Lago Alianza — Building a Lake Alliance
Editor’s note: I’m delighted to welcome Elaine Duncan as the new writer of Good Works Gazette. I couldn’t be more pleased to pass this column into such capable hands. With a career devoted to nonprofit leadership and strategy, Elaine brings a wealth of experience to a column devoted to those who serve our community. She is also an accomplished writer whose work has appeared in several WebMD publications, Odyssey Magazine South Africa, and Elephant Journal. I know she will bring her own warmth and perspective to the stories of the people and organizations doing good work throughout Lakeside. I look forward to reading Good Works Gazette right along with you. Welcome, Elaine!
Every nonprofit has a mission. But who has a mission to strengthen these organizations? That question has been on my mind recently as I’ve learned more about Lago Alianza, a start-up organization that works to support the Lakeside nonprofit community.
One of the first things I noticed after moving here is the number of nonprofit organizations serving this community. Every day, dedicated volunteers and staff are feeding families, rescuing animals, mentoring children, preserving culture, protecting our environment, and providing care for neighbors who need a helping hand. It’s one of the things that makes Lakeside such a wonderful place to call home.
What I’ve come to appreciate is that the people leading these organizations face many of the same challenges nonprofits everywhere face: how to build stronger boards, engage donors, recruit volunteers, embrace new technology, and ensure their organizations will still be sustainably serving this community years from now.
That’s the opportunity Joan Machlis-Craseman, Lydia Bodin, Steve Balfour, Michael Bustos, and Bill Sheehan saw when they founded Lago Alianza, a name that reflects the organization’s belief that stronger communities are built through partnership and collaboration.
Rather than creating another nonprofit to address a specific issue, the founders envisioned an organization that could strengthen the organizations already serving our community. It’s a simple idea, but one with the potential to create a significant ripple effect across Lakeside.
What impresses me most, however, is where the journey began.
Following a series of community focus groups, the organization conducted a comprehensive survey of Lakeside’s nonprofit sector, inviting organizations to share their strengths, challenges, and priorities for the future. The response was extraordinary. Seventy-six percent of the organizations surveyed participated, an unusually high response rate that speaks not only to the quality of the survey itself but also to a community eager to learn from each other and build something stronger together.
To me, that’s what thoughtful community development looks like. It begins with listening.
Having spent much of my own career working alongside nonprofits, I have learned that passion can inspire an organization, but passion alone doesn’t sustain one. Behind every successful nonprofit are the things most people never see: effective governance, strong financial practices, engaged boards, fundraising, legal compliance, technology, and relationships with people who are willing to share ideas and solve problems together. That is where Lago Alianza has chosen to focus its energy.
Over the past year, the organization has convened quarterly gatherings where nonprofit leaders exchange ideas, build relationships, and learn from one another. The educational programs offered at each gathering are shaped by what organizations said they needed in the survey and continue to be refined through evaluations completed after every meeting. That commitment to listening has led to practical capacity-building initiatives, including a bilingual artificial intelligence training program with more than 40 participants and pilot projects focused on organizational resilience and long-term sustainability.
Joan has chosen to personally fund Lago Alianza’s expenses for the first five years through creating the Chapala Nonprofits Donor Advised Fund. It was important to the founders that the organization brings new funds to the pool of Lakeside philanthropy. This Donor Advised Fund is open to other philanthropists who support nonprofits here at Lakeside.
Jennifer Faith Stanley, co-founder of La Cochera Cultural, recently shared this perspective: “At La Cochera Cultural, we believe deeply in Lago Alianza’s mission and in the idea that stronger communities are built together. As our own work continues to grow, we are always looking for ways to strengthen existing partnerships and create new ones. We are incredibly grateful to Joan and her team for their support and for the spirit of collaboration they are helping foster throughout Lakeside.”
I couldn’t have said it better.
One of the things I love most about Lakeside is that people genuinely want to help. Lago Alianza isn’t trying to replace that spirit. It’s investing in it. By helping nonprofits become stronger, more connected, and more sustainable, it’s multiplying the impact of the people who have already dedicated themselves to serving others.
Perhaps that’s one of the quiet truths about building a healthy community. The people who spend their lives helping others need someone helping them, too.
Learn more about Lago Alianza’s programs, get involved, or make a donation at lagoalianza.org.
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