Captain Juan Oregel was at first reluctant. The steady director of the Salvation Army who oversees both the Stockton and Tracy Shelter Facilities was unsure. Melissa De Jesus of Friends Outside, an agency helping formerly incarcerated individuals successfully re-enter back to life after jail time, was equally uncertain. And Pat Tirone, the fireball founder of Delta Sculling was tempted but had questions.
But on August 28th, their collective opinion was shared at the United Way of San Joaquin County’s Nonprofit Capacity Building Program (NCBP) graduation where each leader along with 15 other nonprofits talked about their own personal transformation, their agencies shifts towards long term success and the relevance of a program that helped each CEO and Board Chair lift their nonprofits towards a more dynamic and functional future.
All entered into the NCBP, a nine-month journey of both self-discovery and the learning of relevant tools, the importance of culture, strategy and equal governance leading towards sustainable organizations. The graduation was the culmination of late nights, deep discussions, one on one sessions with faculty and nonprofit executives whose own experiences aligned with the NCBP class-cohort 3. To date, over 55 nonprofits have experienced the intensive tracks required to complete this City of Stockton sponsored and supported effort.
Tina McCarty, Stockton’s Economic Development Director for the City of Stockton who took the reins of the NCBP for the city, highlighted the program as an essential tool for our nonprofits. Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Tracy) stressed that in our current political environment nonprofits do the work that government cannot do. Adding, “and we as a community must invest in our nonprofits.”…