Patti Stoner is the vice president of Human Resources for Grand Canyon Education, formerly part of Grand Canyon University. In this role, she oversees the HR function that supports more than 13,000 employees for GCE, subsidiary Orbis Education and partner Grand Canyon University. With more than 25 years of experience, Stoner has served in an HR leadership or consulting role for … [More]
Supporting Undocumented Students through Scholarship
Scholarships A-Z was started more than 10 years ago by undocumented individuals and allies as a way of providing resources and support to students who are undocumented and wanting to pursue higher education. The organization is dedicated to the idea that everyone deserves access to higher education, regardless of immigration status. Approximately 2,000 undocumented youth … [More]
The Show Must Go On
As with many of the stories we’ve heard over the course of 2020 and into 2021, March of 2020 brought the everyday activities of Greasepaint to a halt — the auditions, the rehearsals, the performances. Everything that makes up Greasepaint’s reason for being. In the spirit of the old Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney movies, Greasepaint and its long-time executive director Maureen … [More]
Don’t Put Charitable Giving on Your New Year’s Resolution List
Gasp! Did I really just tell you to not put giving on your list of resolutions? Yes, indeed I did. But why? New Year’s resolutions are a great way to inspire — nay, force — yourself to do something good to improve yourself or those around you. Lose ten pounds. Complain less. Read a book a month. Save more ... give more. And yet, many of us find ourselves back to our same … [More]
Big Brothers Big Sisters Finds Solutions to Coordinate Virtual Mentorship
Social distancing can be difficult for many reasons, including feelings of isolation, a lack of routine, and not being able to visit with friends. Adults and youth are facing stress-related anxiety due to the lack of regular daily activities and personal interaction. During these difficult times, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona has made an effort to fill the gap of … [More]
Keeping Food on the Table
At Midwest Food Bank Arizona on the Mesa-Gilbert border, the COVID-19 pandemic took an already busy year and sent it spiraling into crisis mode. As community aid agencies dedicated to feeding those in need experienced a massive spike in requests for assistance and usually reliable supply chains broken down under the stress of the coronavirus, MFB Arizona needed to pivot on a … [More]
Giving Ecards Make Philanthropy Easy
In an age when instant gratification is more the norm than giving back and philanthropy, the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits is hoping to make it easier to change some of this behavior with its new Arizona Gives Giving eCard in 2021. Giving eCards can be purchased on AZGives.org/eCards at any dollar amount, for any occasion, and at any time of the year. Purchasers … [More]
Taking an Intentional Approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Nonprofits have long supported underserved communities and done great things for communities in need. And while that work continues, there is a change that needs to be made. Nonprofits need to hold up a mirror to themselves and take action around diversity, equity and inclusion in their own organizations. DEI is no longer just a nice-to-have. Research has confirmed there is an … [More]
Continued Advocacy needed for Nonprofit Sector
Charitable nonprofit organizations, while nonpartisan organizations by nature and law, are impacted by elections just like other sectors of the economy. Oftentimes, government turns to its private-sector nonprofit partners to help solve issues in their communities, no matter who is in charge. That makes continued advocacy and engagement by the nonprofit community … [More]
Expecting the Unexpected
Planning for the unexpected: Is there really a way to do that? It seems counterintuitive and darn near impossible. How do we as leaders even begin to start to plan for something we do not foresee ever happening? If you had told me in January that we would all be quarantined to our homes for several months, wearing masks when we got out in public and homeschooling our kids, I … [More]
Arizona Gives Day
Coming off a record-breaking Arizona Gives Day in 2019 that generated $3.6 million from donors statewide, expectations were sky high for the eighth annual Arizona Gives on April 7. And then came COVID-19. As the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, Arizona Grantmakers Forum and presenting sponsor FirstBank moved closer to Arizona Gives Day 2020, the state — and the country — … [More]
Republic Bank of Arizona Steps Up for Nonprofits during Pandemic
When the Paycheck Protection Program launched amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Republic Bank of Arizona made a conscious decision to roll out the welcome mat and do its best to help every Arizona small business and nonprofit organization asking for help. The bank proactively reached out to its existing customers, but went a step further in contacting its fellow Alliance of … [More]
Expect More Arizona
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare some of the most pressing issues that Arizona schools face every day. While our state’s amazing educators have made every effort to support students and avoid a feared COVID-slide, some challenges have been more daunting than others, making even small wins especially sweet. Food insecurity: While some schools were able to begin online … [More]
Nonprofits Need Funding Now More than Ever
The coronavirus pandemic exposed a great many underlying issues across America, perhaps none more eye-opening than the fact that underserved communities were harder hit than most. Minority communities, the poor, the homeless and the elderly all saw more than their share of cases, and the pandemic exacerbated disparities. While most businesses found it difficult to make ends … [More]
Alliance News Updates
The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits has completed a series of strategic steps to broaden its reach and impact through advocacy and availability of programming and resources for the state’s more than 20,000 nonprofits. In February, the Alliance opened an office in Northern Arizona under the leadership of new Regional Director Angela Palmer. With support from a grant from … [More]
Moved Beyond Measure
The air moving in and out of our lungs is something that, while we cannot see it, moves us — it provides us with critical, life-giving breath that allows us to live and do all the things we love most in life. It even gives us the strength and endurance to confront and overcome life’s most difficult moments. This unseen yet powerful force is always present, yet not often … [More]
Building a Bright Future Together: The Nonprofit Sector & The Arizona We Want
The nonprofit sector plays a critical role in advancing the issues that matter most to Arizonans and helping us realize The Arizona We Want. At the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), we are committed to bringing Arizonans together to build a bright future for our state. This commitment is embodied in The Arizona We Want, a shared vision of success around what matters … [More]
Arizona Gives Day 2020 – Invest In Arizona
April 7, 2020, will mark the eighth year of Arizonans investing and rallying behind the nonprofit community for Arizona Gives Day, a day of statewide online giving that has raised more than $17 million for Arizona nonprofits. Any qualified Arizona nonprofit can register to participate, and any person can find their cause to donate to at AZGives.org — 365 days a year. Each … [More]
