2020 Annual Meeting
On December 17th we held our Annual Meeting where we reviewed our 2020 goals, challenges and accomplishments and our 2021 objectives. We acknowledged our 2020 Board of Directors and welcomed our new 2021 Board Members.
Below is a summary and attached is the presentation.
2020 Goals and Accomplishments
Attract, retain, engage and recognize members
Upgrade luncheons: registration, programs, networking
Integrate digital communications – web, social, newletter, Eventbrite – to streamline processes, raise visibility and engage members
Hold networking events ie: HHour, fundraisers
Officers provided an overview of their focus and areas of responsibility.
Christine Baker, President | Patricia Waldron, Vice President
Nancy Martin, Secretary | Erika Migliori, Treasurer
Each Board Member provided an overview of their area.
Community Service – Lori Carpenter
Thanks to the generosity of members and our partners BakerNowicki Design Studio, Santaluz Community and the Grocery Outlet East Village we delivered Holiday Bags to Serving Seniors for delivery to homebound seniors in our community. Despite the pandemic we increased the number of holiday bags from 150 in 2019 to 200 in 2020 !!
Special thanks to Lori and her family for storing and filling the bags with all the donated items. We have forged a stronger connection with Serving Seniors and were delighted to be featured on a local TV segment.
Fund Raising – Ben Price
In 2020 we raised $28,000. We are extremely grateful for support from new and loyal donors this year, with funds coming from many sources:
8 sponsor donors of $1500+
5 full scholarship donors of $750+
42+ donors of other amounts
We hope to hold our postponed 1st Annual Golf Tournament in 2021 at the Coronado Golf Club. Save the Date for August 27, 2021. We hope to raise $45,000 in 2021. Stay tuned for more information.
Scholarship & SDCC – Jessica Schatz
We are so proud to help San Diego City College students achieve their academic and career goals, especially during these trying times. We updated and digitized our processes, interviewed students via Zoom and awarded 35 recipients $750 each. Our annual BIG Give was held on-site at SDCC where we awarded checks to students at a drive-thru event while broadcasting live online for members to take part via Zoom.
And in lieu of our annual Food Drive we contributed $1100 to SDCC’s Emergency Food Pantry, where students are sent $35 e-gift cards to use to buy essentials at local Vons Ralphs and Safeway stores.
Programs – Tracie Hasse
We pivoted to digital events in March and a pleasant byproduct of this was that our Lunch @ Home meetings had a record number of registrations / attendees! We implemented Eventbrite for registration and engaged many individuals new to our organization. Our programs were timely and informative, with presentations on The Shell, Convention Center, Horton Plaza and The Port of SD. Summary blogs for all events are posted on on website.
NOTE: Our events will be held digitally at least through Q1 2021.
Communications – Crystal Bonetto
Given the importance of staying connected during the pandemic we updated our email and invitation format to make them more visually oriented, informative and engaging. We added many new contacts to our distribution list from Eventbrite and removed old / incorrect contact information.
Web & Social – Stefanie O-Sullivan, Patricia Waldron
Our digital channels were more important than ever in 2020! We focused on creating a regular cadence of posts, enhanced visuals and a consistent voice for our messages and stories. On Instagram we increased our followers by 24% to 632. On Facebook we increased our followers by 20% to 827. Our web traffic was up 50% year-over-year, we have 2200 unique visitors and our blogs were the most popular content.
Membership – Julie Lukoski
Despite the pandemic 13 net-new members joined in 2020 and we had a total of 61 members. For 2021 our goal is to grow members by 20% for a total of 71 members. We are offering aspecial membership package $800 - includes a Full $750 Scholarship donation and annual membership dues. Annual Dues are still $125 per year. You can join using our secure online payment link.
Thank you to the 2020 Board of Directors
FODSD is a 100% volunteer organization and in 2020 our Board Members went way above and beyond to ensure that we were a value source of information and connection to our members and support to students in our community.
Friends of Downtown 2020 Board of Directors
FODSD in 2021
Welcome and Congratulations to the 2021 Board
We conducted our 2021 election via digital voting, and are thrilled to announce our new Officers and Directors. Mark your calendar for January 21, 2021 when these individuals will be sworn in during our Lunch @ Home event.
President - Christine Baker
Secretary - Nancy Martin
Treasurer - Erika Migliori
Programs - Tracie Hasse
Communications - Crystal Bonetto
Community Service - Lori Carpenter
Scholarship - Jessica Schatz
Fundraising - Ben Price
At Large - Kathy Fields Povoas
Social Media Committee Co-Chairs - Paul Scalone and Leah Bentley
Goals for 2021
We’ve set out objections and goals for 2021, and look forward to another year of enhancing our community through education, networking and community service.
Thank you to everyone who participated in FODSD events, contributed our causes and supported one another during 2020.