The people who have the capacity to transform San Diego are already in our neighborhoods, organizations, and communities, representing all ages, identities, and lived experiences, and making meaningful contributions.

Since 2014, RISE San Diego has pursued a transformative approach: cultivating leadership from within communities that are frequently overlooked, and supporting this development across the entire span of an individual's leadership journey rather than through a single program.

This process begins early. Through the On the RISE initiative, youth recognize their leadership potential, developing the confidence, voice, and vision necessary to influence their neighborhoods well before external validation occurs.

The development continues in the Fellows Program, where emerging leaders engage in a transformative year focused on authentic leadership. Participants learn to address complex challenges, lead with compassion rather than authority, and present themselves authentically. To date, 236 fellows have participated across 11 cohorts.

Artistic expression is also central to this mission. RISE Arts supports artists and emerging organizations within communities of color, recognizing that culture enables communities to articulate their narratives and envision future possibilities.

Community recognition is also integral. Through the Inclusive Leadership in Action Awards (ILIA), RISE acknowledges leaders who are effecting change in San Diego, transforming individual acts of courage into public exemplars and engaging the broader community in redefining leadership.

At the core of these efforts is a foundational belief: individuals closest to a community's challenges have the insight needed to uplift and unify that community.

This approach is effective because it is cyclical. Youth participants become fellows, and fellows often return as mentors, artists, honorees, and board members. Program graduates go on to lead nonprofits, serve in government, establish businesses, teach, provide healthcare, and organize throughout the region. RISE's staff and board include former fellows, including a graduate who now leads the organization that once supported him.

A distinguishing feature of RISE is that its programs are offered at minimal or no cost to participants, intentionally removing financial barriers. RISE is committed to ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent talented individuals from under-resourced neighborhoods from accessing opportunities. However, while participation is free, program delivery incurs costs that are covered by a community of supporters who share this vision.

This is where your involvement becomes essential.

By contributing to RISE, you are not merely supporting a program; you are investing in an interconnected ecosystem of young people, leaders, artists, neighbors, and organizations who support one another throughout San Diego. This act of giving reflects the principle of reciprocity foundational to RISE: previous generations invested in these leaders before recognition, and now, collectively, we invest in future leaders.

The underlying principle is straightforward: investing in a single leader, regardless of age or background, generates a multiplier effect that benefits all those they influence.

Contribute today to ensure that RISE continues to advance its mission.

Together, We All RISE

For 11 years, RISE San Diego has grown leaders in our own neighborhoods — from teenagers to seasoned changemakers to artists — and watched them transform our region from the inside out. Your gift keeps the whole community rising.

Team Members