Engage San Diego is a coalition of left-of-center organizations focused on civic engagement and voter outreach. It is a member of the left-of-center coalition State Voices and is one of State Voices’ California affiliates. ¹ Its fiscal sponsor is the San Diego LGBT Community Center. ²

In addition to the coalition’s work in civic engagement and voter outreach, it also has an affiliated action fund. The action fund endorses and supports left-of-center candidates for state, local, and national office. ³

A major focus of the coalition is identity politics-based outreach to racial minorities, women, low-income earners, immigrants, and young people, which the coalition describes as the “New American Majority Electorate.” ⁴

Among the organizations that Engage San Diego has received donations from is the Tides Foundation, a major funder of left-of-center organizations. ⁵

Overview

Engage San Diego is a coalition of left-of-center organizations that works in San Diego County, California. The coalition focuses on civic engagement, voter outreach, advocacy, and community organizing among left-leaning communities in the county. ⁶ The coalition was founded in 2010 by various left-wing activists, primarily to engage in voter engagement and organizing. ⁷

Engage San Diego focuses on “underserved communities” that historically vote for left-of-center candidates and issues, including Asian-Americans, blacks, and Latinos (which the group refers to by the controversial term “Latinx”). The coalition also reaches out to women, the gay and lesbian community, low income earners, immigrants and refugees, and young people. The organization refers to these people as the “New American Majority Electorate.” ⁸

Engage San Diego is a California affiliate of the left-of-center coalition State Voices. ⁹ Its fiscal sponsor is the San Diego LGBT Community Center. ¹⁰

The coalition is also a member of the left-of-center San Diego Equal Voice Network, which was founded in 2016. The San Diego Equal Voice Network engages in identity politics outreach towards San Diego’s growing Latino and Asian-American population, the LGBT community, and low-income residents. ¹¹

In addition to the ostensibly nonpartisan voter outreach, civic engagement, and advocacy, the coalition has an action fund. That affiliated action fund endorses and campaigns for candidates on the state, local, and national level. Most of the endorsed candidates are Democrats or align with the Democratic Party. ¹²

Coalition Members

Engage San Diego has 13 member organizations and special projects as of the 2020 election cycle. Those members are: ¹³

• VietVote
• Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest
• ACCE Institute
• Center on Policy Initiatives
• San Diego Organizing Project
• Justice Overcoming Boundaries
• Mid-City Community Advocacy Network
• United Taxi Workers of San Diego
• The San Diego LGBT Community Center
• ACLU California
• Alliance San Diego
• Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans
• Environmental Health Coalition

Leadership

According to his LinkedIn profile, as of September 2021 the most recent executive director of Engage San Diego was Alan Kaplan, who held the post from July 2017 to March 2021. Previously, Kaplan worked with groups advocating for increased immigration. ¹⁴

Finances

Engage San Diego has received grant for an undisclosed amount from the major left-of-center donor Tides Foundation. ¹⁵ It has also received an undisclosed series of grants from the Marguerite Casey Foundation. ¹⁶ In 2013, it received a $153,000 grant from the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. ¹⁷

1. “California.” 2021. Voices For Power. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://voicesforpower.statevoices.org/states/california/.
2. “Engage San Diego.” San Diego LGBT Community Center. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://thecentersd.org/timeline/engage-san-diego/.
3. “Engage San Diego Action Fund.” Engage San Diego Action Fund. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://engagesandiegoaction.nationbuilder.com/.
4. “About Engage San Diego.” Engage San Diego. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.engagesandiego.org/about.
5. “Engage San Diego.” Tides. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.tides.org/project/grantee/engage-san-diego/.
6. “About Engage San Diego.” Engage San Diego. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.engagesandiego.org/about.
7. “Engage San Diego.” ACCE Institute. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.acceinstitute.org/engage_san_diego.
8. “About Engage San Diego.” Engage San Diego. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.engagesandiego.org/about.
9. “California.” Voices For Power. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://voicesforpower.statevoices.org/states/california/.
10. “Engage San Diego.” San Diego LGBT Community Center. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://thecentersd.org/timeline/engage-san-diego/.
11. Posey, Elizabeth, and Brad Wong. “Building Democracy: People And Purpose In San Diego County.” Philantopic – A Blog Of Opinion And Commentary. May 2018. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://pndblog.typepad.com/pndblog/2018/05/building-democracy-people-and-purpose-in-san-diego-county.html.
12. “Engage San Diego Action Fund.” Engage San Diego Action Fund. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://engagesandiegoaction.nationbuilder.com/.
13. “Partners.” Engage San Diego. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.engagesandiego.org/partners.
14. “Alan Kaplan.” Linkedin. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alankaplan001/.
15. “Engage San Diego.” Tides. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.tides.org/project/grantee/engage-san-diego/.
16. Posey, Elizabeth, and Brad Wong. “Building Democracy: People And Purpose In San Diego County.” Philantopic – A Blog Of Opinion And Commentary. May 2018. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://pndblog.typepad.com/pndblog/2018/05/building-democracy-people-and-purpose-in-san-diego-county.html.
17. “Engage San Diego.” Evelyn And Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.haasjr.org/grants/grantee/engage-san-diego.