72. Inspiring a New Culture of Inclusivity + The Power of Higher Ed Philanthropy - Kim Nyoni
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Overview
Meet Kim. He's spent his career in university development from University of Arizona and Berkley to Washington University and today at UNLV. He's talking about the future of philanthropy in higher education and trends for the sector - including efforts to encourage universities to embrace the Diversity & Inclusivity in Advancement pledge. It's not just a pledge; it's a call to action. There's a lot to discuss even as he talks through 2021 strategic planning. Tune in!
Today’s Guest
Kim Nyoni, Associate Vice President for Development at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
“As long as the culture and the core values of the organization are inclusive, people will want to come and work for you.”
Episode Highlights
Kim’s career journey (2:03)
The future of philanthropy in higher education and what trends Kim is paying attention to (5:37)
Power of Philanthropy in higher education & a powerful story of the impact (13:32)
The Pledge: Diversity and Inclusiveness in Advancement (19:41)
Less than 11% of professionals in higher education advancement are diverse
The vision and goal for The Pledge Diversity and Inclusiveness in Advancement (26:20)
Examine the culture of your organizations. Are you treating everybody the same, and are you providing the same opportunities for everyone?
Kim’s One Good Thing: People make great organizations, organizations don’t make people. (31:03)
Becky’s One Good Challenge: if you are someone of privilege, find someone in your organizations or circles and give people a voice. See how you can partner with them. (32:20)
Powerful Quotes:
“If you treat people well, results will happen.” - Kim
“How do we enhance our online learning infrastructure?” - Kim
“What I’ve seen is there is a lot more focus on need-based assistance for our students.” - Kim
“In the spirit of diversity and equity, ensuring equitable access to education, we have to identify funds to help students be able to afford to go to school.” - Kim
“Not everybody has access to wifi, and laptops, and all the tools they need to learn.” - Kim
“From a social justice perspective… it’s clear that as institutions, we need to address the needs of our students. We need to ensure that our faculty ranks are diverse and are representative of our student body.” - Kim
“So, what I’m seeing now is, for the first time in my career, a real push, by institutions, an intentional push, to focus on fundraising in those particular areas.” - Kim
“Funders require you to prove that you’re worthy to receive such gifts.” - Kim
“We’re gonna make sure everyone has a seat at the table. Anybody who should and wants to pursue higher education, we should be able to find a way in this rich country to be able to provide that.” - Becky
“You cannot run a higher education institution just by depending on state appropriation or what have you.” - Kim
“It’s through my giving that I’ve realized the power that I have to change lives and you have inspired me to do more good.” - Kim
“In prior times, we didn’t feel we had the freedom to speak out our mind because there may be repercussions professionally.” - Kim
“We need to put together a pledge as a starting point to inspire our field and institution advancement to really examine their commitment to diversity.” - Kim
“It’s time we have something that challenges our field to examine its talent acquisition practices.” - Kim
“What we’re saying is, ‘examine the culture of your organization, are you treating everybody the same, are you providing the same opportunities?” - Kim
“How are you sourcing? And how are you creating an environment where people of minoritized groups can thrive?” - Kim
“As long as the culture and the core values of the organization are inclusive, people will want to come and work for you.” - Kim
“We want to ensure that the future of philanthropy and higher education will be as diverse as possible.” - Kim
“People make great organizations, organizations don’t make people.” - Kim
“If you are a person of privilege, if you are someone who is not a minority, I encourage you to find someone within your organization… go talk to them and ask them if they feel (that) way.” - Becky
Learn More About the Pledge
Diversity in Advancement Pledge Blueprint
AADO - African American Development Officers Network
