The Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research
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Latest Report:
Operating in Uncertain Times: How Economic Conditions have affected San Diego County's Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sectors
How have San Diego County's nonprofit and philanthropic organizations been managing during the economic downturn? This report: Operating in Uncertain Times, highlights the strategies and approaches taken by some of the County's largest nonprofit and philanthropic providers.
Introduction
The Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research was launched in 2004 with generous start-up grants provided by The Westreich Foundation and the Bruce T. Halle Family Foundation. In 2007 the Center received a generous naming contribution from the Caster family. The work of the Center is directed by Laura Deitrick and is supported by an active Advisory Board. The Center is staffed by doctoral students: Heather Carpenter, Tom Cesarini, Melanie Hitchcock, Taylor Peyton Roberts, Lindsey McDougle and Bethan Theunissen.
Mission
The mission of the Institute for Nonprofit Education and Research is to educate leaders and advance best practices in the nonprofit and philanthropic community through academic excellence, applied learning, and research that examines issues of strategic importance to the sector.
About the Caster Center
The Caster Family Center for Nonprofit 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 Center works in collaboration and under contract with nonprofit service and charitable organizations on a wide range of projects. Among its services, the 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 data bases on San Diego County’s 9,000+ public charities and foundation data
"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
Additionally, the Center convenes regular symposia with practitioners in order to discuss its findings within the context of the local, regional, and national sectors.
