OUR VISION
The Army of Saints Vision and Board Recruitment Strategy
Introduction
This post outlines the strategic vision for the Army of Saints nonprofit and a comprehensive approach to recruiting a truly independent and impactful Board of Directors. This initiative aims to attract visionary leaders who will govern the nonprofit independently, ensuring its sustained growth and mission fulfillment.
Vision for Army of Saints
Army of Saints is built on the belief that it takes an army of good people to create real change. This San Diego-based nonprofit is dedicated to uniquely encouraging those in need of basic human needs, disaster relief, and helping the homeless with long-term solutions to permanent affordable housing [1] [2]. The organization’s vision is to expand its impact, potentially overseeing a large-scale operation employing 15-20 people, fueled by a robust fundraising strategy focused on individual donations and consistent, thoughtful follow-up [4]. The establishment of a strong, independent Board of Directors is crucial to share responsibility, enhance fundraising efforts, and provide strategic guidance for this ambitious vision.
Founding Initiative: Lids of Encouragement
Current Initiative: Street Survival Backpack
The current, ambitious initiative aims to provide 100% coverage for every person sleeping on the street in downtown San Diego. The “Street Survival Backpack” initiative will be an annual or bi-annual distribution event where 1,000 backpacks are assembled. According to the San Diego Cleaning Safety Team, approximately 850 people sleep on the street in San Diego monthly, making the goal of 1,000 backpacks more than sufficient to cover everyone. This initiative can be launched with an estimated budget of $50,000 for 1,000 backpacks, equating to a cost of $50 per backpack.
This remarkable cost-efficiency is achieved through a strategic approach to sourcing: each individual product contained within the backpacks will be purchased and sourced in bulk as a custom order. This method allows Army of Saints to secure deep discounts and acquire high-quality, custom-tailored components that are not typically available in retail stores. This intelligent sourcing enables the creation of durable, long-lasting products at approximately 10% of their normal retail cost, ensuring maximum impact for every dollar spent.
These backpacks will contain essential items for street survival, including:
• Wet wipes for hygiene
• Small bags for trash
• A durable tarp blanket
• A refillable water bottle
• Solar-powered LED lights
• A whistle for safety
• Basic hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, loofah)
• Basic clothing (socks, underwear, T-shirt, sweatpants)
• Unique items such as external battery chargers and charging cables for phones and other devices
• MREs and non-perishable snacks
All items will be of durable and long-lasting quality, and the backpacks themselves will be water-resistant and designed for daily use. Crucially, each backpack will be branded with the proprietary Army of Saints logo (“wings and Fleur de Lis”), as will the items inside. This branding will ensure that the local community recognizes Army of Saints as the provider of immediate essentials and clear direction to existing San Diego resources for every person experiencing street homelessness. This initiative will also position Army of Saints as a collaborative partner with every available resource, igniting immediate and real change in San Diego through 100% coverage and making the organization officially known in downtown San Diego. This also presents opportunities for co-branding with other partners and attracting in-kind donors for items like LED lights.
Each backpack will include a weather-resistant resource guide, developed in conjunction with 211 San Diego. This non-digital guide, featuring durable, plastic-laminated pages, will provide phone numbers and step-by-step instructions for various situations (e.g., no driver's license, shelters), maps, transit information, and instructional guides for maintaining basic hygiene while on the street. This guide will be created by people with lived experience, ensuring it provides relevant and practical information when and where it is most needed. The instructional guide for basic hygiene will also include guidance on how to be polite, how to not make a mess, and how to take pride in the city. This aspect is designed to resonate with business owners and positively impact the overall economy of downtown San Diego. These street survival backpacks will offer a tremendous advantage to individuals living on the street, empowering them with vital resources and information, while simultaneously fostering a more positive and collaborative community environment.
Next Phase: The OASIS Model (Open Air Solar Intake Sites)
Once the Street Survival Backpack initiative is successfully distributed and proven as an immediate and effective intervention, Army of Saints envisions moving to the next critical phase: providing temporary shelter through the innovative OASIS (Open Air Solar Intake Sites) model. This model, invented by Executive Director Carlos Padial III, offers a pragmatic and scalable solution to street homelessness.
The OASIS model leverages undeveloped, raw, vacant land parcels that are currently unused, deploying temporary shelters on a one-to-three-year basis. This temporary nature effectively eliminates the “NIMBY” (Not In My Backyard) effect, as it allows developers to proceed with their normal three-year regulatory compliance and planning processes before ground can be broken. This approach provides a meaningful use for otherwise unused land during its interim period.
The core of the OASIS model involves pre-built, manufactured, and assembled shipping containers that are completed offsite. When delivered to the vacant land spots, they can literally be “plugged in” and ready for use, enabling rapid deployment within a 30-day period. These containers will serve as private, individual pods for sleeping, offering essential privacy and dignity to residents. Each pod, which can cost as little as $15,000 when bought efficiently and at scale, will include a bed, a desk, a chair, and solar lights.
Facilities such as water, sewer, and mobile restrooms (like Porta Potties) will be separate and also delivered and plugged in. The minimal infrastructure required, such as a few main lines for water and sewer, combined with solar power, allows for quick deployment and temporary use without extensive infrastructure development. Meals will be centralized in a cafeteria-style larger container, offering opportunities for various vendors to provide food.
Crucially, on-site supportive services will also be delivered out of shipping container offices, which can be dropped off and plugged in. These sites will be safe, well-lit, and designed to be not visible from the outside, creating a secure and respectful environment for both the unhoused residents and the surrounding downtown community. The OASIS model represents a brilliant, game-changing idea that provides a significant step up from street homelessness, offering a bridge to stability and further support.
Future Phase: Manufacturing and Employment Initiative
Once the OASIS model is successfully implemented and proven, the Army of Saints envisions a profound next phase: establishing a manufacturing facility to provide employment for the unhoused. Leveraging San Diego’s status as a port city with downtown proximity, this facility will be dedicated to creating the very pre-built, offsite manufactured pods and offices used in the OASIS model.
This assembly-line facility will efficiently utilize a 100% Section 3 workforce, directly employing individuals who have experienced homelessness. This initiative not only provides meaningful employment but also produces an extremely affordable product. By becoming a distributor of affordable housing, Army of Saints aims to directly cut the cost of affordable housing by more than 60-70%. While the San Diego Housing Commission currently approves units at approximately $750,000, Army of Saints projects the ability to produce an affordable house for as little as $20,000. This represents an insane reduction in wasteful spending and directly addresses the extreme affordability crisis in San Diego, creating a sustainable, closed-loop solution where the unhoused build the housing that serves their community.
Ultimate Phase: The Flagship Medical and Affordable Living High-Rise
Once the preceding phases are successfully implemented, addressing immediate needs, housing shortages, affordability, and employment, the ultimate vision for Army of Saints culminates in a transformative project: a 44-story high-rise hospital and affordable living facility. This flagship initiative will integrate comprehensive medical and mental health services within a single, state-of-the-art building, providing a full-circle solution to the community’s most complex needs.
This tiered facility will be designed to offer a continuum of care:
• First five floors: Dedicated to emergency and urgent care services.
• Next five floors: Focused on behavioral health, rehabilitation, and other intensive care needs.
• Upper floors: Transitioning to less intensive care, with the top floors providing high-quality, affordable living units for medical staff. This unique approach allows staff to live where they work, fostering a dedicated and integrated healthcare community.
This ambitious project, estimated to cost approximately $1 billion for construction and requiring significant annual investment for maintenance and staffing, represents the pinnacle of Army of Saints’ commitment to holistic community well-being. A prime location has already been identified: the historic California Theatre site in the heart of downtown San Diego, which has been vacant for 37 years. This half-city block parcel, available for an estimated $20 million, is strategically located next to the Mayor’s office, ensuring high visibility and accessibility. This final piece will truly complete the full circle of the Army of Saints’ vision, addressing medical and mental health needs comprehensively and sustainably.
Corporate Partnerships and Sustainable Funding
A crucial component of Army of Saints’ long-term sustainability and impact is its innovative approach to corporate partnerships, primarily with financial advisors and broker-dealers in San Diego. This strategy aims to integrate a “legacy component” into financial planning and asset allocation models for the first time. Clients, upon completion of their financial plans, will have the opportunity to choose Army of Saints as a beneficiary, easily identifying different donation levels and the tangible initiatives their contributions will unlock for San Diego.
This approach leverages the unique position of financial advisors to not only provide crucial financial advice but also to facilitate significant legacy funding for specific, impactful initiatives. San Diego is home to major broker-dealers like LPL and First Allied Securities, which collectively manage billions in assets. By partnering with these entities, Army of Saints bypasses traditional small-dollar donations, potentially unlocking substantial contributions as part of an overall financial plan. Built-in opportunities for naming recognition and tiered donation structures will provide more than enough capital to fulfill the long-term mission of the organization.
Duplicable Model and Global Impact
Every phase of the Army of Saints’ vision, from immediate short-term shelters to employment and medical facilities, is designed to be highly duplicable. This “franchise” model allows for easy implementation in other locations around the country and the world. The only necessary adaptation would be to customize the resource guide with local information, maps, and guides specific to the new area.
Core Philosophy: Funding Tangibles and Ending Homelessness
Army of Saints operates on a core philosophy of funding tangible outcomes rather than hiring excessive employees. Once the shipping container manufacturing facility is complete, the organization will become a producer of housing at scale. This will enable Army of Saints to confidently declare, “We have ended street homelessness in downtown San Diego!”
Current Leadership Context
Currently, the nonprofit is compliant, but its primary driver is Executive Director Carlos Padial III. With limited resources, Carlos has maintained the nonprofit and built its foundational framework and vision. Right now presents a unique and opportune moment for the Army of Saints to recruit a truly independent Board of Directors.
The Importance of an Independent Board of Directors
A truly independent Board of Directors is vital for the long-term success and sustainability of any nonprofit. Such a board provides:
• Objective Governance: Independent members offer unbiased perspectives, ensuring decisions are made in the best interest of the organization and its mission, free from potential conflicts of interest.
• Enhanced Credibility: A diverse and independent board signals strong governance and accountability to donors, funders, and the community, increasing trust and attracting greater support.
• Strategic Oversight: Board members bring diverse expertise, networks, and insights, contributing to strategic planning, risk management, and overall organizational effectiveness.
• Shared Responsibility: Distributing leadership and fundraising responsibilities among dedicated board members alleviates the burden on a single individual, fostering a more resilient and collaborative leadership structure [4].
Strategic Board Recruitment
Recruiting the right board members is a deliberate process that requires careful planning and execution. The goal is to identify individuals who are not only passionate about the mission but also possess the skills, experience, and networks necessary to advance the organization’s objectives [5].
1. Define the Ideal Board Member Profile
Before outreach, it is essential to clarify the specific needs and gaps on the current board. This involves defining the ideal board member profile, considering:
• Skills and Expertise: What professional skills are needed (e.g., finance, legal, marketing, fundraising, program development, community relations)?
• Diversity: Seek diversity in age, background, profession, and perspective to ensure a rich and comprehensive decision-making body.
• Networks: Identify individuals with strong connections to potential donors, community leaders, and relevant stakeholders.
• Commitment: Look for individuals who demonstrate a genuine passion for the mission and a willingness to dedicate time and resources.
2. The Recruitment Process
The recruitment process should be structured and thorough, involving several key steps [6]:
• Identification: Brainstorm potential candidates from personal networks, professional associations, and community leaders. Cybele’s extensive network and experience in grant proposal review make her uniquely positioned to identify individuals with a strong understanding of nonprofit needs and governance.
• Cultivation: Engage potential candidates in informal conversations to gauge their interest, share the vision of Army of Saints, and understand their motivations for board service. This is an opportunity to highlight the organization’s impact and future aspirations.
• Vetting: Conduct thorough due diligence, including interviews, reference checks, and a clear articulation of board member responsibilities, expectations, and time commitments [7]. This should include discussing financial commitments early in the process [8].
• Orientation: Once selected, provide comprehensive orientation to new board members, familiarizing them with the organization’s mission, programs, finances, and governance structure.
3. Emphasizing Commitment and Engagement
To attract and retain high-caliber board members, it is crucial to articulate the value proposition of serving on the Army of Saints board. This includes:
• Clear Role Description: Provide a written role description outlining responsibilities, meeting cadence, and fundraising expectations [7].
• Impact and Vision: Emphasize the tangible impact board members can have on the lives of those served and the exciting growth trajectory of the organization.
• Collaborative Environment: Foster a culture where board members feel valued, heard, and actively engaged in strategic decision-making.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR A BOARD MEMBER POSITION PLEASE EMAIL YOUR RESUME TO INFO@ARMYOFSAINTS.ORG
SUBJECT: BOARD INTEREST