propelling Your Future

Professional development is one of those aspects of a career that can be easily overlooked. If you're caught up in the day-to-day grind of work or bogged down by too many commitments, isn't time to ponder why you haven't progressed to a place where these frustrations aren't a problem?

Consider professional development as one of those outlets where you're enriching yourself as an employee and as an individual--thereby furthering your own life goals to work in concert with the nonprofit organization of which you are a part.

Tonight, June 7, YNPN San Diego is hosting one of those life-changing career workshops. We're presenting "Three Things Holding Back Your Nonprofit Career" from 6-8pm at the United Way San Diego, guided by Paul Redfern, an Encinitas-based CPA specializing in non-profit and entrepreneurial accounting. During the workshop, Paul will guide us through the pitfalls of common financial practices and highlight guidelines for making sound financial decisions.

Before the workshop starts, we're also hosting a casual networking session with light appetizers and wine. It's not too late to sign up, so we hope you can make it!

YNPNSD Leader Retreat 2011, or, A Lesson in Being Both Productive and Fun

The first weekend of May marked a turning point for YNPN San Diego. It was our first weekend planning board retreat, an idea the board had a while back, and with the help and sizeable donation from The Leichtag Family Foundation, this vision became a reality.

We wanted to ‘up the ante’ if you will, this year by blocking out an entire weekend to nail down our strategic priorities for the coming year, outline our workplans, and solidify our budget –an extensive agenda for the weekend, but we figured that by locking ourselves in for 2 straight days (albeit in the luxury La Costa resort), that we would be able to knock it all out in one sitting.

This was a great idea for a couple of reasons:

1. We’re an all-volunteer organization that meets once a month as a board. So, oftentimes the lag time on decision-making can get drawn out, particularly when it comes to the overall organizational big picture since our daily ‘to do’ list often takes over when we let it; and
2. We recently completed our spring recruitment and added five amazing new board members. Since they make up half our board, we couldn’t have asked for a better board immersion experience.

So the weekend goal was twofold: plan out what we’re trying to accomplish over the next year (based on last year’s progress and our current context), and get to know each other so we begin operating as a cohesive team from Day 1.


How did we do? Mission achieved, if I do say so myself. We started off the weekend with a board in-service on leadership training with Alexis Dixon. This an essential aspect of our role as board members, and the essence of what we try to instill in not just our board, but our committee and membership base as a whole. This session helped to set the stage in our minds to always be thinking about fostering leadership in every aspect of our work.


After a quick break, we dove into planning. By first reviewing our vision, mission, theory of change, and program model (outlined with the help of NP Strategies in last year’s planning retreat), we reviewed our successes and challenges over the past year to achieve last year’s goals. Then, we walked through the finding of our recently closed 2011 Membership Survey, providing valuable information to the board about what our members liked and want for the future. All of this helped to outline what we need to focus on during our next fiscal year. After boiling up findings from detailed SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analyses, the board clarified 5 strategic initiatives for the next fiscal year. Since, at this point our brains were leaking logic and our stomachs were crying for help, we broke for lunch.


When we re-grouped half an hour later (did I mention that this was a packed agenda?), we were met by a handful of committed and eager committee members who gave up their gorgeous afternoons to assist in our planning efforts. Their fresh faces re-energized the group and we dove in, breaking into 5 teams based on the aforementioned initiatives to outline our SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely) goals and action items. These were eventually shared by the full group, picked apart, added to, and agreed upon as a team until board and committee members alike were satisfied.


Exhausted but content, we looked around the conference room lined with butcher paper outlining our ideas and plans and shared, one-by-one, our excitement. The consensus was that it was an honor and a privilege to have spent the day with a smart group of people thinking about how to make the nonprofit sector stronger in San Diego, and specifically, what our organization – led, run, and supported by a group of emerging leaders volunteering their time – can really do to make a difference.


After having led the research, planning, and facilitation for the day, the group unnecessarily broke out into applause. I took a quick bow and said a silent prayer of thanks to have met such incredible minds and committed people all working towards making this region a better place to live and work. It was then that I was able to reflect on the momentum this organization has created after having been founded just three years ago. What started as a vision and strong foundational leadership has smoothly transitioned into an organization owned and operated by the community it serves.


So, a quick thank you is in order for all of you who have participated with your time, dollars, or membership to make this organization what it is today. I’d also like to extend an offer to the rest of you to get involved and be a part of what YNPNSD will become tomorrow.


And then it was off to the hot tub…


So, without further ado, here’s what we’ll be working on over the next year.


YNPNSD’s 5 Strategic Initiatives:
1. Create a culture that fosters leadership growth for organizational sustainability
2. Define, engage, and retain members
3. Develop an outreach strategy to increase membership of the next generation of leaders
4. Create and implement a brand identity and communications strategy
5. Grow and diversify funding



Thanks to Cynthia Davila, our Retreat Team Leader, for this contribution as well as her time fostering many productive discussions during the retreat. Her skills proved truly invaluable, and we're thankful to have her!

YNPN San Diego's 3rd Annual Birthday Bash Meet & Greet

YNPN San Diego's 3rd Annual Birthday Bash Meet & Greet

"Treat Yourself!"

That's right, third time's a charm, and YNPN San Diego's 3rd Annual Birthday celebration is just around corner. Get ready for another chance to meet and mingle with other professionals of San Diego's beloved nonprofit sector! However this time, we'll be adding a bit of frosting to the great occasion.

Whether you are a current YNPN member or non-member, YNPN San Diego invites you as we celebrate our chapter's achievements and successes over the last 3 years. New to YNPN? Our board and committees will be represented to answer any questions you may have, and fill you in on this special celebration. This year's birthday bash will be held at the classy Fifty Seven Degrees wine bar, located on Hancock Street, and just one block away from the Washington Street trolley station. Enjoy a specially extended Happy Hour from 6-8pm, and treat yourself to delicious birthday cupcakes! Discover what YNPN San Diego holds for you as we cheer for another year of nonprofit networking and professional development.

Date: Wednesday, April 20th 2011

Time: 6:00- 8:00pm

Location: 57 Degrees - 1735 Hancock Street, San Diego - www.fiftysevendegrees.com

YNPN San Diego services are free to the San Diego nonprofit community. Please consider making a donation of any size at our event. To lean more about our mission, programs, and opportunities, visit www.ynpnsandiego.org or our Facebook Page

Bring your friends and register TODAY at YNPN San Diego's 3rd Annual Birthday Bash!

Thanks to YNPNSD Board Member and Meet & Greet Chair Natacha Tullier for the contribution!

YNPNSD January Meet & Greet – YNPN: Your Year 2011!

When: Jan 19 6-8p.m.

Price: FREE

Where: Access at The W Hotel, 421 West B Street, San Diego, CA 92101

If getting more involved in your community was on your New Years Resolutions list, then you are in luck!

YNPN welcomes you into 2011 with the year’s first networking mixer at the W Hotel.

This is a great opportunity to meet some of San Diego’s most dedicated people in the Nonprofit industry, learn more about local causes and build yourself a stronger network. And it’s always more fun to do it over cocktails and food!

Specials include 50% off appetizers and $3 brews, $5 well drinks, and $8 select wine!

Whether you are currently a member of YNPN, or simply looking to get involved in nonprofit, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about what the YNPN has to offer. Representatives from each of the YNPN committees will talk about their specific committee and what it’s like to be involved.

If you’re lucky you may even bring home more than just some business cards, enter the raffle and win some fantastic prizes! Business and cocktail wear is suggested.

YNPN San Diego services are free to the San Diego nonprofit community. Please consider making a donation of any size at our event. To learn more about our mission, programs, and opportunities, visit www.ynpnsandiego.org.

Bring a friend and REGISTER TODAY at YNPNSD Facebook or on our website at www.ynpnsandiego.org! Be sure mark your calendars and stay tuned for our more event details!

*Photo Courtesy USA Today 2010