Along with Jamon Alexander, I met Janean Brown a few months ago at the NP2020 conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was the Co-Chair of this fabulous event that drew 100 young nonprofit leaders from around the country. I’ll never forget the beautiful smile she greeted me with when I met her, and I thought, this is a young woman who is just too happy to be a part of the nonprofit sector! Later I learned that Janean is a Program Assistant at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University. Janean is also an American Humanics graduate and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Education in Adult and Higher Education. I feel very privileged to have met Janean because she has a clear vision for the future and I am convinced that she will be one of the driving forces behind impacting change within the nonprofit sector! I share with you her insight.
Rosetta Thurman: How did you make your way into the nonprofit sector?
Janean Brown: Originally I wanted to become a teacher. After examining why I wanted to become a teacher, I realized that helping people, educating people and empowering people was what really interested me most about teaching. So, I reconsidered my career path and chose to enter the nonprofit sector to become an educator, motivator, and philanthropist outside of the classroom.
RT: What is your educational background and area of expertise?
JB: I earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Public and Nonprofit Administration and an American Humanics Nonprofit Management certification. My coursework alongside my certification helped me to delve deep into different aspects of the nonprofit sector and the more I became knowledgeable about it, the more I loved it! I would not go so far to say that I have an area of expertise, but I am becoming passionate about issues of leadership development, race relations, and nonprofit management.
RT: What is your current position and day-to-day work?
JB: I am currently a Program Assistant at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University. I coordinate continuing education and professional development opportunities for nonprofit leaders. I also assist in managing the evaluation process of a capacity building grant that we administer and coordinate an internship program for American Humanics students. My most exciting role has been as the co-chair of our national NP2020 conference that addressed the issue of future leadership in the nonprofit sector.
RT: What kinds of leadership roles do you aspire to in the future?
JB: I am currently pursuing a Master’s of Education in Adult and Higher Education with a focus on Student Affairs. In the next five years I hope to be in a position of leadership at a college or university where I can influence students to first, volunteer in the sector, and in turn become nonprofit leaders. Developing leaders is going to be critical to the survival of the sector and I hope to be able to contribute to this cause.
RT: Do you think young people of color are involved enough in the nonprofit sector, or are we around, but just “working in the background’? How could we get more involved?
JB: Based on my observations, no, I do not think young people of color are involved enough in the sector. I have observed our absence on a national level at our NP2020 conference and at the local level being involved with nonprofits in the Grand Rapids area.
Young people of color can become more involved by realizing that being “involved” in the nonprofit sector is not equivalent to working in the sector. We tend to think that philanthropy is simply donating money. It is much more than that. It is donating time and talents as well.
The nonprofit sector is full of organizations with great missions. There is an organization out there to satisfy the personal passions of many young people and having a passion is what drives your work in the sector. Young people of color can start by donating their time, and eventually they will find a cause they are passionate about. Then we will not have to settle for “working in the background”.
RT: What would you like to see changed in our communities of color? How could nonprofits or foundations contribute to that change?
JB: I would agree and echo Jamon’s comments regarding our attitudes of materialism and hoarding our time and resources. As young people we are constantly battling the American pop culture messages, not to mention the perils of simply being a person of color.
I would like to see communities of color take personal responsibility for the future of our communities and leadership. Leaders from generations before mine have picked themselves up by their bootstraps and gained knowledge, power, and success over the years. I would like to see a serious effort to mentor young people and share knowledge and experiences. I would like to see communities of color teaching younger generations how to save, earn, invest, and give back. It is a cyclical process that we can teach each other in an effort to ensure the wealth of our communities. Based on the past, it is obvious that our success is at the mercy of the majority. Thus as people of color, I would like to see us band together to create leaders who are undeniably dynamic.
Nonprofits and foundations can contribute to this change by being intentional about their funding and programming towards diversity. Educating communities of color is the key. Knowledge is power, and the more knowledgeable we become, the more voices we have at the table to be heard.
