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All roads lead to service: Alumna Shannon Gnam reflects on her winding path to the nonprofit sector
November 26, 2024 — Shannon Gnam’s path to nonprofit leadership was not a straightforward road.
The childhood hints were there: a history with nationwide mentoring program Big Brothers Big Sisters, an affinity for Nickelodeon’s community service campaign “The Big Help,” an inclination to get involved with the “Save the Rainforest Movement.” But, it wasn’t until much later that she would make a personal connection with community service.
Her first foray into the nonprofit sector came by chance in 2000, when Gnam enrolled at Arizona State University.
Entering with an undeclared major, she came to the university hoping to find her calling in journalism — a profession where Gnam says she could “be a part of serving people.” It wasn’t until she was declined from the program that Gnam began to consider other avenues.
She enrolled in an “Introduction to Nonprofit Organizations” class at what is now called the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, gaining not only a fundamental knowledge of nonprofit management, but also a new dedication to service.
With her newfound interest in nonprofits, Gnam also enrolled in ASU’s chapter of American Humanics — now known as the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, a national alliance of universities and nonprofits educating students in becoming future leaders of the nonprofit sector. Participants engage in community service, nonprofit education, fundraisers and retreats in pursuit of the Certified Nonprofit Professional credential, the only nationally recognized credential for nonprofit sector leadership.
“The thing I remember the most about that time was a sense of belonging and community,” said Gnam. “Just being around other like-minded people who wanted to change the world as a 20-year-old.”
During Gnam’s time in the program, she learned not only the basics of nonprofit management, but also skills that extended beyond the typical classroom curriculum.
On one occasion, Gnam describes a dinner with a donor in Kansas City — a simple task that she says the program turned into a lesson on how to “act and behave” at a networking event. This and other practices instilled a level of realism to the curriculum that would serve participants well beyond their school years.
Overall, Gnam says American Humanics (today’s Nonprofit Leadership Alliance) provided her with a sense of “affirmation and credibility” in her ability to contribute to her own professional development.
“It always stuck with me,” Gnam said.
So, when personal circumstances led Gnam to withdraw from ASU, it was the connections and mindset she gained from this first dabble in the nonprofit sector that led her back in.
In the interim, Gnam made a pivot to the financial sector.
She held multiple years-long roles with Desert Financial Credit Union and OneAZ Credit Union before returning to the nonprofit sector briefly through a position with Make-A-Wish International. Afterwards, she headed back to finance, working with Zions Bancorporation.
In total, Gnam’s experience in finance outweighed her nonprofit experience by multiple years. However, her passion remained in service.
More than 15 years after her time at ASU, Gnam reached out to Cindi Thiede, the longtime director of professional development education for the Center's Nonprofit Management Institute, now retired.
An online search had directed Gnam to the ASU Lodestar Center, finding a page about the Center’s Nonprofit Executive Leadership Certificate program for senior leaders and executives in the nonprofit sector.
Although she considered herself “far from that level,” Gnam hoped Thiede could help her find connections in the nonprofit sphere.
However, upon their meeting, Thiede was insistent that Gnam apply for the certificate program. With a program sponsor providing a scholarship for her attendance, Gnam participated in the program in 2020.
“I went into that program thinking, ‘I’m not qualified to be in this room,’” Gnam said. “I’ve learned that, no matter what role you’re in — myself included — we all have the capacity to influence.”
Since completing the certificate program, Gnam has achieved senior-level roles at multiple nonprofits in the Valley, from a two-year tenure at HustlePHX to her current position as director of community collaboration at Together for Arizona.
“I think it helped me give myself permission to step into owning my role as a leader,” Gnam said.
Today, Gnam is an instrumental part of Together for Arizona’s aim of improving life for Arizona families. She represents the interests of those affecting change on the ground to those who have the power to influence larger systems, a role that has her shirking the executive label in favor of considering herself a “conduit.”
“To me, it doesn’t matter if I’m considered an executive or whatever my role is,” Gnam said. “It’s not just one of us doing these things. We’re coming together because we see an opportunity to better serve and support the families of Arizona.”
Now, when reflecting on her own journey from student to leader, Gnam says her experiences with the ASU Lodestar Center have left her with a level of self-assurance that she hopes others will adopt.
“Don’t second-guess investing in yourself,” Gnam advises. “Nobody else will do it for you.”
Image: Shannon Gnam, ASU Lodestar Center alumna
Story by Lillian Finley, ASU Lodestar Center
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