Through trainings and hands-on technical assistance aimed at reducing barriers to business success, RISE cultivates the role of participating organizations in becoming models for equitable workforce principles and pipelines for employment, economic development, and resident leadership within the communities they serve. These trainings and technical assistance opportunities are made possible by the County of San Diego’s Health & Human Services Agency.
Our Partners
RISE has been a proud Live Well San Diego partner since 2017
RISE offers a series of open entry/open exit trainings at no cost to staff, board, and volunteers from nonprofits and small minority-owned businesses located throughout the County who are interested in building their personal and organizational capacity to more effectively carry out their missions and ensure the sustainability of their organizations. Our diverse team of experienced and highly-knowledgeable training facilitators provides participants with information and resources in an interactive, online setting on a variety of topics important to organizational success, including:
RISE and The Prep Institute offer hands-on technical assistance courses for smaller emerging or recently established nonprofits and businesses seeking to learn how to develop and implement a business or strategic plan, or how to successfully respond to and manage a contract with the County of San Diego. Representatives from participating organizations form a cohort that meets regularly to hone their strategic thinking and strategic planning skills, which are put into practice as they build and implement their business and strategic plans and develop the required proposal components when navigating the contracting Request for Proposals (RFP) process. These group training sessions are complemented by technical assistance coaching, where participants work one-on-one with business development and program design and assessment coaches to delve into the work.Technical assistance courses range in length from 6- to 9-months and are offered free of charge to participants.
RISE offers two technical assistance tracks—called Learning Labs—for San Diego County's smaller nonprofits and fiscally-sponsored programs: a business development track (Power of Performance Learning Labs) and a contracting support track (Ready, Set, Go Learning Labs).
The Power of Performance Learning Labs are designed to help small nonprofits and fiscally-sponsored organizations build or revisit their business models to strengthen the infrastructure required to achieve their missions and operate effective, long-term social solutions. Social solutions establish processes and systems to solve community problems, and the success of social solutions depends upon organizational performance.Participants will take part in peer discussions and develop real-world business practices to examine the current status of their organization’s social solution and develop an implementation plan to take it to the next level.This program is recommended for organizations in operations for 3 years or less that are interested in advancing their social solution from start-up to growth.
The Ready, Set, Go Learning Labs are designed to help participants learn how to navigate the contracting process, prepare a strong proposal, and identify the necessary contract management systems to put into place. Participants will identify, create, and assemble the most common critical documents and systems required to successfully respond to and manage contracts with the County. The labs feature:
Online group courses
One-on-one and small-group coaching
Peer feedback and support
Stipends for participants upon completion of the series
How do we recognize trauma within ourselves, our teams, and our organizations and lead with empathy? How do we create workspaces where we can respond with compassion and flexibility and hold these conversations safely in times of unprecedented crisis and beyond?In this eight-week, highly experiential learning program, organization leaders and mid-level managers will participate in mindful discussions as we move through and beyond COVID-19. Participants will learn techniques that support the growth of leaders and teams through self-awareness and collective community healing to:
- Assess the impact of the pandemic crisis, response, and management on the wellbeing of our staff, leaders, and organizations
- Identify ways to support staff through workplace transformations including flexible schedules and remote work as organizations consider partially or fully re-opening physical spaces
- Establish clear lines of communication and conflict resolution techniques for collective solutions to crises
- Develop a crisis management plan as a tool for building resilience and minimizing harm, restoring operations, and preparing for other potential adversities
Participating organizations in our technical assistance program serve communities throughout the county through a variety of programs and services, which have included:
Community health and wellness
Youth mentoring and education
Business development
Neighborhood and community groupsOur participants offer programming for a diverse cross-section of San Diego residents, including refugee and immigrant communities from East Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East; homeless and unsheltered community members; caregivers; artists and creatives; families with children experiencing medical crises; girls and young women of color; individuals and families seeking counseling and mental health services; and more.
RISE helped me to be transparent in my process. It was really coming in and doing the real work that I believe that we as leaders have to do if we are going to succeed and lead others.
RISE urban leadership program played a significant role in my leadership development. So much of the deep grounding and self-work helped me to work through conflict and show up as my authentic self while doing so. During the past two years of the pandemic, I have helped create spaces of healing and conversation.
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