About SANDAN

SANDAN is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt, public benefit organization that was incorporated in May 1998 and governed by a 15 member board of directors.

SANDAN's Mission

As the voice of San Diego's nonprofit sector, SANDAN's mission is to promote, connect and lead a vibrant and effective nonprofit sector
that advances the well being of the San Diego region.

SANDAN fulfills its mission through these core strategies

  • Providing leadership and capacity that strengthens and supports the San Diego nonprofit sector.
  • Advocating for the interests of the nonprofit sector
  • Promoting the San Diego region nonprofit sector and its successes
  • Coordinating and connecting all nonprofit sub-sectors (umbrella)
  • Unifying and amplifying the nonprofit sector voice
  • Connecting nonprofits to resources
  • Tracking and reporting on key social and sector indicators and social return on investment in nonprofits
  • Creating bridges and linkages to government and business
  • Advancing the highest standards of ethical nonprofit practice
SANDAN is a member of:
  • Aging and Independence Services - Long Term Care Integration Project: A SANDAN board appointed representative holds a designated seat on the AIS committee. AIS LTCIP stakeholders diligently work to plan local systems of health and social services to improve care for their elderly and disabled residents.
  • Contracting Work Group: This is a bi-monthly forum, open to all County contractors, co-convened by SANDAN and the County of San Diego HHSA Agency Contract Support, and includes representatives from Mental Health Contractors Assoc. and the ADS Providers Association. This group works cooperatively to discuss county contracting issues and concerns and work through problems to improve the overall effectiveness of the County HHSA system.
  • Children’s’ Mental Health System of Care Council (CMHSOCC): A SANDAN board appointed representative holds a designated seat on the CMHSOCC. The purpose of the System of Care Council is to ensure that all agencies serving San Diego county children have coordinated services resulting in improved child, family, and system outcomes consistent with System of Care Values and Principles.
  • Commission on Children, Youth and Families (CCYF): A SANDAN board appointed representative holds a designated seat on the County of San Diego Commission on Children Youth & Families. This is an advisory body with the mandate of providing a leadership role in identifying and addressing the needs of children, youth and families who are either at-risk or in the public charge.
  • Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC): A SANDAN board appointed representative holds a designated seat on the JJCC. JJCC stakeholders are committed to implementing evidence-based approaches and promising practices to promote positive youth development and prevent juvenile delinquency in San Diego County.
  • Workforce Investment Board: Effective March, 2009 a SANDAN board appointed representative holds a designated seat on this board. This board shares responsibility with the Policy Board for overseeing funding and policy development under the Workforce Investment Act . The WIB is particularly focused on identifying labor market needs and developing effective and innovative responses to helping the unemployed in the San Diego region.
The History of SANDAN

By 1996, the Community Congress had been in existence for 25 years and the primary organizer and convener of the San Diego nonprofit sector. The Congress had been funded by the United Way for many years prior to 1995 but the small $30,000 grant ended in 1996 and the Congress was retired and disbanded. During years1995 and 1996, the Congress had been convening a group of executive directors from several human service nonprofits around the question posed by then County CAO, David Janssen, regarding a framework for thinking about how best to organize the health and human service system in San Diego across the public sector, private nonprofits, and private for-profits. Under the leadership of the Congress, a defining paper was developed and presented to the Board of Supervisors in the fall of 1996. There was some organized resistance at the BOS meeting by the SEIU at the time and the issue was effectively sidetracked. Shortly thereafter, David Janssen left the County and Larry Prior came in with a sweeping privatization agenda that paid little attention to the work done by the Congress.

The key nonprofit leadership involved during this time included: John Adam, Community Congress Director; Laura Spiegel, as Home Start Inc. Executive Director; Roger Bailey, then CEO at Meals-On-Wheels; Delia Sables, Catholic Charities; Melissa Donaldson, SDYCS AED;  Laura Mustari, as YMCA Youth and Family Services’ Executive Director; Nancy Sherman, then Harmonium’s Executive Director; Carol Fitzgibbons, Home of Guiding Hands Executive Director; Jonathon Hunter, then AED for Episcopal Community Services; and Larry Johnson, as the United Way’s Director of Community Services.


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