San Diego Philanthropic Action Lab (SD PAL)

Our flagship initiative is in San Diego, anchored by co-founder Jake Wild Crea’s faculty role at the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. Together with local stakeholders, we pursue three strategic priorities:


Act. Spearhead the co-creation of a future where San Diego is a model city for philanthropic impact.
Learn. Study sector strengthening efforts around the United States, including the results of SD PAL, to understand the ecosystem and uncover promising processes, structures, and partnerships.
Share. Equip nonprofits and funders, in San Diego and around the country, with the ability to understand their roles within larger systems and the skills to collaborate across organizations and sectors to tackle complex, adaptive challenges.


Over the course of 3–5 years, our aspiration is to fundamentally change how it feels to do philanthropy and nonprofit work in San Diego, so that all nonprofits and funders:

Experience psychological safety: feel confident they can be honest, take risks, and challenge assumptions without fear of negative consequences.

Develop ecosystem awareness: understand the unique role of their work in the context of other efforts, and act with that awareness.

Maximize impact: center communities by increasing their philanthropic/nonprofit impact.

Partnership Cohorts

Our cohorts bring together funders and nonprofits who are ready to move beyond “business as usual” in philanthropy. They’re designed for practitioners who want to break down silos, build genuine partnerships, and reimagine what collaboration can look like. Our participants are changemakers who believe that funders and nonprofits can, and should, operate as teammates in pursuit of greater community impact.

Our Cohort Models

We offer three primary types of cohorts, each designed to meet the assets and needs of different ecosystems:

Topic-Based Cohorts
Groups of 10–30 nonprofits and funders from a shared ecosystem who explore and address key issues shaping philanthropy today, such as risk, measurement, or navigating complex political moments.

Issue-Based Cohorts
Groups of 10–30 nonprofits and funders aligned around a common focus area, such as education, healthcare, or the environment. Participants collaborate to identify leverage points and shared solutions within their field.

Geography-Based Cohorts
Groups of 10–30 nonprofits and funders rooted in a specific region, such as San Diego, Boston, or Kalamazoo, who work collectively to strengthen their local philanthropic ecosystem.

What Participants Experience

Over the course of each cohort, participants:

  • Confront what’s often left unsaid, surfacing hidden challenges and tensions within philanthropy.

  • Build empathy and trust across the funder–nonprofit divide.

  • Gain practical tools and strategies for higher impact collaboration.

  • Translate insights into action, from personal commitments to organizational and community-level change.

  • Co-create initiatives that strengthen philanthropic ecosystems.

  • Join an impact-centered network of leaders equipped to drive meaningful and lasting change in their communities.

Bridge Training

Funders and nonprofits can, and should, function as teammates. In an ideal world, fundraisers and program officers serve as mutual bridges between their organizations, working in tandem to ensure that resources flow effectively, efficiently, and with purpose.

We believe there is immense value in fundraisers and grantmakers learning side by side, gaining a deeper understanding of each other’s roles, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration.

Our Bridge Training is fully customizable to the needs of each community and can range from a 60-minute workshop to a multi-day experience.

Through a Bridge Training, participants will:

  • Step into the realities of “the other side of the check,” building understanding and empathy across traditional boundaries.

  • Gain tools and frameworks to strengthen cross organizational partnerships rooted in trust and shared purpose.

  • Receive candid feedback and actionable insights to refine individual and organizational approaches.

  • Develop tangible skills to become more effective fundraisers and grantmakers.

  • Catalyze organizational shifts that improve funding relationships.

  • Join a network of peers committed to transforming how resources move through their communities.

Consulting & Facilitation

Andrew and Jake are seasoned program designers and facilitators with experience working on both sides of the check, as fundraisers, grantmakers, and ecosystem conveners. Their work bridges the worlds of philanthropy and nonprofit practice, helping communities and organizations create spaces where collaboration, trust, and shared learning can thrive.

For organizations that already convene funders and nonprofits in shared spaces, or aspire to do so more effectively, we offer tailored support designed to meet you where you are.

Our services include:

  • Strategic advising to clarify goals, align stakeholders, and strengthen philanthropic ecosystems.

  • Program design that helps you structure productive shared nonprofit and funder spaces.

  • Program delivery and facilitation to ensure inclusive, engaging, and productive shared experiences.

  • Customized trainings and workshops focused on nonprofit-funder relationships, conflict resolution, power dynamics, and shared space facilitation.

Together, we help partners design experiences that move beyond transactional interactions toward deeper alignment, mutual accountability, and lasting impact.