UPCOMING EVENTS
Tickets are Running Out! Reserve Yours Today: YANA Social Impact Conference and Awards Luncheon
Register Now! The YANA conference is your chance to scale your impact and grow your network while learning about the latest trends and best practices in advocacy, fundraising, strategic planning, AI, and more. Tickets will sell out to this intimate 200 participant event. Register today to reserve your spot.
CONFERENCE PANEL
Diversifying Your Income for Financial Stability
Nonprofits are continually seeking innovative ways to build sustainable funding streams that support their growth and impact. This panel will explore diverse strategies beyond traditional grants and donations, including fee-for-service models, investments, and business ventures. Attendees will hear real-world examples of successful approaches, the challenges faced, and how nonprofit leaders and boards can cultivate the mindsets and practices needed to navigate an evolving fiscal environment.
Jillian Roland ’09 (moderator) is a principal in The Bridgespan Group’s New York office, where she has supported a range of nonprofit and philanthropic clients on strategy development since 2016. Prior to joining Bridgespan, Jillian held a number of roles in K-12 education including as teacher through Teach for America and school district administrator in Oakland and New York City. Jillian earned her BA in Philosophy from Yale University, her MBA with distinction from Columbia Business School, and her master’s in teaching from American University.
Andrea Schorr ‘93 has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit finance and philanthropy with expertise in securing grants and impact investments. She currently works for Develop Detroit, a nonprofit affordable housing developer in Detroit, MI, and previously worked in affordable housing in Maryland and in the SF Bay Area. She served as a program officer with three foundations: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the Morino Institute; and Blue Ridge Foundation. Andrea also has an MBA from George Washington University. During the 2018 election cycle, she served as the chair of the LGBTQ political caucus for the Maryland State Democratic Party.
Caterina Passoni ‘18 is a social entrepreneur with a passion for systems change and immigrant empowerment. She is the co-founder and co-ED of Havenly, a non-profit cafe that builds the community power of refugee and immigrant women in New Haven, CT, founded in 2018. Havenly is a social enterprise with a $1M budget that serves 100+ refugee and immigrant women per year, building their economic and political power. Originally from Italy, Caterina speaks Spanish, Arabic, Italian, and French. She has an MA in participatory social change from the Institute of Development Studies in the UK. Caterina was a Dwight Hall Social Change Fellow and Yale Tsai City Entrepreneurship fellow.
Chymeka Olfonse ‘96 has dedicated her 25+ year career to empowering individuals through educational and economic opportunities. She has significant experience in the government, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors. Currently serving as the Robin Hood Foundation’s Managing Director of Adults and Household Supports, Chymeka oversees a $23 million portfolio focused on funding organizations that support New Yorkers facing economic shocks and financial hardship. In addition to earning her bachelor’s degree at Yale University, Chymeka holds an MPA from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University and earned advanced certificates from Harvard Business School and Carnegie Mellon University.
John Rose SOM ’82 is a Boston Consulting Group Senior Partner Emeritus and a Senior Advisor at Rockefeller Global Investment Banking. He serves on several nonprofit Boards including the Metropolitan Opera, Playwrights Horizons, New York Public Radio, and the Citizens Budget Commission. Prior to leaving BCG on July 1, 2024, he was a Managing Director and Senior Partner and at different points in time: founded and led the Americas Private Equity Practice, Global Media Practice, Northeast State and Local Public Sector Practice, and was a BCG Fellow focused on data privacy. Prior to BCG, John was Group Executive Vice President at EMI Records, responsible for building the digital music business, and a Senior Partner at McKinsey and Company, where he led the Global Media Practice. He is an MPPM graduate of Yale School of Management and holds a BA from Wesleyan University.
When you register for the conference, you will be able to attend three of the following conference panels:
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- Diversifying Your Income for Financial Stability
- Strategic Planning: Unpacking Best Practices
- Measuring and Conveying Your Impact
- Maximizing Individual Giving: Best Practices for Success
- Advocating for Results: Tools to Encourage Government Response
- Staying Ahead of the Curve: AI and Mission Delivery
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For more information including a conference schedule and speaker information visit our conference website.
Sponsorship opportunities are available and enable you and your organization to play a vital role in fostering positive change.
Thank you to our sponsors, a wonderful group of
big-hearted social impact leaders!
YANA INSIGHTS & CONNECTIONS
From the Congo to Connecticut: Inspiring and Supporting Youth Through Action
On September 25, YANA hosted a dynamic and inspiring “Live from New York” Town Hall event at the Yale Club of New York City. This event brought together Yalies from across generations, showcasing the collective efforts to drive meaningful change in youth development, from the basketball courts of Goma, Congo, to the courtrooms of Connecticut.
Andrew Burgie ’87, YANA Board Member, served as the guest host, facilitating a conversation that highlighted the power of collaboration among Yale alumni. The discussion featured two prominent speakers making a tangible impact in their respective fields: Jeannot Basima ’27, founder of the Jeannot Basima Basketball Camp and Foundation (JBF) in Goma, and Josiah Brown ’92, Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocacy (CASA), which advocates for Connecticut’s most vulnerable children. Together, they shared their experiences of using sport, mentorship, and legal advocacy to create pathways for youth empowerment and social change.
A special guest, Alison Cole ’99, the newly appointed Executive Director of the Yale Alumni Association, joined the event to share her vision for the future of the YAA. Cole emphasized the importance of alumni engagement and collaboration across different sectors and generations to create a lasting impact.
This Town Hall provided attendees with an opportunity to gain insight into the innovative approaches Yalies are using to address pressing global and local challenges. Attendees left with a renewed sense of inspiration, eager to continue their work in driving positive change for the next generation.
If you missed the Town Hall, check out the recording!
Unlocking Innovation: How Nonprofits Can Learn from Scientific Breakthroughs to Drive Greater Impact
In a world where innovation drives progress, nonprofits can learn valuable lessons from scientific breakthroughs, as highlighted in a recent Forbes article by Evan Feinberg. The story of the camera pill—a revolutionary medical device co-created by a guided missile designer and a gastroenterologist—offers a powerful example of how collaboration across disciplines can lead to transformative solutions.
This device, now used worldwide to provide safer diagnostic procedures, was born from a partnership between two unlikely professionals, emphasizing the importance of openness, strategic risk-taking, and cross-sector collaboration.
For nonprofit leaders, these principles are equally critical. Feinberg argues that organizations should embrace a customer-first vision by actively engaging with those they serve, testing new ideas, and adapting based on feedback. For example, a Utah-based referral center improved its services by measuring outcomes and adjusting its approach when it discovered that 75% of people seeking help weren’t getting the assistance they needed.
In addition to fostering customer-centric innovation, nonprofit organizations should encourage strategic risk-taking. By challenging the status quo, nonprofits can spark bold thinking and continuous improvement. Feinberg also stresses the importance of building a culture of knowledge-sharing and debate, where staff feel empowered to propose new ideas and challenge existing practices.
Nonprofits, like scientists and innovators, should embrace experimentation and be willing to fail in the pursuit of greater impact. As Feinberg concludes, bold action and a commitment to learning can drive the kind of breakthroughs that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. This approach holds great potential for nonprofit leaders dedicated to solving today’s most pressing social challenges.
This article resonates with Yale alumni in the social impact sector, reminding us that transformative innovation often starts with openness and collaboration.
SOM’s Professor Shue on Income Inequality
The Lean In and McKinsey annual Women in the Workplace study reveals that despite progress, women in corporate America still face significant barriers, particularly at the outset of their careers. Systemic bias contributes to women being less likely than men to be hired for entry-level roles, leaving them underrepresented from the start. As a result, men significantly outnumber women at the manager level—only 81 women are promoted for every 100 men, a phenomenon Lean In calls the “broken rung” in the corporate ladder. This imbalance at the managerial level makes it difficult for companies to achieve gender equity in senior positions.
Professor Kelly Shue of Yale School of Management echoes these findings, noting that unconscious bias often influences promotion decisions. “When we imagine successful managers, they often exhibit stereotypically male traits like optimism, courage, and aggressive leadership,” Shue said at the CNBC Women & Wealth event. These biases hinder women’s advancement and perpetuate the gender promotion gap.
To address this issue, Shue suggests a dual approach. While advice often focuses on encouraging women to self-advocate and adopt more traditionally male behaviors, Shue argues that companies must also shift their criteria for success. Rather than rewarding aggressive leadership styles, organizations should recognize the high potential of women who may not conform to these stereotypes.
By addressing both individual and systemic factors, corporate America can better support the sustained progress of women in leadership roles. Read more on CNBC.
YALIES IN SOCIAL IMPACT
DemocraShe: Elevating Voices, Empowering Futures
DemocraShe creates a safe, brave, and joyful space where young women are empowered to pursue the leadership roles they deserve. Through free online training, the nonprofit provides evidence-based resiliency skills, leadership development, and civic engagement tools to female-identifying high school students. Focused on recruiting future leaders from historically underrepresented communities, DemocraShe ensures diverse voices are elevated and leadership opportunities are accessible to all, regardless of background or income status. Additionally, the organization provides stipends, breaking financial barriers to leadership development.
Founded by Sarah Jakle, MSW, MPP, a Yale University alumna, DemocraShe embodies her deep commitment to building a future led by compassionate, confident women. Sarah’s leadership in public policy and social work has been the driving force behind the organization’s mission to empower young women through civic engagement and community service. With her vision, DemocraShe encourages young women to embrace their potential, fostering the next generation of leaders who will shape a more inclusive and just society.
By promoting self-advocacy and community service, DemocraShe is cultivating a new generation of women leaders ready to elevate their voices and create lasting change.
YANA Caribbean Responds to Hurricane Beryl
The Caribbean Chapter of YANA has been actively engaged in disaster relief efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl. The small island of Carricou, home to 10,000 residents, was severely impacted, with many still struggling to regain access to basic necessities like electricity and medical supplies. Earlier this month, a team of social impact champions from the Caribbean Chapter, led by Marcia Hodge—a co-lead of YANA Caribbean and a nurse in New York—visited the affected region to assess the needs and provide support.
During the visit, Marcia and other healthcare workers connected with local communities to better understand the challenges they face. In response, YANA Caribbean has already secured over 500 pounds of urgently needed medical supplies, donated by Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. These supplies are critical for aiding the recovery of hospitals and healthcare providers on the island.
The next challenge lies in transporting these supplies to the islands. While the team is currently researching safe and effective methods to deliver the donations, they anticipate the need for funding to cover shipping costs. As the Caribbean Chapter continues its work, they aim to raise the necessary funds to ensure these supplies reach those in need as quickly as possible.
This collaborative effort highlights the resilience and dedication of YANA Caribbean’s members, particularly in mobilizing resources and support from the broader YANA network. Their work exemplifies the organization’s mission to respond to global challenges with compassion, solidarity, and tangible impact.
Check out this brief interview between Marcia and local healthcare workers about the important mission.