by Mary Jeneverre Schultz
As housing, the job market and population surges in Colorado, signs of growth also become more visible in the third sector, also known as nonprofit industry.
Just in Colorado, there are more than 28,000 nonprofits with revenues of $51 billion, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, a part of the national clearinghouse of the nonprofit sector in the United States.
APDC Staff and volunteers helped build, wrap and handout over 100 gift baskets for clients last holiday season.
Members of the White House Initiative team with commissioners from the Denver Asian Pacific American Commission. Photo credit – Clarence Low
The Cosalans Family Celebrating Lola Carmen’s 80th Birthday at ENCA Farm at ENCA
The Global Refugee Center (GRC) works to establish sustained inte- gration of all refugees and immigrants, as self-sufficient, healthy, and inclusive members of society.
TEA presents Fermata by Maria Cheng
Uplift Internationale is a non- profit organization, incorporated in Colorado in 1989. Their goal is to change lives of children by mending their facial deformity – primarily cleft of the lip and/or palate …one child at a time.
Despite the upsurge in growth, nonprofits are feeling the growing pains. In Colorado, the nonprofit sector will soon face significant increases in operating costs due to rising real estate expenses in the Denver metro area and beyond. The 2014 Colorado Nonprofit Facilities Survey Report, released in November by Denver Shared Spaces and The Nonprofit Centers Network, shows that 26 percent of Colorado nonprofits will renegotiate their leases in the next 12 months. With the current booming commercial real estate market, these organizations may face a $5 per square foot cost increase to retain current office space. For the average nonprofit surveyed, this could mean $15,000 per year in additional occupancy costs.
However, growing pains doesn’t sway the positive outlook in Colorado. Almost 79 percent were optimistic about their organization for 2015, according to the Colorado Collaborative for Nonprofits year-end 2014 survey.
Growth will continue in the nonprofit sector especially when categories vary so much in this industry. Nonprofit organizations come in many different formats. Some nonprofits are directed as professional development for graduating college students and young adults. Most nonprofits are promoting a worthy cause, while others are visible through outreach efforts of relief organizations.
Volunteer board member and community leader Tom Migaki finds service to nonprofits as a way of getting involved with his local community and surrounding neighborhoods. “It’s a way of gaining leadership skills and giving back to my community,” said Migaki, who has served as a volunteer board member for four Pan-Asian nonprofits in Colorado.
Professional development is a way to gain a foothold on leadership skills. One such organization is the local chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP).
“Whether it be at work, school, community or church, NAAAP Colorado’s goals is to empower Asian Americans to be leaders and not fade into the background like so much of Asian culture tells them to do,” said Clifton Moy, treasurer of NAAAP Colorado. “We do this through workshops, panel discussions, Toastmasters club, networking events, volunteer events and annual National Convention.”
While professional networks are a popular way to engage within the nonprofit world, organizations are created to fill a void in the corporate and/or government space. Through the La Alama Connection project developed by nonprofit organization called Arts Street, underserved high school to college-age youth will participate in sustainable urban design and creative place making to improve the traffic congestion along Santa Fe during First Friday ArtWalks.
“Problem solving is the most important skill we teach at every level,” said Arts Street executive director Stella Yu. “Together with cognitive learning and collaboration through teamwork, youth at Arts Street apply their natural creative talents, and find that they can fly if they want to.”
While art organizations appeal to right-brain individuals, sustainability, eco-tourism and best hopes for your homeland appeals to those who are conscious of the environment and want to give back to their country of origin.
Through the efforts of Friends of Enca Farm, executive director Sherry Manning is fundraising and supporting the work at Enca Eco-Tourism and Organic Farm in the Philippines.
The story begins during the 1970s when mining operations contaminated the land in Benguet Province, located one-hour drive from Baguio plus an additional hour hike. The government attempted to take over the precious farmlands owned by a local family since the 1800s. However, 30 years of legal battles allowed the Filipino family to retain the land. With the assistance of Friends of Enca, the farm is open to the public for educational purposes.
Since 2008, Manning has shared its stories to raise awareness through annual luncheons, book launches and film screenings of the Philippines. Manning has even enlisted the help of her sister, Heidi Peterson, who is a chef and has learned how to cooked Filipino cuisine, including the sweet, succulent longaniza, egg-style tapsilog and the decadent dessert of leche flan.
Global warming and sustainability of land can go hand in hand. However, relief organizations play a pivotal role in fundraising and raising awareness of country’s plight due to unforeseen natural disasters of earthquakes, typhoon, tsunamis and cyclones. Just last April, Nepal was hit with devastating earthquakes, triggering avalanches on Mount Everest and surrounding areas.
Back in 2013, Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. (Asian Avenue December 2013). Local Denver organizations banded together for the first time to raise fundraising, bring shared communities together and raised awareness of Filipino organizations through the Saklolo fundraiser. (Asian Avenue January 2014) Two years later, community and activist leaders such as Filipino-native Hope Hervilla are receiving accolades. Since last year, she is engaged in helping the Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan survivors in her community Estancia, one of the worst hit fishing communities in Northern Iloilo. She founded Voices of Hope, a collective of local survivors trained as citizen’s journalist in giving voices to the survivors victimized both by the deadly typhoon and government negligence. Her work has not gone unnoticed as she recently visited Aspen and Denver last July to share her personal testimony in grass-roots activism.
Nonprofits are not just part of the economic sector. They provide a place to engage, empower and make change in one’s neighborhood, community and city. There is a nonprofit for everyone, whether it is a relief organization, personal cause or motivation for upward career movement. As a reader of Asian Avenue Magazine, take the challenge to volunteer as a board member, participate at fundraising events or just donate to any of the local charities in Colorado. It makes a difference.
Please read on to learn more about nine Pan-Asian nonprofit organizations in Colorado that we highlight in this cover story: Theatre Espirit Asia, Asian Chamber of Commerce, Friends of ENCA Farm, Asian Pacific Development Center, Uplift International, Global Refugee Center, OCA Colorado, Boulder Asian Alliance, and the Asian Art Coordinating Council.
Mary Jeneverre Schultz has worked in the nonprofit arena for the last 16 years of her career. Find her on Twitter @Jeneverre.
