Getting to Know San Diego & Imperial County Issues and Community Efforts

When you think about “doing the work,” what comes to mind? You are deepening your commitment to trust-based grantmaking. You got to know a grassroots organization recently. You are building connections for community groups with others in your network. Catalyst’s Do the Work series invites you to a whole new level of impact with these strategies and more.

With Do the Work, you’ll dive deep into principles of trust-based philanthropy, participatory grantmaking, and equity through in-person events and peer-to-peer learning opportunities. These day-long sessions will center the voices and work of residents and stakeholders with deep roots in community.

Building a more in-depth exploration of the themes highlighted during All In, Catalyst’s 2021 conference, we are carving out a full day every month to immerse in conversation with funder colleagues and community leaders.

June 24 (all day): Do the Work: Border Economy | San Ysidro

Get to know the trans-border economy and communities. More than 40,000 people and millions of dollars of commerce cross the border every day and yet it shows up as a hard-stop to our imagination. Deepen your analysis of how interdependent our region is by visiting key locations and speaking with local stakeholders and experts while also strengthening your relationships with funder colleagues and community-based organizations. We will visit with the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce to hear about how businesses that were decimated by COVID-19 border closures are resurging; visit and discuss the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry, the border crossing that allows people to move seamlessly between San Ysidro and Tijuana and beyond; and spend time with Casa Familiar to explore their direct service and cultural spaces that are highlighting what it means to live in a transborder community. Get ready for delicious discussions and meals as we immerse ourselves in the vibrant, diverse, adaptive community at our very active border. Transportation and lunch provided.

July 28 (all day): Do the Work: Military Families

San Diego County is home to one of the largest military communities and economies in the nation and we benefit from their presence. Yet the families making these contributions can struggle to thrive in our community. Join nonprofits serving the families of active duty military personnel and those who are transitioning from service and recent veterans to learn more about how we can build synergy with the unique traits of military communities.

Through visits with zero8hundred, which strives to help servicemembers transition smoothly into civilian life and the San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC), which advocates for quality of life issues on behalf of our military, those who serve or have served, and their families in the greater San Diego region. We’ll connect with colleagues on how philanthropy has supplemented the federal government and what San Diego has to gain from proactively building up our military families.

August 26 (all day): Do the Work: Guaranteed Basic Income

When you think about the solution to poverty, do you wonder about people’s ability to pay for their basic needs and what would happen if rent and food were not a struggle? Then this session is for you. We’ll spend time with the Black Women’s Resilience Project and other partners who are testing in San Diego a proven model that provides regular income supplements to families that allow them to focus on school, work, and wealth-building activities and thus define a new future that is not constrained by systemic issues like redlining and implicit biases that prevent women and people of color from gaining employment. We will look at how to combine public and private dollars for a successful pilot and continuation of sustainable programs. Transportation and lunch provided.

Coming soon

September (TBD): Do the Work: Imperial Valley

October (TBD): Do the Work: Regenerative Farming & North County Tribes

Sessions are available at no charge to anyone with a paid registration for Catalyst’s 2021 annual conference. Catalyst members may register at a fee of $150 and non-Catalyst members may register at a fee of $250. Please contact [email protected] if the fee is a barrier to participation and we will gladly make accommodations.