UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Stronger Together: YANA’s Premier Social Impact Conference Returns with Cross-Generational Leadership
Early Bird Registration Now Open!
Oct. 24 | In-Person (Yale Club of NYC) & via Livestream
Join us on October 24th at the Yale Club of New York for an inspiring day of learning, connection, and celebration. Our 2025 conference, “Stronger Together: Building Resilient Nonprofits,” addresses the critical challenge facing nonprofit leaders today: how organizations can adapt, survive, and thrive during times of disruption.
Together, we’ll explore practical strategies for navigating change during challenging times, strengthening financial sustainability, leveraging volunteer talent, and building powerful partnerships that drive lasting impact. Connect with cross-generational leaders and fellow Yale alumni committed to mission-driven work.
We’re honored to celebrate three extraordinary alumni at our Generation-to-Generation Awards Luncheon: Jonathan Fanton ’65, M Phil ‘77, PhD ’78 (President Emeritus of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and former MacArthur Foundation president), Mariko Silver ’99 (Lincoln Center’s CEO), and Khalid Cannon ’17 (Co-founder of Put Me In!).
Early Bird Discounts now available until July 31—save $45 on full day conference and awards luncheon registration! Register now!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
YANA Town Halls are Live from New York!
YANA Town Halls provide an opportunity for mission-driven alums to exchange ideas and information to help achieve social impact. These events occur live at the Yale Club of NYC and via Zoom. You don’t need to be a member of the Yale Club to join us!
Meet Kimberly Jones ‘00, President
Council for Opportunity in Education
July 30 | 6:30 PM ET – In-Person (Yale Club of NYC) & via Zoom
YANA Town Hall Feature: Educational Equity Under Attack
The letter arrived on May 2, 2025, threatening to eliminate programs that have transformed millions of low-income, first-generation students into college graduates over 60 years. When the Trump Administration’s budget proposal called for completely cutting Federal TRIO Programs, Kimberly Jones ’00 knew she had just months to mount a defense.
As President of the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), Jones mobilized an unprecedented response across all 50 states. Within weeks, thousands of emails flooded Congressional offices, over 10,000 TRIO alumni signed petitions, and local news stories highlighted how these programs change lives. The grassroots campaign reached every corner of America, from rural communities to urban centers.
But the fight intensified when the Department of Education began issuing grant cancellation notices to programs just days before their funding expired. “These unwarranted cancellations serve as a troubling warning,” Jones wrote to supporters, launching COE’s $500,000 Educational Opportunity Campaign to sustain the defense.
Jones brings unique credibility to this battle. A New Haven native and 1999 Harry S. Truman Scholar, she’s built one of higher education’s most effective advocacy operations since joining COE in 2007. Under her leadership, the organization has secured over a billion dollars in federal funding for underserved students.
Her approach combines Washington insider knowledge with grassroots organizing power. When programs serving 870,000 students annually face elimination, Jones doesn’t just lobby—she mobilizes entire communities to tell their stories.
Join YANA’s Town Hall on July 30 to hear directly from Jones about defending educational equity in an era of unprecedented attacks on opportunity programs.
Join us for YANA’s August Seminar: Master AI for Mission Impact
August 14 | 6:30 PM ET via Zoom
The nonprofit sector is experiencing an AI revolution, and YANA’s “Pursuing Your Mission” series is ensuring our community stays ahead of the curve. Join us Thursday, August 14 at 6:30 PM ET for “AI and Technology for Nonprofits,” a virtual session designed to equip impact leaders with cutting-edge tools for organizational success.
This timely seminar addresses the urgent need for nonprofit professionals to understand and implement AI solutions. As federal funding faces uncertainty and competition for philanthropic dollars intensifies, organizations that leverage technology effectively will have a critical advantage in advancing their missions.
The session builds directly on the momentum from YANA’s October 2024 Social Impact Conference, where over 250 attendees explored strategies for leading through change, including AI applications and strengthening partnerships. Participants left that conference energized about technology’s potential to amplify social impact—now we’re diving deeper into practical implementation.
Our monthly “Pursuing Your Mission” series, held the second Thursday of each month, creates an intimate learning environment where network experts share actionable insights. Previous sessions have covered advocacy strategies, partnership development, and organizational resilience, consistently delivering value to nonprofit leaders across all sectors.
In these challenging times, when nonprofits face unprecedented pressures from policy changes and funding cuts, YANA remains steadfast in supporting our community of impact leaders. This AI session will provide concrete tools for streamlining operations, enhancing donor engagement, and maximizing mission effectiveness through technology.
Whether you’re leading a startup nonprofit or managing a established organization, this session will equip you with practical knowledge to harness AI’s power for social good.
Lead Change for First-Gen Yalies: 1stGenYale Seeks Passionate Board Members
Since 2016, 1stGenYale has connected thousands of first-generation, low-income (FGLI) Yale students and alumni through programming that builds community, provides career guidance, and creates lasting relationships. Now this impactful 501(c)(3) nonprofit seeks passionate board members to shape its next chapter.
As a 1stGenYale board member, you’ll directly oversee programs that make a measurable difference in FGLI students’ success at Yale and beyond. The organization’s mission is deeply personal—drawing from board members’ own FGLI experiences to build trusting relationships and provide practical guidance that traditional career services often miss.
The board seeks Yale alumni with diverse skills across program planning, data management, communications, fundraising, and digital event operations. Whether you’re experienced in Zoom webinar management, social media strategy, photography, or donor outreach, your expertise can amplify 1stGenYale’s impact.
The commitment is significant but manageable: a three-year term starting January 2026, averaging 10-15 hours monthly depending on your focus area. In return, you’ll gain organizational skills valuable for future employment, build lifelong relationships within the 1stGenYale community, and directly impact fellow Yalies’ career trajectories.
1stGenYale’s collaborative approach sets it apart—working closely with Yale College, the Office of Career Strategy, and fellow Shared Interest Groups to maximize resources and avoid duplication. This partnership model has enabled the organization to host successful live webinars, in-person social events, and targeted programming that addresses FGLI students’ unique challenges.
The application deadline is September 5, 2025, and candidates can self-nominate or nominate fellow alumni. All Yale College and Graduate & Professional school alumni are encouraged to apply.
Yale’s 69th Career Panel Brings Virtual Networking to You
For 14 years, Yale Career Panels have provided candid, unvarnished views of different professions to thousands of Yale alumni and students. On July 22 from 7:00-8:30 PM ET, the series presents its 69th event: “Yale Career Advice and Networking Event – Education.”
This virtual event combines the best of panel discussion and intimate networking. The evening begins with a 30-minute panel featuring Yale’s own career experts: Jorimel Zaldivar, Senior Associate Director for Common Good Careers, and Stanley Willard Jr., Assistant Director of Employer Relations, both from Yale’s Office of Career Strategy. They’ll share insights on education career opportunities from K-12 teaching to nonprofit leadership to educational policy.
The real magic happens in the hour-long virtual “ballroom” that follows. Experienced Yale alumni across various education fields will host individual tables where attendees can drop in for personalized career advice. You’ll receive a list of advisors in advance and can move freely between tables to ask questions, seek guidance, and make personal connections.
Whether you’re considering a career transition into education, starting your professional journey, or looking to advance within the field, this event offers frank discussions about both the upsides and challenges of education careers. Previous attendees consistently praise these sessions for their honest insights and valuable networking opportunities.
Moderated by Peter Young, CEO of Young & Partners and Yale Career Panels Planning Committee member since 2012, this event continues a tradition that has covered 55+ career panels, reaching professionals across industries from consulting to biotech to government service.
The event is free and jointly supported by Yale’s Office of Career Strategy, Yale Alumni Association, and other Yale organizations.
YANA INSIGHTS & CONNECTIONS
Foundations Open Their Vaults: Philanthropic Payouts Surge as Federal Funding Disappears
America’s philanthropic sector is stepping up in unprecedented ways as federal funding to nonprofits faces dramatic cuts under the Trump administration. Major foundations are digging deeper into their endowments, with some doubling their annual payouts to support vulnerable organizations.
The Weissberg Foundation made headlines by increasing its payout from 6% to an extraordinary 10.3% of assets—translating to $23 million in charitable distributions, $10 million more than originally planned. Much of this emergency funding targets cybersecurity and physical security for grantees fearing targeting for their work.
Others are stepping up as well: the MacArthur Foundation pushed its payout from 5% to 6.5%, while the McGregor Fund, Marguerite Casey Foundation, and Northwest Area Foundation each announced increased grant-making budgets. The Freedom Together Foundation increased to 10%, and TransitCenter announced it would spend down its entire $71 million by 2037.
This surge was catalyzed by the “Meet the Moment Pledge,” organized by the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project alongside Grant Makers for Effective Organizations and the National Center for Family Philanthropy. Nearly 140 grantmakers have signed on, recognizing that federal cuts are forcing nonprofits to choose between essential services and organizational survival.
“The economic measures put into place by the U.S. government went a long way to helping many residents, especially the most marginalized,” noted one foundation leader. “Now, the inverse is true—philanthropy has to replace federal support rather than complement it.”
For YANA members, this moment represents both challenge and opportunity: how can we mobilize Yale’s philanthropic network to support critical social impact work during this unprecedented funding crisis?
The Fundraising Revolution: How AI is Transforming Nonprofit Success
Artificial intelligence is no longer the future of nonprofit fundraising—it’s the present reality that’s driving unprecedented results for mission-driven organizations. CCS Fundraising’s groundbreaking research reveals how both traditional AI (machine learning, predictive analytics) and modern generative AI are transforming how nonprofits identify, engage, and retain donors.
The impact is measurable and dramatic. Organizations using AI-powered prospect identification are reducing mailing volumes by up to 75%, saving tens of thousands in costs while improving targeting precision. Healthcare nonprofits are leveraging AI to automatically identify grateful patients as potential donors, while arts organizations use machine learning to personalize patron experiences and boost engagement.
Six key applications are driving this transformation: giving likelihood prediction identifies donors most likely to contribute; automated segmentation groups prospects by behavior and capacity; personalized communication generation creates tailored messages at scale; sentiment analysis tracks donor engagement; image recognition organizes media assets; and predictive modeling optimizes resource allocation.
As traditional funding sources face uncertainty, AI offers nonprofits a critical competitive advantage. “AI can help elevate philanthropic outcomes and, ultimately, better mission fulfillment,” notes CCS’s Ashutosh Nandeshwar.
The question isn’t whether your organization will adopt AI, but how quickly you can harness its power to advance your cause.
YALIES IN SOCIAL IMPACT
From Refugee to Refuge: Yale Alumna Leads Nation’s Largest Immigration Nonprofit
The irony isn’t lost on Krish O’Mara Vignarajah that she now leads the nation’s fight for refugee rights from the very country that once welcomed her family fleeing civil war in Sri Lanka. As President and CEO of Global Refuge, Vignarajah oversees America’s largest faith-based nonprofit exclusively serving immigrants and refugees.
Her path from Yale’s science labs to refugee advocacy wasn’t direct. After earning degrees in molecular biology (Yale ’01) and law (Yale ’08), she served in the Obama administration as Policy Director for First Lady Michelle Obama and Senior Advisor at the State Department. But her personal story as a refugee kept calling her back to immigration work.
Since taking the helm of Global Refuge in 2019, Vignarajah has transformed the organization, growing staff from 75 to over 700 employees while maintaining its 4-star Charity Navigator rating. She led a major rebranding in 2024, modernizing the 85-year-old organization’s identity while preserving its core mission.
Today, Vignarajah faces her greatest challenge yet. The Trump administration’s January 2025 suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has forced Global Refuge to navigate federal grant terminations while continuing to serve vulnerable populations. Through it all, she remains optimistic about America’s potential.
“Immigration is America’s superpower,” she argued in her November 2024 TEDx talk, drawing from both policy expertise and lived experience. As the daughter of refugees now defending refugee rights, Vignarajah embodies the American dream while fighting to preserve it for others—a mission that resonates deeply with Yale’s commitment to service.
From Yale’s First Female Law Dean to Leading the World’s Largest Social Justice Foundation
When Heather Gerken steps down as Yale Law School Dean in August 2025, she’ll be closing one historic chapter to begin another. After serving as the first woman to lead Yale Law in its 200-year history, Gerken will become President of the Ford Foundation, one of the world’s most powerful charitable organizations with a $16 billion endowment.
Gerken’s tenure at Yale Law redefined what legal education could be. She launched the revolutionary Hurst Horizon Scholarship Program, ensuring 15% of JD students now receive tuition-free education. In 2022, she made headlines by withdrawing Yale Law from U.S. News rankings, arguing they prioritized wealth over merit. Under her leadership, military veteran enrollment surged from 1% to nearly 10%, while first-generation college students gained unprecedented access to elite legal education.
Her bold stance on educational equity caught the attention of Ford Foundation trustees, who selected her to lead their mission of combating social inequality globally. “Educational access isn’t just about individual opportunity—it’s about building a more just society,” Gerken recently wrote in the Boston Globe.
At Ford Foundation, Gerken will oversee grantmaking across six continents, supporting everything from democracy strengthening to climate justice. Her appointment signals a new era for philanthropy, where academic insights meet global action.
Gerken’s journey from constitutional law scholar to transformative institutional leader demonstrates how Yale alumni can reshape entire sectors. Her story proves that challenging the status quo—whether in law school rankings or global philanthropy—can create lasting change for those who need it most.