Meet Cristina Sanchez-Kerr | Nonprofit consultant, practitioner, and researcher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cristina Sanchez-Kerr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cristina, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
The non-profit sector has grown and professionalized over the past few decades but is often misunderstood by those outside the sector and even those within it. One major misconception is nonprofit staff/employees are volunteers without professional training that are “do-gooders.” The reality is that people not only have a passion for the mission of the organization but also bring with that motivation, experience, education, and skills that should not only be respected but also appropriately compensated.

What should our readers know about your business?
Arboreta Group, LLC. came together both as a personal opportunity to have the freedom and flexibility to care for our families while providing for them but also for the professional motivation of wanting to contribute to the nonprofit community as a whole versus a single organization. After decades in the nonprofit sector, coming together to support nonprofits was easy but building a business was a different story. The business side took work, patience, communication, and stepping outside of our comfort zone. What worked for us and what I am most proud of is that we are authentic partners with our clients who truly care about and enjoy the work. We are not salesmen, we are nonprofit practitioners who want to work alongside organization staff to build the capacity of their organization to increase their impact on communities. We feel that integrity, transparency, and belief in them, has contributed to our success.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
SO much!! I am a Tijuana-San Diego native and I adore this region. Definitely Balboa Park, some beach time, (Coronado, La Jolla Shores and Moonlight are my favorites) and Kate Sessions Park would be on my list, but also a trip to Tijuana for amazing food. If we stayed in SD I would have to take them to Chula Vista for Mexican food, though I also love Mexican restaurants in City Heights (Super Cocina) and North Park (El Comal). Little Italy is a family favorite for their excellent food and fun Saturday Farmers Market, but I’m also a seafood lover and Sushi Ota and Blue Water are some of my favorite spots. Some hikes in Escondido or East County would also be on my list. Too much to love!!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My partners absolutely get credit and a shout out for our joint success. That’s one of the things that makes Arboreta so special, it’s not a single consultant but a team that brings its unique and overlapping skills and experiences together for the benefit of our clients and communities.

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