N E W S L E T T E R

Contents:

Introduction & Words:

NLA Program Director and NLSA & AFP-UH President 2

Merger of the NLA Student Associations (NLSA & AFP-UH) 3

NLA Student Associations: NLSA & AFP-UH 4

Fall Retreat 2016 5

Fall Workshop Series 6

Community Outreach 7

Alliance Management Institute (AMI) 8

Spring Fund Development Workshop Series 9

The Flo McGee Career Development Institute (CDI) 10

Philanthropic Project 2017 11

2016 — 2017

 

Words from the Program Director

 Words from the NLSA & AFP-UH President

Dear NLA Community:

Let me start with a thanks to

ALL who support this

program of budding

nonprofit professionals at the

University of Houston. This

year has held many bright moments for the

David M. Underwood Chapter of the Nonprofit

Leadership Alliance, especially in the

leadership team. Amber Rangel became our

Program Manager. After years of recruiting

high achieving students, empowering student

leaders to embrace their positions, helping

improve overall NLA student success, and the

integration of the AFP Collegiate Chapter into

our program, we are pleased to have this

outstanding CNP’s leadership recognized. The

Leadership Circle directs the efforts and vision

of NLA; our brain trust increased its CNP ranks

when Kristen Schlatre, CFRE & CNP joined this

year. Our Circle also includes community

members, professionals, fellow UH alumni,

Katie Kalenda Daggett, and CNPs: Jennifer

Battle and April Day. ……——...

– Melanie Barr Fitzpatrick

Mission To strengthen the social sector with a talented and

prepared workforce.

Purpose The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (formerly

American Humanics, Inc.) is a national alliance of

colleges, universities and nonprofit organizations

dedicated to preparing and certifying future

professionals for leadership in America’s diverse and

vital array of nonprofit enterprises.

Participation in the Alliance builds on and enhances

student’s major course of study at the University of

Houston. At graduation, students will receive a

baccalaureate degree in addition to the highly

respected Nonprofit Leadership Alliance certification

and the credential of Certified Nonprofit Professional

(CNP) in Nonprofit Management. Some students

return to the university to obtain their Alliance and

CNP credential certification in concert with post-

baccalaureate education.

2

The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance at the University

of Houston is a space where students have the

opportunity to be surrounded by a like-minded

group of peers. This cohort becomes not only a

group that one learns with, but a group that one

learns from and this, can be both a challenging

and exciting prospect. The program would not be

what it is without any of its components, but the

unique type of student who lands in this program is

what affords the local and national nonprofit

community the opportunity to benefit from the

NLA and Student Associations at the University of

Houston. As the 2016-2017 President of the Student

Association I am grateful and humbled by the

growth I have been able to witness in our student

body and subsequently our community this year. I

hope that when you have finished reading our

annual newsletter, you will feel that way too.  

– Alexandria Mackzum 

 

Association of Fundraising Professionals at U Houston

Merging of AFP-UH and NLSA

Founded in 2015, the Association of Fundraising

Professionals U Houston (AFP-UH) Collegiate Chapter,

sponsored by the Greater Houston chapter of AFP,

represented 12 founding members devoted to

philanthropic causes and enabling individuals and

organizations to better serve the diverse communities

and people of Houston.

Core Purpose: To expose undergraduate and

graduate students to fundraising as a profession, the

importance of philanthropy and the vital role of

ethics in professional practice.

Mission Statement: The AFP collegiate chapters allow

students to identify a cause to support, learn and

apply ethical fundraising principles, and support the

cause in which they believe, giving them a solid base

of understanding and welcoming them into

philanthropic and fundraising communities.

The NLA Program is composed of students

passionate about the nonprofit sector and excited

for a future career within it. Adding AFP-UH to the

NLA Program helped further ensure that all

students would have the opportunity to fortify their

understanding of philanthropy. Similar to NLSA, this

association allowed students to build a specific

community within this industry, while continuing to

take courses and participate in experiential

components of the NLA program. In Spring 2016,

the NLA Student body unanimously voted to make

AFP-UH a permanent component of the program,

thus merging the two student associations.

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The AFP-UH chapter is now in

its second operating year

and is proud to announce

the receipt of the Chapter

Ten Star Award. Only three

other collegiate chapters in

the nation have received this

honor. The Chapter Ten Star

Award honors chapters who

perform specific activities

designed to increase

p ro fes s iona l i sm w i t h in

fundraising and public

awareness of philanthropy.

 

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President

Alexandria Mackzum

*HDFS Major 

Vice President

Shayna Powers

Music Major

Secretary

Brandi Boak

*HDFS Major

Treasurer

Mary Ifebuzor

*HDFS Major

Historian

Jessica Dominguez

*HDFS Major

Fall Retreat Officer

Crystal Villegas

Psychology Major

Fall Workshops Officer

Kailey Nelson

Liberal Studies Major

Community Outreach & Alumni Liaison Officer

David Soto

Business Major

Membership Officer

Presley Liesman

*HDFS Major

Marketing Officer

Chelsee Balanciere

Psychology Major

Fundraising Chair

Serjio Brereda

Political Science Major

Career Development Institute Officer

Cristina Coy Psychology Major

The CNP credential in Nonprofit Management is made up of four major components including: courses, leadership and service learning, attendance to the national conference, and a 480-hr internship. NLSA is the breeding ground for future CNPs, as they learn how to put theory into practice. From networking, programmatic planning, to creating committees, students organize various modules that ultimately turn into certification requirements for all NLA students.

2016 – 2017 Officers

#PoweredByPassion *HDFS: Human Development and Family Studies 

NLSA & AFP-UH Nonprofit Leadership Student Association | Association of Fundraising Professionals at U Houston

 

“This was my second Fall Retreat and just like the first one, it was an unforgettable experience. The Alley Theatre was gracious enough to allow us to use their boardroom and give us a backstage tour of an Alley production.

In a short period of time, we were able to experience the ins and outs of a remarkab le nonprof i t organization, participate in team building exercises, gain insight into our personal strengths, and even created a personal miss ion statement.

Glenn Taylor of SKYBOUND was our facilitator throughout the day. He is an amazing motivator, who supplied us with useful tools while we pursue a future as nonprofit professionals.”

– Jessica Dominguez

A Special Thanks To: “Fall Retreat was definitely an experience to remember! I

was able to get to know my fellow NLA classmates

better while learning team-building skills. But what was

truly amazing, about Fall Retreat, was that it gave us the

opportunity to get to know ourselves better, understand

our skill set, and create a personal mission statement for

our passion. It was an eye opening experience that will

definitely help me in the future.” – Cristina Coy

Fall Retreat

5

 

"The Fall Workshops, where nonprofit professionals volunteer to speak to

students in NLA, covered all the competencies that may be missing from

the courses. The Fall Workshops were extremely beneficial not only due

to the valuable information gained, but also the networking opportunity

available for myself and fellow students in the NLA program. This is yet

another building block given to us to become successful nonprofit

professionals." – Kourtnei Gartman

Workshop 1:

Making the Ask

Workshop 2:

Future of the Nonprofit

Sector

Workshop 3:

Legal & Ethical Decisions

for Nonprofits

Workshop 4:

Future of the Nonprofit

Sector & Nonprofit Global

trends and NGOs

TOPICS

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Special Thanks to our agency partners:

Fall Workshops

 

Alley Theater

Generation One

Open Door Mission

Books Between Kids

Bo's Place

Meals on Wheels/IMGH

NLA students are required to attend 3 site visits to obtain certification. Every year, the site

visits, expose students to the various nonprofit organizations and agencies within Houston.

The site visits typically last two hours and students assist the organization or agency in

multiple ways through volunteer work.

Community Outreach

“I thought the Generation One site visit was a

unique opportunity to get a closer look at a

grassroots nonprofit in action. Its humble

beginnings are still a part of its culture, as the

organization has taken old buildings and

equipment and repurposed them for leadership

training and education for at-risk youth. It's inspiring

being a part of the change, as we helped clear

out the inside of an old night club in order to make

room for renovations that will help extend the

effectiveness and outreach of Generation One to

students that need the help. While the group has a

long way to go in comparison to other local

nonprofits with more funding, the passion and

commitment to improving the Third Ward is

extremely visible through their hard work and

generosity. We learned from them, and I think they

learned from us.” – Kyle Knight 

Where did we go?

7

 

Alliance Management Institute “Attending the Alliance Management

Institute (AMI) in Denver was my last

requirement to earn my CNP, and it was

an excellent way to finish my NLA

experience. At AMI, I got to learn about

the nonprofit environment in Denver while

being inspired by CNPs from across the

country who shared their knowledge. I

also had the opportunity to apply

everything I have learned through the

NLA program to solve a problem for a

local Denver nonprofit during the case

study session. I also had the opportunity

to showcase my research project and

placed 2nd during the Undergraduate

Research & ARNOVA Poster Presentation.

Attending AMI not only underscored all of

the skills and lessons I have learned

through NLA, it

reinvigorated my

passion for the

nonprofit sector as

w e l l a s m y

excitement to

begin my career.”

- Emily Johnson 8

 

Fund Development Workshops

The Spring Workshop Series has taught me about

fundraising development through lectures, direct

application, and teamwork. I was mentored directly

by nonprofit professionals for the duration of this

course. They conveyed to my peers and me the

knowledge they have gained throughout their

careers, and helped my team in the construction of a

successful campaign project for Bellaire’s Nature

Discovery Center. At the end of this series, we were

expected to present our final campaign plan to

professionals in the nonprofit field. This opportunity

introduced me to a network of fundraising experts and

to the importance of group cohesiveness. Every

member must contribute quality work to the team

effort in order to produce an end product reflective of

the group’s abilities. This has shown to be relevant,

both in the classroom setting and in real life, because

a group of diverse people allows for diverse ideas to

create successful outcome in any situation.

– Britnee Chuor

Special Thanks to the team at:

Workshop Instructors:

Rebecca Lamb &

Mary Claire Walther

Children’s Museum Houston

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Nature Discovery Center

Star of Hope

Legacy Community Health Services

Organizations Featured:

9

 

Named for Flo McGee, a long time influencer and advocate for NLA, this one day training institute is hosted by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) program. The Career Development Institute or CDI, provides NLA student participants with resources that will assist them in gaining and refining their competitive edge in the nonprofit sector. Throughout the course of the day, students will learn about dining etiquette, resume building, networking and more.

CDI Guest Speakers:

Jennifer Anderson, Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas

Sherry Bernard, West Orem YMCA

Ryan Dolibois, Yellowstone Academy

Emelda Douglas, Susan G. Komen Houston

Catherine Burch Graham, CBG Communications

Ronnie Hagerty, PhD, CFRE United Way of Greater Houston

Kelli King-Jackson, The Simmons Foundations

Becky Jasso, United Way of Greater Houston

Sacha Lazarre, Baker Ripley

Amy Ragan, Houston Food Bank

Kristen Schlatre, The Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership, Rice University

Tonyel Simon, Houston Endowment

Zach Wortzel, UH Career Services

THANK YOU! 10

The Flo McGee Career Development Institute

 

Through the 2016 - 2017 year, students were able to set a goal, select an agency to fundraise for, network with professionals in order to develop a case for support, create a marketing strategy and maintain stewardship for donors and fundraisers.

Despite not reaching our goal of $2,500, the Philanthropic Project was a success. When the project closed, we reached $1,645.76, which is a 135% increase from the 2016 campaign and tripled our donors from 21 in 2016 to 60 this year. This was a learning experience for the Philanthropic Project Committee and we are proud to have set a high standard to grow from in years to come.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals at U Houston (AFP-UH ) fosters the growth of fundraising professionals and promotes highest of ethical standards in the fundraising profession. As an AFP collegiate chapter, the University of Houston (AFP-UH) is required to conduct an annual philanthropic project, giving students the opportunity to apply sk i l l s learned throughout the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) Program and AFP-UH.

“As the Fundraising Officer, I had the opportunity to lay the foundation for future Philanthropic Projects. After the student body selected a nonprofit agency, I set a high benchmark, with the confidence that our student body would embrace its mission. After researching and building a case of support, we learned that this project will greatly impact not only a local nonprofit organization, but Houston’s community of children. As the officer, I saw firsthand the tools needed for this project, developed a diverse committee, and motivated the student body to join us. Seeing students’ faces throughout the campaign, filled me with pride because I knew this project was ultimately embraced as their own.” - Serjio Brereda

A Big Thank You to the committee: Row 2: Britnee Chuor, Kyle Knight, Stephanie Najera Row 1: Jessica Dominguez, Serjio Brereda, and Kailey Nelson

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Philanthropic Project

uh.edu/socialwork/nonprofitleaders

@UH_NonprofitLDR

NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON

3511 CULLEN BLVD —RM 110 HA

HOUSTON TX 77204-4013

Jessica Dominguez, NLSA Historian

Cristina Coy, NLSA Historian Committee

Kourtnei Gartman, NLSA Historian Committee

Amber Rangel, NLA Program Manager

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