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Coaching Resumes In-Person

Fieldstone’s coaching program began its 26th year with a full cohort of nonprofit leaders engaging in our year-long program.  With matches officially made in December 2021, coaches and coachees had introductory meetings in January, as well as a group orientation to help them navigate the program.  In February, all coachees completed a 360 Degree Review and met with program facilitators so they are better able to interpret the data and begin to formulate a development plan.  And in March, Fieldstone hosted our first quarterly meeting with our coaches to check in and identify resources and support needed to support their coachees on their specific paths.

Welcome to our 2022 Coachees:

Michael Angelo Camacho, VAPA Foundation; Max Disposti, No Co LGBTQ Resource Center; Monica Emery, Center for World Music; Natalie Ganz, SD Public Library Foundation; James Halliday, ARTS; Heidi Knuff, SD Diplomacy Council; Jason Martin, Mama’s Kitchen, Stephanie Ortega, Promises2Kids; Abby Reynolds, Center Stage Productions, Adrienne Rich, Arts Education Connection SD; DeMilo Young, BIPOC Support Foundation and Lindsay Zehan, Resounding Joy.

Fieldstone plans to add additional coaches to their team this year.  Fieldstone coaches have all worked as nonprofit CEOs at some point in their career and commit to sharing their knowledge and lived experience with those currently leading in the nonprofit sector.  As a coach, they commit to monthly meetings with their coachee for the duration of the one year program.  To date, Fieldstone coaches remain with the program for many years.  Many of our coaches have been part of the program since its inception!!  This fact speaks to the reciprocity of the program, as coaches appreciate all they get out of the program and from their coachees.  Training is scheduled for November 2022 so new coaches will be available for the 2023 program.  In preparation for the training, Fieldstone is updating and redesigning its proprietary curriculum to better meet the evolved needs of nonprofit leaders and to better reflect the social justice environment in which we live and work.

Equity Journey 3.0 Opens for Registration

What’s Fair? Social Justice in America

As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the leadership development of the nonprofit sector, and due to the feedback we received on the impact of The Equity Journey, we are continuing our partnership with the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance to bring you The Equity Journey 3.0: What’s Fair? Social Justice in America.  This is the final course of the three-part series.  Over 500 nonprofit leaders have participated in the Equity Journey series offered by Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego since it began the program in September 2020.

Equity Journey 3.0 will look at the meaning of social justice and how it takes shape in our world.  This two-module course will help learners explore social justice using a broad lens, including race and ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, birthplace, economic status, history, education and politics.   This program builds on Equity Journey 1.0 and 2.0 and further develops one’s understanding of social justice.

Learners will leave the course with the confidence to engage in conversations and activities to advance social justice in organizations and communities. Learners will move through the course at their own pace, participate in two communal zoom discussions and will earn a certificate upon completion.

This two module course, enhanced by bi-weekly group discussion groups, will help learn:

• Improve your understanding of social justice;
• Be more aware of the barriers that hinder social justice;
• Create a personal definition of social justice and learn how to put it into action
• Examine strategies for how to support and nurture social justice and;
• Connect to and learn from other nonprofit leaders committed to social justice.

Learners will earn an e-certificate upon completion of the course work and participation in the group discussions.  This will be the only offering of Equity Journey 3.0 this year.

To register for the course, learners may use this link

When you register, learners will be able to choose their discussion group from these options.

• Module 1 Discussion – May 9 at 9 am or 1 pm or May 10 at 9 am
• Module 2 Discussion – May 23 at 9 am or 1 pm or May 24 at 9 am

Equity Journey 3.0 opens on April 25th, 2022.

2022 Learning Groups Back In-Person

Program Returns to In-Person Meetings After 22 Months Online

With a well developed safety plan in place, our Learning Groups, have returned to in-person gatherings.  In 2022, we are hosting three learning groups, all facilitated by Tom Hall, former Managing Director of the Globe Theatres and principle of AlbertHall Associates.  Each group has now completed the Creative Encounters portion of the program and is ready to begin their group program solving experience.

Welcome to our Executive Learning Group:  Dilkawaz Ahmed, License to Freedom; Colleen FitzSimmons, SD Green Building Council; Suzanne Husby, Make A Wish SD; Matt Koumaras, Boys & Girls Club of Vista; Laura Pitts, Carlsbad Education Foundation; Jennifer Thorn, Moxie Theatre; Kelly Douglas, Voices for Children; Kim Heinle, Bayside Community Center; Tasreen Khamisa, Tariq Khamisa Foundation; Anna Maria Maybury; Girls on the Run; and Sean Spear, Community HousingWorks.

Our two Nonprofit Leaders Learning Groups include:

Kathryn Clauzel, Just in Time for Foster Youth; Claudia Ehrlich, Avodah; Jessica Frank, SD Diplomacy Council; Katherine Matthews, Living Coast Discovery Center; Marcela Mercado, Fern Street Community Arts; Angela Zappia, Accessity; Erica, Connell, Voice of San Diego; Corey Ford, Casa de Amistad; Jenna Martin, Make a Wish SD; Jaimie McBreaty, Access Youth Academy, Kevin Renac, Bayside Community Services; Eowyn Bates, Natural History Museum; Taylor Beverage, Carlsbad Education Foundation; Shelby Coopwood, Access Youth Academy; Casey Davis, Diabetes Research Foundation; Douglas Flaker, Health Center Partners of Southern California; Vicky Kern, SDSU Research Foundation; Matthew Medeiros; BLCI; Jenna Novatny, Mama’s Kitchen; Emily Shuffield, Burn Institute and Navid Zamani, License to Freedom.

This year we have teams of leaders from organizations participating at the same time, which we understand from experience, will magnify the impact of the program.  In addition, we have leaders participating while their CEO is on sabbatical or preparing to go on sabbatical this year. We also have one CEO participating in anticipation of her sabbatical experience which will begin in July. Groups will continue through June.

Offered Me the Gift of Believing in Humanity Again

My journey with Fieldstone Leadership Network really started when I participated in the six-month executive learning group. This training fundamentally impacted the way I view myself, my organization, License to Freedom (LTF), and the future that LTF can have. I believe anyone can benefit from the executive learning group. One of the biggest takeaways from the training affected my personal life almost as much, if not more, than my professional life. FLNSD taught us to practice disconnecting ourselves from the work—something that I think many leaders who have grown their organizations from the beginning are not accustomed to when they’re in positions that directly impact the well-being of others, both professionally and in our personal lives.

I believe it’s important for anyone to learn the skill of holding objectivity. Through the Fieldstone Executive Learning group, I started practicing looking at LTF not only as my personal project, but as an objective observer; the improvements I was able to make by considering LTF objectively would not have occurred had I not been able to disconnect. Now, LTF is flourishing–we are serving more clients than ever, we are receiving more grant money, and we’ve been able to expand our team. The expansion of the team at LTF continues to provide me with support that I didn’t know was available. We were able to hire a Program Manager and individual leads for each of our programs–FLNSD taught me that sometimes it’s better to let other people take responsibility, and that it’s okay for me to trust the work of others. I think smaller nonprofits might be intimidated to take the steps necessary to expand their staff, because it means more money expended and greater trust in others. I know it was difficult for me. To others that are worried about the impact of hiring, I would tell them that the adage is true; sometimes you have to spend money to make money. Now that I have more time to spend with my family and friends, being present and disconnected from work–I can say with clarity that the outcomes you receive for trusting others are greater than the fear stopping you.

As a member of the FLNSD, I’ve seen this to be true of my fellow nonprofit leaders. The network has been instrumental in connecting all of us and helping us support one another as we develop our newly learned leadership skills and increase the capacities of our organizations. One
of the greatest resources being part of the Network offers is the support from the other directors. We are able to ask each other for advice, offer insight on available office spaces, recommend grant writers, and write letters of recommendation. I have also found it to be indispensable to be on this journey with others experiencing the same changes. We might be advocating for different causes, but we are joined in our belief that if you can help, you should.

Perhaps, however, the most impactful effect I’ve experienced, has been the soul-affirming recognition that there are so many other beautiful leaders dedicated to helping the community. The ability to become so immersed in your own cause, forgetting that others are fighting
alongside you is sadly far too easy. Getting to know Fieldstone Leaders offered me the gift of believing in humanity again. I am encouraged by each and every leader that attended this training. The knowledge that this network exists and will support me when I make mistakes, or
will encourage me when I become uncomfortable with change, and above all share my belief in a greater, more positive world, has changed the way I think about myself and the work that I do.

Dilkhwaz with Janine Mason and Anne Vincent receiving her Clare Rose Sabbatical grant

Dilkhwaz Ahmed, MS., Executive Director, License to Freedom

Dilkhwaz is the founder and Executive Director of License to Freedom.  LTF’s mission is to promote peaceful, loving, and safe relationships within the diverse immigrant and refugee communities of San Diego. This is accomplished through services and strategies that build resilience and self-sufficiency, support healing from trauma and violence, and advocacy for equity and justice. 

Dilkhwaz Ahmed is an immigrant women rights’ activist from the Kurdistan region of Iraq. In Iraq, she served as the Executive Director of the Nawa Center, a shelter for abused women in Sulaimanya. In 2002, Ms. Ahmed was granted asylum in the United States, resettling in San Diego.  In 2003, Ms. Ahmed cofounded License to Freedom, helping more than 5,000 refugee and immigrant adult survivors and child victims of domestic violence.  Ms. Ahmed is a voice of immigrant women, having walked in their shoes and understanding what it means to be an immigrant.

Dilkhwaz graduated from Fieldstone’s Executive Learning Group and is scheduled to go on a Clare Rose Sabbatical in Spring 2023.

Each week during our 40th anniversary year, a member of our Network will share what Fieldstone means to them and how being a part of this learning and leadership community has impacted them and the work they do to serve the community.

If you have a story you would like to contribute to our collection, please contact Janine Mason.

FLNSD Earns Top Rated Status (Again!)

Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego NAMED “2021 TOP-RATED NONPROFIT” by GreatNonprofits

Award based on Community Recommendations

GreatNonprofits announced it has named Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego a “2021 Top-Rated Nonprofit”.  GreatNonprofits is the leading website for community recommendations of charities and nonprofits.

Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego provides leadership development services to nonprofit professionals working throughout the county of San Diego resulting in highly skilled and connected c-suite level executives ready to serve the community.

“We are honored to be named a 2021 Top-Rated Nonprofit,” says Janine Mason, founder of the Network. We are proud of our accomplishments this year, including the facilitation of over 500 nonprofit leaders through The Equity Journey.

The Top-Rated Nonprofit Award is based on the rating and number of reviews that Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego received from volunteers, donors and and clients.  Jorge Riquelme, Senior Vice President of Community HousingWorks (CHW), has participated in an Executive Learning Group and is currently participating in a Leadership Reading Group, which he has been a part of for the past six years.  In his review he reports being “very grateful for the many and significant leadership development opportunities offered by the Fieldstone Leadership Network. Special thanks to Janine Mason! Janine is one of my favorite servant leaders: she is always encouraging diversity of thought and fostering leadership in others!”

“Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego  is a great example of a nonprofit making a real difference in their community,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits, “Their award is well-deserved recognition not only of their work, but the tremendous support they receive, as shown by the many outstanding reviews they have received from people who have direct experience working with the Network.”

Reviews from leaders who have participated in a variety of program offerings from the Network illustrate the value and impact of being a part of this leadership learning community. “I feel very fortunate to have been a part of FLN which has had such a profound impact in my leadership ability shares Rakesh Patel, CEO,  Neighborhood Healthcare.  

Fieldstone Leadership Network offers affordable opportunities for nonprofit professionals to learn and develop their own leadership competencies through seminars, learning groups, executive coaching, book clubs, retreats and sabbaticals.

According to Elizabeth Schott, CEO of Assessity (formerly Accion San Diego), “The speakers and staff are engaged, committed, fun and inspiring and you can tell they are extremely dedicated and invested in the growth of our local nonprofit community.”

GreatNonprofits is the largest donation website for nonprofits and where people share stories about their personal experiences on more than 1.6 million charities and nonprofits. The GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Awards are the only awards for nonprofits determined by those who have direct experience with the charities – as donors, volunteers and recipients of aid.

To read more FLNSD reviews visit https://greatnonprofits.org/org/fieldstone-leadership-network-san-diego 

The complete list of 2021 Top Rated Nonprofits can be found at: https://greatnonprofits.org/awards/browse/Campaign:Year2021/Issue

Celebrating National Philanthropy Day 2021

2022 Learning Groups and Coaching Program Full

We are pleased to announce that our 2022 Learning Groups and Executive Coaching Program are filled for 2022!  We are excited to welcome this highly qualified and dynamic field of leaders who are joining the Network through their participation in these programs.

Learning Groups

The robust application process resulted in the addition of another learning group to meet the demand for this dynamic learning experience! Each of our learning group programs will be facilitated by Tom Hall, former Managing Director of The Old Globe Theatres and a member of our first Executive Learning Group over 25 years ago!  Currently, Tom is the principal of Alberthall & Associates, where he engages in a broad practice as consultant, executive coach, teacher and leadership trainer. The cornerstone of our Network, Learning Groups were crafted in response to requests from nonprofit leaders searching for learning opportunities and relationship building.  It is a six month program which meets monthly and includes a unique experiential learning component aimed to explore how one exercises leadership in various situations and team challenges.  The program has run continuously since its inception in the early 1990s.

Coaching

Our Executive Coaching Program will continue to be facilitated by a group of nonprofit leaders who have all served as nonprofit CEO’s and Executive Directors in the sector.  With varied experience by sub-sector, the group offers a depth of experience and knowledge which is shared in a one-on-one coaching relationship over the course of 12 months.  A 360 Degree Review is included in the program.  This tool helps to increase self-awareness and guide the Coachee in identifying areas on which to focus.  FLNSD has offered executive coaching to the San Diego nonprofit sector for over 25 years.

Referrals Pave the Way

A high percentage of everyone who applied to our programs this year did so on the recommendation of a Network member and past program participant!  This speaks to our 98% member referral rate! But, most importantly, it speaks to the effectiveness and impact of the programs to provide meaningful leadership learning experiences while creating trusted relationships within the sector. We have deep gratitude to the many program alumni who continue to refer their peers to our program and to our Network with enthusiasm and purpose.

Learning Groups and Coaching are offered annually and begin each January.  Registration for our 2023 cohorts will begin in Fall 2022.  If you are interested in learning more or receiving an application, you may join our interest list here.

Author’s Insights 2021

Featuring Kimmery Martin, The Antidote for Everything

Stories and literature give us great material, including characters, issues and results, to study in our quest to become better leaders. This week, Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego hosted Kimmery Martin for its annual Author’s Insights event.  The discussion was facilitated by our founder, Janine Mason, and explored many topics that are currently at the forefront of national debate, including medical inequity, discrimination of LGBTQ+ people, sexual assault in the workplace, fentanyl (drug) addiction, and deep fakes. In addition, the conversation delved into leadership traits of integrity, loyalty, control and trust as we discussed the actions of the story’s characters and the challenges they faced.  Abuse of power,  managing truth versus public optics, finding your calling and following your vocation were also key topics of conversation.  The conversation was robust and engaging and Kimmery was insightful and generous during her time with us.

Author’s Insights is an opportunity for members of our Leadership Reading Group Program to delve more deeply into leadership concepts with an author whose book was read in the program. Following the tradition set by American Booksellers Association in 1938 to provide a forum for authors to speak about their work, Author’s Insights is uniquely focused at furthering our understanding of leadership by furnishing members with a unique and intimate environment to explore the leadership concepts featured by the author in his or her book. Members are invited to examine the leadership theories posited by the author in a trade book or probe the leadership which was or was not exercised by an author’s characters in a work of fiction or non-fiction.

Usually hosted as an in-person event, this year’s Author’s Insights was held virtually, with Kimmery joining us from North Carolina.  In preparation for our virtual event, Janine was able to meet with Kimmery when she was in San Diego in July.  During their time together, Kimmery signed book plates and generously donated new copies of the recently released paperback for our Members. 

Living Our Value of Reciprocity

One of FLNSD’s values is reciprocity.  In practice, this means we participate in the giving and receiving of wisdom, expertise, and resources between each other. This year’s Author’s Insights is a wonderful example of this value in action. Kimmery came to us via the Words Alive 2020 Author’s Auction as she had donated a “book club session” to help raise funds to support their youth literacy programs.  Words Alive is a long time member of FLNSD. Words Alive Founder, Leslye Lyons, was one of the first community experts Janine consulted when designing the Leadership Reading Group Program in 2015.  Leslye approached Janine about bidding on the auction and her desire to donate the “book club session” to Fieldstone in support of the reading program.  Kimmery was flexible in working with us on timing and also became a supporter of our program through her donation of time and books.  In turn, we shared her work with our Network and used her writing as a tool to expand and development our leadership capacities.

Kimmery’s next book, Doctors and Friends will be released on November 9, 2021.  Watch for a November event featuring Kimmery hosted by Warwicks, another supporter of our Leadership Reading Group Program.

To learn more about our Leadership Reading Group Program or to join the interest list for our next cohort, visit our website 

The next cohort will begin in September 2022.  Registration will open in Spring 2022.

FLNSD Partners with NCPC and AFP on Equity Journey

The Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego will provide diversity and equity training to members of the North County Philanthropy Council and Association of Fund Raising Professional in a new partnership which will begin this  month.

Using The Equity Journey platform designed by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, another FLNSD partner, members of NCPC and AFP will be able to participate in the three part series over the course of the coming year.  This educational experience is being sponsored by Nordson Corporation Foundation.

“North County Philanthropy Council is thrilled to partner with Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego to bring the Equity Journey 1.0 to our members. Fieldstone Leadership Network is known for bringing invaluable leadership training, collaboration and deep engagements to the nonprofit sector and beyond. When Nordson heard of the meaningful impact the Equity Journey was having on our community we jumped at the chance to sponsor this opportunity for NCPC members. We hope this is just the beginning of the journey for NCPC and Fieldstone and for our learning and growth together”

Sara Vaz, Community Relations Manager for Nordson Corporation Foundation and President of North County Philanthropy Council.

To date, approximately 500 nonprofit leaders have participated in The Equity Journey program, which provides the opportunity to earn a certificate in equity from Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego upon completion of each series.  The Equity Journey is a three-part series and FLNSD has facilitated multiple offerings of Part 1 and 2 in the last year.  Equity Journey 3.0 is currently under development and will be presented by FLNSD in 2022.  Learners who complete each of the three parts, can earn a badge in equity.

The world is requiring leaders in the nonprofit sector to navigate issues and challenges of diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of their work.  We are pleased to be able to provide an affordable platform for leaders to learn and reflect on their understandings and commitment to advance social justice at this particular time.  With a goal of supporting nonprofit leaders throughout their careers, being able to provide this program to our local leaders in a timely manner is critical to our mission.  We are grateful to NCPC, AFP and Nordson Corporation Foundation for partnering with us to bring this program to a new audience.

Janine Mason, Founding Director, FLNSD 

More information on the  program offering with NCPC may be found  HERE

More information on the Equity Journey and Fieldstone Leadership Network SD may be found HERE

FLNSD Earns TOP RATED Status

Thanks to member reviews, Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego has earned a 2021 Top-Rated Nonprofit badge from GreatNonprofits. This is our second Top Rated badge, since joining the platform two years ago.  Thanks to all who have contributed to our page and shared their Fieldstone experiences with the public. If you would like to read our reviews or add your own, visit https: Fieldstone Leadership Network SD Great Nonprofits  

FLNSD will be featured on the Great Nonprofits site as a Top Rated Nonprofit for 2021.  This distinction is valid for one year and must be earned again to maintain elite status.  The official list of the 2021 Top-Rated list will be announced on October 31, 2021.