Nonprofits are the lifeblood of a community, stepping in where government agencies fall short. They provide critical services to the elderly and those in need, ensure arts and culture are alive, fund hospitals and cures for diseases, and support educational institutions and provide scholarships for students.

In order for these vital community organizations to thrive, they must be staffed well. Yes, the role of nonprofit volunteers contributes to an organization's strength and success, but the staff provide the backbone of these vital community resources. Among the staff, the leaders are mission critical staff members. Strong leaders motivate volunteers and inspire donors, while lack of leadership can be devastating to an organization.

Too often nonprofit staff are underpaid and overworked. Longevity in the sector is crumbling. The pandemic put additional strain on organizations already struggling to retain their staff and drive their mission. Some have left for higher-paying for-profit positions. Some have retired. Some are simply burnt out…

Asian American and Pacific Islander philanthropy has a long history spanning back to a multitude of cultures. From the Filipino tradition of pasalubong to the Chamorro tradition of chenchule’, giving in AAPI cultures goes back for generations. The culture of giving that originates in these cultures informs the philanthropy and generosity that Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities demonstrate throughout their entire lives. Whether it be between people or between organizations, the origins of giving and philanthropy in AAPI cultures must be acknowledged and celebrated today. 

This AAPI Heritage Month, the ASU Lodestar Center will be exploring a few of these cultural roots in connection to modern-day philanthropy.

Chinese Americans

Giving starts early in the life of Chinese Americans. Around 1 month into the life of a newborn, the Red Egg and Ginger Party is held to officially welcome the new family member. At the event, the baby of honor is presented with many gifts: a new set of clothes, gold…

The intersection between diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) exists to ensure nonprofit organizations value different perspectives and backgrounds, provide every employee with equitable access to opportunity and learning, and create spaces where all voices are heard. An organization must prioritize all three issues, otherwise, they risk completely missing the mark. Enacting intentional D.E.I. strategies in the nonprofit workplace is essential to maintaining the organization's mission, cultivating high performance from staff, and creating sustainable funding and programming.

Other benefits of intentional D.E.I. work include:

• Expanding the organization's reach.
• Fostering a healthier work culture.
• Mirroring the community it serves.

Organizations that deliberately implement D.E.I. policies attract more creative and innovative employees who combine their unique knowledge, skills, and experiences to create a welcoming work environment and improve the organization's impact. Failure to prioritize diversity in the workplace may lead to segregated groups, communication strains, and…

One of the most underutilized and misunderstood donor bases for nonprofit organizations is their board of directors. A board of directors is extremely important to a nonprofit organization’s governance, ethics, decision making, financial oversight, mission, and policy. As part of their financial oversight, financial giving should be at the top of their priority list.

There are many reasons why individuals are inspired to serve on a nonprofit board, getting to what that motivation is and cultivating financial support is extremely essential to a fiscally healthy nonprofit. Without the board of directors being financial stakeholders in the nonprofit organization, there is a group of individuals who are dedicated to the work that the nonprofit does without showing so financially. There are three ways that nonprofit boards can lead nonprofits to financial success.

Board member buy-in

Board member buy-in is essentially the way in which they can show they are true stakeholders in the organization. If they do not believe financially in the nonprofit, why should others who are not serving the nonprofit? By showing good faith in the organization and how it performs financially through a personal gift, the board member shows that the mission is worthwhile to the community. If a board member publicly gives to the nonprofit it…