San Diego Organizing Project

What San Diego Organizing Project does

San Diego Organizing Project (SDOP) is a nonpartisan, multi-faith nonprofit network founded in 1979 that organizes faith congregations and community members across San Diego County to pursue racial and economic justice. It represents more than 70,000 families through 16 member congregations spanning Catholic, Episcopal, Unitarian Universalist, and other traditions, and operates with a seven-person staff led by Executive Director Dinora Reyna-Gutierrez. Its portfolio comprises six advocacy programs: Justice System Reform, Affordable Housing and Homelessness, FAITH Accompaniment Ministry, Immigration Legislative Advocacy, County Government Accountability, and Civic Engagement, delivered through relational organizing, leadership development, and direct action campaigns rather than a technology product.

SDOP's core technology is its relational organizing model and multi-faith coalition infrastructure, supported by a basic digital presence across Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, and a bilingual English-Spanish website with email newsletter subscription. Notable programmatic components include the FAITH Accompaniment Ministry, an ecumenical partnership with the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church that provides pastoral care during immigration court hearings and ICE check-ins, and the "Standing For All That Is Sacred" prophetic declaration campaign. Documented outcomes include securing $100 million in the 2018 San Diego County budget for juvenile justice transformation, $5 million for an Immigrant Legal Defense Program in 2019, inclusionary housing ordinances in Vista and National City, and state-level passage of SB567 (2023) and SB4 (2025).

SDOP's business model is donation- and grant-based rather than commercial. Revenue streams include foundation grants from The Sojourners Fellowship, Price Charities, The Pritzker Family, Sierra Health Foundation, The California Endowment, and Grantmakers for Girls of Color, alongside individual donations via sdop.net and government partnerships with the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and City of Solana Beach. Services are provided free of charge to member congregations and community members. The organization is part of the PICO California and Faith in Action national networks and co-leads campaigns with the ACLU, the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, and the San Diego Rapid Response Network. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary software products are disclosed.

Name

San Diego Organizing Project

Legal name

San Diego Organizing Project

Website

https://sdop.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Diego Organizing Project is a nonpartisan, multi-faith nonprofit network founded in 1979 that organizes 16 member congregations and 70,000+ families across San Diego County to advance racial and economic justice through advocacy campaigns in housing, immigration, criminal justice reform, and civic engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Community Organizing

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations (BPAGAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Community organizing
• Faith-based advocacy
• Social justice campaigns
• Tenant protection
• Immigrant rights

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. Foundation and Funder Grants: SDOP receives funding from foundations and charitable organizations including The Sojourners Fellowship, Price Charities, Pritzker Family, Sierra Health Foundation, The California Endowment, and Grantmakers for Girls of Color to support organizing campaigns and advocacy work.
2. Individual Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals through its website to support local community organizing efforts.
3. Government Partnerships: SDOP receives support and partnerships from government entities including San Diego County Board of Supervisors and City of Solana Beach for specific advocacy and service initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

San Diego Organizing Project (SDOP) is a nonpartisan, multi-faith community organizing network that mobilizes 16+ member congregations and over 70,000 families across San Diego County to win policy campaigns on justice reform, affordable housing, immigrant rights, and civic engagement. The organization provides congregation-based organizing infrastructure, leadership development, advocacy coordination, and direct pastoral accompaniment services through campaigns including Justice System Reform, Affordable Housing & Homelessness, FAITH Accompaniment Ministry, Immigration Legislative Advocacy, County Government Accountability, and Civic Engagement.

Product overview

San Diego Organizing Project (SDOP) is a nonpartisan, multi-faith network of faith and spiritual congregations representing families across San Diego County. The organization operates as a collection of interconnected advocacy programs rather than a unified technology product. SDOP's portfolio includes Justice System Reform, Affordable Housing & Homelessness advocacy, FAITH Accompaniment Ministry for immigration support, Immigration Legislative Advocacy, County Government Accountability, and Civic Engagement campaigns. These programs work together through community organizing, leadership development, and civic participation to advance racial and economic justice. The organization also produces content through the 'My Path to Power' video series and runs the 'Standing For All That Is Sacred' prophetic declaration campaign. Since 1979, SDOP has equipped people of faith to build power and organize communities through a faith-based organizing model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FAITH Accompaniment Ministry: FAITH Accompaniment Ministry is an ecumenical ministry grounded in bearing witness, building trust, and providing pastoral care for individuals and families during their immigration court hearings and ICE check-ins. It is a project by SDOP, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.

Products and services

• Justice System Reform

Quantifiable outcome

• $100 million secured for juvenile justice system transformation
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Roman Catholic Diocese of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego for FAITH Accompaniment Ministry, providing pastoral care for individuals during immigration court hearings and ICE check-ins. The diocese is a co-sponsor of the ministry along with Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.
• Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary host church for FAITH Accompaniment Ministry project, working alongside SDOP and San Diego Catholic Diocese to provide ecumenical ministry for immigration court accompaniment.
• Pope Francis CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in organizing prayer vigils including 'Nuestras Calles: Bearing Witness to Detentions' series, working with SDOP to support immigrants facing detention.
• Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at University of San DiegomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Building Trust: A Partnership of Clergy, Communities and Police Initiative to provide knowledge, resources and support to clergy for strengthening police-community relations.
• ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leads Invest in San Diego Families' Smart Justice campaign with SDOP, advocating for funding for restorative justice, mental health crisis response, and pre-trial services.
• San Diego Rapid Response NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDRRN was created in 2017 by San Diego houses of faith, the San Diego Organizing Project, and the ACLU to provide support for family members when a community member is being detained or threatened with deportation.
• San Diego County Board of SupervisorsmajorOthersAdvocated for creation of Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs and $5 million Immigrant Legal Defense Program. SDOP invited to help direct $60 million in county services to vulnerable communities.
• PICO CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of PICO California network, a faith-based community organizing federation. SDOP participates in statewide campaigns including #HomeIsSacred for tenant protections.
• Faith in ActionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational faith-based organizing network partner providing support, coaching, and consultation. SDOP participates in their campaigns and receives organizing resources.
• Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Diego organization advancing opportunities for refugee and immigrant communities, partner in advocacy efforts.
• Engage San DiegomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner for civic engagement and voting rights work in San Diego County.
• City of Solana BeachminorOthersMunicipal partner providing financial support for community organizing and advocacy programs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Texas Organizing Project: Texas-based multi-faith community organizing network with a comparable mix of voter mobilization, criminal justice reform, and immigrant rights campaigns; structurally analogous to SDOP at a regional scale.
• PICO California (Faith in Action California): SDOP's statewide federation partner under PICO/Faith in Action; operates the same faith-based community organizing model across California, including shared campaigns like #HomeIsSacred. Most directly comparable peer given identical organizing methodology and shared campaign portfolio.
• Bay Area Organizing Committee: Bay Area interfaith organizing network pursuing similar policy campaigns on housing, immigrant rights, and criminal justice. Comparable as a California-based multi-faith organizing network operating at a similar staff and budget scale.
• LA Voice: Los Angeles-based multi-faith community organizing network using the same congregation-based relational organizing model to drive policy campaigns on housing, immigration, and justice reform—directly parallel to SDOP's program mix.
• New York Communities Organizing Fund (NYCOF): New York-based multi-faith community organizing coalition running campaigns on affordable housing, immigrant rights, and criminal justice—directly analogous to SDOP's programmatic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Community Change: National organizing infrastructure and funding intermediary supporting grassroots community organizing on economic and racial justice. Comparable as a broader institutional actor that both competes for and channels funding to organizing groups like SDOP.
• Faith in Action (national): National network of which SDOP is an affiliate, providing coaching and resources across 60+ affiliates. Comparable as the broader umbrella organization that defines the shared methodology and offers SDOP a scaling pathway.
• Gamaliel Network: National faith-based community organizing network with affiliates across multiple states. Comparable as a parallel national federation applying the same congregation-based organizing methodology.
• Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF): The original faith-based broad-based community organizing network founded by Saul Alinsky; comparable as the pioneer of the same organizing methodology and a national infrastructure provider for affiliates like SDOP.

Emerging players

• Communities for a Better Environment: California-based environmental justice organizing group using similar grassroots base-building tactics in low-income communities of color. Comparable as an adjacent issue-focused organizing peer with overlapping methodology and constituency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SDOPorganizing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sandiegoorganizingprojects725
• Facebookfacebook.com/SDOPorganizing
• Instagraminstagram.com/sdoporganizing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-organizing-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about San Diego Organizing Project