National Nonprofit Day on Aug. 17 honors the invaluable contributions of organizations committed to making a positive impact on both a large- and local scale. It’s important to recognize the vital efforts being made by the numerous nonprofits in our local community, many of whom call Arts District Liberty Station home.

In observance of the value of underappreciated nonprofits, Peninsula Beacon held a Q&A with some in Liberty Station in Point Loma, recognizing their service to the greater San Diego community.

Beacon: Why did you choose to become a nonprofit?

San Diego Craft Collective: “There are so many reasons,” said founder Steffanie Dotson. “One is it builds a community to learn and create things with other people. I wanted a place for people to have a creative outlet, an opportunity to learn traditional crafts that are seldom being taught anymore, and a space for all ages to make meaningful things with their hands.”

Malashock Dance: “John founded Malashock Dance in 1988, after a distinguished performing career with Twyla Tharp’s company in New York, where he performed worldwide,” said executive director Molly Puryear. “The organization was founded to bring dance education, free programming, and access to innovative contemporary concert dance for San Diegans. Since then, the organization has grown in scope and community impact, now reaching over 10,000 individuals each year with its mission to illuminate the power of dance as an invaluable part of the human experience.”

Apt 4 Music: “We chose to start a nonprofit to create opportunity in the musical arts by making music accessible and achievable for everyone,” said founder Rice Enright. “It is our goal to transform communities globally through music-centered programs, services, and education.”

Reading Legacies: “We became a nonprofit in order to be able to educate and empower the community to solve the problem of lack of connection with important adults and low reading skills in children and youth in our county/country,” said founder/president Betty Mohlenbrock.

The Rosin Box Project: “It was founded in 2018 to re-imagine the way artists and audiences experience and connect with dance, we chose to incorporate and pursue the nonprofit path because we believe art, especially contemporary ballet, is a universal language that has a palpable transformative power to bring people and communities together and should be accessible to everyone,” said artistic director Carly Topazio. “Being a nonprofit allows us to prioritize our mission and passion for dance over profits. It ensures that our community and its enrichment remain at the heart of what we do.”

San Diego Ballet: “We were founded in 1991 with a mission to excite, enrich, and entertain our diverse audiences with imaginative presentations of classical and contemporary dance,” said executive director Matt Carney.

San Diego Writers INK: “We aim to be a literary hub in San Diego by promoting literature, providing artistic development for writers at all levels, and facilitating artistic collaboration,” said the nonprofit. “This year marks our 20th year, and we believe now what we believed when we started, that the power of story is an important connector. We are here to make sure people can tell their stories through classes, workshops, drop-in groups, readings, an annual anthology, an art gallery, etc. by offering writing and artistic opportunities year-round.”

San Diego Watercolor Society: Began in 1965 as a group of 16 artists who wanted to encourage appreciation of water media painting. In order to avoid paying taxes on the money they earned from programs and donations, SDWS was incorporated as a nonprofit. Thus, its income is not taxed and can be reinvested in its programs.

Emilio Nares Foundation: “It was founded 20 years ago by Richard and Diane Nares, after tragically losing their son Emilio to cancer at the age of 6,” said Cory Moore. “They chose to help other children with cancer by making sure no child missed a cancer treatment due to a lack of transportation.”

LIBERTY STATION NONPROFITS

Arts

• Mocking Bird Improv: Providing connection, joy, and opportunities for self-expression to the local community.
• New Americans Museum: With over 10 annual exhibitions and related programming per year, the museum dives into themes of relevance to all Americans and reflective of this time.
• San Diego Craft Collective: A community resource to sharpen skills in woodworking and other crafts.
• San Diego Filipino Cinema: The organization recognizes the importance of nurturing the voices of emerging Filipino filmmakers in the area and promoting a greater representation and understanding of the global Filipino experience.
• San Diego Watercolor Society: Expands the appreciation of and involvement in water-media painting through workshops and instruction, exhibitions, and community promotion.
• San Diego Writers INK: Nurtures writers and fosters a literacy community by providing artistic development for all levels of writers and facilitating artistic collaboration.
• Visions Museum of Textile Art: What began as Quilt San Diego, now has become a nonprofit arts organization that promotes contemporary quilt making as a fine art.

 Community Serving

• California Southern Small Business Development Corporation: Helps small businesses get the financial assistance they need to become successful partners in the community.
• Hire Heroes USA: Giving veterans the support they deserve is the priority at Hire Heroes USA.
• Love Does: Fighting for human rights by providing care and education to those most underserved.
• Mission Edge: Dedicated to helping nonprofits and minority-owned small businesses scale up their organization.
• San Diego Brain Injury Foundation: A preeminent resource for brain injury survivors in San Diego County, as well as their caregivers and their families, to provide information, support, education, and community awareness.

Dance

• Malashock Dance: Strives to create a gathering space for artists to expand their dancing skills and nurture them to be a tool for life-long learning.
• San Diego Dance Theater: The organization continues to bring dance into the lives of many young students as a creative outlet for artistic self-expression.
• San Diego Ballet: The dance group seeks to reignite the passion for ballet under the visionary leadership of Javier Velasco.
• The Rosin Box Project: Delivers innovative artistic experiences to the San Diego community by reimagining the way artists and audiences connect with dance.

Educational & Family Support

• ABC Youth Foundation: Works to empower San Diego’s inner-city youth to face life’s challenges without cowardice but with courage and dignity through boxing.
• Banyan Tree Educational Services: Committed to empowering students to meet their full potential by recognizing their strengths and developing foundations for learning throughout San Diego.
• Bilingual Kids: Uses a unique blend of music, culture, literature, and crafts to teach children a new language within an engaging learning environment.
• Boys & Girls Foundation: Serving abused, neglected, and underserved youth in San Diego County, the Boys and Girls Foundation works to support and create programs that provide preventative service and direct care for the vulnerable.
• Emilio Nares Foundation: By providing free transportation to medical treatments and other free family support programs to underserved children with cancer, the foundation aids families as they navigate their child’s journey with cancer.
• KIT- Kids Included Together: KIT also provides observations, consultations, and recommendations to ensure organizations are confident in serving all children, regardless of ability.
• Reading Legacies: Reconnecting families using the power of reading together.
• The Treehouse Academy: Focuses on a holistic approach to education that involves an active role to be taken by parents, teachers, and community members.

Environmental

• The Energy Coalition: Founded in 1975 with the mission to change the way people think about and use energy.
• Walkabout International: Walking is believed to be for exercise, social connections where you can create connections with other walkers, or a peaceful activity to do alone.

Music

• Apt 4 Music: Focused on supporting individuals, families, organizations, and educators from all walks of access to the musical arts and education.
• San Diego Youth Symphony: Serving as a catalyst for investing in the future of thousands of young San Diegans through the study and performance of music.
• Young Lions Jazz Conservatory: Giving young musicians diverse, experiential, and meaningful learning opportunities to sustain and enhance the development of America’s Classical Music.