Asian American Giving

Asian Pacific Fund Names New Executive Director

2012-02-14T13:42:55-08:00

Audrey Yamamoto will join the Asian Pacific Fund as its new President and Executive Director. Excerpted from the announcement is Audrey's background:

Audrey comes to the Fund from her current position as Executive Director of the Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco, an organization where she has worked since 2003, starting as Director of Marketing and Development, then becoming Director of Programs and Experience before stepping into the Executive Director position in 2008.

Prior to her work at the Museum, Audrey was Director of Development and then Chief Operating Officer at Plugged In, a non-profit in East Palo Alto that provided art and technology programs for the families of East Palo Alto.

After receiving a BA in Economics from University of California, San Diego, she joined Pacific Bell’s Accelerated Management Program before earning her MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Asian Americans Encouraged to Apply 02/12/2012

2012-02-12T11:53:10-08:00

Grade 2 Mandarin Immersion Teachers, Yu Ming Charter School (Bay Area). Mandarin immersion public charter school in the San Francisco Bay Area seeks experienced and dynamic teachers to provide a variety of instructional techniques to second grade students. Yu Ming Charter School opened Fall 2011 with K-1, and will serve 150 students in grades K-2 in School Year 2012-13. We are growing into a K-8 school.

Program Officer, David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Bay Area). The Local Program Officer Position presents the right candidate with a dynamic opportunity to provide both day-to-day support for a portfolio of grants potentially bound by specific geographic location and program focus areas.

Multicutlural Fellowships, The San Francisco Foundation (Bay Area). We are looking for applicants with expertise in three program areas: Community Development, Education, and the Environment.The Fellowship is a two-year, full-time program for young professionals of color with the talent and drive to create positive social change in Bay Area communities. The Fellowship provides hands-on work experience with our Program staff. Fellows receive professional development, training, and opportunities to build skills in grantmaking, convening, and project management. Fellows also benefit from networking, mentoring, seminars, professional conferences, and interactions with a range of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders.

Philanthropy News Digest 01/30/2012

2012-01-30T06:00:00-08:00

An Executive Director's Guide to Financial Leadership. There is a difference between financial management and financial leadership but do most executive directors understand this? Financial management is the collecting of financial data, production of financial reports, and solution of near-term financial issues. Financial leadership is guiding a nonprofit organization to sustainability. The ED is responsible for developing and maintaining a business model that produces exceptional mission impact and sustained financial health. This should be required reading for all EDs.

Executive liability rising for private, nonprofit firms. Before joining a board, prospects should ask the nonprofit if they have directors and officers insurance for their executive employees and board members. Surprisingly, one out of every four private or nonprofit firms do not have D & O insurance and when asked why not, 80% of nonprofits said they do not believe they need it.

Fidelity Charitable Reports Record-Breaking Year in Grants and Contributions. Fidelity Charitable donors made more than 380,000 grants, totaling more than $1.3 billion, to nonprofits nationwide during 2011. Donors also made record-breaking contributions to their Giving Accounts in 2011, with nearly $2.9 billion being recorded in new charitable dollars, up from more than $1.6 billion in 2010.

A Better Way to Share Annual Reports?

2012-01-27T21:50:46-08:00

Each year, nonprofit organizations spend valuable time and money on pulling together an annual report. The report may be the organizations' one and only 'about us' piece that they give to donors and prospects. It is filled with the usual list of contents, a letter from the chair and/or executive director, several stories of beneficiaries and donors, a donor list and financial statements, and maybe a listing or samples of projects showcasing its accomplishments.

I think annual reports are important because it allows the organization to report back to their donors and the community on how charitable funds are used. In general, the organization is practicing good donor stewardship and being transparent with its work - besides, if you don't have one, funders get upset since it is the norm nowadays.

Is there a better way to reach the same goals but with less time, effort and money?

Debra Askanase at Sociabrite has a great blog piece showcasing several nonprofits that have transformed their printed annual report to a video report. She writes:

Video is a natural medium for storytelling, and that’s what the annual report should be. There are some significant benefits to a video report: lasting content on the Web, video footage for reuse and changing a report into a discussion.

What do you think? Would a donor be more likely to watch a short video? I think so. Especially if your donors are all holding smartphones, ipads and even the kindle fire.

Here's a sample of one from THEMUSEUM:

Asian Americans Encouraged to Apply 01/18/2012

2012-01-18T13:42:41-08:00

* Center for Disaster Philanthropy seeking CEO. CDP is an exciting new venture that will change the face of emergency-related grant-making, moving it from a reactive and emotion-driven response, to one focused on increasing the effectiveness of the private donor’s dollar for the good of affected communities worldwide. CDP will offer three distinct services to donors: 1) a website and interactive portal; 2) a pooled funding mechanism with a unique preparedness, risk reduction and recovery focus; and 3) custom advisory services.

* Korean American Community Foundation is now hiring for Administrative & Communication Associate. Reporting to the Executive Director and working in KACF’s New York City (Manhattan) office, the Associate will work with both internal and external stakeholders to support the development of donor relationships, draft correspondence, articles and other presentational materials, manage monthly eNewsletters, website and other updates, assist with special event coordination and planning, and other tasks as assigned. The successful candidate will have a deep interest in philanthropy and community issues, with strong writing, excellent judgment and organizational skills that will be applied across a range of duties including research communications and event planning.

* Bank of America Seeking Student Leaders. Student leaders participate in an eight week paid internship at a charitable organization and take part in a week long summit in DC.

* Bank of America Seeking Local Heroes. Selected heroes receive $5,000 contribution to an eligible nonprofit of his/her choice.

New Law in California Promotes Social Entrepreneurship

2011-10-11T02:57:37-07:00

California passed a new law today that will support social enterprises. The new laws, AB 361 (Benefit Corporations) and SB 201 (Flexible Purpose Corporations) provides two additional forms of legal entities to consider for entrepreneurs wishing to create social enterprises. The laws primarily allows businesses to factor social good into their bottom line and is a definite win for social entrepreneurs in California.

Traditionally, entrepreneurs have been limited to two primary corporate vehicles, the corporation and the limited liability corporation. These forms are not appropriate for entrepreneurs seeking to blend profitability with a Special Purpose (profitability with a broader social or environmental purpose). The traditional forms put the directors at risk for making decisions based at the expense of maximizing financial returns for shareholders and other issues.

The Flexible Business Corporation requires the inclusion of a special purpose in its Articles of Incorporation, provides directors with protection for making decisions based on special purposes as opposed to maximizing profits, provides shareholder protections and encourages transparency.

Her are some resources for folks that are interested in the nitty-gritty details and are thinking of starting a social business:

* Gene Takagi's Nonprofit Law Blog that has a post on this issue with handouts that you can download.

* New California Law Will Boost Social Entrepreneurship

* FAQs of the new law, the Flexible Purpose Corporation

Community Foundation Model Broken?

2011-09-30T10:12:30-07:00

The Council on Foundations held their annual community foundations conference in San Francisco last week. The importance and strengthen of community foundations in the philanthropic sector is undeniable. In the U.S., over 700 community foundations administer $31 billion in charitable funds (here is a great map of where they are located). But is the community foundation model broken or working too well in helping donors with their philanthropic interests?

Many of us know the model of community foundations - they host, invest and adminster charitable funds that support local charitable organizations. Community foundations host many various funds but the most often used and what they are well known for are the donor advised funds (DAFs). Donors can set up these funds and recommend the amount and organization the funds should be directed to.

Community foundations charge a fee for managing these funds.Unfortunately, this model is not working very well because the funds do not cover the overall costs of managing these gifts including operational costs and the advice and stewardship that donors expect to receive. In his speech at the COF conference, Emmett Carson, CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation said:

“Revenues aren’t meeting expenses. Other people offer what we perceive as our core product at a cheaper price — zero. As for raising costs: Talk to Netflix. In this environment, that doesn’t work.”

Not only is the fee an issue but commercial providers such as Fidelity, Schwab, and now many other nonprofit groups and universities are also offering donor advised funds.

It appears that the community foundation model is broken if we look to it as merely a financial management tool for charitable assets. Afterall, if the purpose was to encourage donors to open DAFs and recommend organizations that they wish to give to - then the DAF model actually works very well. Hypothetically, donors would get to know the foundation's work and eventually make unrestricted gifts to its operations or projects. However, this is usually not the case. Community foundations must wait until a DAF terminates before it can receive the residual funds - and this can be a very long time. Meanwhile, the community foundation is basically serving as a transactional provider and providing free and valuable information to the donors. If this is the case, then do the donors need to open a DAF at a community foundation while other providers charge a lower fee?

There are many reasons why donors choose to partner with community foundations. Knowledge of local issues is one of the main reasons. The ability to convene community leaders, tackle difficult economic and social challenges, and serve as knowledge leaders and advisors to donors who are interested in particular issues are strengths that commercial competitors and others cannot provide. But not all donors are willing to pay for these services above and beyond the DAF fee. The challenge then is finding a model that is financially sustainable while providing services that benefit the community.

Photo courtey of qthomasbower, Flickr, Creative Commons

Asian Americans Encouraged to Apply 09/27/2011

2011-09-27T15:56:10-07:00

* Global Footprint Network is seeking a Vice President of Operations (Oakland, CA). Global Footprint Network is looking for a seasoned, mission-focused, and process-minded manager with experience executing an organization’s vision and strategy through day-to-day operations. The candidate also must demonstrate the ability to scale an organization, lead a senior management team, and develop a team-oriented culture among a group of diverse, talented individuals.

* Cisco Corporate Affairs -- Public Benefit Investment team (PBI) is looking for an experienced and energetic Program Manager (San Jose, CA). The Program Manager would be responsible for guiding strategy and implementation in critical human needs, including water, hunger, shelter, and disaster relief.

* Asian Law Caucus seeks Executive Director (San Francisco, CA). The Executive Director position presents a unique opportunity for a strong, dynamic individual to advance a vision of progressive social values for AAPIs at a pivotal time of growth and change for both the Caucus and the community. The ideal candidate will have the proven leadership, commitment and skills to lead the Caucus through an expansion of programs and infrastructure, while leading a talented and dedicated staff and management team. The Executive Director will report directly to the Board of Directors, manage all aspects of day-to-day operations, oversee a growing budget of $2 million, supervise a staff of 21, act as the chief spokesperson, and ensure that the Caucus is well-positioned now and in the future with effective programs, sufficient resources and a reputation for integrity.

Melinda Gates and Social Media

2011-09-22T12:19:39-07:00

Within 21 hours of joining Twitter, Melinda Gates (@melindagates) has 17,876 followers. Why is she twittering? Melinda says on her blog post:

There is not a moment to waste when millions of people's lives and futures are at stake.

Twitter is an example of this—it is the type of vehicle that allows you to share stories of impact in an instant. I’ll be using Twitter to pass along stories that inspire me.

So far, Melinda has sent out four tweets. Will her presence in social media help shape the philanthropic conversation? How relevant do you think her tweets will be?

About the video: At the recent Social Good Summit, Melinda Gates addresses the crowd on why social media is important and how the Foundation will use it to connect with people.

Philanthropy News Digest 09/21/2011

2011-09-21T06:00:00-07:00

* Taking Minutes of Nonprofit Board Meetings. Carter Law Group posted a very useful guide on taking nonprofit board minutes. Also, the site where the guide is found, JDSupra, is an awesome site for those needing general legal advice.

* Introducing the Map of Nonprofit Startup Resources by State. I am not advocating that we need more non-profits but if you are interested in starting a non-profit, but the map is a useful site to start with.

Seminar: Donor Motivations and Professional Advisors

2011-09-06T21:53:47-07:00

I have written before about working with professional advisors and how they can be a great asset for fundraisers, especially when it comes to planned gifts. So I am pleased to share with our readers a free webinar that Bank of America Merrill Lynch and the Council on Foundations are hosting on September 15th.

The webinar will look at the groundbreaking research, Study of High-Net-Worth Philanthropy, conducted with the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

It will provide new insights into the demographic and psychographic factors driving family philanthropy, volunteerism, and charitable giving. It will also explore the dynamics of donors' relationships with community foundations and the nonprofit organizations they support, as well as examine their relationships with the advisers they rely upon for support.

For more information and registration details, click here.

Asian Americans Encouraged to Apply! 08/24/2011

2011-08-24T12:03:53-07:00

There seems to be a lot of positions in the philanthropic sector turning over these days. Here are just some of the openings that I've come across lately. For more jobs, you can visit the Foundation Center and sign up for their weekly jobs email or check out the Council on Foundations job board. These are just two of the main resources for jobs in the sector. What are other sites you use to get job listings in philanthropy? Post your advice in the comments section below.

Managing Director for Family Philanthropy, Council on Foundations (Washington, DC). The Council seeks a managing director of Family Philanthropy Services to be a strategic visionary, listener, and connector for family and next generation philanthropy. The managing director will be the organization’s leader in positioning the Council to grow in numbers and value to its family philanthropy audience. The individual should have a deep knowledge of family philanthropy in all its forms, understand the ethics and standards of the field, and have experience working with social networking and web tools to make connections, deliver programming and provide space for knowledge exchange. This individual should also be a credible representative of family philanthropy and next generation leaders to the broader field, and be able to facilitate and grow partnerships with colleague organizations to better engage and meet the needs of trustees, foundation staff, and family members.

Program Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation (Baltimore, MD). The Program Associate works with grantees to develop effective strategies around work supports for specific populations/family cohorts, assists in tracking the work of the grantees, identifying areas in which technical assistance would be beneficial, and helping the grantees in their efforts to promote policy and practice improvements that will benefit low income families. The position will also contribute to the asset building and financial services work.

Program Officer for Asia, EMpower (Hong Kong). EMpower is a public foundation committed to building opportunities for at-risk youth (age 10-24) in emerging market countries. Harnessing the resources of the emerging market financial sector, EMpower makes grants to local organizations across four thematic portfolios: education, health and wellbeing, livelihoods, and leadership. EMpower is based in the United States and has affiliated organizations in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. The Program Officer has primary responsibility for managing and growing EMpower’s grantmaking portfolio in Asia. The current active grants portfolio comprises ~ 20 grants in 4 emerging market countries in Asia: China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The Program Officer is expected to manage and expand this portfolio as well as provide or facilitate related technical assistance activities to ensure strong programmatic support of grantees.