Burnham Center for Community Advancement

What Burnham Center for Community Advancement does

The Burnham Center for Community Advancement (BCCA) is a nonprofit civic engagement organization founded in 2020 by Malin Burnham, a San Diego civic leader known as 'Mr. San Diego,' and operated from its headquarters at 1100 Market Street in San Diego. The organization functions as a 'think-and-do tank' that convenes cross-sector stakeholders across the San Diego-Tijuana cross-border region to address regional issues including housing affordability, workforce development, Balboa Park sustainability, cross-border collaboration, and community fabric. BCCA delivers four interconnected service offerings: the Burnham Community Dialogues series (panel discussions on regional issues), Community Events Hosting (regional gatherings and festivals), Research Reports and White Papers (evidence-based policy guidance including the Balboa Park governance report and the CaliBaja nearshoring report), and Issue-Based Working Groups (Balboa Park, Workforce Development, Housing, Community Fabric). The organization also operates the OneSD initiative focused on bridging community divides.

BCCA is led by Co-Founder, President and CEO Tad Seth Parzen, supported by a small 8-person team including a Chief Operating Officer, Managing Director of Advancement, Senior Program Director, Senior Director of Communications, Project Manager, Events Specialist, Senior Burnham Fellow, and Executive Assistant. Revenue and operating budget are not publicly disclosed. The organization's financial base is anchored by a $20 million founding investment commitment from Malin and Roberta Burnham announced in April 2023, supplemented by donations via its website (Zeffy embed), event and dialogue sponsorships, and partnership contributions from organizations such as the Lucky Duck Foundation and the Institute of the Americas. BCCA markets its work through the Burnham Community Dialogue series, a Community Events page, social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr), email, and an extensive partner and Community Advisory Board network spanning 35+ named regional organizations across government, business, education, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors. The organization was awarded the 2024 Platinum Seal of Transparency by Candid (formerly Guidestar) in recognition of its accountability and transparency practices.

Name

Burnham Center for Community Advancement

Legal name

Burnham Center for Community Advancement

Website

https://burnhamcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Burnham Center for Community Advancement is a San Diego-based nonprofit civic engagement organization founded in 2020 that convenes cross-sector stakeholders across the San Diego-Tijuana region through community dialogues, working groups, and research reports on housing, workforce, Balboa Park, and community fabric.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement and Community Development Nonprofit

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Civic engagement services
• Community dialogue series
• Regional policy research
• Nonprofit convening platform
• Cross border collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: BCCA accepts donations through its website, featuring a Zeffy embed donation form. The organization was awarded the 2024 Platinum Seal of Transparency by Candid, indicating reliance on charitable contributions.
2. Partnership and Event Collaborations: The organization hosts events and dialogues that may involve sponsorships and partnership contributions from organizations like Lucky Duck Foundation and other regional partners.
3. Founding Investment: Malin and Roberta Burnham announced a $20 million investment in April 2023 to secure long-term success of the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BCCA is a nonprofit think-and-do tank that convenes San Diego-Tijuana regional stakeholders around pressing civic issues. Its core offerings include the Burnham Community Dialogues series, in-person community events, issue-based working groups (Balboa Park, Workforce Development, Housing, Community Fabric), evidence-based research reports and white papers, and the OneSD community-fabric initiative. Services are delivered free to participants through organizational partnerships and donor support.

Product overview

Burnham Center for Community Advancement (BCCA) operates as a civic engagement platform—not a traditional software product—with four interconnected service offerings: the Burnham Community Dialogues series for community discussions, Community Events hosting for regional gatherings, Research Reports and White Papers for evidence-based policy guidance, and Issue-Based Working Groups for collaborative problem-solving on regional challenges. The organization functions as a 'Think & Do Tank' bringing together community members, leaders, and organizations to address San Diego's most pressing issues including housing affordability, workforce development, Balboa Park sustainability, and cross-border collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Burnham Community Dialogues A series of panel discussions and forums bringing together diverse perspectives from experts, community leaders, residents, and elected officials to address critical issues facing San Diego and the San Diego-Tijuana cross-border region.
• Community Events Hosting Hosting and promoting in-person community events — cultural festivals, career fairs, panel discussions, and community gatherings — across San Diego venues to support community connection and regional quality of life.
• Research Reports and White Papers Evidence-based research publications providing regional analysis and recommendations, including 'Preparing Balboa Park for its Next 100 Years,' 'Balboa Park Community Progress Report,' and 'Seizing CaliBaja's Nearshoring Opportunities: A Binational Call To Action.'
• Issue-Based Working Groups Collaborative working groups focused on specific regional issues including Balboa Park sustainability, workforce development, housing affordability, and community fabric rebuilding, bringing together cross-sector stakeholders for joint problem-solving.
• OneSD Initiative A proactive BCCA initiative to restitch fraying community fabric by elevating community connection above division and intentional conflict, including the co-presented 'Engage San Diego: Tough Topics. Real Conversations' events with OneSD on extremism and bridge-building.

Quantifiable outcome

• Co-led efforts to secure San Diego and Tijuana World Design Capital 2024 designation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• San Diego World Affairs CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partnering on community conversations including 'Engage San Diego' events and cross-border discussions. Co-hosting events on Tijuana River crisis and other regional issues.
• OneSDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Co-presenting 'Engage San Diego: Tough Topics. Real Conversations' event on extremism and bridge-building. BCCA is proactively restitching community fabric through OneSD initiative.
• Lucky Duck FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2024Contributed to the Addressing Homelessness in San Diego dialogue. Special thanks noted for their contributions to the dialogue on homelessness.
• Institute of the AmericascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Partnered to host discussion on nearshoring opportunities in CaliBaja region. Released joint report 'Seizing CaliBaja's Nearshoring Opportunities: A Binational Call To Action.'
• GenslerminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2023Partnered on 'Designing the Future Workplace' dialogue in June 2023. Gensler served as event partner for the community dialogue.
• San Diego Workforce PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Special thanks to San Diego Workforce Partnership for collaboration on Workforce Equity Dialogue. Working group includes workforce development stakeholders.
• UC San Diego Design LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Co-hosted World Design Capital 2024 celebration. UC San Diego Design Lab collaborated on the landmark binational designation for San Diego-Tijuana as World Design Capital 2024.
• Design Forward AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Co-hosted World Design Capital 2024 designation celebration. Design Forward Alliance was part of the leadership team that planned and executed the World Design Capital 2024 program.
• San Diego Regional Economic Development CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization and partner. Works on regional economic initiatives including nearshoring and workforce development.
• Downtown San Diego PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization active in Downtown development initiatives. Multiple board and working group members from the partnership.
• San Diego Regional Chamber of CommercemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in regional initiatives. Board member representation and collaboration on policy discussions.
• United Way of San Diego CountymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization represented on Community Advisory Board and working groups. Collaboration on community initiatives.
• USS Midway MuseummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMalin Burnham was instrumental in bringing the USS Midway to San Diego. Board representation and collaboration on military legacy initiatives.
• Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMalin Burnham serves on board. Key institutional partner in San Diego's research and innovation ecosystem.
• Asian Business Association San DiegomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJason Paguio serves as board member representing the organization. Partnership on economic development and business community initiatives.
• San Ysidro HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeronica Dela Rosa serves as board member. Partnership on healthcare access and community wellness initiatives.
• Lifeline Community ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLisette Islas serves as board member. Partnership on mental/behavioral health services and economic development programs.
• California State University San MarcosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Patricia Prado-Olmos serves as Vice Chair and represents CSUSM. Partnership on workforce development and education initiatives.
• University of San Diego Kroc School of Peace StudiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Paula Cordeiro serves as board member. Andrew Blum previously led Kroc Institute. Partnership on peacebuilding and community dialogue initiatives.
• World Design Capital 2024coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCCA co-led efforts to secure San Diego-Tijuana designation as World Design Capital 2024, the first binational region to receive this recognition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The San Diego Foundation: Regional community foundation serving San Diego and Imperial Counties, with comparable focus on civic engagement, donor-advised funds, and regional issue grantmaking. Closest direct functional peer to BCCA among San Diego-based community advancement organizations.
• San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber convening business and civic leaders on policy and economic issues. BCCA has board-level representation and partners on policy discussions and regional initiatives.
• Downtown San Diego Partnership: Member-based nonprofit improving downtown San Diego through clean, safe, and vibrant programming. BCCA has multiple board members affiliated and overlaps on place-based and community-fabric initiatives.
• United Way of San Diego County: Regional nonprofit supporting health, education, and financial stability programs through cross-sector collaboration. BCCA has board representation and works on overlapping community well-being and workforce issues.
• San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation: Regional EDC convening business, government, and civic stakeholders on workforce, nearshoring, and economic competitiveness in San Diego. BCCA has board overlap and works on shared issues including workforce development and CaliBaja nearshoring.
• Design Forward Alliance: San Diego-based nonprofit promoting design as a driver of innovation and equity, co-led World Design Capital 2024 with BCCA. Deep operational overlap; BCCA's COO previously served as Director of Operations and Programs at Design Forward Alliance.
• Cleantech San Diego: Regional nonprofit cluster organization advancing San Diego's cleantech economy, co-founded by BCCA Project Manager Jim Waring. Similar membership-based, public-private convening model on regional issues.
• Institute of the Americas: Nonpartisan nonprofit focused on Western Hemisphere economic and political issues, with a strong CaliBaja binational program. BCCA partnered with IoA on the 'Seizing CaliBaja's Nearshoring Opportunities' report.

Broad incumbents

• The Aspen Institute: National nonpartisan policy and civic engagement organization that convenes leaders and publishes research on societal challenges. Comparable think-and-do tank model, though at national scale across many more issue areas.
• Living Cities: National collaborative of foundations and corporations working on urban issues including housing, workforce, and equity. Broader national peer for BCCA's cross-sector, working-group-driven model on regional community advancement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/burnhamcentersd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwQRFp8YR5tG4Zu9jGGDnsA
• Facebookfacebook.com/BurnhamCenterSD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burnham-center-for-community-advancement

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Burnham Center for Community Advancement