Hands On San Diego’s mission to strengthen communities through volunteer action has created ripples of change in our city. Over the past decade, Mission Edge has been a constant for HOSD, providing the structure, support, and services they’ve needed to succeed. Most importantly, HOSD has expanded its ability to make an impact over the past 10 years, including helping 22 organizations.

Melanie van de Water, the brains behind Interactive Play, has a rich background in interior design, hospitality, and business. Her dream was to introduce child-friendly play spaces to industries such as hospitality and retail, but she faced some hurdles. Our Impact Lab CFO helped her with high distribution costs, shipping delays, and the daunting task of financial management

If you're juggling this decision, you may be wondering which decision will be best for your long-term goals. In this article, we’ll unravel the long-term impact of fiscal sponsorship, discuss some pros and cons of fiscal sponsorship, and help you understand what you might be getting yourself into if you choose this route for your charitable mission.

So you're a small business owner, and you’re at a common crossroads: do you jump into a free finance coaching program you found online (like the Impact Lab), or do you pull out your wallet and invest in a paid financial coach? In this article, we're going to break it down for you. We'll look at the cool stuff free programs may offer, and what you’d likely get when you pay for a coach.

Every year, our team here at Mission Edge works to spread the word about our Impact Lab cohorts: completely free finance support for small business owners who qualify. Our team of finance coaches is dedicated to helping you achieve your business and financial goals. When you join a cohort, you're not just learning new things about owning a business; you're transforming the way you do business.

At Mission Edge, our expertise in Community Engagement programming places us at the forefront of understanding the intricacies of volunteering. We've compiled a series of practical tips designed to ensure your employees are well-equipped during your CSR volunteer event and that they feel wholly supported as you send them off into the world to lend a hand.

Impact Lab graduate Abby Brown is the driving force behind H2OM, a sustainable apparel brand that’s making waves in the fashion industry with its eco-friendly activewear. Our team provided guidance on efficient inventory management, strategic fundraising, and navigating the complexities of fashion retail, all while keeping Abby's commitment to the environment at the forefront.

Our fiscal sponsorship program has allowed the Majdal Center to focus on what it's best at: interacting with and impacting our local San Diego community. Our collaboration with Majdal Center led to significant growth, including the center’s budget has increased nearly 25% year over year since joining! Learn how Fiscal Sponsorship helped them continue to empower the Arab community in San Diego.

Learn why working with a finance coach can transform your small business and see the success stories from our recent Impact Lab participants! From creating a clear business plan to getting you on track to pay yourself a living wage, our team can give you the financial clarity you need to reach sustainable profitability.

Fiscal sponsorship is when a nonprofit sponsor invites a charitable project to operate under its tax-exempt status. This arrangement allows the charitable mission to focus on fundraising and impact, while the sponsor handles administrative responsibilities, from finances to HR. Fiscal Sponsorship can be a helpful tool because it offers a streamlined way to access funds and operate efficiently.

As HR professionals and business leaders, we're not just filling positions; we're shaping lives and molding the future of work for the next generation. Learn how flexible environments, transparency, and technology are redefining recruitment.

The best part about our jobs here at Mission Edge is helping our community's heroes go further, faster. Our collaboration with Indigenized Energy is one of our favorite stories to tell because the organization is creating waves of change for Native tribes across the country. Through fiscal sponsorship, we came alongside them to help them develop new practices and policies.

Elliss joined our Impact Lab program to transform her clothing rental business into a full-time endeavor. Her journey with Mission Edge is a testament to the importance of targeted inventory management, financial planning, and marketing interventions that can lead to substantial improvements in business performance and sustainability.

Traditionally, grantmaking is straightforward: the wealthy donate to the less fortunate to address societal issues. But here at Mission Edge, we want funders to bring an awareness of power and equity. Trust-Based Philanthropy seeks to rebalance the power dynamics in philanthropy. At its foundation, it acknowledges the reality that philanthropy has contributed to systemic inequities.

Fiscal sponsorship allows organizations to operate under the umbrella of an established nonprofit, giving them access to charitable funds without the hassle of setting up their nonprofit entity so they can focus on what they do best: bringing their social change projects to life. With Mission Edge, we handle the administrative workload and provide strategic support to help you scale and grow.

Sometimes, all it takes is fresh eyes and a new perspective. That's precisely what our finance experts did to help Gwen get her marketing business on a path toward profitability and scalable growth. Gwen's journey with the Impact Lab demonstrates the importance of strategic financial analysis, tracking expenses, niche targeting, and specific pricing strategies that can lead to profitability.

When considering Fiscal Sponsorship, both Model A and Model C have a range of benefits that vary depending on your specific situation. There are financial, administrative and cultural advantages to both options. Understanding the diverse ways fiscal sponsorships can affect your organization can help make your decision easier.

Qualcomm’s racial justice initiative sought to allocate $500,000 across 10 different organizations, each actively working to dismantle racial injustices in unique ways. Mission Edge facilitated this process, making sure the initiative was not just about financial support, but that it also brought employees together to engage in meaningful dialogues on racial justice.

A veteran, death doula, and educator, Dr. Qwynn Salazar is on a mission to ignite change in how we provide end-of-life care for those who served in the military. That’s why she started her organization, In Their Honor (ITH), in 2021 — to raise awareness and address veterans’ challenges as they approach the end of their lives.

Founder Thulani Ngazimbi comes from a diverse background in product development and sales. Currently based in Portugal, Thulani wanted to expand his business in both the US and European markets, but the currency exchange was causing him to run into some issues.