A look inside the journey of a leading and pioneering nonprofit, highlighting the importance of community involvement, education, and the ongoing efforts to combat stigma and enhance public health strategies.

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In this learning episode, we welcomed Stacey Jay Cavaliere, the executive director of Aunt Rita's Foundation, to discuss the ongoing challenges and initiatives related to HIV and AIDS. Stacey Jay shares his personal and professional journey with HIV, elaborating on the importance of community support and education in combating the epidemic.

Stacey Jay Cavaliere, who joined Aunt Rita’s Foundation after a transformative personal experience with HIV, describes the evolution of the organization from its humble beginnings in 1988 during the height of the HIV crisis. He details how a grassroots movement born out of necessity led to the establishment of a vital community resource. Aunt Rita’s Foundation began as a local effort with bake sales and fundraisers in gay bars to support those affected by AIDS, eventually gaining nonprofit status in 2005. "Our first bake sale in 1988 raised over $5,000, which was extraordinary at that time. Those funds were crucial for covering rent, medication costs, and, unfortunately, some funeral costs as well," as Stacey Jay reflects on the early days.

The conversation also peers into how Aunt Rita’s Foundation has adapted to the significant advancements in HIV medication and treatment. Stacey Jay shares the foundation's role in education and outreach, underscoring the shift from crisis response to long-term health management and prevention. "The good news is that there have been great advancements in medication, treatment, and outreach," he says, outlining the foundation's efforts to spread knowledge and resources across communities.

With host Julia Patrick, the two also discuss the challenge of overcoming stigma, which remains a substantial barrier to HIV prevention and treatment. Stacey Jay points to the importance of continuous education and advocacy to change public perceptions and policies surrounding HIV and AIDS. "It's my duty now to give back to the community. To lift up those most marginalized and most affected," he shares.

This episode showcases the historical and ongoing efforts of Aunt Rita's Foundation to tackle HIV and AIDS and serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of community-driven initiatives in addressing public health crises.

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An important primer about the significance of cybersecurity for nonprofits, with Bart Holzer, CISO of Affinity Technology Partners. With over 25 years of experience, which includes two decades at the FBI, Bart provides insight into the changing landscape of cybersecurity threats and what they mean to nonprofits.

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Bart starts by addressing the myth that non-profit organizations are not likely to be victims of cybercrime. He states, "Totally false. We know they're going to go after nonprofits. Nonprofits are in the news every day either getting grants or having success in their programs, and we know most nonprofit funding goes to programming and not to security, and the bad guys know that too." This reality check brings home the critical need for nonprofits to prioritize cybersecurity as much as their for-profit counterparts.

The conversation, with host Julia Patrick, moves on to the threats that non-profit organizations face and how sophisticated modern cyber-criminals have become. Bart remarks, "We have seen where the excellent hackers have started selling their tools. So that proverbial kid into his mom's basement can buy sophisticated tools. So it's even worse than what we've seen in the past." This chilling revelation points out the increasing accessibility of advanced hacking tools, making it imperative for nonprofits to stay vigilant.

How nonprofits can start to build a robust cybersecurity program, Bart says, starts at the top: Executive leadership must make security a priority throughout and instill a culture of security. This top-down approach will ensure that everybody in the organization—employees, volunteers, contractors—understands and participates in following security protocols.

He also proposes that resources should be harnessed from trusted organizations, such as the Center for Internet Security (CIS), which has free tools and frameworks to help nonprofits evaluate and uplift their cybersecurity condition. Time might be short, but there is a need for understanding and exerting basic “security hygiene”.

When discussing the costs of all this, Bart suggests that nonprofit organizations spend 2% to 5% of their budget share on cybersecurity. The investment is not only to protect from financial loss but also to protect the reputation that a data breach can potentially cause to the organization, its stakeholders, and even its donors!

The session ends with practical advice on engaging with third-party vendors, as Bart describes how it is important for third-party vendors to have strong security practices, appropriate certifications, and data protection clauses in their contracts.

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Exploring strategic investments for nonprofit growth with Kiersten Hill from Fire Spring. Kiersten, who is the Director of Nonprofit Solutions at Fire Spring, shared her savvy knowledge on effectively communicating an organization's message and the importance of targeted operational investments.

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Kiersten begins by highlighting seven key areas where nonprofits should consider investing to stimulate growth: staff remuneration, fundraising tools, community engagement, branding updates, marketing collateral, strategic planning, and digital presence. She points out, "Reward them when they do good work, retain the ones that are doing that great work and that you want to keep," underscoring the valuing and retaining of effective staff members.

A large part of this fun conversation, with co-hosts Sherry Quam Taylor and Julia Patrick, focuses on achieving quick wins to demonstrate the value of these investments to a nonprofit’s board. Kiersten says, "If you want to bring your board along and you want them to recognize the value of making those capacity-related investments, then we have to show wins." This strategy is a key for securing board buy-in and setting the stage for longer-term success.

The three also touch on the need for nonprofits to adopt a more progressive and growth-oriented mindset, moving away from overly conservative approaches that can hinder development. This shift can enable nonprofits to embrace more ambitious projects and strategies, potentially leading to greater impact and effectiveness.

Fire Spring operates as a full-service marketing communications company, notably engaged with nonprofits. Kiersten detailed how their services range from web development to branding and marketing, all tailored to the nonprofit sector. With her background in nonprofit management and fundraising, she brings a practical perspective to these services, emphasizing their utility in enhancing organizational outreach.

Follow us on the Twitter: @Nonprofit_Show
Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show