Community Investment Strategies

Connecting Passion to Action

 

Like the nonprofit organizations and foundations we serve, Community Investment Strategies is committed to making a difference in our community.  Our mission—our passion—is to strengthen the effectiveness of foundations and nonprofits as they achieve their desired results.  Our services include:

 

Philanthropy

Defining Passion

v      Facilitating strategic planning sessions that result into an action plan

v      Determining vision, mission, grant guidelines, and funding strategies

v      Researching current trends in key areas of interest

v      Identifying key areas of impact and ways to increase results

v      Analyzing past community investments

v      Convening forums on important community opportunities

 

Connecting to Action: Program Management

v      Creating programs that achieve desired results

v      Managing grant inquiries and requests including preparing a program, organizational and financial analysis of prospect grantees

v      Filtering unsolicited requests

v      Accepting and reviewing grant proposals

v      Arranging site visits to nonprofits

v      Processing denials

v      Negotiating community investment (grant) agreements

v      Maintaining working relationships with nonprofits throughout the investment periods

 

Nonprofits

Defining Passion

v      Facilitating strategic planning sessions that result into an action plan

v      Determining vision and mission focused on results

v      Identifying key areas of impact and ways to increase results

v      Researching current trends in areas of interest

v      Analyzing past activities

v      Convening forums on important community opportunities

 

Connecting to Action

v      Building effective boards and other volunteer committees

v      Motivating staff and volunteers

v      Identifying and promoting new community and investment partnerships

v      Promoting activities which result in a more inclusive organization

v      Providing executive coaching for staff and boards

v      Designing effective programs which lead to results

v      Managing change: strategic restructuring and growth

v     Marketing and public relations

Clients of Community Investment Strategies include:

§ Excellence and Justice in Education

§ Fundación Internacional de la Comunidad

§ Immigration Museum of New Americans

§ Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Trust

§ Project Walk

§ Public Schools Services

§ The San Diego Foundation

§ USD’s Center for Families of Children with Special Needs


 

Patricia Sinay is the founder of Community Investment Strategies, a consulting firm connecting nonprofit and foundation’s passion to action.  Prior to consulting, Patricia worked for nearly six years with The San Diego Foundation. It was there, as an Associate Vice President, that she created The Foundation’s Civil Society Program which fostered community problem solving built on the diverse perspective and talents of San Diegans and its Organizational Success Program which supported nonprofit organizations in strengthening their ability to effectively achieve their missions.  In addition to her program responsibilities, Patricia worked closely with The Foundation’s donors to help them achieve their philanthropic visions.

 

Patricia’s work experience includes being a Multi-Cultural Fellow with The San Francisco Foundation and a Field Services Manager in San Mateo with the American Cancer Society where she developed programs for the Latino community.  In addition, Patricia’s international development experience includes Partners of the Americas, International Center for Research on Women, and Human Rights Watch in Washington D.C.  She is a bilingual immigrant from Latin America with an M.A. in International Affairs from American University and a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA.  She has experience working in the United States, Latin America, Caribbean, Canada, and Slovak Republic.

 

To complement her academic & professional experience, Patricia has participated in the following trainings:

 

v     Appreciative Inquiry by Philanthropic Quest

v     Outcome funding by Rensselaerville Institute

v     Fundraising by University of Indiana’s Fundraising Institute

v     Proposal writing by Grantmanship Center

v     Strategic restructuring by LaPiana  Associates

v     Community building by San Diego Regional Community Policing Institute

v     Public relations by UCSC Extension Program

v     Facilitation by the California League of Women Voters

 

In 2002, Patricia was selected as a German Marshall Fund Transatlantic Fellow in Slovakia, where she worked with three community foundations.  Patricia has published several articles on the nonprofit sector and philanthropy as well as presented at many conferences and workshops. In 2003, San Diego Metropolitan paid tribute to Patricia for her work by naming her to its “40 Under Forty” honor roll of young community leaders.   

 

Contact Information

 

Patricia S. Sinay – Principle Consultant

 

(858) 576-9676 * cell (858) 761-4320

patricia@cistrategies.org