The University of San Diego’s Joan Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice was abuzz for two days at the start of 2011 as hundreds of nonprofit leaders and funders gathered to build skills and network in the seventh annual Nonprofit Governance Symposium offered by USD’s Institute for Nonprofit Education and Research. Representing the cream of the crop was this year’s Kaleidoscope Award Winner, the San Diego Youth Symphony & Conservatory, for successfully expanding its mission to embrace music education for students throughout the San Diego area.

Who Was There:

Shepherding together the flock of nonprofit visionaries was the task of USD’s Pat Libby, Paula Cordeiro, Janine Mason, Liz Shear and dozens of their colleagues including Ruth Westreich, Malin Burnham and Mary McDonald. Among those representing the San Diego Youth Symphony & Conservatory were Trustees Jim Whitesell, Robert Gaan, Bill Sturgeon, Betty Hiller, Ed Abeyta, Pamela Hartwell, Anni Lipper and President and CEO Dalouge Smith, plus Development Director Molly Clark. Organizations with every kind of imaginable mission were represented:

From Friends of County Animal Shelters (FOCAS), Daniel Buryj and Jodie Sprayberry;

From Mid-City CAN, Alex Mazloom, Diana Ross, Evie Kosower and Yasmin Hamud;

From the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, Sandy Kahn, Hope Carlson, Greg Erickson and Matthew Rowe;

From the Chicano Federation, Adrianna Alcarez and Arnulfo Manriquez;

From Kids for Peace, Catrina Goldsmith and Jill McManigal;

From Mama's Kitchen, Alberto Cortes and Olivia Gil-Guevara.

Kay Porter joined the symposium, a gracious ambassador for the Balboa Theatre Foundation, while Robert Dean and Francis Landis proudly represented the San Diego Center for Children. Also seen among the crowd of philanthropic ambassadors were Anne Bolzoni of San Diego Association of Nonprofits (SANDAN), Irene Stillings and Alan Ball of the California Center for Sustainable Energy, Heather Finlay of the YWCA, Rob Sidner of the Mingei International Museum, Leane Marchese of ElderHelp, and Don Wells and Diane Cox of Just in Time for Foster Youth. Tom and Cindy Goodman, Rosa Ruiz and Patricia Cavanaugh, Linda Spuck and Carlee Harmonson, Roger and Wanda Lee Bailey, Tom Scott, Wendy Forkas, Nancy Batterman and Bell Ellison joined the impressive array of San Diegans whose commitment to civic stewardship makes San Diego a brighter community.

The Good-Hearted:

Widely acknowledged as one of San Diego’s premiere occasions for high-level planning and networking on behalf of nonprofit organizations, this seventh annual USD symposium was well-supported by AKT CPAs and Business Consultants, Bank of America, The California Endowment, Moss-Adams LLP, US Bank, CBIZ Professional Support, Mayer Hoffman McCann CPAs, San Diego Grantmakers, and the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego.

The Cause:

USD School of Leadership and Education Sciences houses the Institute for Nonprofit Education and Research that convenes the annual symposium. Each attendee brought a cause to this occasion, with the overall purpose of making life better for San Diegans. The USD institutions offer education for would-be leaders of nonprofit organizations, connect leadership volunteers with agencies who need them, and help nonprofits to sharpen their mission focus while improving accountability and efficiency.

The Creative:

In the keynote address by USC professor Manuel Pastor, attendees learned that when communities focus on creating equity and economic justice for all, they enjoy stronger economic growth. Among the many lessons shared during the conference, consultant Deirdre Maloney advised attendees never to beg when recruiting board members, and the progressive concept of Appreciative Inquiry introduced by Michael Pinto and Nancy Smith. After all the presentations were done, individual nonprofits had a chance to do matchmaking with prospective board members in an energy-charged environment of high intention and smart focus.

Get Involved:

Nonprofit organizations need every kind of leader, not only the ones who have money, but those who offer insight, passion or know-how. “Service above self” is second-nature to many San Diegans, who look for ways to share the beauty and everyday miracles of life. Don’t wait until next year’s symposium to get involved, but consider your own passion and make a new year's commitment to give of yourself. For more information, please visit: http://www.sandiego.edu/soles

Link to more photos: CAUSE.