New Board Member: Rahul Dangui

Rahul Dangui currently works at Qualcomm, where his mission is to develop future wireless technologies to create compelling user experiences with new mobile devices. He moved to the US in 2003 from France. After attending grad school in the Midwest, he relocated to San Diego where he became interested in volunteering and having a positive impact on the community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Kids Included Together (KIT), a non-profit supporting inclusion of kids with disabilities, where he works on event planning, marketing, social media and heads the Young Professionals Committee. He holds a Master of Science from University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign and from École Supérieure d'Électricité -Paris, France.

Donor Spotlight: Dominic Tong

Why do you give to YNPN San Diego? Why would you encourage others to do the same? I enjoy supporting an organization that promotes nonprofit social causes in areas that may not receive a great deal of financial support and attention, and the development of tomorrow’s young leaders in the nonprofit world.

What has been your favorite YNPN San Diego program? Meet and Greets.

Is there a YNPN Meet and Greet that you enjoyed in particular? My first YNPN event at The Palm, a great venue, very personal, met some great, enthusiastic and committed professionals and even the servers were very nice! What did you enjoy most about attending the Meet and Greets? Expanding my social and professional network outside of my industry and augmenting my education about the non-profit area.

How are you involved with the San Diego nonprofit community? I am an ardent supporter of the San Diego Asian Film Foundation.
What is the mission of the San Diego Asian Film Foundation? Our mission is to connect audiences with the human experience through the Pan Asian media arts. We fulfill our mission by: Presenting unique, culturally-enriching programs that would otherwise be inaccessible to the public; Engaging the public in meaningful discourse and positive social change through our programs; Promoting artistic excellence, innovation and the independent voice; Strengthening San Diego as an arts destination.

What was the most creative fundraiser in which you ever participated? San Diego Asian Film Foundation Gala 2009.

Can you tell me a little bit about the San Diego Asian Film Foundation Gala? [This is the] primary fund-raising event for the San Diego Asian Film Foundation and [was] held in conjunction with the annual San Diego Asian Film Festival (10th year in 2009).

What made it so unique? A celebration of film and the media arts, the Asian and Asian-American experience and a fun event involving a silent auction, celebrity attendance, food, libation and entertainment....a cross-section of ages and demographic....the event felt personal and accessible...The Oscars ‘SDAFF-style’ to support a very worthwhile and valued non-profit organization in San Diego.

What role do you see emerging leaders (35 and younger) playing in the future of the San Diego nonprofit community? [They are] critical for the future survival and generational culture of nonprofit causes and programs.

How did you initially become involved in YNPN San Diego, and how do you see its programs as playing a role in the development of other young professionals? I had a concept for a nonprofit organization and wanted to learn more about nonprofits in a stimulating open environment. YNPN San Diego provides an “incubator” for networking, mentorship and professional development of young nonprofit professionals.

Second Birthday Bash - Register Now!

We're celebrating our second birthday at Karl Strauss in La Jolla and we want YOU to be there!

Join YNPN San Diego as we celebrate two years in San Diego providing networking, professional development and community for nonprofit staff, board members, and volunteers throughout San Diego. We've made quite an impact in this town and we want you to be there to help us celebrate!

Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. and we'll have happy hour drink specials through 8:00 p.m. Be sure to bring your business card and you checkbook to be entered for our drawings! THANK YOU to Karl Strauss La Jolla for hosting us!

Register here to join us on Thursday.

Meet the Board: Emily Bhatti

What are your roles within the nonprofit community (staff, volunteer, philanthropist, etc.)?

I am the Coordinator, Corporate & Institutional Giving at the San Diego Museum of Art, I've been on the YNPN SD Advisory board for the last two years and Co Chair of the Meet and Greet Committee.

Tell us about a great experience you have had with YNPN San Diego.

I love being the co-chair of the Meet and Greet Committee because it gives me the opportunity to use skills that I don't use in my day job. Being involved in a YNPN committee is great way to learn and gain new experiences... I think the variety keeps me excited about what I'm doing. Meet and Greets are also a great way to meet new people and form partnerships with other nonprofits.

Name a person or resource that has helped you in your nonprofit career and why.

YNPN was a great resource for me when I was laid-off from my job. With the connections I made through YNPN, I had people sending me job postings pretty regularly (plus the listserv and career resource page on the website). My YNPN friends were very supportive. I also think that you should never underestimate the board of directors of your organization. They can be great resources as well. Their backgrounds in for-profit business can be a vital perspective in your nonprofit and your career.

Just for fun – what was the last dream you had?

I have a hard time remembering my dreams but the last one I remember: I was trying to get to work but for some reason I didn't have a car and so I had to ride my son's tricycle.
Emily Bhatti has been part of YNPN San Diego since our inception and will be transitioning off the board in the coming month. We are indebted to her leadership and passion for YNPN San Diego. Thank you for all that you have done!!!

Thoughts from Nonprofit Leadership from Every Generation

"You are too young. We can't hire you."
"Managing someone 20 years older than me."

About a week ago, I had the opportunity to attend the YNPN Professional Development event, "Nonprofit Leadership from Every Generation". Professional Development workshops take place every other month. I view them as a great opportunity to foster NP young professionals interactions, tackle some general and day-to-day professional development issues in the non-profit sector and get some great tips from seasoned individuals.

The March workshop was an opportunity to show how one can lead and collaborate successfully within a multi-generational community and possibly help answer some of the questions above.

The moderator was Ryan Feinstein from Next-Gen collaborative and the panelists were Emily Davis (co-founder/chair YNPN San Diego), Sherri Petro from VPI Strategies and John Falchi, former professor and development consultant for NGOs, each of them representing a different facet of the multi-generational leadership.

The workshop began with an intro from each of the panelists showing how they had to deal during their career with multi-generational issues. A couple of anecdotes that stuck:

• John F. spending some time in a frathouse in his 50's and transforming that in a positive experience where everyone came together to organize the First United Nations Earth Run (commemorating 1986 as the International Year of Peace)
• Sherri P. managing people from 18 to 65 years old with a person introducing himself as follows: "Hi, I'm Russ and I have all my teeth."
• The advice of a career counselor to Emily D. about her looking too young: "Put some glasses on and suck it up."

A couple of interesting points that stuck:

• Its more a question of qualities than age.
• It comes down to respect and leveraging, not to age.
• The newcomer in a group has something to prove, i.e., demonstrate success. There is the assumption that with age comes entitlement. Power has to be taken, it's seldom given.
• Common ground is the mission.

After that introduction of the panelists, the workshop moved to a World Cafe format where the question was "What assumptions do we have and how can we challenge those limited beliefs?"
Through group discussion, the following points were brought up:

Assumptions:

• Lack of understanding
• Entitlement
• Tech = younger
• Older = experience
• With age comes authority, power, wisdom
• Young = idealistic
• "Earn your stripes"
• Every generation is persuaded they know best
• Knowledge transfer is unidirectional

Opportunities that come from those limited assumptions:

• Discuss how to communicate
• Address/be explicit about different opportunities
• Come from a place of respect with empathy
• Be willing to have a friendly conversation
• Create/build relationships by checking assumptions at the door
• Ask why someone wants to know about age
• Owning your age - be confident
• Learn how people want to be recognized
• Show your skills, develop credibility
• Wisdom = experience awareness
• More diversity = more results for the mission
• Cross-functional teams create strength

Overall a great workshop! Watch for the next workshop in May with a panel of next gen Executive Directors from San Diego.

Many thanks to Rahul Dangui for the blog contribution!

Peace-ing Communities Together

Hostelling International USA, San Diego Council is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual “Peace-ing Communities Together” – A Peace Building Conference for Young Adults April 10 - 11, 2010. Register here!

The conference is organized for and planned by young adults (ages 18-35). The goal of the conference is to connect young adults through open dialogue and interactive program content; to help participants discover ways they can build peace through personal and social awareness; to assist in building leadership skills; and to foster a sense of accomplishment and confidence through community service.

We use cutting-edge leadership and facilitation techniques to engage and focus participants with integrative tools for deep listening and quiet reflection. If you are ready to embrace your leadership and become a committed, active citizen, do not miss out on this amazing opportunity!

This year’s conference will be held on April 10th-11th, 2010 at San Diego State University. REGISTER HERE! Read below for more details about speakers and sessions.

Fees:

• Regular $30;
• Student $25;
• YNPN or ISCORSS members $20

Please contact Tiffany Olson for more information 619-338-9981 or tolson@sandiegohostels.org.

Learn more about the conference at http://peacebuildingsandiego.org/

Register for the conference at http://pct2010.eventbrite.com/
Conference Schedule

Saturday, April 10th

8:15 - 9:00am: Check-in
9:00 - 9:30am: Breakfast
9:30 - 9:45am: Welcome
9:45 - 11:30am: World Café *
11:45 - 12:30pm: Lunch
12:30 - 2:30pm: Keynote Speakers **
2:50 - 5:00pm: YNPN Workshop ***
5:00 - 6:00pm: Wrap-up
Sunday, April 11th: Service Project Day! Connect with others while serving the community (Limited space available)

Speaker and Session Information

World Cafe*

World Cafe is an innovative yet simple methodology for hosting conversations about questions that matter. These conversations link and build on each other as people move between groups, cross-pollinate ideas, and discover new insights into the questions or issues that are most important in their life, work, or community. As a process, the World Café can evoke and make visible the collective intelligence of any group, thus increasing people’s capacity for effective action in pursuit of common aims.

Sherehe Hollins

Through her highly acclaimed one-woman show, titled after her book, Ms. Roze utilizes her poetry and performance art as a platform to promote self and multicultural awareness. Through Heart Love she has developed and conducted bilingual workshops on the primary, middle, secondary, and post secondary grade levels throughout San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, Chicago and Puerto Rico. Ms. Roze realizes the value of connecting cultures. She has studied in Cuernavaca, Mexico, Barbados and Puerto Rico. She is bilingual and writes and performs in Spanish. She is the creator of a bilingual curriculum, which highlights Africa’s legacy throughout Latin America. The goal of her work is to foster understanding, cultivate awareness, and build positive relationships amongst diverse groups of people.

Starla Lewis

Starla Lewis is a woman on a mission. She has developed and facilitated seminars in the areas of Cultural Diversity, Life Mastery and Human Potential both nationally and internationally. Her 36 years of research and experience in Ethnic Studies, Women Studies and African Studies have enhanced her ability to connect diverse communities. Ms. Lewis works with corporations, social organizations, penal institutions and school districts. She has utilized her creative abilities as an author, poet, and performer to create a unique "edutaining" environment for her experiential lectures, workshops and seminars. She has appeared on numerous television and radio programs, and The San Diego Union Tribune recently profiled her as the Bob Marley Peace Award recipient for leadership. Starla holds a M.S. degree in Counseling and is a six-time recipient of the Mesa College Teacher of the Year Award. She is currently Professor of Black Studies at San Diego Mesa College and is completing her latest book on Racism and Sexism.

YNPN San Diego

Join YNPN San Diego and leaders from the San Diego nonprofit community to discuss what leadership looks like throughout the generations. Listen in as the panelists discuss what each generation brings to the leadership table and how we can together prepare for the future of leadership. Following the panel, we will open the space with facilitated group conversations about multiple generations working together to advance the nonprofit community in San Diego. Panelists include Mallory Kozar from Shakti Rising, John Falchi, and Sherri Petro. The session will be facilitated by YNPN San Diego's own Emily Davis.

Recurring Donation to Support Emerging Leaders

Many of us get so busy with our lives that we can often forget to make that much-needed contribution to an organization that supports us and our work. YNPN San Diego may be that organization for you. We provide online and in-person networking opportunities, professional development workshops, and soon, mentorship to our members all WITHOUT membership dues. The only way we can keep this happening is through YOUR generosity.

Recurring monthly or quarterly, online donations are a great way to support YNPN San Diego without having to worry to remember to write a check or visit our website. You can easily set up a recurring donation through our website our through our Facebook Cause.

Every other month we feature one of our recurring donors and the impact they make in the community - we'd love for you to be the next donor we feature! Please consider making a donation today!

The Cause Conference from Joe Buehrle

A week ago I had an amazing opportunity to attend the the San Diego Chaphter of American Marketing Association's Cause Conference. Further, as a member of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of San Diego I want to thank Sempra Energy for their gracious scholarship to YNPN San Diego which made it possible for me to attend. As the recipient of this scholarship, my participation in this conference could not have come at a better time.

Six months ago I accepted a new position as a Program Coordinator at a local nonprofit here in San Diego. I have been on a huge learning curve ever since. This is my first true management position since I started in the nonprofit sector about ten years ago. Like most of us in the nonprofit field, particularly under a budget crunch, we must quickly develop a vast array of skill sets. I can go from presenting before the County Commissioners to writing grants to doing finger painting with five year olds all in one day. My current position holds such a diverse array of challenges and opportunities that "cause marketing" activities many times do not make it to the top of the day's agenda.

Yet, as reiterated through the conference in a down market and dollars scarce, the process for knowing and being able to articulate the agency "cause" is that much more imperative! I have come away from this event energized and plan to bring back and begin the process for rethinking and reorganizing how I am communicating what we "do"......... and how this can lead to new philanthropic partners!

While common sense to many, for me the following became some of my favorite takeaways from the conference:

• Brand = Feeling. We already have a brand.....and it must be built over time and managed.
• The biggest mistake for marketing is thinking internally.
• On the relationship between donor/corporation and agency:
• Sponsorship = Dating; Cause Marketing = Marriage
• and lastly, be able to answer the question- What do you do different that MATTERS?

Did you go to the American Marketing Association Cause Conference? What did you think?