Category: Marketing

GDPR and What It Means for Nonprofits

Posted on by lizngonzi

Last week, the Foundation Center hosted its “The Future of Philanthropy: Thriving in a World of Change” event. This all-day event opened up discussion about some of the large-scale technological and philanthropic changes taking place across the nation and the world, and how they relate to nonprofits and foundations.

At the event, dotOrg Strategy founder Boris Kievsky moderated a panel on the subject of on “Reaching Audiences in the Age of GDPR.” The expert speakers assembled for the discussion were Jon Dartley, Of Counsel at Perlman & Perlman; Crystal Mandler, Director of Business Insights at Foundation Center; Elizabeth Ngonzi, Adjunct Faculty at NYU Center for Global Affairs and Isaac Shalev, Founder & President at Sage70.

The event was live-streamed (full video at the bottom of this article), but if you couldn’t make it, we’ve put together some of the key takeaways your nonprofit should consider and actions you can take today.

Expand Your International Organization’s Presence to Attract U.S. Funders

Posted on by lizngonzi

International organizations seeking to enter the U.S.philanthropic market need to do so with an understanding of the legal options to do so; how to discover who among its donors are most interested in funding their work; and what it takes to differentiate their organization from the 1.5 million nonprofits registered in the U.S. and other NGOs seeking to enter the U.S.

International organizations looking to engage with donors in the U.S. need to understand the four legal paths that can allow them to do so. While individual donors represent the largest source of U.S. charitable giving, it is more challenging for those seeking to cultivate relationships for larger donations. Therefore, international organizations looking to enter the U.S. should consider the second largest source – over 86,000 grant-making foundations—which are more efficient to identifying and cultivating for larger donations. While cultivating relationships with foundations, international organizations need to make certain that their digital presence conveys a sense of trustworthiness, authenticity and clarity of purpose because funders research organizations online. Curious about the answers to the following questions? JOIN ME!

  1. What are the four legal paths available for my international organization to legally cultivate relationships with donors in the U.S.?
  2. Which foundations fund international organizations like mine?
  3. What do funders look for when researching an organization online?
  4. How can I differentiate my organization online?

In this webinar, you will learn from me, a seasoned international nonprofit executive, consultant and educator, about who among the 86,000 registered grant-making foundations would most likely fund the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) most aligned with your organization; receive practical guidance on how to engage with them; and obtain valuable digital engagement strategies to differentiate your organization from the millions online. The webinar will be a deep dive into digital engagement strategies.

 Outcomes

Upon completion of this webinar you should be able to:

  1. develop digital engagement strategies to convey a sense of trustworthiness, authenticity and clarity of purpose to differentiate your organization online;
  2. research U.S.-based foundations likely to be interested in your work;
  3. identify the SDG that aligns with your mission;
  4. research U.S.-based foundations funding that SDG; and
  5. create online relationships with prospective U.S.-based funders.

Elizabeth Ngonzi Leads Discussion about “The African Female Executive”

Posted on by lizngonzi

As part of the Wharton Africa Student Association’s WASA Wednesdays series, Elizabeth Ngonzi, former CEO of Afrika Tikkun USA, led a discussion titled “The African Female Executive.” The event, a collaboration between WASA and WWIB, was organized to learn about the experience of a woman of color in business and discuss strategies for career advancement. The 90-minute interactive session delved into various themes including, expanding your network and building relationships, cultivating varied interests, and establishing your personal brand from the perspective of a woman in business, especially from a woman of color. At the start of the program, as students listened over their plates of jollof and plantain, Ms. Ngonzi quickly turned the event into an interactive discussion. After sharing an anecdote about an exchange with a boss at a prior job, she said to the room, I’d like to hear about your experiences. Students quickly raised their hands, keen to share their individual stories as women and men of color in business. Various questions were raised about maintaining your identity at work, assertiveness without being labeled “pushy”, and relating to coworkers in predominantly male industries.

7th Annual African Diaspora Awards

Posted on by lizngonzi

Applause Africa presented the seventh annual African Diaspora Awards ceremony at Florence Gould Hall in New York City. These awards recognize significant achievements in social justice, entrepreneurism, arts and humanities by Africans living in diaspora. The event both celebrates the diversity of this inherently multinational gathering, and also the unity that is possible among Africans, regardless of origin and background. As impressive as the individual honorees were—and they were truly impressive—it was equally powerful to see movers and shakers from Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe and beyond celebrating one another in a spirit of unity and camaraderie. Indeed, the theme of the 2017 gathering was “Building Unity,” suggesting that for all the unity this unique process has nurtured, the work continues.

This was a glamorous affair, with a nearly packed house of beautifully turned-out attendees, a red carpet reception before hand, and a fast paced stage ceremony that featured introductory speakers for each award, a DJ, two hosts and four live music performances—not to mention the actual honorees, each of whom spoke briefly and movingly.

How To Find A Job In Africa

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Names listed in order of appearance:

Liz Ngonzi, 7th Annual African Diaspora Awards ‘2017 Advocate of the Year’ Awardee

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New York, USA

“I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent.”~ Nelson Mandela

On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the passing of Nelson Mandela, Applause Africa Communications hosted its 7th Annual African Diaspora Awards (ADA) in New York City, during which 15 leaders were recognized for being engines of impact and change to inspire the African community within the U.S. and around the world. Among those recognized was Afrika Tikkun USA’s CEO Elizabeth Ngonzi, who was awarded “Advocate of the Year”.

The ADA Awards is a premier awards ceremony applauding outstanding African leaders who have been engines of impact and change to inspire the African community within the U.S. and around the world.

Emceed by Essence Now host, Makho Ndlovu and acclaimed comedian, NaMÓ, this year’s ADA theme was “building unity”. Building Unity is a larger-than-life theme that helps Africans in the Diaspora celebrate their uniqueness and strengthen ties to each other in the Diaspora.

CEO Backs ‘Future Leaders’ Initiative with LinkedIn, McCann Worldgroup

Posted on by lizngonzi

In collaboration with McCann Worldgroup, Afrika Tikkun USA recently announced its ‘Future Leaders’ initiative, a ground-breaking, social awareness and engagement campaign on LinkedIn.

“All young people have dreams for the future, but not all get the opportunities to make them come true,” said Lee Tan, Executive Creative Director at McCann Worldgroup Europe. “We hope that the ‘Future Leaders’ campaign can highlight this reality and help Afrika Tikkun do more great work with South African youths.”

Overcoming enormous obstacles, yet leveraging the standard LinkedIn profile and account services, 12 students from Afrika Tikkun communities in South Africa – aged 13 to 19 years – boldly state their claims of future career success. While highlighting current high-profile leaders as role models, the students career interests span a variety of industries and sectors, each student having made a compelling appeal on video.

“Steve Collis, I want your job,” Sinesipho Ndonga says speaking confidently and directly into the camera. The 13 year old Mfuleni, Cape Town resident, and “future CEO of AmerisourceBergen,” aims to become a leader in the pharmaceutical industry, “just like Steve Collis,” she says.

Tech Entrepreneur Hosts South Africans During Philly Tech Week

Posted on by lizngonzi

“Loads of gratitude to Steve and Toni for hosting a spectacular function, in their beautiful home, for our Afrika Tikkun future leaders,” Ngonzi said thanking the couple who coordinated the reception with Gosier and Peter Jacobson, Afrika Tikkun USA board of directors vice chairman and CEO of Orion Fleet Intelligence.

Gosier has worked with the world’s most famous recording artists, record labels, and entertainers as the founder of audience measurement and monetization company, AuDigent. He has spent the past decade building a career in data science, private equity, and international business. In that time he has lead an array of data projects as a consultant to Jefferson Health, Nielsen, EMC, Google, FEMA, InQTel, The World Bank, U.S. Department of State, Wounded Warriors, Department of Defense, and Lockheed Martin.

“Jon is a man of action and a data science genius,” said Ahmed Mohamed Maawy, a principal product management specialist at Al Jazeera Media Network. “He understands the technologies out there and how they impact the professional and personal lives of individuals and change the way organizations do business.”

Recognized with awards from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Harvard Initiative for Global Health, and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum, Gosier is an alum of Savannah College of Art & Design and the THNK School of Creative Leadership and Innovation.

Listed in Business Insider’s 2013 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology, the TED Fellow and Knight News Challenge winner “think its important for cross cultural exchange in the Philly tech community,” he said.

Everywhere Wonder Women: Well-Accomplished Cornell Alumnae Snippets

Posted on by lizngonzi

Phenomenal women have studied at Cornell and have proceeded to make waves in our society. Many have become businesswomen, scientists, political figures, and community organizers. We know there is no limit to what Cornell alumnae can accomplish and they know that too.

Elizabeth (Liz) Ngonzi, Class of 1998

A graduate of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, Elizabeth Ngonzi has used her passion for philanthropy and African culture to leverage herself to highlight the positive images of African women. She co-developed the 2012 SXSW Panel: Africa, Tech and Women: The New Faces of Development. In addition, she also shared her story about her life transformation in a November 2013 TEDx CornellU Talk titled: “Want your enterprise to change the world? Start with yourself!”At the moment, she is the CEO of Afrika Tikkun USA, a company whose mission is to invest in education, health, and social services for children, youth, and their families through its community Centers of Excellence.

Newsroom: African Women’s Leadership Summit

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It is the 21st century and most countries allow freedom and opportunity for all races and sexes to achieve any goal they set out for themselves. We see this as women have taken up senior roles within large corporations. But we still have a long way to go, And one Summit that has shed some light on How we can IS: the African Women’s Leadership Summit that took place in Kenya.

Joining us in studio today is international speaker, Elizabeth Ngonzi, who spoke at the summit. Ngonzi is also the CEO of a non-profit organization Afrika Tikkun USA. This organization invests in the development of disadvantaged children from early infancy through young adulthood and into the world of work.

GIBS Business School South Africa Event Announcement:

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GIBS welcomes Ms. Elizabeth Ngonzi, CEO of Afrika Tikkun, USA, lecturer in fundraising at New York City’s Heyman Centre for Philanthropy and Fundraising, and Entrepreneur in Residence at Cornell University, for a limited-seat breakfast event that aims to unpack the mysterious art of Fundraising: exploring international trends and new ways of doing things.

Fundraising is a mysterious profession – is it charisma and personal networks that brings money to an organization? Or is it a series of complex processes that govern proposal writing, event and donation management? South Africa’s recent status as a Upper Middle Income Country shows confidence that the country can fund its civil society. But service delivery non-profits are at best subsidized by governments, and our individual and corporate donor base remains small and driven by compliance.

The session will explore:

  • What is happening globally in the world of fundraising?
  • How are these changes going to impact South Africa (if at all?)
  • Introducing technology and fundraising – creating a global base of supporters for your local project
  • What do you need to change? If anything at all?
  • What are your responsibilities to your donors? And your
    stakeholders?
  • Do we really suffer from a lack of money, or it is a lack of ideas to deliver new approaches to social change?
  • Why is social entrepreneurship touted as a new way for sustainability?

The money has landed: Kickstarter for Armstrong’s spacesuit is successful

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Smithsonian officials are over the moon that they complete their first Kickstarter fundraising campaign — to conserve, digitize and display Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit. This is an amazing feat for the non profit. Commenting on the success is Elizabeth Ngonzi, a professor at New York University’s George H. Heyman Jr. Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising.

This is about tapping into a new audience — more people who can be inspired by the fact that you can crowdfund an idea and create an institution from scratch. Preserving this part of history will be important and the fact that thousands made it possible so quickly is amazing.

#WhenIWas15 Estée Lauder Inspired Me to Become an Entrepreneur!

Posted on by lizngonzi

#WhenIWas15 I loved to read and according to several journals from high school that I recently found, I particularly loved autobiographies, despite apparently not being very keen on the literature assigned to me by my English teacher. I still love autobiographies to this day, but until I found the journal, I had forgotten what an impact Estée Lauder’s story had on me. I now remember reading her eponymous book about her journey to become a successful business woman, at the helm of an international beauty empire. Interestingly I have moved several times since I first read her book at the time of its publishing (more than a couple of decades ago) and have since gone through many purges…yet I have kept Estée’s book (although I could probably have done a better job with preserving its cover).

For those of you unable to read my 15-year-old handwriting in the image above, below is what I wrote:

” The most enjoyable and thought provoking book which I have read this year is an autobiography by Estée Lauder (Estée, A Success Story). Her story is that of a self-made make-up mogul in a male dominated industry. In reading her story she became my idol and a symbol of what hard work, perseverance, and innovative ideas can achieve. This story was so significant because it was directed towards a reader such as myself who is interested in becoming an entrepreneur. Mrs. Lauder describes every step she [took] to reach her success. I was able to identify with her [pursuit] of perfection which is indeed a quality that one must possess to reach premium achievements.”

Incidentally, it was around that time that I began my first venture– a babysitting service with about six or so families, which included a steady client whose son I babysat several days (cash flow management) after school and various clients who booked me on Friday or Saturday nights at a premium (demand-based pricing).

I have since been involved in a few ventures including selling Mary Kay Cosmetics on the weekends to help me gain sales experience and supplement my first job out of undergrad, as a tech marketer. After working in Corporate America for about a decade, I founded a consulting firm which I ran for 12 years and as a social entrepreneur, most recently led the re-boot of the North American representative of a South African NGO. Beyond that I’ve also had the privilege of guiding and teaching budding entrepreneurs as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at my alma mater, Cornell University, where I had the honor of mentoring Karim Abouelnaga— the founder of Practice Makes Perfect (“an evidence-based, full-service summer school operator for K-8 schools”)– who even as a university junior demonstrated a tremendous amount of potential as an innovative social entrepreneur.

My entrepreneurial journey continues as I embark upon its next leg inspired by Estée and other great entrepreneurs, more experienced, wiser, and with a continued commitment to innovation, impact perseverance and hard work!

International Fundraising Congress (Netherlands) Workshop Presenter Annoucenement

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Inspire. Connect. Transform. This year’s IFC programme is themed around creating inspiring connections between fundraisers, and between fundraisers and donors. It reflects the increasingly interconnected world we live in – culturally, politically and technologically. The IFC takes place from 14-17 October 2014 and brings together over 1000 delegates from 60 countries, providing them with the opportunity to network with, and learn from the brightest fundraising minds on the planet.

Featuring over 100 sessions of plenaries, workshops, masterclasses and networking events, the IFC 2014 provides opportunities for learning new fundraising skills and improving leadership skills as well as interacting with international speakers such as Bernard Ross, Liz Ngonzi and Phil Woollam.

Delegates that register before midnight UK time (GMT) on Thursday, 15 May 2014 will receive an early bird discount of £60. Visit resource-alliance.org/ifc to find out more and register today!