Last week, we made a bunch of new friends while sharing Uptown 11’s story as an exhibitor at the San Diego Fundraising Conference. As one of the region’s leading gatherings for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers and community partners, the event showed us just how much energy and innovation is driving nonprofit storytelling in San Diego.
From the moment we arrived, we were surrounded by passionate people working on causes that truly matter.
Throughout the two days, we met so many incredible people: speakers who shared powerful insights, fellow exhibitors making an impact in their fields and attendees who brought their own unique stories to the table. Everywhere we turned, there was a new perspective, a new mission and a reminder of the power of community.
As storytellers, we were particularly moved by the diverse range of stories we heard. Each one carried its own spark — from personal journeys to bold organizational visions. It reinforced why we believe nonprofit storytelling in San Diego is so essential: stories connect people to causes, build trust and inspire action.
At our booth, we set up a screen with a QR code that allowed attendees to share their own stories in one sentence. The results showed just what an incredible collection of people we met along the way:
“We are changing the narrative from ‘diabetes runs in my family’ to prevention saved my family,” wrote Marlayna Bollinger of The Skinny Gene Project.
“Planting seeds for the future in our communities will lead to healthy, equitable, accessible, and delicious outcomes,” said our dear friend Christina Ng of the Berry Good Food Foundation.
“We are all in this together,” wrote Dennis Pinnick of Brother Benno’s. “None of us gets out of it alive, so we might as well be kind to each other and helpful when we can.”
Learn more about our storytelling approach ?
Stuff We All Get. Who can resist it?
We were thrilled to share some special swag that was handcrafted in San Diego with love by our friend Aaron Mays-Barbosa at Sunsets and Brainwaves. We filmed him as he wrapped up production on our collection of t-shirts and totes, designed by another talented local, Samra Jean Lovelady.
“I never really think about my story, because I’m in it, you know,” he told us. “If I had to say something … literally a kid who just did not give up.”
For our first time exhibiting, we couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming and inspiring environment. A huge thank you goes out to the San Diego Foundation for hosting such a thoughtful and energizing event. We left feeling grateful, motivated and more excited than ever about the work ahead.
And this is just the beginning. We look forward to continuing the conversations, building new collaborations, and telling more stories that connect us all.
