San Diego Nice Guys

What San Diego Nice Guys does

San Diego Nice Guys, legally Nice Guys of San Diego, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1979 and headquartered at a P.O. Box in San Diego, California (EIN 95-3405753). It is run entirely by approximately 175 unpaid volunteer members with no physical office and no paid staff, and is governed by a board of directors led by President Brian Henry. The organization provides direct, one-time financial and in-kind assistance to San Diego County residents who have fallen through the cracks of other support systems, primarily families and individuals facing medical bills, car repairs, post-fire clothing needs, wheelchairs, and other emergency expenses, with the stated mission of restoring self-sufficiency. Service is delivered through a Charity Committee and Board that review and approve roughly 146 of the 400+ requests received annually.

Its core programs include a Charity Assistance Program for general one-time grants, the Victory Fund (established 2003) for wounded Marines, Sailors, and their families, a Computer Donation Program that distributes 400-600 refurbished and new computers per year (mainly to college students), the Community Christmas Party serving 800 families and 25,000 pounds of groceries annually, and the Camp Pendleton Cottages Project providing 13 handicap-friendly beach cottages at San Onofre for injured military families. Notable strategic partnerships include the Bob Baker Foundation (Victory Fund, 2003), Hedges Construction (Camp Pendleton cottages, 2015), and the National Association of Residential Property Managers (2013); the organization's Victory Fund also served as the operational model for the national Semper Fi Fund.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations and three annual fundraising events (Spring Charity Auction, Fall Nice Guy of the Year Gala, and an Annual Golf Tournament), with individual event tickets ranging from $50 to $375. The organization claims 100% of donations reach beneficiaries because members absorb all administrative costs. Cumulative donations since 1979 exceed $21 million, and the organization has been recognized with the 10News Leadership Award (2022) and the Community Excellence Award (2012). There is no proprietary technology, app, or digital platform; operations rely on a website (sdniceguys.com), email, and direct community contact.

Name

San Diego Nice Guys

Legal name

Nice Guys of San Diego, Inc.

Website

https://sdniceguys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Diego Nice Guys is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1979, that delivers direct one-time financial aid, computers, holiday groceries, and adaptive housing to families, students, and wounded military in San Diego County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and business donations form the primary revenue source. 100% of donations go directly to individuals and families in need, with no overhead, offices, or paid staff. All administrative costs are donated by members.
2. Annual Charity Auction: Spring event offering hundreds of donated items including trips, collectibles, memorabilia, and services. One of two major annual fundraisers.
3. Nice Guy of the Year Gala: Fall black-tie optional event honoring a distinguished community member, featuring dinner and entertainment. Second major annual fundraiser.
4. Golf Tournament: Annual golf event with registration fees and sponsorship opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

San Diego Nice Guys is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides one-time direct financial grants and in-kind support to San Diego County families and individuals who have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own. Its core offerings include the Charity Assistance Program (medical bills, car repairs, post-fire clothing, wheelchairs), the Victory Fund for wounded military personnel and their families, an annual Community Christmas Party with groceries and gifts, a Computer Donation Program for students, and the Camp Pendleton Cottages Project providing handicap-friendly beach housing.

Product overview

San Diego Nice Guys operates as a single, unified charitable service offering direct assistance programs to San Diego families and individuals in need. The organization functions through two primary channels: direct charitable aid programs (charity assistance, Victory Fund for military families, computer donations, Camp Pendleton cottages, and Community Christmas Party) and annual fundraising events (Charity Auction, Nice Guy of the Year Gala, and Golf Tournament). All 175+ members are volunteers with no paid staff or overhead, ensuring 100% of donations go to beneficiaries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charity Assistance Program One-time financial grants to San Diego County families and individuals who have fallen on hard times due to circumstances such as medical bills, car repairs, post-house-fire clothing, or the need for wheelchairs. Requests are reviewed by the Charity Committee and Board before funding.
• Victory Fund Special fund providing aid and support to wounded Marines, Sailors, and their families returning from overseas battles, funding handicap-adaptive home modifications, adaptive sports equipment, adaptive vehicles, and respite stays.
• Community Christmas Party Annual carnival-style event that distributes approximately 25,000 pounds of groceries plus toys and holiday gifts to approximately 800 families (around 3,000 children and parents) in San Diego County.
• Camp Pendleton Cottages Project Beach cottage renovation project at Camp Pendleton San Onofre Beach that provides fully furnished, handicap-friendly temporary housing for wounded military personnel and their families, including 13 cottages with short-term rental priority.
• Computer Donation Program Collects and refurbishes used computers and accepts new computer donations, redistributing 400-600 computers each year to San Diegans in need, primarily college students.
• Annual Charity Auction Spring event offering hundreds of donated items including trips, collectibles, memorabilia, and services, serving as one of two major annual fundraisers supporting the charitable programs.
• Nice Guy of the Year Gala Fall black-tie optional event honoring a distinguished community member for extraordinary community service, featuring dinner, awards presentation, and entertainment as the second major annual fundraiser.
• Annual Golf Tournament 4-person scramble golf tournament using Peoria scoring format, including golf, cart, dinner, adult beverages, contests, games, raffle prizes, and awards, open to participants 21+.

Quantifiable outcome

• $21 million+ donated since 1979
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and significant.

• Hedges ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2015Construction firm contacted by donors to support Camp Pendleton cottage replacement project. Worked with Nice Guys to replace FEMA trailers with handicap-friendly manufactured homes at San Onofre Beach.
• National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM)significantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013NARPM chose San Diego Nice Guys as a charitable focus, contributing $30,000 to support the Community Christmas Party of 2013, helping 800 families.
• Marines Semper Fi FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Wives of active duty Marines created the national Semper Fi Fund with technical assistance from Nice Guys. Nice Guys Victory Fund served as the model for this nationwide effort to help injured Marines.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Operation Homefront: National military family nonprofit providing emergency financial assistance, housing, and holiday support. Directly comparable grantmaking-with-zero-overhead approach to SDNG's Victory Fund and Christmas Party programs.
• Semper Fi Fund: National veteran-support charity originally modeled after San Diego Nice Guys' Victory Fund. Most directly comparable as a peer-led military family assistance organization with similar grantmaking and equipment-provision programs.
• The San Diego Foundation: Regional community foundation serving San Diego County with grantmaking to nonprofits and families. Most comparable as a local philanthropic grantmaking organization with overlapping geographic and beneficiary focus.

Regional players

• Father Joe's Villages: Major San Diego-based nonprofit providing housing, food, and self-sufficiency services to families and individuals experiencing poverty. Comparable mission and target population, but operates paid-staff facilities rather than a volunteer-only model.
• Feeding San Diego: San Diego's largest hunger-relief nonprofit, distributing groceries and meals to families in need. Comparable as a regional food-distribution charity serving the same geography and beneficiary base as SDNG's grocery/Christmas programs.

Broad incumbents

• Wounded Warrior Project: National nonprofit supporting wounded veterans and their families through grants, programming, and advocacy. Comparable beneficiary focus (wounded military) and grantmaking model to SDNG's Victory Fund.
• United Way of San Diego County: Larger regional umbrella charity funding a wide range of social services across San Diego. Comparable as a broad-based, geography-aligned nonprofit that raises and distributes charitable dollars locally.
• Salvation Army San Diego: Established multi-service charity with significant San Diego presence providing emergency assistance, family services, and holiday programs. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving overlapping population needs through direct aid.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Nice-Guys-100076565611159
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-nice-guys

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Diego Nice Guys