Luncheon Program
Straight Talk From A Philanthropist
Ruth Westreich, The Westreich Foundation

As a philanthropist and Co-Chair of USD’s Nonprofit Leadership and Management Masters program, doctoral program and the Caster Center for Nonprofit Research, recently named the Institute for Nonprofit Education and Research , Ruth works tirelessly to be a vital force in strengthening the entire nonprofit and philanthropy sector in San Diego by helping to establish best practices for nonprofits. Ruth will share some surprising facts and insights that could change your thinking about how you engage philanthropists and collaborative partners to your organization. Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to development, you will not want to miss this thought-provoking luncheon program.

You will learn how to:

• How to attract business partners to the nonprofit sector
• Learn the unique differences between nonprofit and philanthropy
• How to engage philanthropists (and their friends) to your organization

Speaker Bio:

Ruth Westreich President The Westreich Foundation www.thewestreichfoundation.org

Ruth Westreich, trained as and artist and designer, is a talented mixed-media artist working in oils, water media and glass. Her love for giving back began some forty plus years ago when she was given a life altering gift by a humanitarian who requested that he not receive pay back, but rather that she pay it forward. Since that day, paying it forward has become part of her cellular makeup. She has always freely shared what she has in terms of her time and resources. She devotes countless hours working in the trenches with the underserved that she cares for so deeply.

Her commitment to the health and growth of the nonprofit in San Diego is unwavering. The newly funded Westreich Foundation, of which Ruth is the president, is having a deep and wide impact in the San Diego nonprofit community.  The focus of the foundation is education and literacy; women and children at risk and optimum health wellness. In the areas of wellness and prevention, The Westreich Foundation generously supports integrated medicine nationally and locally. Nationally she is a member of the prestigious Bravewell Collaborative, a national collaborative furthering the cause of the integrated medical model of care. Locally she supports Dr. Mimi Guarneri’s work at the Scripps Center for Integrated Medicine in La Jolla. She is also intricately involved with the development of National University System’s Health and Wellness Initiatives.

And on top of all this, Ruth is passionately helping to strengthen the entire nonprofit sector in San Diego by being instrumental in the development of the USD Center for Nonprofit Research where Ruth serves as Chair of the Board. Ruth is heavily involved as an initial supporter of the USD Nonprofit Leadership and Management master’s and doctoral program. She is working tirelessly to be a vital force in strengthening the entire nonprofit and philanthropy sector in San Diego by helping to establish best practices for nonprofits, and making clear the differences and obstacles between larger nonprofits and those all-volunteer nonprofits that are so vital to San Diego.

Ruth Westreich also has over thirty years experience as a Creative Marketing Communications Director and Strategic Marketing Director in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. She is also the visionary responsible for the creation of the highly acclaimed new business book, The Art of Original Thinking – The Making of a Thought Leader written by award winning author, Jan Phillips, which just won the Editor’s Choice Award from Allbooks Review and was nominated for the Best Books Award by for USABookNews.com. It shows businesses that adhering to the triple-bottom line method of accounting can increase profits, create loyal employees and increase employee retention and start making peace with our over-burdened planet. When asked what she does, she calls herself a connector. She connects people to people and people to causes. She believes that the sharing of information, data and resources is key to the growth and health of the nonprofit sector.