CHICAGO (June 15, 2016) — For nonprofit professionals, it’s a familiar feeling: being proud of your organization’s work, but wishing you had access to the resources that would fulfill its mission more effectively. Particularly for the Illinois nonprofit sector, hit hard by the state’s budget impasse, questions of how to do a lot with a little are more relevant than ever. So when industry leaders gathered Monday for the 17th Annual Axelson Center Symposium for Nonprofit Professionals and Volunteers, they together explored maximizing those resources already within their organizations.
The daylong conference’s theme, “Mining for Gold: Uncovering Hidden Treasures in Your Organization,” emphasized highlighting the talents of the people within nonprofit organizations, and connecting them to trends within the sector for maximum impact. Interactive sessions throughout the day offered strategies to leverage opportunities and reinvigorate the way professionals look at internal resources.
In addition to breakout workshops on timely industry topics hosted by sector leaders throughout the day, the Symposium this year offered two new features: Ask the Expert, individual appointments that allowed for questions on a variety of specific subjects; and Ask a Funder, opportunities to connect with program officers at area foundations.
In her keynote address sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, speaker Kimberly Bryant challenged attendees to use what was unique about their organizations and “figure out a way in our work to create real change for the communities we serve.” Bryant is the founder and executive director of Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit dedicated to “changing the face of technology” by introducing girls of color to the tech and computer science world, with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts.
Named by Business Insider as one of the 25 Most Influential African Americans in Technology, Bryant grew Black Girls CODE from a local nonprofit serving only the Bay Area to an organization with seven U.S. chapters and one in South Africa. She was able to develop the organization by turning perceived disadvantages into advantages, Bryant said at the Symposium. “We focused on digging back into our culture, and tapped into the unique needs of our communities,” she said. “What I’m most proud of is how we’ve developed these girls as leaders. We’ve changed the conversation around tech and changed the lives of our students.”
The world puts people into boxes, Bryant said. But in the field of technology, people are taught to be disrupters. “Identify the pain points or things that make you uncomfortable, and work through them to make them your own,” she said. “If you’re still in the box as a nonprofit leader, it’s time to come out. It’s time to create change, and it’s time to get to work. Nonprofits play a special role in creating change in an equitable way. The time is now to realize the power that nonprofits have.”
Nonprofit Management Awards
The Axelson Center also announced the winners of its Excellent Emerging Organization Award and its Alford Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence at Monday’s awards luncheon. The 2016 Excellent Emerging Organization Award, presented to an up-and-coming Chicago-area nonprofit, was given to Muslim Women’s Alliance. The 2016 Alford-Axelson Award, given for exemplary nonprofit management practices, was presented to Christopher House, with an honorable mention awarded to Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
Muslim Women’s Alliance (MWA), the 2016 Excellent Emerging Organization Award winner, promotes the Islamic values of fairness, service to others, and community building. MWA’s core focus areas are development of women leaders, fostering community service, mentoring women to build confidence, and empowering the community through awareness and action on social issues.
“This is a gesture to us that we need to keep powering on,” said MWA Director of Organizational Development Suroor Raheemullah in her acceptance remarks. “A lot of the time, when you see things that happen like what happened last weekend, it can get defeating,” Raheemullah said, referencing the recent Orlando shooting and its possible connection to religious motivations. “I’m really honored to get this and continue to do important work. It is important that when you see us, you don’t fear us, but love us, because we love all of you.”
MWA received a $2,500 cash prize, sponsored by MB Financial Bank, a commemorative award, and a capacity-building package, valued at over $25,000, that will support improvement of services and efficiency. The Excellent Emerging Organization Award was created to honor organizations whose strength is apparent even in the early stages of existence, displaying sound management practices, innovation, and programming and leadership capabilities.
This year’s Alford-Axelson Award winner, Christopher House, provides education and resources to low-income children and their families to succeed in school, the workplace, and life. “In this environment, with a state budget crisis, this sort of investment and recognition of our hard work to get us to be a high-performing organization really means a lot,” Christopher House CEO Lori Baas said, accepting the award. “So thank you very much.”
The Alford-Axelson award honors and continues the legacies of Nils G. Axelson, a devoted community healthcare leader and visionary, and Jimmie R. Alford, a leading contemporary thinker and founder of the national consulting firm the Alford Group. Christopher House received a $5,000 cash prize and a commemorative award symbolizing the organization’s dedication to extraordinary managerial excellence.
In recognition of their honorable mention, Elgin Symphony Orchestra CEO David Bearden said, “Winning is not about just getting an award, it’s in the process of learning who you are. So we thank this organization for helping us do that.”
The Symposium ended with the Make Your Pitch contest, in which a variety of local nonprofits made their case to a panel of judges for a $1,000 cash prize, sponsored by Wintrust Commercial Bank. Conference participants were invited to hear pitches and also cast their vote in support of the best pitch. The winning organization, Kids in Danger, works to improve children’s product safety, and received the prize after pitching the concept of developing and printing Spanish-language safety brochures.
For more information about the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, visit www.northpark.edu/axelson.
Follow North Park University on Twitter @NPU. Learn more about North Park University.