CONNECT with the CityCity of San Diego Nonprofit Academy
City of San Diego Nonprofit Academy
Upcoming Event: June 28th and 29th, 2024
Past Academy Agenda: August 2019 City of San Diego Nonprofit Academy Agenda
Join us for the San Diego Nonprofit Academy, a two-day comprehensive program presented by The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego and the City of San Diego. This award-winning educational program is designed to educate local nonprofit leaders on maximizing their operational efficiency to better serve the local community. This program is designed to strengthen small-to-midsize nonprofits, grow their impact, and better position them to receive funding from government and other philanthropic partners.
All featured core courses and electives are taught by leading nonprofit management experts. Topics will include effective board governance, strategic thinking, financial management, program design, evaluation, and personal leadership. All classes will be held at the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) on the University of San Diego campus.
Organizations that complete all core courses will receive a physical certificate of completion and a LinkedIn badge.
This year, join your nonprofit colleagues for a networking opportunity following Friday's workshops. Enjoy complimentary beverages and appetizers while we enjoy a beautiful view of San Diego from the West Plaza! The two-day academy is free to nonprofits regardless of size and can accommodate up to 150 organizations (max of two representatives from each organization), so reserve your place now!
Date: Friday, June 28th, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Includes Networking Opportunity
Date: Saturday, June 29th, 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Sample Nonprofit Academy Curriculum
| Core Courses | Sample Elective Courses |
|---|---|
| Program Design and Development | Volunteerism |
| Organizational Leadership and Governance | Nonprofit Governance and Contract Compliance |
| Budgeting and Finance | Financial Basics |
| Evaluation and Impact | Social Innovation and Human Centered Design |
| Developing Strategy | Partnering with the City |
Eligibility
- Participating organizations must be registered with the IRS as a 501(c)3, a 501(c)4, or a 501(c)6 organization
- Participating organizations must provide programming or services within the City of San Diego limits
- Enrollment is limited to two (2) representatives from each organization
Enrollment
Enrollment is limited to 150 participants per day. Single day registration options are available, however, to receive the best benefit from the program we highly encourage participants to select the two-day registration option.
Parking on Friday will be $18 and attendees are welcome to pre-pay for parking. On Saturday, parking will be free. Attendees will select a registration option as well as a parking option when finalizing their registration.
To register for the 2024 Nonprofit Academy, follow this link.
For up-to-date information about the Nonprofit Academy and other related programs, individuals may add their name and contact information to the CDBG email distribution list.
Partnering With the City
The City of San Diego encourages academy attendees to apply for City grants. The City’s Economic Development Department and Commission of Arts and Culture fund eligible local nonprofits with missions and projects that enhance our economic prosperity and improve the quality of life for San Diegans.
The Economic Development Department has a competitive application process to award funding through both its Community Development Division (CDD) and its Business Expansion, Attraction and Retention Division (BEAR).
- CDD administers the City’s entitlement from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. To learn more about CDBG, please visit the City’s Community Development Division site or email questions to cdbg@sandiego.gov.
- BEAR provides Economic Development Funding through Economic Development and Tourism Support (EDTS) and Citywide Economic Development Support (CEDS), which allocate Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenue to promote San Diego as a business and leisure destination; and the Small Business Enhancement Program (SBEP), which support efforts Citywide and in Microdistricts. For questions, please email sdbusiness@sandiego.gov.
The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture offers funding opportunities to arts and culture nonprofit organizations. For information regarding its opportunities, please visit the Funding for Arts and Culture Nonprofits section of the Commission for Arts and Culture site.
Additionally, the City Council Offices offer City Council Community Projects, Programs, and Services (CPPS) funding to public agencies or nonprofit organizations for one-time community, social, environmental, cultural, or recreational needs which serve a lawful public purpose. Interested organizations should contact their local Council Offices for information on funding availability.
City of San Diego Nonprofit Academy Highlights
- On March 28, 2019, the City of San Diego Economic Development Department and the University of San Diego Nonprofit Institute were honored with a California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) Award of Merit for Collaboration for the City of San Diego Nonprofit Academy. The award was presented at the 39th Annual CALED Conference in Anaheim, California.
- The City of San Diego Economic Development Department won a 2017 Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for the City of San Diego Nonprofit Academy, a project in the category of Partnership with Educational Institutions of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on Sept. 19 during the IEDC Annual Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Read the press release.)
- In December 2017, the IEDC Journal profiled academy. Read the article, "The Nonprofit Academy in San Diego: Building Strong Nonprofits to Drive Economic Development," on Page 37.
City of San Diego Nonprofit Academy Successes
About 150 attendees representing 100 nonprofits participate in each academy. In post-academy surveys, 75 percent of respondents indicated they had better understanding of City funding opportunities, and 70 percent had taken steps to implement new practices.
Qualified CDBG applicants increased 33 percent from FY2017 to FY2018. Of 33 nonprofits awarded FY2018 grants, 14 were academy participants, including Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (JCNI).
Founded in 1995, JCNI aims to revitalize Southeastern San Diego through programming focusing on physical redevelopment, education-to-careers training and the local economy. In FY2017, it received $276,334 in CDBG and leveraged funding for its Writerz Blok Youth Workforce Training Program (below), which provides an intensive, employer-informed, “earn and learn” program that prepares disconnected youth/young adults for employment through education, design-sector skills training and work experience. Graffiti, with Writerz Blok, is being used to transform the streets of blight into promise for a community.
