As a San Diego Union-Tribune Top Workplace in San Diego for three consecutive years, there’s no doubt our employees enjoy working at San Diego Foundation.
With a focus on inspiring enduring philanthropy and enabling community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region, San Diego Foundation’s work typically focuses on working with donors and our nonprofit partners to address the most critical needs in our county. SDF also recognizes the importance of dedicated time and hands-on service in the community.
Prior to the pandemic, SDF regularly hosted volunteer days for its employees. Most recently, SDF employees and those from the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center volunteered with the YMCA of San Diego County to remove invasive ice plants at Camp Surf and clean up trash in Imperial Beach.
The Value of Volunteers
Every nonprofit organization needs volunteers to best serve their local communities, including YMCA San Diego County. The YMCA Camp Surf in Imperial Beach serves as a year-round summer camp-like experience for kids and teens to develop various skills needed to succeed. The organization is always in need of a helping hand to keep serving youth.
“Our staff are important, but our volunteers are just as important as they are the ones doing it out of the kindness and love of their hearts,” said Courtney Cordero, Vice President of Development at YMCA San Diego County. “The fact that people come and use their hands to make our Y a better place and a better space for the kids to experience is truly something special.”
A Testament to Teamwork
A beach cleanup (in the rain, no less!) on a cold March day truly brings people together. SDF employees attest that not only does volunteering together require teamwork, but it also fuels camaraderie.
“That didn’t stand between us,” said Josh Jacobsen, a Government Relations and Policy Advisor at the San Diego Regional Policy and Innovation Center. “If anything, it sparked some good conversation and is an icebreaker. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Volunteer days also give SDF employees a chance to live the organization’s values through direct service.
“I love the work that we do and it’s so gratifying getting to do it with our team,” said Everett Au, Climate Initiatives Manager at SDF. “It takes a whole village to make the whole community more resilient, do the environmental impact we want to accomplish and to be able to do it all together is really valuable.”
Learn more about working at San Diego Foundation.
