A NOTE TO OUR COMMUNITY
Dear members of the YANA community,
We hope you are all doing well and getting to enjoy some beautiful fall weather!
As we prepare for YANA’s upcoming Conference and Awards Luncheon on October 23, we are guided by this year's theme: “In Trust: Building and Inspiring What Lasts.” This is a powerful reminder that trust in our institutions begins in Yale’s classrooms and grows into everlasting impact across our communities through the dedication of Yale’s alumni. Above all, we want to thank you for trusting us to build and nurture this community.
Recently, in response to Yale’s Report from the Committee on Trust in Higher Education, YANA’s Board sent a letter to the University expressing our strong support for Recommendation 8—that Yale deliver educational value by ensuring “that public-serving careers are actively recruited for, well-funded through fellowships and programming, and treated as a source of institutional pride.” We highlighted the hurdles many students face in pursuing public-serving careers, including limited funding and fragmented access to internship opportunities. While YANA’s long-standing partnership with Dwight Hall has helped fund 43 summer fellowships over the past decade, student need and desire far outweigh available resources. Strong institutional backing from Yale is essential to close this gap.
We were deeply encouraged by the warm and supportive responses from University leadership:
"Roughly one in four graduates start their careers in nonprofit, government, education, or creative-sector roles... I agree with you 100% that public-service and nonprofit careers are a source of deep institutional pride."
— Pericles Lewis, Dean of Yale College
"I’m grateful for all that you and your thousands of members do to deepen connections between our alumni, our students, and the public service sector. … Yale is committed to offering all our undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in public service ... and certainly YANA’s work is crucial to those pathways, both during and after students' time here."
— Maurie McInnis, President of Yale University
Yale alumni lead incredible public-serving lives. You create and lead nonprofits, head foundations, serve on boards, and volunteer for hands-on projects. The ecosystem that we have built together is both a powerful network for all of us and an extraordinary resource for students and the University. Together with our incredible team of dedicated volunteers, we continue to upgrade our policies, programs, and infrastructure to better serve your work. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any ideas or wish to be more involved.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to social good. We look forward to seeing many of you on October 23!
Warmly,
The YANA Team
UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
2026 YANA Social Impact Conference
Join us for the 2026 Social Impact Conference, themed "In Trust: Building and Inspiring What Lasts," takes place Friday, October 23, 2026, at the Yale Club of NYC.
The event features a keynote by technologist Art Chang '85, a closing session on personal strengths by author Lisa Sun '00, and an awards luncheon honoring Martha Finn Brooks, Lisbeth Shepherd, and Rev. Andre Gilford Jr. Built for changemakers across mission-driven organizations, the day includes panels, workshops, and networking.
Missed the September Town Hall? Watch the Recording
Thank you to everyone who joined our September Town Hall Mental Fitness: Finding Strength, Connection and Purpose in Uncertain Times. If you missed it, the full recording is now available. Guided by Ruma Bhargava, a current World Fellow at the Yale Jackson School, the panel brought together leaders and practitioners who shared personal stories, practical insights, and nuanced perspectives on navigating change and building meaningful connections. Share with colleagues or board members who could benefit.
INSIGHTS & CONNECTIONS
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
How Non-Profit CEOs and their Boards can use the same words AND speak the same language, a translator’s perspective.
In this article, 2026 Social Impact Conference sponsor Lisa Byala highlights how non-profit CEOs and corporate-minded board members often use identical vocabulary while talking at cross-purposes. Misalignment usually stems from contrasting sector contexts, particularly around financial models, operational metrics, and workplace culture.
Bridging this divide requires proactive translation: establishing a shared vocabulary during recruitment, demystifying industry jargon, and prioritizing in-person interaction to build mutual trust between trustees and executive leadership.
Want to dive deeper into these strategies? You can meet Lisa in person at the conference to continue the discussion.
Building Bridges: YANA Connects with Students on Campus
YANA has been making sure students are aware that pursuing internships and careers in the social impact is a viable and popular path and that YANA can help them connect with our network of thousands of alumni.
Building Bridges: YANA Connects with Students on Campus
This comprehensive and practical Year-End Accounting Checklist for Nonprofits from Jitasa is designed to simplify the financial close process. Because accurate and timely reporting is critical at year-end, this downloadable resource is tailored to help nonprofit organizations, churches, and similar entities ensure their financials are in perfect shape, encompassing all essential components of nonprofit financial management to streamline your review.
From research to impact: Yale’s Tobin Center drives work that shapes policy and improves lives
When top-flight research stays confined to academic journals, public policy misses out. A new impact report from Yale’s Tobin Center for Economic Policy documents how the hub is changing that—connecting scholars directly with decision-makers to translate data into real-world policy.
From guiding bipartisan federal protections against surprise medical bills to shaping state pre-K funding, see how Yale economists are driving solutions that improve everyday lives.
YALIES IN SOCIAL IMPACT
Julie Horowitz '92 and '97 & David Carel '13
When David Carel ’13 and Julie Horowitz ’92, ’97 SOM met during an informal session at the 2025 Yale Alumni Nonprofit Network (YANA) conference in New York, they quickly discovered that their shared Yale ties were just the beginning. Carel, based in Anchorage, Alaska, was embarking on a new venture aimed at improving indoor air quality in schools, while Horowitz was bringing decades of education leadership and nonprofit management to a conference panel on navigating economic uncertainty. As they talked, they uncovered many parallels in their backgrounds, including time spent working at the exact same rural school in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.
What started as a conversation soon grew into an ongoing conversation, a new opportunity, and collaboration. Their collaboration highlights the unique power of Yale connections, demonstrating how shared values and unexpected encounters can yield transformative real-world solutions.
Share Your Yalie in Social Impact Nominee
Celebrate fellow Yalies making a difference! Tell us about a Yale in Social Impact we should consider featuring in our YANA newsletters. Use the form to nominate Yale alumni who are creating positive social impact through their work, service, or leadership. Whether they’re advancing equity, championing sustainability, or strengthening communities, we want to highlight their stories in upcoming YANA communications. Share a few details about their contributions and why they inspire you—the nomination only takes a few minutes.