San Diego Council on Literacy

Dennis P. Smith, Ph.D, Executive Director
José L. Cruz, Associate Director
2515 Camino Del Rio South #111
San Diego, CA 92108
Phone (619) 574-1641
FAX (619) 491-9242
Dsmith@Literacysandiego.org
JCruz@literacysandiego.org
www.literacysandiego.org

Year Incorporated

1986

Vision and/or Mission

Our mission is to champion a more literate community in San Diego County by providing creative leadership for new and existing literacy efforts.

History

A local county supervisor and a local newspaper publisher pursued their vision for a coordinated literacy effort in San Diego County.

Founding Leaders

In addition to the county supervisor and newspaper publisher, founding leaders included representatives of five literacy programs. The county supervisor recruited the literacy programs into the coalition and also arranged for a loaned executive to lead the organization as its executive director. The United Way of San Diego County, the Urban Literacy Network (now defunct), and the newspaper publisher contributed funds. Initial space was provided by the County of San Diego. Other original board members included a representative from the area's largest homeless center, the local ABC network affiliate, editors of the local newspaper, a Navy admiral, and others.

Early Successes

Conducted an extensive needs assessment to measure community support for a countywide literacy effort.

Implemented a Literacy Hotline.

Produced 100,000 promotional brochures.

Hired a network coordinator.

Early Challenges

Obtaining United Way funding was difficult because in 1986, literacy was still a very hidden problem and the United Way was not used to funding coalitions.

Literacy programs had to settle turf issues (between community leaders and themselves and between each other). Trust was slow in developing.

Originally, two organizations were created (one for community leaders, one for literacy programs and their partners), but this caused confusion and difficulty.

More pressing issues prevented early leaders from engaging in formal strategic planning.

Turning Point

When all the literacy programs decided to use Council funds to assist two literacy programs that could not make their rent, there developed a true sense of camaraderie. The true meaning and purpose of "a literacy coalition" was beginning to reveal itself.
Another turning point came when the San Diego Council on Literacy obtained its own office. This meant that the coalition had a home and that a number of people thought that the idea of a literacy coalition had substance, worth, and a role to play in the scheme of creating a more literate community.
The San Diego Council on Literacy is on the verge of another turning point, because of a strong line-up of five full-time staff members and a stable and growing donor base. The Council is in its best position ever to make a significant impact on the literacy situation in San Diego County. Some personnel and community leaders have waited 14 years for this moment.

Current Size

24 literacy providers have been certified by the Council. At least 50 major donors are members of a donor's circle.

Five and one half-time staff members: an executive director, associate director, two outreach coordinators, one administrative assistant, and a half-time bookkeeper.

$700,000 annual budget, $250,000 which is as a result of funding from the Corporation for National Service.

Rented office in a centrally located building.

Recent Accomplishments

Developed a Program Services Manual and drafted a Literacy Program Certification Manual.

Expanded the Americorps*VISTA program from 10 Americorps*VISTAs to 20.

Held two family reading festivals and a countywide adult learner conference.

Launched a major advertising campaign featuring provocative messages to attract attention to the need for more volunteer literacy tutors.

Next Steps - Managerial

Hire a public relations manager and other staff.

Diversify funding sources.

Solve office space crunch.

Next Steps - Programmatic

Begin a formal literacy program certification process.

Develop mechanism for collecting countywide learner progress data.

Advice to Other Coalitions

It all starts with buy-in from literacy programs. Anybody attempting to start a literacy coalition without literacy programs and without intent to support literacy programs, is not working in the best interest of community literacy efforts.
Literacy program coordinators must understood that they need to help the community leaders understand literacy issues, and, also, that literacy program coordinators need to trust community leaders to do the job of providing leadership and resources - but see to it that those leaders stay on the right course, because they often go off-track and can be presumptuous.
Growth is development "in time." These things don't happen in a matter of months or in a couple of years.
The right partners are needed. Most successful literacy coalitions seem to come about because of a politician, a supportive newspaper, and leaders who emerge from the ranks of literacy program coordinators.
Also, at some point, the literacy professionals have to let go. They have to go about their job of running literacy programs while investing in the staff, other partners, and effort of the literacy coalition.

Last Updated

June 2001