Just from looking at her, you wouldn’t have any inkling about what Liz Ngonzi calls her “super powers”—a distinct knack for listening to others and the ability to recall even the smallest details. These traits have made her a powerful force in the nonprofit community. “Having a photographic memory enables me to connect the dots […]

When they’re stuck in jail without being able to post bail, crime suspects are nine times more likely to plead guilty and leave with a record. That statistic is one of the things that motivates activist Rachel Foran. “I knew I wanted to do social justice work around the criminal justice reform,” says Rachel Foran. […]

From saving the earth to adopting animals, Allison Hauser has been involved in helping different causes since the third grade. So it’s no surprise that in 2007, she volunteered as a coach for Girls on the Run, an organization dedicated to empowering young girls. “Every session in coaching, there were moments where a face lit […]

The statistics are startling: one in five New York City public school students missed more than a month of classes last year. That’s where the Urban Arts Partnership comes in. The nonprofit targets underserved public school students with innovative in-school and after-school programs. “I was always an avid believer in the power of the arts […]

Statistics show that about 1 billion people around the world go their entire lives without access to basic health care because they live too far from medical facilities. Diligently trying to improve those odds is Siobhan Kelley, communications manager at Last Mile Health, a nonprofit committed to providing access to health care in the world’s […]

When Nile Rodgers wrote “We Are Family” for Sister Sledge in the 1970s, he never imagined that it would inspire a nonprofit organization more than 20 years later. But it did just that: it helped convince Rodgers and significant other Nancy Hunt to found the We Are Family Foundation after the 9/11 attacks. “After 9/11, we got together […]

Tiffany Zapico is troubled by the fact that 20 percent of high school graduates cannot read their own diplomas. Even worse, about 21 percent of adults in the U.S. read below a fifth grade level. “As a teacher myself,” says Zapico, “I really knew the importance of students learning how to read and providing professional […]

Chymeka Olfonse has always been passionate about education. So when she was offered a job at an organization that helps students start their own businesses, she jumped at the chance. “It was key for me to be in a place that allows for the startup experience and space to be creative and build something from […]

You can’t say Adam Sherlip doesn’t love hockey. He used to work for the New York Islanders in the team’s charity division and has spent time coaching in China and India. “Sports are an incredible avenue to affect change,” says Sherlip. “It’s a great way to bond people from around the world. The Olympics and […]

When he was still in his thirties, David Shoultz saw his world turned upside down when he had a heart attack. “Lying in the hospital bed, I decided that if and when I made it out, I was going to do something different and apply what I knew about the pharmaceutical developmental process,” says Shoultz. […]

Originally from Canada, Leezia Dhalla’s move to the U.S. two decades ago sparked her passion for working in immigration reform. “As I was trying to navigate this complex immigration system, I met more and more people like me who were trying to live here, and work here, and build a life here,” says Dhalla.“It’s a […]

Marcela Berrios was raised in the United States, where she was born after her parents fled Nicaragua’s civil war. When her family returned there when she was 12, she realized that her life’s work would be giving back to the community. “I wanted to stay there,” says Berrios, “and work there with my people and […]

Ever since he spent the summer before his senior year of high school living just outside of Tel Aviv, Phillip Brodsky wanted to start a dialog around the issues facing Israel. “I’ve always believed in leadership and positive social change,” says Brodsky. “One of the things that was important to me growing up was community […]

Carissa Johnson found her calling early. She knew that she wanted to help people, and that the most challenging place was in nonprofit organizations. “I love the nonprofit world,” says Carissa Johnson, “whether it’s going for a goal and raising money or just raising awareness.” Johnson, who has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a […]

After attending church one afternoon, a group of friends in the nation’s capital asked themselves this question: How could they start an organization to meet the needs of children without asking for anything in return? “I’ve been doing community service for years,” says Steve Messeh, “and it bothered me that a lot of the time […]

AiLun Ku has always been inspired by community service. With an MPA in nonprofit management, she says she finally found a way to align her professional goals with a full-time job. “I was working at admissions at New York University,” says Ku, “but was interested in shifting my career towards direct service and working with […]