Ramona Community Foundation invites nonprofits to first of four free workshops

On March 21, Ramona Community Foundation (RCF), an affiliate of The San Diego Foundation, will hold its first free workshop in a four-part series for the local nonprofit community.

The focus of the March workshop is Board Governance and it will be led by nonprofit leader Wes Brusted, a Ramona resident and nonprofit industry leader with an array of leadership accomplishments, said Trudy Armstrong with The San Diego Foundation.

“Simultaneously pursuing a double-edged career as a producer and director, Wes Brustad founded Stage South (South Carolina) and served as vice president of The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis where he developed the Second Stage and oversaw the theater’s national touring productions in addition to heading up its fundraising efforts,” Armstrong said in a statement announcing the March 21 meeting.

Brustad was executive director of the South Carolina Arts Commission and a co-founder of the South Carolina Arts Foundation. He oversaw the design and building of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, where he also served as the producing director for the Advent Theatre, a League of Resident Theatres (LORT) theater, directing a variety of work from the classics to contemporary comedies to musicals. He moved from theater to music to manage the Spokane, Los Angeles Chamber, and San Diego Symphony orchestras.

After a stint producing major arts festivals such as the Beale Street Music Festival, he returned to San Diego to direct the performing arts, lecture, film production, and new media programs at the San Diego Museum of Art. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of the State Theatre Regional Arts Center in New Jersey, a multi-theater venue offering in excess of 225 performances annually.

“Ramona is home to a diverse array of nonprofit organizations, and these workshops will connect these groups to important resources and to each other,” said John Degenfelder, chair of the Ramona Community Foundation. “The foundation exists to meet the emerging needs of Ramona, and strengthening our local nonprofits is one important way to support the community.

Workshop Dates and Times

•Board Governance, led by nonprofit industry leader Wes Brustad.

Thursday, March 21, 7 to 9 p.m., Ramona Library, 1275 Main St. RSVP by March 19 to trudy@sdfoundation.org.

•Organizational and Financial Management, led by nonprofit industry leader Leslie Levinson, The San Diego Foundation CFO (leader subject to change).

Thursday, April 18, 7 to 9 p.m., Ramona Library, 1275 Main St. RSVP by April 16 to trudy@sdfoundation.org.

•Fundraising, led by nonprofit industry leader Daniel Foster, CEO of Oceanside Museum of Art (leader subject to change).

Thursday, May 16, 7 to 9 p.m., Ramona Library, 1275 Main St. RSVP by May 14 to trudy@sdfoundation.org.

•Volunteer Management and Recruitment Daniel Foster, CEO of Oceanside Museum of Art (leader subject to change).

Thursday, June 27, 7 to 9 p.m., Ramona Library, 1275 Main St. RSVP by June 15 to trudy@sdfoundation.org.

The Ramona Community Foundation is a membership-based organization that encourages and increases responsible and effective philanthropy by and for the benefit of all who live, work, and play in Ramona. Membership donations are the framework for charitable grants that are given to Ramona organizations and schools that demonstrate a need and an ability to effectively utilize the funds to better Ramona.

The tax-deductible membership donations go exclusively to causes in Ramona. Half of each donation is deposited into a fund for immediate grantmaking and the other half goes into an endowment fund that will support Ramona causes in perpetuity. Thanks to the Matt McLaughlin Live Here, Give Here Matching Program, the Ramona Community Foundation will be able to double its impact over the next three years by matching the grantmaking portion of all membership dollars.

An affiliate of The San Diego Foundation, the Ramona Community Foundation was founded in 2009 by Ramona community leaders to raise dollars in Ramona for Ramona. All decisions surrounding the grants awarded are made by the local members of the community foundation.

Last year, the RCF granted $30,200 to Ramona nonprofits. The goal of the members of the Ramona Community Foundation is to leverage small resources to have a great impact. The foundation welcomes new members to join them in the impacts they are making.

Armstrong may be contacted at Trudy@sdfoundation.org or 619-764-8602.