Meet a Finalist: Asian American LEAD

Submitted by Beth on June 14, 2010 - 11:41am

Each day this week on our blog we are highlighting a finalist for The Washington Post 2010 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management. 

Meet Post Award Finalist Asian American LEAD (AALEAD)

AALEAD promotes the well-being of low-income and underserved Asian American children & families through education, leadership development and community building. Annually, AALEAD provides educational enrichment and youth development programs to more than 300 Asian American youth in the Washington, D.C., metro area. The staff of AALEAD includes 11 full-time and 13 part-time employees as well as a support network of 200 volunteers. The organization has a budget of $1 million.

Q & A with Post Award Finalist Asian American LEAD

  1. What does this award mean for you and your organization?

    This award sets a baseline of management excellence for us. The award process enables us to sharpen the practices we are doing well and share them with other organizations and learn excellent practices from others as well.

     
  2. What have you learned through the application process for The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management?

    While we have pondered similar questions that this application presents at different points in time, we have never really taken ample time to critically evaluate the entire organization and its various parts. This application process has really challenged us to think about how we run our organization, what we do well and what we can improve upon.

     
  3. What advice would you offer for other nonprofit leaders/organizations striving for excellence in nonprofit management?

    The advice that I would offer for other nonprofit leaders/organizations is as follows:
  • Set the goal for excellence throughout the organization as an intrinsic value. It is not about competition, or good PR or a one-time award.  While those are nice achievements, it is about the kind of organization we want to build and maintain.
  • Excellence in nonprofit management attracts and retains talent.  People make the difference.
  • Excellence delivers impact. That is why we focus on management practices.

Learn more about Asian American LEAD:

Watch the finalist video produced by Re:Act Media.

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