Strong infrastructure in nonprofits is incredibly important to the health and success of every organization. For organizations that rely largely on the generosity of private donors, foundation and grants, the dance between operating and program costs becomes complicated and intricate. A poll of the general public done by Grey Matter Research and Consulting found that 61 percent of adults surveyed felt that charities should only spend between 10 and 29 cents of every dollar on overhead. That number is alarmingly low. In order to continue to operate at maximum efficiency and attract top talent to the industry, nonprofits must create a plan of action for educating donors and appealing to their intrinsic motivations to gain more support for infrastructure.

First, let’s talk about the ins and outs of infrastructure. In addition to being a bit hard to pronounce, infrastructure involves facilities, staff, training, software, auditing, education, consulting and other such business operations. These essential components to the daily lives of nonprofits help to make up a sizeable portion of the American economy, communities and ecosystems. The hope of a growing organization with a strong infrastructure would be…

Social Service nonprofit organizations have long been relied upon to provide services to those in need in the United States. Federal, state and local governments increasingly depend on Social Service nonprofit organizations and, because of that dependency, have been willing to help fund them.

The U.S. government funding accounts for approximately one-third of the annual revenue received by nonprofit organizations, primarily through grants and contracts. The largest portion of these grants and contracts, according to an Urban Institute 2013 study, is received by Social Service organizations.

However, the government funding to Social Service organizations is not without challenges. 

Challenges due to the government-nonprofit dependency include:

1. Government Funding as the Primary Source of Revenue – When the government becomes the primary source of revenue for Social Service nonprofit organizations, any fluctuations in that funding can have an impact on the ability of the organizations to serve those in need. …

At 17 years old, a young girl is transitioning from child to young adult and living with her father. Her mother lives out of state. In discovering her identity, independence and values, she struggles to fully grow within the restrictions put in place by her father. She and her father get into arguments often, some that include threats to kick her out of the house. One day, she decides to leave.

This is a real story from a young woman who came into Safe Place. I had the pleasure and honor to serve my second Public Allies term at UMOM New Day Centers as the Safe Place outreach and education assistant. With a mission to prevent and end homelessness with innovative strategies and housing solutions that meet the unique needs of each family and individual, UMOM’s Safe Place program served 114 homeless and runaway youth in 2017.

My journey with UMOM originally began in my 2016 term when I was matched to serve in the Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development. Tumbleweed programs, including Safe Place, luckily transitioned under UMOM once Tumbleweed filed for bankruptcy. 

I ended my first Public Allies term at the beginning of the transition, and I began my second term during the ending of the transitioning period. Throughout the organization’s changes, I worked in three different programs, serving in three different positions and I learned that although change can be frustrating…

I was one of the Allies fortunate enough to be selected to hear Michelle Obama speak at Comerica Theater Feb. 12. I have been a longtime follower of the former first lady, but the more intimate parts of her origins I was unfamiliar with; fortunately, this event illuminated her background to me, as well as her next chapter post-White House. 

When asked by the ASU Lodestar Center for my thoughts about the event, I was quoted as saying, “I can't explain how excited I am to be in the presence of this woman. Michelle Obama, by being an educated, black woman from a working-class family, has revolutionized the role of first lady simply by being herself."

My feelings regarding this statement were along the lines of how identity plays into personal politics and personal achievements. Being the first is never easy, but being the first on a national level such as an American first lady is nothing short of borderline impossible. 

Michelle spoke candidly about her experience in the media as a target of harassment, smear campaigns and blatant lies used to discredit her and her husband. Through it all, she handled herself with grace and dignity not unlike Jackie Kennedy, but with her own sense of grounded-ness and personality that is uniquely modern. She relates her entire experience pre-fame, from growing up working-class on the South Side of Chicago, to being an…

“Work smarter, not harder” has been the mantra I have dedicated myself to as I approached participating in three nonprofit leadership programs concurrently: Public Allies Arizona, the Nonprofit Leadership and Management bachelor’s degree and the Certified Nonprofit Professional credential through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. Public Allies advises prospective participants to carefully evaluate their other commitments before joining the 10-month program, so planning, planning and more planning has been the only way to make all this work.

Before every semester at ASU, I would sit down with my syllabus and program every single class time, deadline and assignment I could. Then I would schedule everything else around it for the rest of the semester. This can be a challenge, trying to stay on top of deadlines and making sure I am not over-booking myself for important events and tasks. Prioritizing is one of the most important things to master when creating a packed schedule for the year. I used my communication skills and mantra to make sure “first things first” stayed a rule. I decided that my degree program and self-care were main priorities. When I approached potential Partner Organizations and Public Allies…