Overview

The Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research offers resources and products that are grounded in systematic research and have direct applicability to the field. It also serves as an important training facility that enables doctoral students to directly engage in a variety of Third Sector research projects. The Caster Family Center works in collaboration and under contract with nonprofit-service and charitable organizations on a wide range of projects. 

Among its services, the Caster Family Center:

• Offers access to and analysis of various types of nonprofit data
• Conducts studies and research on the sector
• Analyzes funding, public policy, and environmental trends affecting the nonprofit sector
• Provides program evaluation, needs assessments, and research services to nonprofit organizations on a fee-for-service basis
• Maintains databases on San Diego County’s 9,000+ public charities as well as private and community foundations

Additionally, the Caster Family Center convenes regular symposia with practitioners in order to discuss its findings and their practical applications within the context of the local, regional, and national nonprofit sectors.

"The work that San Diego Grantmakers commissioned from the Caster Center has been extremely helpful in our goal to benchmark, grow and strengthen organized philanthropy in the region. We are fortunate to have the Caster Center as a resource for relevant applied research that supports the development of an informed and innovative San Diego nonprofit sector."
~Nancy Jamison, Executive Director, San Diego Grantmakers

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Staff Biographies

Center Director

Laura Deitrick serves as the Director for the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research at the University of San Diego. She has been a nonprofit executive director, board member, management consultant, and researcher on major nonprofit trends. Her research has led to important reports on nonprofit ethics, nonprofits and public education, nonprofit human resource practices, executive transition, the economics of San Diego’s nonprofit sector, nonprofit confidence, and regional grantmaking. In her role as Director of the Caster Center, Laura oversees the work of 6 doctoral students and other affiliated faculty.

Currently the Center’s work is focused on research and evaluation and understanding the economic landscape of San Diego’s nonprofit and philanthropic sector in relationship to the broader economy. Dr. Deitrick is a faculty member in USD’s Nonprofit Leadership and Management master’s program where she teaches nonprofit research methods, program design, and evaluation. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of California San Diego where she teaches a graduate course in nonprofit management in the school of International Relations and Pacific Studies. Additionally, she has lead numerous training sessions on critical nonprofit issues for groups such as the San Diego Association of Nonprofits, the Association for Fundraising Professionals, the California Consortium of Education Foundations, the Rancho Santa Fe Community Foundation, the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, the North County Philanthropy Council, San Diego Grantmakers, The San Diego Foundation, and Union Bank.
lauradeitrick@sandiego.edu | (619) 260-2903

Center Research Team

Jenny Jones has been active in San Diego's nonprofit sector for more than a decade. She has worked with nonprofits with annual budgets ranging from $500K to more than $31M. Prior to joining the Caster Research Team, Ms. Jones worked at Vista Community Clinic. Her experience also includes work with nonprofits in the Dominican Republic and Peru. She speaks Spanish and has a background in Portuguese and Haitian Creole. She holds a Master's degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego, a Bachelor's Degree in Global Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Certificate in Community Economic Development from San Diego State University.
jjones@sandiego.edu | (619) 260-4600 x4312

Svetlana Krasynska has been actively involved with a multitude of local, national and international nonprofits, serving as CEO, board member, volunteer, executive director and consultant for over twelve years. While initially working in the field of international business law, Ms. Krasynska had been engaged on a pro bono basis with nonprofits involving international exchange, humanitarian aid, adoption and the arts. Having left the business arena to dedicate herself to the nonprofit sector on a full-time basis in 2002, she has served in an executive capacity and as a board member locally, nationally and internationally. During the last six years, Ms. Krasynska has been working as a management consultant assisting humanitarian, environmental and arts nonprofits, as well as governmental institutions, through her agency, 501(c)(3) Consulting. She holds a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership & Management and is in the process of earning a PhD in Leadership Studies with Nonprofit/Philanthropic Leadership & Management specialization at the University of San Diego. Born and raised in Ukraine, Ms. Krasynska is fluent in English, Ukrainian and Russian languages.
skrasynska@sandiego.edu | 619.260.4600 ext 2642

Elaine Lewis has worked with nonprofit organizations for 37 years. She has been the executive director for Developmental Services Continuum, Inc. (DSC) for the past 14 years. DSC supports individuals with developmental disabilities in licensed homes, in their own homes and where they work. DSC was established in 1982 and employees more than 75 employees. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from San Diego State University and a Master's degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego. Lewis has taught direct support professional classes for the County Department of Education Regional Occupational Program since 1998.
elaine.lewis@sandiego.edu | (619) 260-4600 x2603

Taylor Peyton Roberts is a research assistant at the University of San Diego's Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research. Prior to joining USD, Taylor worked as a Research Analyst for Sempra Energy (SDG&E) where she partnered with company leadership to progress selection initiatives and conduct surveys measuring departmental performance, employee satisfaction, internal communications, and reasons for turnover. Taylor earned her master's degree in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology from San Diego State University (SDSU) in 2008 and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach. Her research focuses on nonprofit effectiveness and organizational leadership. Taylor’s previous research includes papers and conference presentations on the following topics: work stress, organizational citizenship behavior, perceptions of diversity climate and discrimination, workplace ethnic composition, emotional labor, and emotional deviance of service employees. 
tpeyton@sandiego.edu | (619) 260-4600 x2642