Recognizing the Unrecognized

I had the honor of attending Stay Classy’s 3rdAnnual Classy Awards last weekend - a red carpet event recognizing the top philanthropic achievements by charities, businesses and individuals nationwide.  What an amazing evening it was:  I cried, laughed, and gave big hugs to those sitting around me.

Leading up to the event, people from all over the country nominated and voted for Charity of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Best Use of Social Media, Most Creative Fundraiser, and for the first time, Young Nonprofit Professional of the Year. Reading the stories and impact of the young nonprofit professionals that were nominated was inspiring, but did make me think about all those young nonprofit professionals that were not nominated.   There are so many of those who, day after day, make a difference, touch lives, and often times go unrecognized.

To all you young nonprofit professionals, I would just like to say, THANK YOU…

• For dedicating your professional career to the nonprofit sector,
• For working long hours,
• For volunteering on your off-hours for other causes you care about,
• For being a philanthropist,
• For turning down other higher paying jobs,
• For dealing with “old school” technology,
• For leading the way in cause awareness through social media,
• For asking questions and challenging the status quo,
• For “volun-telling” your friends and family to donate, volunteer and get involved,
• For taking your professional development into your own hands, and 
• For dedicating your professional career to the nonprofit sector.

  

You aren’t necessary the founders, executive directors, board chairmen, or sometimes even part of the leadership team at your organization (yet!), but you work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure your organization meets its mission. Whomever you are and whatever your role within your organization, thank you!

Thank you, too, Stay Classy for having given us the opportunity to recognize the achievements and impact of our sector.

Thanks to YNPN San Diego Co-Chair Jaci Feinstein for the blog contribution!  To learn more about YNPN San Diego, follow us @ynpnsandiego or find us on Facebook.  We look forward to seeing you at our next event.

Highlight: Classy Awards Nominee for Young Nonprofit Leader of the Year, Amy Harmon

Raised in a struggling low-income family, Amy blossomed as a woman sweetly fierce about her calling to make higher education accessible to all. Amy has over 11 years of service and commitment in nonprofit management and fundraising, from Executive Director of an organization empowering young woman (which she appeared on Oprah for) to recently becoming the San Diego State University College of Education’s Director of Development.

Where does vision and commitment to a cause come from? Amy’s story is rare and one of transcendence and persistence. In modern society it is one thing to grow up urban poor and it is another to grow up rural poor, with very litle access to resources/services, dilapidated and unfunded schools, and no community supports for miles. Amy grew up in rural Kentucky, with her three older brothers and parents, in a place where school success could have easily taken a back seat to the growl of a hungry stomach and the struggles of home life. Not to mention, without the simple luxury of indoor plumbing, mid-night treks to the outhouse do not lend to a good nights sleep, particularly in the winter. Many times it is through difficulty and trial the most beautiful things form. Amy’s spirit and humble altruism is a testament to that proverb. Thanks to the help of a high school guidance counselor, Amy discovered Berea College; a small private liberal arts college where bright low-income students attend tuition-free. It was there that she discovered her passion for the power of education to change lives.

Only in her early 30s, Amy has raised millions of dollars for numerous worthy causes, none dearer to her heart than giving those less privileged a shot at higher education. For Amy, these stories are personal and will tell you of the impact a college education had on her life. To her and those she fundraises to support, college is more than classes that lead to a job, but a saving grace, a pathway out of poverty and a shot at destiny. Amy is a living testimony of her work, work that is breaking generational cycles of poverty and bringing hope to society’s forgotten youth.