If there were a foundation intent on helping you reach optimal funding sources and provide you with the tools to effectively communicate with grant makers, would you find that valuable? My friends, welcome to the San Diego Foundation.

I am relatively new to the nonprofit side of things and, like many in this arena, I hoped that a good heart, a sincere smile and the obvious passion imbued into my words would convince the world that my cause was worthy of funding. Cue to images of slammed doors, phones sent to voicemail and emails placed in junk folders.