Burnham Center for Community Advancement

08/06/2026

Thoughtful leaders shape strong organizations. Paula Cordeiro has been one of those leaders, asking thoughtful questions, bringing wisdom to difficult conversations, and helping others see what is possible.

Today, we recognize and celebrate Paula as she concludes her service on the Burnham Center for Community Advancement Board of Directors.

Throughout her time on our Board, Paula brought a global perspective, a deep commitment to education and leadership, and an unwavering belief that lasting community advancement begins with investing in people. Her insight strengthened our work, challenged our thinking, and helped advance our mission to build a stronger, more connected San Diego region.

While her Board service ends, her relationship with the Burnham Center does not. We are grateful for her partnership, her leadership, and the example she has set.

Thank you, Paula. Your impact will continue to shape our work for years to come.

08/04/2026

A stronger community is not built by the support of any one organization. It is built when organizations choose to work together.

Today, OneSD reached a milestone bringing together 100 member organizations from across the San Diego region.

Each member contributes a unique perspective, distinct expertise, and a shared commitment to building a San Diego region defined no by what divides us, but by what we can build together.

This moment is more than a number. It reflects what is possible when we invest in relationships, collaboration, and a shared vision for our region.

One hundred organizations.
One shared commitment.
OneSD.

07/28/2026

Strong communities are built by people who choose to invest in their future.

We are proud to introduce the Community Champions Circle, the Burnham Center for Community Advancement's new monthly giving program for individuals who want to help create lasting change across the San Diego region.

With a monthly gift, you provide the steady support needed to bring community leaders together, spark innovative solutions, and advance meaningful progress on our region's most pressing challenges.

Your investment helps drive work in key focus areas, including:

• OneSD – Strengthening community trust and connection
• Balboa Park
• Workforce Development
• Cross-Border Collaboration
• Homelessness & Housing

As a Community Champion, you will also receive invitations to exclusive donor appreciation events, opportunities to attend Burnham Center-sponsored community gatherings as our guest, and a Community Champions Circle lapel pin recognizing your commitment.

Most importantly, you will be joining a community of changemakers dedicated to building a stronger, more connected, and more vibrant San Diego.

Become a Community Champion today and help shape the future of our region.

🔗 https://secure.qgiv.com/for/communitychampionscircle/

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06/18/2026

Strong communities do not happen by accident. People build them.

Thank you to the San Diego Rotary Club for inviting the Burnham Center for Community Advancement to share OneSD and discuss a question that matters to all of us:

What story will define San Diego?

Rotary’s values, service, fellowship, diversity, integrity, and leadership, have strengthened communities for generations. Those values also shape OneSD.

During the presentation, our President and CEO Tad Seth Parzen, shared findings from the OneSD Baseline Report and discussed what they reveal about trust, connection, and civic life across our region. The conversation focused on both challenge and possibility.

San Diego faces rising division, isolation, and distrust. Those trends do not define us. We can choose a different path.

OneSD brings leaders, organizations, and residents together to strengthen community connection and build a stronger future for our region.

Thank you to Rotary for your leadership and for creating space for this conversation. We look forward to continuing this work together.

06/17/2026

Higher education is part of what shapes opportunity, economic mobility, and the future of our region. Conversations about access, outcomes, and student success matter to all San Diegans.

Next week, Albondigas South County will host a panel discussion focused on higher education and the challenges and opportunities ahead. The conversation will bring together leaders and community members to explore how we strengthen pathways to education across our region.

The Burnham Center for Community Advancement is pleased to help share this event and support opportunities that connect ideas with action.

See the flyer below for event details.

RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gEdUA7ry

06/09/2026

Bright Spots ✨ | TEDxKidsElCajon

El Cajon Valley Union School District hosted TEDxKidsElCajon at Greenfield Middle School — and the young people who took that stage delivered something our region needed to hear.

Under the theme "Bridges," students from elementary school through high school stepped up to speak about the things that connect us across difference. Anita spoke about bridging her Iraqi heritage with her American identity. Kevin courageously shared his experience with fear around immigration enforcement. Nova taught the audience American Sign Language and challenged us to see the world through the eyes of those who communicate differently. Daniel made a compelling case for respecting people of all faiths as the foundation of a peaceful world.

These were not rehearsed talking points. They were real experiences, told with clarity and courage — and a reminder that the next generation already knows what we need to do.

This is exactly the spirit that drives BCCA's OneSD initiative: pluralism over polarization, and trust-based, collaborative problem solving across our region. The young speakers of TEDxKidsElCajon are already building the bridges we all need to cross.

Congratulations to Superintendent David Miyashiro and the Cajon Valley Union School District team for creating a stage where young voices lead the way.

Watch the talks at tedxkidselcajon.com.

06/08/2026

Five years ago, the Burnham Center for Community Advancement was founded on a simple but powerful belief: meaningful progress happens when people come together to solve challenges and seize opportunities.

Today, we are proud to share Ideas to Action — Our First Five Years, a retrospective that reflects on the partnerships, conversations, and initiatives that have helped shape our work and strengthen our region.

This report is more than a look back. It is a reminder of what is possible when leaders, organizations, and community members work across differences to create solutions that benefit everyone.

As we look ahead, we are energized by the momentum of OneSD and the opportunities before us. The next chapter is just beginning.

Read the full report here: https://publuu.com/flip-book/1121109/2494920

05/13/2026

The Burnham Center for Community Advancement proudly launched OneSD, a regional initiative grounded in a simple but urgent belief: stronger communities begin with trust, connection, and collaboration.

What we witnessed was powerful. A standing room only gathering of cross sector leaders, community organizations, elected officials, educators, business leaders, nonprofits, philanthropists, and residents coming together around a shared commitment to strengthening the social fabric of San Diego County.

Throughout the afternoon, one theme surfaced again and again: trust.
How do we rebuild it?
How do we create spaces where people feel seen, heard, safe, and connected?
And how do we move from division toward collective problem solving?

Thank you to our panel and moderator for leading a meaningful dialogue on community trust, inclusion, and collaboration: Patricia Prado-Olmos, Vincent Mudd, Adriana "Adri" Brunner, and Mark Cafferty.

We are grateful to County Supervisor Joel Anderson and City Councilmember Raul A. Campillo for presenting official proclamations recognizing May 12, 2026 as “OneSD Day.”

We are equally honored by the Joint Senate Resolution recognizing BCCA and OneSD, signed by Senator Catherine S. Blakespear and Senator Brian Jones. We are grateful for the bipartisan recognition and support of this work.

Thank you as well to District Attorney Summer Stephan, Mayor Todd Gloria and his office, and David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, for joining the conversation.

We also thank our BCCA board members, coalition partners, community leaders, and more than 50 participating organizations who showed up ready to listen, engage, and build together.

A special thank you to our OneSD donors and sponsors whose support helped make this initiative possible, including CalPrivate Bank, Ace Parking, California State University San Marcos, and MiresBall.

The launch also marked the release of the OneSD Baseline Report, an important first step in understanding social trust, civic connection, belonging, and polarization across our region.

Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/gBSK3iZA

OneSD is not a one time event. It is the beginning of a long term regional effort to strengthen our communities together.

If you would like to get involved, partner with OneSD, support this work, or join the growing coalition, we invite you to connect with us. Building a stronger San Diego belongs to all of us.

05/07/2026

We appreciated the opportunity to join NBC 7 San Diego to preview the upcoming OneSD Kickoff and discuss why this moment matters for our region.

Representing the conversation were Andrew Blum, Senior Program Director at the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, and Gina Lopez, CEO of the California Center for the Arts Escondido and proud OneSD coalition member.

The discussion focused on the launch of OneSD, a growing coalition of more than 50 organizations coming together to strengthen trust, connection, and civic life across San Diego County. From business and education to arts, nonprofits, and community leadership, OneSD is creating space for collaboration around the issues that impact all of us.

Thank you to NBC San Diego for helping elevate this important regional dialogue as we look ahead to the May 12 OneSD Kickoff.

More than 50 organizations across San Diego County will come together on May 12 to launch OneSD. NBC 7’s Marianne Kushi has more.

04/02/2026

The Burnham Center for Community Advancement is thrilled to celebrate Longer Tables San Diego, a movement bringing people together to share meals, exchange stories, and build genuine connection.

Last week, this vision came to life at the first Community Leader Dinner, where strangers became neighbors around the table, discovering the power of togetherness and community. We were proud to help co-create the community leader dinner because Longer Tables champions the same mission we pursue at the Burnham Center for Community Advancement through our OneSD initiative: uniting people together across sectors, building trust, and strengthening connections throughout the San Diego region.

This is only the beginning as we nurture the connections and reliance that were planted at the table.

Celebrate with us and get involved in co creating the longer table for San Diego at LongerTablesSanDiego.org.