Apply to become a member

Thank you for your interest in the Leadership Development Project.  Please fill out the form below and we will contact you to coordinate next steps in the application process.

In order to be accepted into the LDP, your organization must be engaged in community leadership work in San Diego County and be directly aligned with the mission and values of the group.

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The Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute identifies new leaders and supports/trains existing leaders in Boards and Commissions to build capacity in communities that have been largely underrepresented and disenfranchised.

Partner Organizations:

• Center on Policy Initiatives (CPI) (Lead Organization)
• Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE)
• Alliance San Diego
• City Heights Community Development Corporation
• Environmental Health Coalition (EHC)
• San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council
• San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council
• San Diego Housing Federation

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LDP members are social equity/justice organization representatives from the San Diego community, whose interest is in aligning to build a strong leadership development network to empower those in under-represented communities. Membership in the LDP is based on an organization’s alignment with the mission and guiding principles of the LDP.

See current members and apply to join.

Benefits:

• Opportunities for collaboration with other organizations
• Possible feature on the sandiegoleaders.org website
• Direct notification for funding opportunities

Members attend quarterly meetings, take part in surveys, review budgets, and perform other coordinating tasks and correspondences related to the project. Members are also highly encouraged to attend an annual Participatory Strategic Planning retreat and join one of the three volunteer committees focused on specific goals for the project.

Apply to join →

2018 Community Representation Report

The purpose of this report is to examine the levels of diversity, inclusion, and community representation on five key boards and commissions, and how successfully they are addressing the needs of underserved communities.

KEY FINDINGS:

• Lack of full representation
  The 2018 membership of the five elected and appointed boards and commissions studied for this report fails to reflect the rich variety of people, cultures, and experiences that distinguish the San Diego region.
• Disproportionately white, male, and economically secure
  In terms of race and ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic background, the decision-making bodies we studied are significantly more homogeneous than the communities they are entrusted to represent. They are disproportionately white, male, and economically secure or advantaged.
• Structural barriers to representation
  Structural factors can limit diversity and full representation, including strong reliance on informal social networks to secure nominations, informal preference for professionals from related industries, and disenfranchisement of large populations who are not US citizens but are directly served by the board.

Download executive summary (Spanish/Español)

Download executive summary (Vietnamese/Tiếng Việt)

Download the full report (English)

Download the full report (Spanish/Español)

2013 Report: San Diego's Leadership Development Infrastructure

Here you can download and read CPI's assessment of existing leadership programs in San Diego County, which took place in the spring of 2013 to identify regional opportunities and gaps.

KEY FINDINGS:

• Many vacancies to fill
  At least 2,257 appointed positions on Boards and Commissions exist in the various cities and the County of San Diego. There are numerous vacancies, and sitting appointees that have filled seats well beyond their term.
• Missing demographic information
  Cities and the County in San Diego do not track, or request even voluntarily from applicants or appointees, demographic representation on appointed Boards and Commissions.
  
• Leadership training opportunities
  At least 13 different programs exist to train new leaders with either a social and economic change orientation or that characterize their program as “progressive.”

Download the full report

Thinking of running for local office?

Use this free tool (RunForOffice.org) to see what positions are available wherever you reside in the United States.