San Diego

About Our Chapter

NCL, Inc., San Diego Chapter is a group of mothers and daughters who have come together in a commitment to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.
Members shall reside in the San Diego area. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, San Diego aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.

The San Diego Chapter was NCL’s first chapter to charter in San Diego in 1971. We currently have nearly 300 mother-daughter members in grades 7 through 12 who perform more than 12,600 hours of hands-on volunteer service for 28 charities and non-profit organizations in the San Diego community each year. By some estimates this equates to over $290,000 of volunteer time. Through this work, NCL, Inc., San Diego Chapter develops socially responsible community leaders who have a positive impact on the communities in which they live.

Join Our Chapter

Interested in joining our chapter? Membership opportunities are dependent on chapter openings.

If you know someone in our chapter, talk to her about getting started, membership obligations and our membership drive timeline.  If you do not know someone in NCL, you are invited to complete this Membership Inquiry Form.

Membership Inquiry Form

For any questions regarding Membership, requests for transfers or assistance with connecting as a Sustainer, email us.

The NCL experience is designed to take place largely within 6 grade level classes.  Because it is designed as a small group program, class size is a critical factor to ensure a successful program.  For Membership eligibility in our Chapter, the Prospective Ticktocker (daughter) must be in grade 7 the September following admission.  Openings in all classes above 7th grade are at the discretion of the Chapter Board and are based on a predetermined class size range.

Applications for Membership are accepted only during the Annual Membership Drive, which runs from November to January of the Prospective Ticktocker’s 6th grade year.

A Prospective Member shall be sponsored by an Active Member and co-sponsored by an Active, Provisional, or Sustainer Patroness Member in Good Standing in the Chapter.

A Prospective Member shall only apply to one Chapter.

The Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Membership Committee, shall make the final selections into Membership.

A Member of the Membership Committee will contact you during our Annual Membership Drive.  Please understand that there is neither guarantee nor obligation of Membership when a Committee Member contacts you.

If you meet these Membership requirements, plan on attending one (1) of the two (2) Prospective Member Information Meetings. Upon receipt of your Membership Inquiry Form, we will notify you of these meeting dates.  Either your Sponsor or Co-Sponsor must attend with you, and RSVP for both of you.

Mothers and their daughters (grades 7-12) participate in a program that embraces:

Community Service

We understand and serve communities in partnership with local and national nonprofits. Each NCL, Inc. chapter promotes social awareness by considering the local community’s needs and selecting appropriate non-profit organizations to support through different volunteer activities.

We work with the following philanthropies:

  • Alzheimer’s Association
  • American Heart Association
  • American Red Cross
  • Autism Tree Project Foundation
  • Boys and Girls Club
  • Challenged Athletes Foundation
  • Disaster Response
  • Father Joe’s Villages
  • Gigi’s Playhouse
  • I Love a Clean San Diego
  • Jewish Family Services
  • La Jolla Historical Society
  • La Jolla Playhouse
  • Las Patronas
  • Meals on Wheels
  • Nazareth House
  • Operation Gratitude
  • Operation Homefront
  • Produce Good
  • Promises 2 Kids
  • Rady Children’s Hospital
  • Ronald McDonald House
  • San Diego Food Bank
  • San Diego Humane Society
  • San Diego Parks & Recreation
  • San Diego Public Library
  • Serving Seniors
  • St. Germaine Children’s Charity
  • Susan G. Komen San Diego
  • The Cat Lounge Rescue & Adoption Center
  • The Cove at La Jolla
  • The New Children’s Museum
  • The Old Globe Theatres
  • The Princess Project
  • UCSD Family Houses

Leadership Development

We build capable, courageous leaders through opportunities to learn, reflect and develop. Our leaders become successful in their education, career and communities by learning the necessary skills during their NCL experience.

Examples of skills developed include:

  • Confidence
  • Consensus building
  • Team building
  • Conflict resolution
  • Event planning
  • Parliamentary procedure

Our Chapter Board of Directors:

  • President: Jennifer Edstrom
    Jenna Wittkow
  • President Elect: Jenna Wittkow
    Kendall Goldstein
  • Secretary: Dina Koutas
    Debbie Hanoch
  • Treasurer: Kendall Goldstein
    Daphne Kula
  • Parliamentarian: Amanda Fates
    Shannon Briley
  • Vice President Communications: Fran Shimp
    Jamie Gover
  • Vice President Membership: Dawn Inglish
    Jennifer Edstrom
  • Vice President Philanthropy: Jill Chang
    Jill Chang
  • Vice President Ticktockers: Beth Wilensky
    Tanette Fillmore
  • Vice President Chapter Engagement and Inclusion: Cheryl Cousino
    Cheryl Cousino

Vice President Standards and Hours:
Roni Lincoln

Immediate Past President:
Kathryn Gayner 

Cultural Experiences

We preserve National Charity League traditions and core values, while appreciating the growth that comes from connecting with different communities and cultures. We continually strive to build stronger ties with our communities and the individuals within them. It is through this understanding that we grow and develop broader worldviews that will shape and support our lives.

  • Traditions – We celebrate the richness of our history through traditions that honor the past while serving the future.
  • Values – We embrace values that make us strong as an organization of mother-daughter leaders.
  • Community Connections – We build connections through experiences that impact our communities.
  • Etiquette – We encourage and mentor kind, respectful and gracious social conduct.

Our Chapter also emphasizes cultural experiences through philanthropy by offering the following opportunities:

Ushering at the award-winning Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park, San Diego

 

Volunteering with the La Jolla Historical Society