Nonprofit Event Calendar Now Available
When Jen Nation was confronted with cancelling the annual fundraising event for Olivewood Gardens, one of her first thoughts was how and when to reschedule. She understood that nonprofits across the county were contemplating the same thing. And she understood that soon, each would be working to reschedule. The question would became how how to avoid conflicts with each other, especially given the reduced dates that would be available after the shelter in place orders were lifted . Fortunately, Jen, a member of our Network and a graduate of our Executive Learning Group program, reached out to share her concern with us. In response, we have created a calendar to assist nonprofits throughout San Diego in avoiding critical conflicts as they consider new dates for their important events.
Our goal is to create a central location which will serve as a resource to our local nonprofit community as we recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and into the future. The calendar will showcase fundraising events of local San Diego nonprofit organizations. It will be updated on a continual basis.
To participate and add a fundraising event to the calendar, nonprofits may email [email protected] with the following information:
Organization Name
Contact Person
Date and Time
Location of Event (venue name)
Type of Event (gala, dinner, auction, sporting event)
The Nonprofit Event Calendar is available on our website under the RESOURCES tab.
The Nonprofit Event Calendar is an outward symbol of our partnership with the nonprofit leaders in our community. 
If you have an idea you believe will help you to lead more effectively, please let us know.
Together we will prevail through this unprecedented time.
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Fieldstone @ 4 ONLINE
Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego has always been about creating community and providing space for leaders to come together for peer support. As we are all adjusting to a new normal and in-person gatherings are not possible, our commit to connecting leaders and creating community has not changed.
Recognizing the increased need nonprofit leaders are feeling to connect and share resources we have redesigned our Fieldstone@4 program to a virtual platform so nonprofit leaders have an opportunity to get together on a weekly basis for fellowship and peer support. Fieldstone@4 ONLINE will meet together every Wednesday from 4 to 5 pm on Zoom. It will serve as our virtual living room for leaders to come together and to talk about the challenges, successes, joys and struggles that come with leading in the time of COVID-19. It is offered an open canvas to address whatever issues leaders are holding on their leadership journey, to offer support to each other and share wisdom during this unprecedented time.
Our Online Living Room will be hosted on Zoom from 4 to 5 pm each Wednesday, beginning March 25, 2020. Please register so we may send you the link to join the gathering.
Register here for March 25th
If you can’t make it at this time, you can join our interest list for future e-gatherings by e-mailing us at [email protected].
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COVID-19 Rapid Response – Online Learning Now Available
In alignment with our values, two new learning opportunities–Leading Remote Teams and Fundraising in the Era of COVID-19–were crafted in response to recent requests and feedback from our Network Members.
They are offered as free learning opportunities in support of our Members and the broader community of nonprofit leaders who are being challenged to lead and work in ways never before expected.
Monday, March 23 – Leading Remote Teams 9 am to 10:30 am
Register for Leading Remote Teams
Torrie Dunlap, CEO, Kids Included Together
- Communication Strategies, including meeting frequencies, and a “check in” template you can use with your team
- Ideas for working collaboratively and managing workflow among team members
- How to support employee morale and maintain organizational culture when you are not together and
- Technical tools available to support you and your team work as you work from home
Thursday, March 26 – Fundraising in the Era of COVID-19 9 am to 10:30 am
Register for Fundraising in the Era of COVID-19
We are offering an online discussion with local fundraising coach and consultant Kathy Drucquer Duff. Kathy will share tips and tools to support relationship building and outreach to critical stakeholders. The call will provide an opportunity for dialogue and questions.
RESOURCES -Leading and Managing thru COVID-19
In our work to support leaders, we have compiled a list of resources to help nonprofit leaders navigate efforts to respond to and contain the COVID-19 in our communities, support their teams and lead their organizations. It is not an exhaustive list, as it could never be. Because the situation is ever-changing, we are adding resources continually to our social media platforms. You can visit us at Facebook and LinkedIn.
If you have a resource you believe would be helpful to our Network, please share. Reciprocity and wisdom sharing are two of the values of our organization and one of the key ways we support each other. You may share by sending an email to Janine Mason or post to the social media accounts listed above. If you have other needs or ideas of how we can support you during this unprecedented time, please let us know by emailing Janine.
Amidst the high pace and quickly changing environment nonprofit leaders find themselves in, our hope is that these resources will assist our leaders on their journey in the same way cairns mark the path of one traveling in unfamiliar territory.
SURVEY
We have joined with Local Initiatives Support Corporation, The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego, San Diego Grantmakers and San Diego Workforce Partnership to support you during this unprecedented time. As organizations dedicated to supporting nonprofit leaders on the front lines, we are collaborating to best understand the needs of the nonprofit community.
We have a survey to scan our current environment. The answers that you provide will be shared broadly and used to inform government officials, funders, media and other decision-makers in real time.
As we find ways to meet the needs of nonprofit leaders in light of the unfolding crisis, we look forward to bringing others from a variety of perspectives into the collaborative. Thank you in advance for sharing information on your situation, concerns and outlook. It will help us to help you now and in the future.
Survey Results in the News:
USD Nonprofit Leader COVID-19 Survey Findings
KUSI 3/24/20
San Diego Union Tribune 3/25/20
Nonprofit Quarterly 3/26/20
Learning Opportunities
In alignment with our values, new learning opportunities are being crafted in response to recent requests and feedback from our Network Members. They are offered in support of our Members and the broader community of nonprofit leaders who are being challenged to lead and work in ways never before expected.
• FORTIFY: A webinar series on organizational leadership and personal wellness presented in partnership with The Nonprofit Institute.
FORTIFY program page
• Crossroads & Turning Points Webinars:
Financial Literacy for Nonprofit Professionals (4/23/20)
Fundraising in the Era of COVID-19 (3/21/20)
Leading Remote Teams (3/23/20)
COVID-19 Resources
• San Diego County Health
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/
• Centers For Disease Control
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• Gathering Guidance – State of California
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Gathering_Guidance_03.11.20.pdf
CARES Act Information for Nonprofits
Briefing on Emergency Coronavirus Funding for 501(c)(3) Nonprofits – video
Briefing on Emergency Coronavirus Funding for 501(c)(3) Nonprofits – slides
Chamber of Commerce Emergency Loan Guidelines
San Diego Volunteer Hub
In person, virtual, and donation opportunities to support organizations responding to COVID-19
https://www.handsonsandiego.org/covid-19
Supporting Volunteer Efforts During Corona Virus
https://www.energizeinc.com/hot-topics/2020/march_0
Employment Laws in a time of Corona Virus
https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm
AB 5 Workers and other resources for Teaching Artists and Nonprofits
• Varied Resources for Independent Contractors and Those Who Employ Them
https://covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com/
• Social Distancing Festival – a site to showcase the work you have had to cancel
https://www.socialdistancingfestival.com/
Emergency Planning
• Planning for a Health Disaster
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/time-community-based-organizations-plan-public-health-wende-burton
• This is What You Have Prepared For
https://www.emilydavisconsulting.com/this-is-what-youve-prepared-for-hopefully/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=linkedin&utm_source=socialnetwork
Social Justice and Equity
• Social Justice Centering During Coronavirus
http://www.thejusticecollective.org/main-blog/2020/3/11/coronavirus-and-racial-social-equity-centering-justice-during-times-of-uncertainty-and-four-things-you-can-do-right-now
Working From Home/Leading Remote Teams
• Eight Strategies to Set Up Work From Home During the Corona Virus
https://www.fastcompany.com/90475330/8-strategies-to-set-up-remote-work-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak
• Top 15 Tips To Effectively Manage Remote Employees https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/05/30/top-15-tips-to-effectively-manage-remote-employees/#412d6be8503c
• 10 ZOOM Tips and Tricks
https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2018/11/02/zoomtopia-10-zoom-tips-and-tricks/
• Qualtrics Remote Work Pulse
https://www.qualtrics.com/here-to-help/
• Virtual Employment Engagement Blog
https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/working-remote/
• How to Create a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI chart)
https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/raci-chart-made-simple/
Templates for Communicating with Your Boss/Team While Working From Home
• Mindful Return, Tendlab, and Wrk/360 Joint Template
Template_Action_Plan_for_Working_from_Home_When_You_are_Caring_for_Others_1_.01
• Kids Included Together (KIT) 1:1 Check-In Template
1 on 1 Check-In template
Telecommuting Agreement Template
KIT Template Telecommute Policy
How to Make Online Meetings Successful
https://www.inc.com/deborah-grayson-riegel/26-easy-ways-to-make-your-online-meetings-workshops-program-a-success-for-your-small-business.html
Board Leadership
•Engaging Your Board as You Navigate Covid-19
https://blog.boardsource.org/blog/engaging-your-board-as-you-navigate-covid-19
• Five Things Nonprofit Boards Can Do Now
https://buff.ly/39NL7JL?fbclid=IwAR3eHk5_ZfX0uNVKivmkMr4FwteUEoaNsEN1NHnKJX1pv9Lut_x75BKF3Ro
Economic Recovery
• NPR – Appeal to Congress for NPOs to be Included in Economic Relief
https://nonprofitquarterly.org
Nonprofit Resource Exchange
The Nonprofit Resource Exchange is a place for nonprofit organizations to ask for what they need and to offer what they have to other nonprofit organizations as we navigate through COVID-19. The Exchange is built on the value of reciprocity with the goal of sharing resources to help the nonprofit sector as we all work together to lead our teams, serve our clients, re-imagine how we work, and sustain our organizations for the future. Nonprofit Resource Exchange San Diego is brought to you as a pilot program through a partnership between FIELDSTONE LEADERSHIP NETWORK SAN DIEGO and THE NONPROFIT INSTITUTE at the University of San Diego. It can be found on Facebook. The Group name is NONPROFIT RESOURCE EXCHANGE SAN DIEGO
San Diego Funding Opportunities
- Southeastern San Diego COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund – The Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation will provide emergency grants to nonprofit organizations on a rolling basis starting the week of April 13, 2020. Eligible organizations are those in San Diego’s Diamond District are that are disproportionately affected and stepping up to support others during the pandemic, including those serving food and providing educational services, transportation, senior support, mental health services and other emergency needs. Apply here: Rapid Response Fund Application
- San Diego Foundation – The San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund will provide resources to nonprofit organizations working with communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Grant funding will focus on three critical areas: Food security, Rental and utility assistance Income replacement or gap funding. You may email [email protected] to make sure they are aware of your needs and can keep them in mind as the granting process progresses and needs become clearer.
Fundraising Support/Inspiration
- KDD Philanthropy Blog – How the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is Impacting Fundraising Shops
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-coronavirus-covid-19-impacting-fundraising-shops-kathy/?trackingId=YdKMYT4URy2ckHAwsvKX7g%3D%3D - Philanthropy 451
Now that you have breathing room…
Nonprofit Events Calendar
A central location to showcase newly or re-scheduled nonprofit events of local San Diego nonprofit organizations with the goal of avoiding conflicts. To participate and add an event to the calendar, nonprofits may email [email protected] with the following information:
Organization Name
Contact Person
Date and Time
Location of Event (venue name)
Type of Event (gala, dinner, auction, sporting event)
The Calendar is available to view at https://fieldstoneleadershipsd.org/fundraising-event-calendar/
Fieldstone Leadership Network SD Interest List
Click here to be added to our Interest List to get the latest information about our upcoming webinars, our 2020-2021 programs, or to receive our Career Exchange Newsletter.
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Taking Care of our Members Amidst COVID-19
As an organization which hosts gatherings and space for learning, making sure we take good care of our members is our highest priority. As such, we have instituted extra precautions to help maintain clean and healthy meeting places and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Hand sanitizer is available in our conference room and the tables, chairs, counter tops, technical equipment and door handles for all of our spaces are being cleaned after every use. Meals will be individually boxed for each participant.
While we value the participation of each of our program participants, if members’ are feeling ill or showing signs of illness, we request that he/she refrain from attending our learning opportunity. Only small group convenings may continue, if appropriate. This will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis as the situation with COVID-19 continues to unfold. We have cancelled our March Fieldstone@4 gathering in alignment with the State of California’s Gathering Guidelines.
For additional information about the virus, we recommend visiting the websites of the Centers for Disease Control https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html and/or County of San Diego https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/.
Information and to assist in leading through this unprecedented event, are being posted to our social media accounts on Facebook and LinkedIn.
We hope this information provides our members and guests an added level of comfort while participating with us and provides helpful tools to lead through this community health challenge.
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Coaching – Companionship for Your Leadership Journey
As we begin our 25th year of coaching nonprofit leaders, Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego added 10 nonprofit leaders to our coaching program this year. To kick off the program, we hosted an orientation meeting so our 2020 coachees could meet each other and receive information to help them make the most of this leadership development opportunity.
Our 2020 cohort includes: Amanda Bonds, Words Alive; Gloria Corral, Parent Institute for Quality Education; Melinda Forstey, Serving Seniors; Tara Graviss, Arts for Learning; Kristianne Kurner, New Village Arts; Sarah Lyman, Alliance Healthcare Foundation; Ismena Mejia, South Bay Community Services; Amanda Schultz Brochu, San Diego Hunger Coalition; Kelly Sherlock, Mama’s Kitchen and Hillary Theakston, The Clearity Foundation.
The Fieldstone Coaching Program pairs executive directors, one of whom has been trained as a consultative coach, in a twelve-month, confidential, one-on-one peer coaching relationship. Through a series of monthly meetings and ongoing conversations over the course of a year, coaches help to empower coachees to accomplish specific leadership goals and resolve organizational problems. Included in the program is a 360 Degree Reveiw. Fieldstone uses the tools from the Center for Creative Leadership for this portion of the program. We provide an hour-long consultation with a certified facilitator, separate from the coach, for each of the coachees to review their 360 results individually. For many, this is the first in-depth leadership skill assessment they have participated in as a nonprofit leader. The insights gained from the experience can guide them important personal insights and toward meaningful conversations with those with whom they work and lead.
Our thanks to the following Network members for serving as FLNSD Coaches:
Valin Brown, Michael Carr, Sue Carter-Kahl, Shirley Cole, Alberto Cortes, Matthew D’Arrigo, Torrie Dunlap, Shannon Jaccard, Sharon Lawrence, Kathy Lembo, Lenore Lowe, John Malashock, Renato Paiva, Deborah Salzer, Sue Schaffner, Carol Schultz, Don Stump, Karen Terra, JoAnne Ventre, and Don Wells.
In keeping with our mission of bringing quality leadership development opportunities to nonprofit leaders that they otherwise would not be able to afford, our coaching program is available for the small fee of $600. This includes 12 months of meetings and the 360 degree assessment and debrief. Coaching applications are accepted each September and the program begins each January.
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2020 Leadership Retreat Announced!
Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego is pleased to announce its 2020 leadership retreat:
Seeking the Heart of Justice in Historic and Hallowed Places.
Recognized for creating safe space for brave conversations and learning, the retreat will provide a unique experience for nonprofit leaders to consider issues of equity, diversity and inclusion and their place in the ongoing efforts to respectfully engage with others.
Offered as a contribution to our community’s efforts to advance these critical issues throughout the nonprofit sector and in the broader world, this retreat will support leaders who are facing a growing call for nonprofits to build a more equitable sector but don’t know where to start. The leadership pilgrimage will provide a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn experientially, reflect personally, and engage in communal conversations about equity in the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement.
This retreat visits historic sites to ground and inspire brave conversations about how our past informs issues of today and the future. It draws on Circle of Trust principles to create time and space for questions about our own roles in advancing social justice within the San Diego nonprofit community and beyond. 
The four-day experience includes time to visit and reflect on historic sites ranging from the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery. It also includes opportunities to hear directly from citizens who marched on Bloody Sunday and were active participants in these historic events. The retreat will support nonprofit leaders in identifying or deepening their own practices of equity and inclusion.
Seeking the Heart of Social Justice will take place September 27-30, 2020. More details and the application are available on our web page under the program tab. Due to the generosity of the Clare Rose Foundation and the Network, the fee for the retreat is $600. While applications are due by March 15, 2020, nonprofit leaders who are interested are encouraged to apply early as space is limited.
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2020 Learning Groups Begin
Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego kicked off 2020 by hosting three new learning groups. Each group is filled with dynamic nonprofit leaders committed to their own self development and to supporting others in the sector. Led by a facilitator, learning groups provide a safe and confidential space for leaders to explore the ideas and challenges they are holding while building trusted relationships with colleagues. These relationships have proven to be a continued resource of wisdom and friendship long after the six month program has ended. Our longest continuous learning group has continued to meet for over 21 years!!
2020 Executive Learning Group Janine, Fiona, Jamie, Brandon, Wendy, Cat, Nancy, Ted, Elly, Tom and Rhea
Our Executive Learning Group is comprised of nine leaders representing the arts and museums, health, environment, human and legal services, housing, and children. It includes, Jamie Beck, Free to Thrive; Elly Brown, San Diego Food System Alliance; Fiona Chatwin, Villa Musica;
Cat Corral, TranscenDANCE; Nancy Laturno, Mainly Mozart; Ted Miyahara, San Deigo Community Housing Corporation; Brandon Steppe, The David’s Harp Foundation;
Wendy Taylor, San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum and Rhea Van Brocklin, Christie’s Place. The group is led by Tom Hall of AlbertHall Associates and former director of the Old Globe Theatres. Tom participated in our very first San Diego Learning Group back in the early 90s!!
2020 Nonprofit Leaders Group 1 – Jennifer, Tom, Jessica, Natalia, Jeff, Julia, Amy, Natalie, Laura, Erin, Janine and Valerie
Due to popular demand, we are hosting two Nonprofit Leaders Learning Groups this year! Our first group is facilitated by Tom Hall. It includes:Valerie Attisha, Voices for Children; Julia Foster, La Jolla Playhouse; Erin Hogeboom, San Diego for Every Child; Jessica LaFave, Living Coast Discovery Center; Amy O’Conner, San Diego Oasis; Jeff Rowland, SD Public Library Foundation; Jennifer Sinnott, Serving Seniors; Laura White Ludvik, Support the Enlisted Project; Natalia Valeri-Rogers, Media Arts Center San Diego and Natalie van de Burgt, Congregation Beth Israel.
2020 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group 2 Front: Blair, Emily, Veronica, Giselle, Cristina, Allison, and Laura Back: Janine, Simone, Sharon, Jennifer and Karla
The second group is facilitated by Laura Spiegel, former Executive Director of Home Start and the First Five Commission of San Diego. Laura originally participated in our second San Diego Executive Learning Group and has been leading groups for us for close to 20 years!
This learning group includes: Cristina Aguirre, Barrio Logan College Institute; Giselle Beets, Serving Seniors; Veronica Blea, Interfaith Community Services; Blair Crann, Wounded Warrior Homes; Karla Gomez, Pro Kids/The First Tee of San Diego; Simone Hidds-Monroe, Just in Time for Foster Youth; Jennifer Monroe, Carlsbad Education Foundation; Sharon Morris, Voices for Children; Allison Morrissey, A Step Beyond; and Emily Nelson, I Love A Clean San Diego.
One hallmark of the Network is the continual investment in members to provide them with opportunities to develop their own facilitation skills. This is reciprocity at its best as these skills have allowed us to employ members of the sector to facilitate the programs they themselves have found to be critical to their own development. As a result, in addition to our Learning Groups being facilitated by members, our Creative Encounters by Fieldstone program, which is part of the first Learning Group day, is also facilitated by FLNSD members. This year our team of facilitators included, Renato Paiva, Access Youth Academy; Sue Schaffner, Serving Seniors; Joe Buehrle, SAY San Diego; Carol Schultz and Matt D’Arrigo, Clare Rose Foundation.
Beginning our 26th year, we have convened learning groups each year in San Diego since 1994. Every year, the learning groups have been filled to capacity due, in part, to a 98% peer referral rate. We are grateful for this strong endorsement of our program. The next round of learning groups will begin in January 2021. If you interested in more information or in being added to our interest list, please visit our the program section of our website.
Author’s Insights with Elizabeth Cobbs
Members of Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego’s Leadership Reading Group program had the privilege of learning from author Elizabeth Cobbs at FLNSD’s 4th Author’s Insight luncheon on December 11, 2019. The luncheon was hosted at Villa Musica.
Author’s Insights is crafted to provide an intimate setting for leaders to dive into leadership concepts and challenges showcased by an author in their work. Elizabeth is the author of The Tubman Command, a work of historical fiction which tells the story of Harriet Tubman after the Underground Railroad and as she orchestrates one of the largest plantation raids of the Civil War.
Moderated by Janine Mason, the themes of courage, faith, valor, and trust were discussed at great length during the two hour event. The role of a leader to make people feel safe and the idea of “absorbing fear” were also explored. Elizabeth discussed Harriet’s deep desire and commitment to helping people which fueled her continued efforts to free as many people as she could, to make the sacrifices required to accomplish her goals and to continue to work despite the risks, adding, “not unlike nonprofit leaders”.
After the discussion, Elizabeth signed books and talked with individual members.
Elizabeth Cobbs is an award winning novelist, historian and documentary film maker. She has written eight books, including New York Times Bestseller, The Hamilton Affair. One of her other novels, The Hello Girls: America’s First Women Solidiers, was recently made into an off Broadway musical. She currently holds the Melbern Glasscock Chair at Texas A&M University and is a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institute.
FLNSD currently hosts four reading groups to study leadership. The next Leadership Reading Group will begin in September 2020. Registration will begin this Spring.
Fieldstone@4 A Festive Celebration
On December 5, 2019 nonprofit leaders from throughout San Diego County gathered together to celebrate the gifts of the holiday season and one another. Recognizing the importance of taking time out from all of our responsibilities to pause and reflect, both individually and communally, Fieldstone @ 4 provided a festive space for leaders to reconnect with each other and celebrate all that has been accomplished and learned together this year.
Hosted at Green Flash, F@4 has been sponsored this year by First Republic Bank. In 
appreciation, Janine Mason presented David Loseke with a cairn and thanked him for “marking the leadership journey for nonprofit leaders through his ongoing support of our learning community.”
Janine was also honored to be able to introduce our newest team member, Mary Corbett, to more nonprofit leaders in our Network. Since joining us in November, Mary has already attending a Leadership Reading Group, Coaching meeting, Creative Encounters training and a Fieldstone @ 4. She is quickly learning names and faces, but more importantly, how special our community of leaders is. 
In attendance and coming in with the “longest relationship as a result of FLNSD” were Jose Cruz, Sue Schaffner and John Highkin, who met in a learning group together 23 years ago! So very much to celebrate!
Our gathering was warm and wonderful and a true reflection of the leaders who we are blessed to work with in the Network.
Watch our short video featuring the joyful faces of our Network Members –Fieldstone @ 4 Festive Faces
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