Home » Aug 13 | A Newsletter for the YANA Community

Aug 13 | A Newsletter for the YANA Community

by | Aug 10 | All Chapters, Newsletter | 0 comments

UPCOMING EVENTS

Live from NYC

YANA Town Halls provide an ideal opportunity for mission-driven alums to meet each other and exchange ideas and information to help achieve social impact. These events occur live at the Yale Club in New York City AND are accessible via Zoom. Join us from anywhere! 

If attending in person, join us after the program in the Main Lounge to convene and connect over cocktails. You don’t need to be a member of the Yale Club to join us! 

Register now for these upcoming events:

The Climate Crisis: Local and Urban Solutions to a Global Challenge

Aug 28 | 6:30pm ET – In-Person (Yale Club of NYC) & via Zoom

Cities currently hold over 50% of the global population, a number projected to rise to 70% by 2050. Two environmental experts discuss the importance of local and urban solutions to climate change.

Peter Boyd is a lecturer at Yale SOM and School of the Environment, as well as a member of the UN’s Race to Zero campaign, the world’s largest coalition of non-state actors taking immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030. 

Sarah Charlop-Powers ’09 MEM is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Natural Areas Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to managing New York City’s 20,000 acres of forests and wetlands.

Co-sponsored by YANA & Yale Blue Green

REGISTER

From the Congo to Connecticut: Inspiring and Supporting Youth Through Action

Sept. 25 | 6:30pm ET – In-Person (Yale Club of NYC) & via Zoom

Join us at the September Live from New York Town Hall for an inspiring discussion between Jeannot Basima ‘27, founder of the Jeannot Basima Basketball Camp and Foundation (JBF) in Goma, Congo, and Josiah Brown ‘92, executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocacy (CASA).

Jeannot and Josiah will share insights on empowering at-risk youth through sports and advocacy. This conversation will explore how meaningful change is created and how Yalies across generations are collaborating to transform youth development–from the basketball courts of Goma to the courtrooms of Connecticut. Don’t miss this impactful exchange of ideas and inspiring duo!

REGISTER

Register Now! Join the Yale nonprofit community for our annual Social Impact Conference, a day of education, celebration, and inspiration as we connect Yale alumni working towards positive social change.

Conference Schedule
Friday, Oct. 25 | Yale Club, New York City

Morning Sessions: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Awards Luncheon: 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Afternoon Sessions: 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Cocktail Reception: 5:00 PM– 6:15 PM

Panels
✦ Diversifying Your Income for Financial Stability
✦ Strategic Planning: Unpacking Best Practices
✦ Measuring and Conveying Your Impact
✦ Maximizing Individual Giving: Best Practices
✦ Advocating for Results: Tools for Government Response
✦ Staying Ahead of the Curve: AI and Mission Delivery

Conference Speakers… and More to Come!
Honoring Three Generations of Exceptional Contributors
Hilary Pennington ‘77, SOM ’83

Hilary Pennington ‘77, SOM ’83

Executive Vice President of Global Programs, Ford Foundation

Demetris Giannoulias ’94

Demetris Giannoulias ’94

CEO, Spring Bank, NY

Caroline Tanbee Smith ’14

Caroline Tanbee Smith ’14

Co-Founder of Collab; Alderman, City of New Haven

Sign up today! Join us as we unite across generations, spark insightful conversations, and create a collective force for good.

REGISTER

Sponsorship opportunities are available and enable you and your organization to play a vital role in fostering positive change. Sponsorship deadline is August 20 to be included in a postcard that will be mailed to YANA members.

BECOME A SPONSOR
Thank you to our sponsors, a wonderful group of
big-hearted social impact leaders!

YANA INSIGHTS & CONNECTIONS

IMPORTANT: YANA READERS’ POLL

We want to be sure that we are creating content for the Social Impact Conference and newsletter that meets your needs. Please answer this 1-minute survey.

ANSWER 3 EASY QUESTIONS

Board Match at Live from New York Town Hall

The inaugural YANA Board Match event at the Yale Club was a remarkable gathering, brimming with energy and enthusiasm from both attendees and participating nonprofits. Seventy-five people joined us either in person or virtually to explore opportunities to serve on the Board of Directors of six inspiring nonprofit organizations within the YANA network.

Each organization presented its mission and volunteer opportunities, providing attendees with a chance to connect their skills and passions with meaningful causes.

The featured nonprofits—Amandla, DemocraShe, National Center for Youth Law, Penta, Put Me In!, and Teens for Food Justice—each brought a unique perspective, sparking attendees to consider how they might contribute their expertise and time. The presentations highlighted an array of causes, from youth and women empowerment to legal advocacy, innovative prosthetics, and food justice, showcasing the broad spectrum of impactful work by Yalies within the YANA community.

The room buzzed with excitement, a palpable energy that underscored the strong community spirit and our shared commitment to making a difference. We are grateful for Samantha Heffner ‘02 for facilitating the discussion and are looking forward to seeing the lasting impact of the connections made at this event. We are already thinking through how we can host additional Board Matching events: so stay tuned!

Get Further Involved 

    • Watch the Recording. If you missed the event or wish to revisit the presentations, a recording is available by clicking here. 
    • Nominate Your Nonprofit. If you’re in need of Board Members consider filling out the application to be considered for a future Board Match event.
    • Pursue A Board Opportunity. If you are interested in pursuing an opportunity with one of our featured nonprofits all you need to do is reach out directly to the point of contact listed below:

Amandla: Rahul Prasad
DemocraShe: Sarah Jakle
National Center for Youth Law: Mary Bissell and Shakti Belway
Penta: Anna Szczepanek and Henry Iseman
Put Me In!: Khalid Cannon
Teens for Food Justice:  Katherine Soll and Randy Stern

YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

Meet the YANA-Dwight Hall Fellows

Thanks to your generosity, we are funding eight YANA-Dwight Hall Fellows this summer! These Yale students will gain valuable career experiences while assisting eight nonprofit organizations in the U.S.

Meet our final two fellows, Hameeda and August!
Hameeda Uloomi ‘25

Hameeda Uloomi ‘25

Elena's Light

August Rios ‘26

August Rios ‘26

Legal Services NYC

Hameeda Uloomi ‘25 (she/her), an Afghan refugee and recent transfer to Yale from El Camino Community College, is supporting female refugees and immigrants through her fellowship at Elena’s Light, made possible by a YANA-funded Dwight Hall Fellowship. Elena’s Light provides essential services like ESL tutoring, health education, and driver’s license exam preparation, helping families gain independence in their new communities. Hameeda’s journey is fueled by her commitment to justice and inspired by the resilience of Afghan women denied educational opportunities. She works tirelessly to amplify their voices and advocate for marginalized communities, embodying the spirit of perseverance and empowerment.

August Rios ‘26 (he/him) is a sociology major and a Domestic Policy Fellow with the Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies. He is passionate about the intersections of public policy, law, and data science, with a focus on affordable housing. As a data and legislative affairs intern at the City of New Haven Fair Rent Commission and a data collector at the United Way of Connecticut, he actively seeks policy solutions to the housing crisis. August also leads a Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association (YULAA) project at Statewide Legal Services and through a YANA-Dwight Hall Fellowship is interning with Legal Services New York, which provides free legal help to New Yorkers in need, demonstrating his commitment to social justice.