Merridee Book, CEO and artistic director of the Coronado Island Film Festival, has been named an executive advisor on the World NGO Day Global Council.
Book told the Coronado Eagle & Journal that World NGO Day founder Marcis Skadmanis, a Latvian civic leader, invited her to join the council after the two met to discuss collaborations. The appointment connects a Coronado cultural figure to an international movement that celebrates nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations every Feb. 27.
"It's all about storytelling," Book said of the parallel between her film festival work and the council's mission. "It's a day that recognizes everyone."
World NGO Day began in 2010 through the Baltic Sea NGO Forum and was first celebrated in 2014, according to the International Social Service. By 2018, the observance had spread to six continents and 89 countries. The United Nations and European Union are among its supporters.
Book said she wants to bring the celebration closer to home. She described goals that include pushing for proclamations in San Diego County cities, organizing panels with nonprofit leaders, hosting fireside chats and creating awards programs to recognize local organizations working in education, poverty and homelessness.
No dates have been set. Book estimated roughly 10 million nonprofits operate worldwide and said the day gives those groups "permission to promote your cause in a way that doesn't feel self-serving and instead feels mission-driven."
Book has led the Coronado Island Film Festival for about a decade. The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary in November 2025 with more than 130 screenings at venues including the Village Theatre, Hotel del Coronado, Spreckels Center, Coronado Public Library and Coronado Performing Arts Center. MovieMaker magazine included the festival on its 2026 list of 50 festivals worth the entry fee.
Free toolkits for nonprofits, governments and corporate organizations looking to participate in World NGO Day are available at worldngoday.org.
Coming up in Coronado: The Coronado Public Library and the Coronado Island Film Festival present Film Forum Coronado on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the library's Winn Room. The Wednesday, Sept. 2 screening is "Animal Crackers."
