San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - November 13, 2026) - National University's (NU) Sanford Institute of Philanthropy and AFP San Diego announced a new partnership focused on expanding education, professional development and connections for fundraising professionals throughout the San Diego region. The collaboration builds on previous work between the organizations and will begin with AFP San Diego's Emerging Leaders Education Program.

The partnership comes as San Diego's nonprofit sector faces increasing pressure on its workforce and resources. The Center for Effective Philanthropy's 2025 report, "State of Nonprofits 2025: What Funders Need to Know," found that nearly half of nonprofit leaders identified staffing, including recruitment and retention, as a key organizational challenge. More than half also cited insufficient funding to recruit, retain and support staff as the biggest source of their staffing challenges.

Through the partnership, National University's Sanford Institute of Philanthropy and AFP San Diego will help expand professional development, mentorship and educational opportunities for emerging fundraising professionals, strengthening the pipeline of practitioners supporting nonprofit organizations throughout the region.

"Fundraising is ultimately about relationships and the people behind the organizations doing important work in our communities," said Scott Page, executive vice president of Sanford Learning at National University. "This partnership gives us an opportunity to support professionals early in their fundraising careers with practical education, strong professional connections and a foundation they can continue building on throughout their careers."

The first initiative under the partnership will focus on AFP San Diego's Emerging Leaders program, which supports professionals with up to four years of fundraising experience. The initiative emphasizes career growth, leadership development, diverse perspectives, ethical practice and continued education, while creating opportunities for participants to build relationships within the fundraising community. Participation is open to professionals of all ages and is not limited to AFP San Diego members.

"Our partnership with National University and the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector through education, collaboration and leadership development," said Ingrid de Llamas, CFRE, IAP, President of AFP San Diego. "By expanding opportunities for fundraising professionals to learn, connect and grow, we strengthen our profession, the organizations we serve, and ultimately our community."

The new agreement builds on an existing relationship between the organizations. The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy has previously supported AFP San Diego through event sponsorships, while historical National University materials also show the institute's Fundraising Academy participating in AFP educational webinars and workshops. The new partnership creates an opportunity to deepen that work through programming designed specifically to support fundraising professionals in the San Diego community.

The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy provides fundraisers and nonprofit organizations with professional training and tools grounded in its Cause Selling approach, with peer-to-peer and self-paced learning designed around relationship building and donor engagement.

The partnership will also be highlighted during AFP San Diego's 54th Annual National Philanthropy Day on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in San Diego. The annual event recognizes people and organizations contributing to philanthropy across the San Diego region.

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About the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy

The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University provides nonprofit organizations, school districts and fundraising professionals with training programs and tools based on the Cause Selling approach to building and retaining donor relationships. Through peer-to-peer and self-paced learning opportunities, the institute helps participants develop practical relationship-building skills they can apply within their organizations. Learn more at sanfordinstituteofphilanthropy.org.

About AFP San Diego:

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) San Diego Chapter has supported fundraising professionals and nonprofit leaders throughout San Diego County since 1974. Through professional education, mentorship, networking, and leadership opportunities, AFP San Diego connects people at every stage of their careers. With more than 370 local members and connections to a global network of fundraising professionals, AFP San Diego invests in the people behind philanthropy to strengthen nonprofits and the communities they serve. Learn more at afpsd.org.

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Source: National University